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It made a Crop | and his part in the modern day powershift transmission. Ok, I know this has been discussed on here before. But, I got a copy the new book out by Harold L. Brock and Robert N. Pripps. "The Big Book of FORD Tractors" There is a chapter in written by Brock about his career at Ford. This a couple of paragraphs from the book. This Brock writing about the period where Ford was switching to more than one model of tractor. " In addition to Dearborn Motors established a planning group, the management also established a research group to explore new concepts of farm equipment. Ray Miller, Ford's new chief operating officer headed this up. One of the projects purposed was a new design of powershift transmission for the tractor. This project started as result of Howard Simpson approaching me with a new arrangement of planetary gearing that would permit power shifting. Simpson had retired from Ford and spent a major part of his time working on the planetary gear concepts that he patented. I referred him to Ray Miller and his group for consideration of his proposal. This group accepted the idea and designed the Select-O-Speed transmission. They submitted their design and prototype to my product engineering development group for consideration. Tests developed the inadequacy of the transmission to withstand durability requirements. Miller continued to prevail upon the divisional manager Meritt Hill and certain Ford top management that the transmission was ready for production, and that I and my staff were holding up approval of this promising new project. I informed the management that if they wanted to put the transmission into production that they should hire a new chief engineer. They fired me and all of my test engineers that had documented the deficiency of the transmission. Having left Ford Motor Company, I was approached by William Hewitt, chairman of the board of Deere & Company. Hewitt had been present at the introduction of the Model 8N tractor at Ford. Hewitt asked if I would consider coming to Deere & Company to help redesign their older two-cylinder tractors. Deere management was concerned that Ford would be coming out with their Select-O-Speed transmission and Deere's new models would not have such a feature. I assured the them that the Ford transmission was doomed to failure and we could design such a unit with durability and characteristics that would enhance Deere's New Generation tractors. When Ford sold the first Select_O_Speed transmissions I had Deere purchase two of them. Under Deere durability tests one lasted 12 hours. and the other 16 hours. Upon calling the Ford tractor engineers, I asked if they had a correction for the transmission problems. I was informed that they did not have the answer at that time. Ford Motor Company stopped production and fired Meritt Hill and Ray Miller." I just found this to be an interesting first hand account of this bit of farm tractor history. |
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Eastern VA. No such thing as too many Magnums. | When I was a little boy, we had this old Ford tractor that was mostly red and grey, except the transmission was blue. I think it was a 501? or maybe an 801? Anyway I asked dad why the transmission was blue. He said because the original transmission was junked soon after they got the tractor. About 20 years later, a couple of us were loading junk equipment on a lowboy with an excavator. This strange item came up out of the weeds with a long cable that had hooked on the excavator tooth. It was a Select-O-Speed control lever. It was perfect condition. No rust at ALL after sitting in the woods for who knows how long. If Ford had engineered the transmission as well as the chrome-job on the handle. It would have been successful for sure! I think they still have the handle in my uncle's shop in Maryland. |
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E.Central MN | I wonder how much time elapsed when the selecto-shift was in production because there were a lot of them around. Durability didn't seem to be as much a problem as the jerkiness of the shifting, especially when trying to back up to hook up to an implement. They were ahead of their time and as usual when that occurs there were wrinkles that needed to be ironed out. My brother ran a 4000 Selecto out of gas when bringing it home from an auction. When the engine quit it locked up the transmission leaving black marks on the highway. Unbelievable, which wasn't quite the way he described it. |
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It made a Crop | I wasn't try to debate the S-O-S as design. We have two on the farm a '69 or '70 5200 and 971 (retired). And Dad ran a rebuilt red 6000 with M&W turbo 8 or 9 years. So yes I know the S-O-S became a useable unit.
I was just pointing out how Ford Management did not trust there Chief Engineer of Tractor Operations. Who by the way Started His career at Ford in '29 in the Ford Trade & Apprentice School at age 15. There firing him had to delay the any future success of the SOS. And surtenly aided Deere with success of the New Generation "4000" series. Just interesting the impact those decissions had. |
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Washington, Kansas & Lincoln, Nebraska | The Select-O-Speed was built from '59 to around '74. I have two prior 4000s. These things with the "blue" transmissions are dang near bullet proof. |
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E.Central MN | It must have been a major tiff for them to fire him. Looking at their geared transmission tractors its clear they were a pretty good utility tractor. Progress isn't always pretty. Makes you wonder what happened to the execs that made the decision? |
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It made a Crop | Pete, boy this post goes back a few years. I wanted to thank you for the video interview with Harold Brock you did.
I'm still using a Seelect-O-Speed row crop 5000. I'm hoping to get dad's old 1959 971 select-o-speed out of mothballs few the next few years. |
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It made a Crop | Pete, boy this post goes back a few years. I wanted to thank you for the video interview with Harold Brock you did.
I'm still using a Seelect-O-Speed row crop 5000. I'm hoping to get dad's old 1959 971 select-o-speed out of mothballs few the next few years. |
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Harold L Brock - Tractor Engineer for Ford & John Deere
