S1g

Just realised that I haven't updated this project in a while. With
Tractorworld only a week away, heres where it stands at present.
Just a bit of touching up todo with a few minor adjustments.

Gave the underneath a couple of coats of agricultural enamel a few days ago.
 
Yes! I know it's black. Using up a tin of it.
 

 
Yesterday got this cleaned and red oxided.

 
This morning got the shell top cleaned.

 

 
 All the other bits are at a friends being blasted.

Bit of an update.
 
Top given a coat of red oxide, one of primer and one of IH red agricultural enamel. All hand painted. When all is assembled, it will be given a spray job.
 

 
 
 Collected all the bits from being blasted and primed.
 

 
 

Bought this as my winter project, it needs lots and lots of work

It's a ford, what do you expect. Best thing I ever did was to get rid of mine. Lol. In all seriousness though, that machine looks awesome. I'd be very surprised if you don't get first place at Newbury. You certainly deserve it with all the time and work you've put into this.

Decided to have a go at fitting the large plough wheels and the plough...... I have to say its flippin heavy, lifting the machine onto the offset ploughing axle! It's quite a beast once assembled!!!

Fitted the Rotavator too, here's the pictures......


and took it for a drive....... https://youtu.be/kyUjDB3ISJ8

Today was my 1st full day on the reassembly, and I was able to get lots of little jobs done. The pulley on the scythe mower was not a good fit to the rotary shaft and had a small wobble. I made a sleeve from some steel tube, slotted it to allow it to clamp tight. Drilled a hole for the clamp bolt and refitted pulley. Pleased to say the 'fix' worked. Next on the list was to measure for a chain to drive the Rotavator attachment and fit it. Also needed to replace a grub screw on the engine pulley which was chewed up before restoration......
Fitted the tool frame and Hoes 2 days ago, here's the picture of that......

The big moment of truth! Will it all work ok? Course it will! Started 1st pull, drive engages smoothly and no leaks or noises from the gearbox.
Here's a short video for you......
 

Been painting the underneath.
 
  Two coats of red oxide.

 
  I'd been given a couple of cans of Tetrosyl  stone chip a while back. So I decided to use that. Three coats and it's begining to look better. 
 

Top colour has been decided.
 

 
 That should make The Showman a happy chappie.

Well that's it folks. Fini!
 

 
 Primed and undercoated. Top coat colour to be decided.

Fantastic job Norm, I happened to make one the other day for my RJ using measurements from Chris' at Newby. 
 

Finished off the bosses this morning.
 
Skimming the bores.

 
and finished.

 
Next my attention went on the side plates.
 
Using the pipe bender to shape them.

 
Nicely bent.

 
In the jig ready to tack side plates to bosses.

 
 After tack welding as seen, the sides were removed and turned over and tacked t'other side, then fully welded up.
 
 From this point, taking photo's went out the window. Two more hitches are now tacked up ready to fully weld.

Latest Tractor and Machinery out today
 
Good write up on Newby Hall with some familiar faces...
 

Got a little job down at a local garden centre. New owners have bought it and opened a tearoom/café. The grounds where plants etc were grow/displayed is rather overgrown. Did a deal with the owner. Cut down an overgrown area for a load of firewood.
  This morning set too with the C-81 and finger/sickle bar.
 

 

 

 

 
  Most of the tall growth is/was fruit tree saplings. Seemed a shame to cut them down, but the new owners want the grounds cleared up then they can decide what to do.
  Lost a couple of bolts that hold finger bar to gearbox so had to call it a day. Loaded tractor onto trailer then 42 bags of cut firewood. Replaced the missing bolts tonight and all is ready for the morning. I'll check bolts periodically from now one. The finger bar don't half vibrate even at low speed.

Job finished for me. The places where I've not cut have sleepers and other objects in. I was told not to bother about them.
 

