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IT"S ALIVE! I've been putting in plenty of time on this lately to get it done for the big Wheel Horse show which starts this Thu. Amazing how much time this stuff consumes! I usually just peck away builds in my spare time and work on things as the ideas come so I usually have no idea how much time goes into them. Set up for a test drive Almost there!

Hi Max, the will be some surgery but not that much.. A change of plan again Thank Iain, working brakes certainly inspires a bit more confidence knowing your going to stop again Well chaps, a change of plan again. the steering rack won't be fitted as it just wouldn't look right.. Also Nigel and I were playing with the current set up yesterday, with a few tweaks and some shims the steering lightened up and even started to self center.. So with a better steering box the steering should be quite good No photo's but have a short vid of Mark, Matt the garden center manager and myself giving WN a thrashing up the car park

Been making steady but slow progress with 137, mostly de rusting and shot blasting parts with a few restoration jobs. The final drive gears were absolutely solid with old grease that had gone hard as were the front hubs. I managed to remove it from the final drives by using a hot air gun and some degreaser on a stiff brush it still took about an hour each side. The front hubs were harder as there is a big reservoir are inside which was solid. The biggest mistake Ransomes made was to fit oil nipples that look like grease nipples, there is no part of an MG Tractor that should be greased all the hubs etc use 140 oil, if you use grease a) it blows the seals and it goes solid after time and lubrication stops. To remove the grease from inside the hubs I had to resort to placing each hub on a shallow tray covered in foil and place them in the hot oven of the Aga for an hour. It was like watching a volcano erupt as all the grease melted and belched out through the bearing seats. ( I even got permission!!!)Our Aga oven has a built in extractor fan that vented all the smoke to the garden. I have cleaned up the barrel and head off the engine sand blasted them and then fine ground the fins to take out the worst pitting applied a few coats of black engine enamel looking quite tidy now. In between shot blasting ( letting the compressor have a rest ) I have started to weld up the scars in the side of the body where the worn hubs have allowed the tracks to rub against it. They must have been shot for a long time as in some places the side is worn right through. I ground out the rust and then MIg welded the scars.

Now sorted thanks to the master of finding parts.. The Showman.. Thanks Chris

Not the best, but I quite enjoy brazing Exhaust Inlet

Hi all, I'm sure many of you saw I have acquired a new lathe from Alan and John. I didn't intend on buying a lathe from them but after seeing it there and some light persuasion from Iain I agreed a price with Alan and John and brought it home. After some fiddling with the wiring I got the motor working. Both gearboxes were quite low with oil so I filled them up and the gearboxes sound much nicer now. I am very happy with it and it has already proved useful as my dad needed a pulley bored out and it did it no problem. John had soaked it in grease to prevent it from rusting which has kept it very well, although it has been a pain cleaning it up! This picture was of it at Johns: Back in it's new home: After a good clean up and I put some carpet in the storage area to tidy it up: Tom

Reed the bolens stash thread Iain. It was moved by BOLENS power as all the WH were dead

I second that, it is a beautiful machine, by the way Alain, over here, just to confuse things, the 'LEFT' lane is the 'RIGHT' lane, if you're in the 'RIGHT' lane you're in the 'WRONG' lane, if you see what I mean. Doug.

I went on a journey to Oxfordshire on Friday to collect my latest purchase . Had to drive like a bat out of hell to get back sharpish so that , er in doors , didn't see another tractor arrive at the ranch. The guy that I bought this from also had an awesome collection of Wheelhorse tractors including a suburban 401 , lawn ranger, and many c series tractors along with some awesome implements. Luckily I sneaked the latest member of the Heard into the barn with minutes to spare

Thanks guys for your kind words, had a fun day playing with my latest haul, finished off by an evening in the pub

Took the misses out today for a forage looking for goodies, it turned into an all day thing but at least she saw what got put into van, i think she enjoyed the day so here's a couple of photos

Yes, I could park it in the back of the shed next to the Cub Cadet

Not sure Andrew can only tell you it runs really nice

Chris, I expect it is the colour that makes it more attractive to you Bolens tractors with Wisconsin engines like that one, are very nice. The Bolens is a 1054 and it is in reasonable condition. Hopefully Alan will not forget that it has my name on it once they have finished with it. Iain

To knock some sence into you Chris???

Now that is old!

Great haul and always good to see a Bolens in the pictures Iain

I know where you been Chris You got plenty of tyres now for your trailer

On a football pitch it would be something else! Drift tastic!

That was freakin awesome... It would feel safer on grass too! Thanks Ian

Wow, that looks like fun, bet it's gonna be wicked on grass at a show

:hdance:

Happy Birthday Chris You must be the same age as some of your tractors

Oh my gosh, That's horrible, around here they get the signs on the right side of the streets, but they don't always spell them correctly

Happy Birthday Chris I bought you exactly the same thing as I bought you last year

HOW OLD. ! Never mind. Happy Birthday anyway Chris.

That is a beautiful machine Neil, your better half will appreciate it when she sees it, I'm sure. BTW, take care in driving from now one, it appears you are in the wrong lane from the photo

I am pleased you have resolved the issue with the rear brakes. Good luck with the steering column that looks like a very big challenge. Iain

That looks like quite a bit of surgery is going to take place.