OK, no relation to this ebayer but he seems to have an assortment of unique items for sale. Besides the s/n what makes this an airport tug? He also has a 740 and a few other semi-rare items.

Tim Daley(MI)

• Airport Tug

Just a question, was the MotoTug built by the TowMotor Co? That E-bay unit sure is a parts case unit, very few unusual parts too. I like the 541-D the seller has listed but it too is on the rough side. Wish I had taken photo of the nice 541-4 that was at FL Flywheelers last week, Y'all would have enjoyed looking at it.

Anyone know about the front axle/spindles?

I have a one piece axle in a 2N and the spindles are too long. Part# cast in axle is BN07408. What spindles fit it??

heres a rare one, the moto-tug with 6-cylinder funk conversion.

Jonas

• Link: http://www.ntractorclub.com/forums/manuals/messages/1714.html

Tim....tug parts book on ebay.Goes off in about 5 hrs.Its listed under Ford tractor parts.Good luck. don b

Tim...decided I couldn't be without it.If Ed will copy and add to the manuals section.....anyone can enjoy. don b

Don-
glad you grabbed it. It was too rich for my blood at $59.00. It should prove for interesting read on part numbers...

Tim

John-
Where can we find more info on this? The Peterson/Beemer originality Guide shows a few pictures, gives no text, but does list it as a 2N. It goes on to say it had to have a fuel strainer and a brass gas cap. Some had a data plate stating in was made by Ferguson. I have anothe rpicture in anothe book (again no text) of a 600, yellow, with a cab. Thats' pretty much it.

Tim

From a Harry Ferguson brochure:

___________B-NO-25_____B-NO-40
_______________________________________________

weight...............3720#............5640#
drawbar pull.........2500.............4000
1st gear.............73.3 to 1........82.9 to 1
2nd..................57.0 to 1........64.4 to 1
3rd..................24.6 to 1........15.4 to 1
final drive..........6.66 to 1........6.66 to 1

That appears to be a converted airport tug. The serial number identifies the engine as being a tug. Note the short spindles on the front, narrow rear end, hydraulic brakes, no lift arms. I don't see anything to make me think it wasn't a tug originally.

I didn't notice those details. There isn't much published on the Mototugs is there? Perhaps we can start a thread on the N-History forum to keep all this info togeher...I sort of figured the s/n was a clue...what else can you tell us, John?

Tim

I just bought an NOS adapter plate that goes on the bottom in place of the hyd. pump,part number 9NBN605.Made out of aluminum.Looks just like the regular pump base from the outside except for the part number being stamped in it. don b

Hi Don-
You know I must've looked at those pictures of the BN-O-40 Mototug in the Peterson/Beemer Guide Book a thousand times and paid no attention to them. Now its got me spinning. If they had their own s/n does that mean those special parts had their own too? Is there a parts manual somewhere for them? They basically took a 9N/2N and made some alterations and added the funky sheet metal. Is it considered a military vehicle? I've been going off lately on the GPW Jeep and now this!!!

Tim Daley(MI)

Tim.......don't have the answer to those questions, but would say there are parts books for both,somewhere.The adapter plate clearly has the part number stamped in it and also had an original Ford parts tag attached with part number.
Speaking of books......have you ever seen the original 1939 9n owners manual.I'll get Derek to post a pic on the board when he has time. don b

Does anyone know which spindles fit the BN? My 2N has, I thought, a welded front axle. 9N/2N spindles are too long. Part # on axle is BN07408.

Does anyone know which spindles fit the BN? My 2N has, I thought, a welded front axle. 9N/2N spindles are too long. Part # on axle is BN07408.

I don't know anything about them. There are a few guys in the Ford/Fordson club who are very knowledgeable on them but they don't get online. Details on the Tugs are scarce. They were mostly a 2N tractor modified by Ferguson-Sherman to be an airport tug. I've heard how hundreds of them were pushed overboard on aircraft carriers after the war. Lots of them were stripped of the heavy metal and converted back to a usable "tractor" like the one discussed here. I've seen enough of them to know the features that identify it as a tug or former tug, but that's it. They never really interested me enough to bother trying to learn about them.

