# Help with Ford 631!



## Tom Z. (Aug 13, 2019)

Hi there! I'm new here. I just became the owner of what I think, based on the serial number, is what started out life as a roughly 1959 Ford 631. The old beast really runs well, but has a leaking radiator.

I prefer to only take things apart once when I work on engines, so as long as I'm replacing the radiator, I would like to replace the water pump, hoses, and thermostat. I know strange things can be done over the 60 or so years this thing has been around, but my tractor doesn't exactly match the pictures online and in the manuals.

Specifically, what is this part? We are on the left side. The front of the engine is to the right, and that's the upper radiator house coming down to it from the upper right corner. 





  








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Tom Z.


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Aug 13, 2019








(Please ignore the blue paint. The previous owner thought that since it's a Ford, it should be blue, so he spray painted everything. One thing at a time.) The diagrams show the thermostat housing as a simple bent tube with a two hole flange, but this is more... complicated. 

What is this part? Should I keep it or replace it? Will a standard thermostat housing bolt on? Where is the thermostat, in the... thing, or in the hose? What about hose lengths and gaskets? 

Advice would be greatly appreciated, as my wife wants me to order parts and get the beast to working. Thanks!!! 

Tom Z.


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

Your picture did not load but it kinda sounds like the thermostat housing for a tractor with power steering. The belt tensioner for the PS pump attaches to it.
Does it look like this?
By the way, Ford built more Blue tractors than all their other colors combined.


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## Tom Z. (Aug 13, 2019)

No, it looks like this:





  








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Tom Z.


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Aug 13, 2019








(Not sure what I did wrong with the image, so I'm trying again.)


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## Tom Z. (Aug 13, 2019)

The previous owner said that it was red, so he "fixed it".


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

Tom Z. said:


> No, it looks like this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Never seen any thing like it.
Can you post a photo that shows a little more of the engine/tractor so we can get an idea of what that angle iron bracket is attached to.


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## Tom Z. (Aug 13, 2019)

Okay. Here are a couple of more images. You can see the part in question in the upper right hand corner.





  








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Tom Z.


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Aug 14, 2019












  








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Tom Z.


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Aug 14, 2019


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

I like mysteries and that sure defies description, Tom Z. out of curiosity, have you noticed 2 threaded fittings on the inlet manifold, there is a male fitting on the housing and an elbow, the elbow is blocked off and I would imagine the male fitting will be also, My assumption is this is used to preheat the inlet manifold if fittings are there, only an assumption, but it is setup to divert hot water to somewhere.
If your tractor had a cab, I would say this would be for a cab heater ??.
I guess if this was dismantled, you may get an idea of what it originally did.


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## Tom Z. (Aug 13, 2019)

Here's the left side of the mystery part:





  








20190814_181505




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Tom Z.


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Aug 14, 2019








There are fittings on the mystery part that you can see. I couldn't find any other ones anywhere else. My tractor doesn't have a cab, and I'm in Texas, so I don't need to make anything hotter. But, who knows where the tractor has been in the last 60 years.

Diverting hot water somewhere makes sense, but I don't need that. Do you think that I could take it off and just bolt on a regular thermostat housing?


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

If the bolt pattern of what you have there now was to match up with the bolt pattern of a thermostat housing, there would be no problems, the mystery is not being used for any purpose apart from being on display, go for it if you can match it all.


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