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25 years of continuous publication! |
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The N-News is a trusted clearing house for information and technical guidance for N-owners throughout North America, Europe, and Australia. Twenty-five years is a long time to keep going and we've never missed a deadline.
Publisher emeritus (and my uncle) Gerard Rinaldi combined his vested interest in a newly-acquired 8N (in need of a caring restoration) with his interest in the new personal computer and before long the first issue of the N-News reached subscribers.
First fifty, then a couple of hundred, and then nearly a thousand readers were receiving the magazine. Soon people bought and sold parts and a few asked to run display ads. The subscription base continued to grow. Ed Calvert and Don Horner helped out too, and soon the N-News was up and running!
For the past decade a next generation took the reins, and the magazine has continued to evolve. We've moved the N-News onto the Internet and today, the features that readers care about, like Tech-Tips and the N-Conversation, are online.
The key to our success is you, the subscriber. You have shared your experiences working with vintage Ford tractors, from the discovery to the trials of restoration. You’ve made this magazine what it is today by sharing your memories, discoveries, failures and accidents. Now, let’s work together for another twenty-five!
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N-Conversation
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Tom Evanssent emailed about Dave Erb’s article:
 Have you ever hooked up the cables wrong when jumping a battery? Hopefully the battery did not blow up in the process. Mr. Erb's advice to color the negative terminal red encourages such a scenario. Conventionally, red is positive and black is negative. Jumper cables are similarly coded. When jumpering any vehicle, it does not matter if they are positive or negative ground, always connect positive to positive and negative to negative. If jumpering 12 volt to 6 volt, the best way is to go direct to the starter, provided the 6 volt battery has enough juice to power the ignition. Otherwise, connect the negative jumper cable to the starter, and ground the positive cable away from the battery AFTER you push the starter button. This will limit the voltage to the battery.
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Dave Erb wrote with his own comments...
In the Autumn issue, the Polarity article, I said that front-mount distributor coil polarity could not be reversed due to its design. I have since learned that two parts vendors sell front-mount coils for N Ford tractors made for 12-volt negative ground systems. It is also possible but not recommended to run an external wire out of the front-mount distributor body and thence to a cantype coil, where the polarity could be set to match the battery polarity. Remember, when in doubt about coil polarity: "PPP” Positive to Points = Plus to Ground. |
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Tech Talk
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Battery Care Part 2: Help Batteries Live Longer |
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By Dave Erb
 David Erb There are two major considerations related to battery safety – acid burns and explosions. Acid can be present as either a liquid or a residue on the outside of used batteries. Spilled acid can be neutralized with water. If you have a spill or get acid onto your skin, rinse it immediately. If you get it into your eyes, flush with lots of water and seek medical help immediately.
Battery innards revealed! Just holding a used battery against your clothing can ruin them completely. I once owned a brand new pair of hickory-striped bib overalls. First day out of the drawer, I carried a dirty battery against my chest. Nothing leaked out. Want to guess what those bibs looked like after their first trip through the laundry?
The second battery safety consideration is that of explosion. When batteries are charged, they produce hydrogen gas. This is quite explosive stuff. Every battery explosion is caused by a spark from something. Batteries don’t just explode from spontaneous combustion, like wet hay in a mow. Always be careful when disconnecting or connecting battery cables in a confined area where a battery has been charged. It is for this reason that every repair person must know that the ground side cable is the first to be removed and the last to be reconnected.
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More about battery care...
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How Batteries Work: Care & Maintenance |
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By Dave Erb, former editor of Old Abe’s News
[Preserving your battery means more than just charging it. In fact, careless charging can do damage. We take up battery maintenance with Dave Erb, former editor of Old Abe’s News, in this continuation of this issue’s Tech Talk story –Ed.]
Keep it Charged – But Not Too Charged! Low battery cells are almost always a sure sign of overcharging – a high regulator setting is usually the culprit to look for in this condition. A hot, “rotten egg” smell is typical of a cooked battery that was overcharged. Battery life in these conditions will be very short, at best. Follow these simple maintenance considerations: tend your battery; minimize corrosion; and top off regularly.
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Read more...
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How Batteries Work: An Introduction |
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By Dave Erb, former editor of Old Abe’s News
 It is unfortunate that we need batteries, but we do. We need them because we are lazy, and not too patient. If you doubt what I’ve just said, find a 2N Ford tractor that is still original. It will have no battery, starter or battery ignition. In place of these parts you will find a hand crank sticking out of the grill with a magneto as the source of engine ignition. None of us like that arrangement! No matter how long our old tractors sit, we expect them to fire right up.
But once your tractor engine is started, you no longer need that heavy, clumsy battery. The charging system supplies electricity for the ignition and other needs. You wouldn’t need to drag the battery around with you except that you might want to start your engine again. So you also need a charging system so it will work again next time you need it.
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Read more...
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