Ford 5000 (1964–1975): Telling a Pre-Force From a Force and What to Check

If you own, inherited, or are looking at a Ford 5000, the first question is which 5000 it is. Ford built the tractor from the end of 1964 into the mid-1970s, and in 1968 it changed the engine, the sheet metal and the model code. Collectors call the early tractors "pre-Force" and the later ones "Force." Engine parts, grilles and hoods differ between them, so ordering parts or judging an asking price starts with knowing which side of that line the tractor falls on.

This page shows how to tell the two apart by what you can see, how to find and decode the stamped numbers, and what to check before you buy one or try to get one running.

A short history

The 5000 was the largest of the four-model range (2000, 3000, 4000 and 5000) that Ford launched at the Smithfield Show in London in December 1964. It was Ford's first lineup designed to be sold worldwide, replacing both the American Fords and the British Fordsons; in Britain the 5000 took over from the Fordson Super Major. Production moved to a new plant at Basildon, Essex, in 1964, and North American tractors were also built in the US (Tractor Data lists Highland Park, Michigan). A turbocharged version became the Ford 7000 in 1971, and the 600 Series replaced the line in 1975.

Pre-Force or Force: how to tell them apart

Ford changed the sheet metal on the 2000 through 5000 on April 1, 1968, and the change is easy to see once you know what to look for (owners on the Yesterday's Tractors forum date grilles by it):

Hood sides. Pre-Force tractors have louvered hood sides, and the "FORD 5000" decal usually sits on the side of the dash cowl. Force tractors have smooth hood sides, with the decal running along the hood.
Lower grille. Pre-Force tractors have a lower grille that wraps around the nose. Force tractors have an inset lower grille.
Engine. Pre-Force 5000s use a 233 cu in four-cylinder (4.2 x 4.2 in bore and stroke), gas or diesel. The Force engine is 256 cu in, with the bore opened up to 4.4 in (Tractor Data).
Model code. The first character of the stamped model code is the number 5 on pre-Force tractors and the letter E from April 1968 on (see the decoding section below).

The hood and grille are the quickest check, but sheet metal gets swapped. The model code is the one that settles it.

Specifications

Engine	4-cylinder gas or diesel: 233 cu in (to 1968), 256 cu in (1968 on)
Power	About 56 PTO hp (1965 diesel) and 60 PTO hp (1966 gas); about 67 PTO hp after 1968 (Nebraska tests)
Transmission	8-speed, 10-speed Select-O-Speed, or 16-speed Dual Power
Weight	About 5,700–6,300 lb
Built	Launched December 1964, built through 1975

The power figures come from the Nebraska tests listed by Tractor Data for the 233 cu in and 256 cu in tractors. The 8-speed manual is the simplest gearbox to own. The Select-O-Speed powershift works well when it's healthy but is more involved to repair, and the Ford 6000 page covers where its reputation came from.

Where the numbers are and how to read them

On Ford tractors built from 1965 to 1975, three lines of numbers are stamped on a machined pad on the right side of the tractor, at the top of the flywheel/transmission housing just behind the starter motor (Vintage Tractor Engineer; Tractor Data describes it as the front upper-right corner of the transmission casting). Clean the pad with a wire brush and a little solvent, and chalk it if the stamping is shallow. Some tractors also carry the same numbers on a decal under the hood near the battery.

The three lines are:

Model code, such as E1014C. The first character is the model (pre-April 1968: 2, 3, 4 or 5; April 1968 on: B, C, D or E for the 2000, 3000, 4000 or 5000). The next two digits are the chassis (10 is agricultural all-purpose, 20 is row-crop). Then one digit for fuel (1 diesel, 2 gas, 3 LP), one digit for PTO (for example 4 is independent 540), and a final letter for the transmission (C is 8-speed, E is Select-O-Speed).
Date code, such as 0D21B: last digit of the year, a month letter (A is January through M for December, with I skipped), the day, and the shift (A midnight, B day, C afternoon).
Serial number, such as C271450. The letter is the plant (B for Basildon, C for the US), followed by the production number.

Worked example (made-up numbers): a tractor stamped E1014C / 0D21B / C271450.

E: a 5000 built after March 1968, so a Force tractor.
10: agricultural all-purpose chassis.
1: diesel.
4: independent 540 rpm PTO.
C: 8-speed transmission.
0D21B: built April 21, 1970, on the day shift. The 0 means 1970 here, not 1960, because the format only covers 1965–1975. A 5 could mean 1965 or 1975, so check it against the serial.
C271450: US-built. Tractor Data's US serial list starts 1970 at C257600 and 1971 at C292100, so this number confirms 1970.

The US serial list (C prefix) on Tractor Data is a plant-wide sequence shared by every model built there, so it dates a tractor but doesn't tell you the model. Basildon (B) numbers run in a separate sequence, so date a B tractor from its date code.

What to check before buying or getting one running

Confirm the model code matches the tractor. If the code says Select-O-Speed (E) and the tractor has a manual shifter, or it says gas and there's a diesel in it, the tractor has had major parts swapped. That isn't necessarily bad, but you'll be ordering parts for what's in it, not what's stamped.
Engine. Check oil pressure once it's warm and watch for blue smoke and blow-by. A diesel should start cold without a long crank. Check the coolant for oil and the oil for coolant.
Transmission. On an 8-speed, run through every gear and listen for jumping out of gear under load. On a Select-O-Speed, it should engage every speed cleanly under load without slipping or a delay. On Dual Power, test both ranges while working.
Hydraulics. Lift a heavy implement and let it sit. It should hold height, and the lift should rise without hesitating. Check for weeping around the lift cover.
PTO. On an independent PTO, check that it engages smoothly and stops when switched off.
Steering and front axle. Check for play at the spindles and the steering box.

Mistakes to avoid

Ordering parts by "Ford 5000" alone. A pre-Force 233 and a Force 256 take different pistons and liners, and grilles and hoods don't interchange across the 1968 change. Order by the model code and date code.
Dating the tractor from its hood and grille. Sheet metal gets swapped after accidents and restorations. The stamped model code and serial are the record.
Reading a 5 in the date code as 1965 without checking. The single year digit repeats in 1975. Cross-check against the serial number list.
Using the US serial table on a Basildon tractor. B-prefix numbers aren't in that list, and forcing them into it gives the wrong year.
Writing off a Select-O-Speed or buying one blind. A rebuilt one can be dependable, but one that slips or won't engage is an expensive specialist job. Price the tractor as if the transmission needs work unless it proves otherwise under load.

If the tractor has sat for a while, a 12-volt maintainer keeps the battery ready between uses; see battery tenders for tractors.