Perhaps the lack of a 3 point system? I would also expect a tug to have deeper gears, but have no specific knowledge. A quick look at the books I have available didn't provide any insight. They had a brass fuel cap and a fuel strainer under that brass cap. They looked to have a parking brake and only one pedal on the left. I have no picture of the right side to see what they did for pedals over there.

I've never seen one of these in person but casual observation of the unit via photograph suggests to me that there is a completely different front and rear end on the Moto Tug than on the N Series tractor. It has a much lower center of gravity than the N tractors. I would assume that it has a 5 ton truck rear end (dual wheels), and a truck transmission. I think a truck transmission because they would need a higher gear than the N's have simply to be able to get the tug out of the way FAST. 7MPH probably wouldnt cut it on a busy airfield. The Worthington tractor is a close relative I think. It was first developed for pulling gang mowers on airfields. The Worthington in the late 40's clearly used the Ford N Industrial Unit which consisted of the hood, radiator, engine, battery and dash. I doubt Ford supplied complete tractors to them. Worthington then built a chassis, drop axle in front, 4 speed tranny with truck rear end and a platform for to mount the drivers seat.

Are the Moto Tugs using the Industrial Power Unit? If not, I would think that Ford or Ferguson intercepted N engine/hood units from their own line and had a complete separate line for the Moto Tugs using those intercepted power units. Of course during war time I would assume that much of tractor production might have been halted to provide assembly efforts for other things like Jeeps, Tanks and B-25's.

"I would also expect a tug to have deeper gears"

With the smaller rear wheels you would get a lower speed -- do not know if Ford used lower gears in the transmission.

Roger in Michigan

Roger....the January '46 N parts manual has a few tractor frame & conversion parts listed in the back. One of the conversion parts listed is a complete transmission assembly.

If you check my reply to Tim further up in this string I listed the gear ratios(listed in an old Ferguson brochure)as used in the BNO's.

Jeff

Might just have an engine from a moto-tug.
The actual moto-tugs had hydraulic brakes, no three point hitch, no PTO. They also had heavy duty sheet metal and smaller rear wheels.

That tractor is a missmash of several tractors. 8N hood, 8N front wheels, 2N radius rods, Who knows what kind of rear wheels? Some strange gizmo under the right brake pedal. Has a PTO that an aircraft tug would not have.

Roger in Michigan

This is what a moto-tug should look like:

Not much like the one up for auction!

Roger in Michigan

Here's another one:

Another one "in the rough":

The one from Peterson & Beemer's "Originality Guide - Ford N Series Tractors":

Guys, I wanna mention that the BNO serial# and the hydralic brakes are probably indicators that would support the statement of being produced for Uncle Sam. I had inquired about a paint scheme we realized on a 9n we have...seems there was a dusting of white-ish paint, over yellow, over red...over bare metal. Word I got is that FOMOCO had a municipal services division that furnished machines for Uncle Sam; at least during the 2nd world war. Seems that quite possibly, Henry's boys in Dearborn painted these tractors bound for shipyards,airports, etc. red. They must have realized that the yellow was brighter and more apparent and subsequently painted them yellow? And, an indicator I find very interesting is that the yellow and red paint exists everywhere. I mean on surfaces that were mated together at assembly.
These things could hold true, our tractor is a mid '43 9n (I beam radius rods),and I understand that it was originally owned by a small municipal airport in central Pa. Ours has no unusual sheet metal - it is original and typical of the 9/2n; and shares the(same paint scheme as the rest of the tractor). It also has Delco Moraine hydraulic brake units.Ours also is equiped with a three point and PTO.
I guess I am thinking that these machines could have been furnished, equipped especially for the tasks of the designees.
I'd be interested to know any other facts and observations out there. God Bless,Brian

I agree with John Smith. The running gear and engine appears to be off a BNO-40. The fenders 9N/2N???, the hood 8N.??? Looks like someone tried to get it as close as he could to an "N" series. tractor.

Gary

...and cheaper. Too bad it ended a month ago.
R {:o(

• Mpdel F4U-1 Corsair and Mototug