 

 
 

If it's something that going to be used I'm often tempted to use tetroseal underseal, on out of sight bits. It's a lot less sticky than waxoyl underseal

My personal view of sealed for life bearings is not the best. When I rebuilt my rear discharge deck, I removed one seal and fitted the bearings  seal side out. I like to use a grease gun now and then.
 
  As to paint for underneath, a good agricultural enamel.

Finally got my Bearings delivered 4 days late. I always seem to get the dyslexic stand-in Postman who tries to deliver my package(s) to somewhere else.....and it was a 'Sign For' item-

 
Rant over, I fitted the bearings with both seals in place and so will blank off the Grease point. The Spindle needed more finishing to remove more raised scoring before fitting without excessive strain on the bearings. The top Oil Seal is a cheaper SKF double lip version, as it will now only need to keep dust and water out and the proper Toro Seal would cost over ukl£20!.
So having prepped the Deck Shell for paint, I had put the first coat of the horrible Synthetic Paint on 4 days ago and still waiting for it to fully harden. 
With the Centre Spindle rebuilt and silky smooth spinning, I fitted it back in place-
 

I will do away with the Keys from the Pulleys at a later stage and convert to Nuts and Lock Washers as per Wheel Horse Service Bulletin #429. I have one spindle with a slightly sloppy Keyway.
Getting close to deciding what kind of final finish coating to apply underneath. 

I bought all four of these separately on a lark after flogging my Husqvarna 435 for the last time, what a piece of Chinese junk, no guts at all. I found the 1969 blue 58.2cc Super XL Automatic 3 hours away for 100.00, but I was going up that way anyways. The  1981 40.9cc Super EZ Automatic was in a town on the way up to moms house and was 25.00. The 1970 37.6cc EZ Automatic was an eBay find for 99.00 free shipping, and the 1967 77cc XL-901 I bought from the original owner for 225.00 shipped to my door. I got 150.00 for the Husqvarna 435 so I have 325.00 in these four. After using them I can't imagine buying a "new" chainsaw.

Today I decided to remove blower housing body and engine from the chassis. Body and engine taken of with to much of a problem though rather fiddly. Pleased to say the all the nuts came undone easily. Next split engine from blower housing. Again all nuts and bolts undid freely.
 This was when I realised that the blower fan wouldn't come out of the housing while attached to the engine. Again luck smiled down and the bolt securing fan to engine came loose with no trouble. 
To get fan off the shaft was another thing. Had to tip the assembly nearly on it's side. Just enough to get a puller on the fan and not to much that engine oil leaked out. Holding the puller onto the head of a long bolt that fitted down the bolt hole in the shaft, steadying the whole assembly and using a ratchet and socket, was a bit of a juggling job. Thankfully the fan came away trouble free.
  Below is how things look now.

 
  The reason I've taken everything apart, is my idea of turning the housing round on the chassis and engine round on the blower housing., as mentioned earlier.
 Two snags now reared their heads.
 First a rubber vibration absorbing gasket is fitted 'tween engine and housing. This was perished and came away in bits.
 Secondly the engine mounting holes are not drilled equally on the p.c.d.
 
 To be continued.........
 
 
 

Rigged up a temporary hitch today and had a trial run.
 
  Turned the tool bar upside down to lower the ball height And packed up the coupling. When at lowest point front of Billy Goat one inch from the ground.
 

 
  Had a trial run but was not very successful. The main problem was the grass I was trying to pick up had been lying for two days and we'd had some rain.
  So I'm having a re-think. The ground I mow is a little on the lumpy side and not flat. The front of the BG can catch if I don't raise it fast enough. Also I think something to loosen the lying grass would be handy.
  I'm thinking of towing it reverse, with a rubber strip along the bottom of the scoop to loosen the grass, which should then be sucked up. I'm going to try turning the body round on the chassis so the outlet still points rearwards. Also turn the engine round on the body so it stays aligned with the handle.
  This is going to be a long term project methinks.

What more can one say Gareth?. Classic example where a combination of addiction and quality work only produces perfection. Well worth the effort (and the aches 'n' pains)