expeatfarmer

The winch is complete but is currently jammed in gear I shall have to remove it to find out why. I just have to be careful not to engage the pto or it will jam the cable.

You know that chequer plate you were looking for Rhys, the plate under the Ford engine would have cut in half and been ideal for what you needed.

Started work on sand skimming tractor again, Norman and I towed it down to the workshop on Wednesday and winched it on to the lift, just fits with a scrape on either side, lift is brilliant I can set it so that I can crawl inside to get to the back of the gearbox. I have fitted a replacement 3 speed gearbox and renovated the power take off, both of which had been removed and modified when Ford engine fitted. Been struggling today with gear change cable it was free running when off the machine but when in situ is too tight for gearchange lever to move have run 1/2 pint of plus gas through it and spent half an hour pulling it back and forth from the gearbox end but still not good enough hoping I can find a new one. The engine is ready to lift in but first I have to weld in a new support plate as again this was cut away to fit the Ford unit.

Stormin around the garden

Nice guy a drummer by profession he has a number of beautifully restored Ransomes he bought and a number he has done himself.

All done! Went for a ride up the road to the next farm. Starts really well from cold or hot, seems to lack power but hey who cares it moves and smoke is minimal. Steers well on grass and gravel bit sluggish to steer severely on tarmac but then new tyres etc. Throttle still a bit stiff but again newness in the governor and I am certainly not going to mess about with it. First two pictures are engine ticking over at 510 rpm, third picture is full bore at 2100 rpm. Does smoke more under load but again it is 4 degrees here.

I would go for new rings first as loss of compression is a cause of both symptoms.Also well worth setting the bump clearance on the head to make sure you have best compression.

What actually is wrong with yours just smokey?

Ransomes exhibitors now up to 36, Nat Finnbow from Suffolk is bringing his MG6 Prototype.

Much better thanks Norman. Made up a panel for the ignition key and heater plug switch. Have to keep going back to it and starting it just to make sure it is sorted. So far so good ! If it was not for Neil Jarrett being able to supply me with parts more or less next day I would be screwed.

That is my plan at some point well after Malvern!!

Fitted a NOS governor today courtesy of Neil Jarrett. Engine fired up and started perfectly first go! Looks as if this has been a similar issue as the magnetos on 137 I have two faulty governors, one of which came off a good running engine. There are various parts of the governor that can be adjusted although the books tell you to leave them strictly alone you cannot tell what someone else has done in the past to make an engine run.Unfortunately there is a lack of data which would enable you to set the adjustments back to standard.

I thought I had found the problem today, the rod that links the fuel pump rack to the governor was fouling on the casting for the pump location bolts. I relieved the casting to give clearance, put it all back together again but just won't start. It fires and runs for a few cycle and then stops.

I think basically that the engine design is not of the best and excess fuel is always present in the exhaust. In the past I have taken a blowlamp to the exhaust to clear out the crap. The other thing to do is drain the crankcase regularly as oil and fuel does build up in the transfer cavity which can make smoking worse.

No and no, just about to take the gas bottles to it!!! Had it running nicely so spent ages refitting all the covers went to start it and it just wont run It would seem as if I have two faulty governor assemblies. Going to try and get a new set.

Good as its going to get I think, just finishing it off now.

I have just adjusted the crack pressure to exactly 2300psi and the tractor runs much better so I would say it is worth setting them up right. But if it starts runs and does nor smoke too much I would leave well alnoe until you ave the engine in bits again.l

Now that was a revelation, I managed to borrow a portable injector testing rig which was a bit of a faff to set up but once sorted it showed me that one of the injectors I have was cracking off at over 4000lbs/sq inch ( nice pattern though ) the other looked like that little boy fountain cracking off at 1000 psi with a squirted stream and the dribbles. The crack pressure is adjusted by fitting schims or washers under the injector spring, I played around with one for about an hour trying to achieve 2250 psi and gave up at 2100 fitted it to the engine, it started a bit better but still smoked. I decided to closely examine the governor mechanisms and found that the one fitted had a bent spring locating shaft which was causing the rotor to be obstructed. If it was not for the time constraints I would be finding it interesting following on from previous owners trying to analyse just what they have adjusted to keep the machine running in the past as it is now it is a right pain as I really don't have enough set up information to restore factory settings as they say. Things like the rod that links the rack on the pump to the governor the one fitted has been adjusted longer than the one I have from a running engine but swapping makes no difference. Maybe if I stand and look at it long enough some crucial thing may become apparent ( I wish ) Crack pressure tester in action sitting at 4000psi !!!

Now up to 35 Ransomes entered. Final closing is 19th Feb.

Smoking is not as bad but still not good, smell of unburned fuel is awful. Injectors and pump are both spotless, taking injectors today to crack test , it may be that the blow off pressure is low giving a longer coarser spray rather than short atomised burst, worth a try can't think of much else. Valve timing is ok, pump spill timing, I played around fitting a gasket under the pump runs a bit smoother but smoke is worse. If I cant get it any better this weekend it will just have to go as it is as next week I have to get the skimmer finished.

Good Luck !

Does the latch spring open when you push the lever forward?

Most of the pictures are Dorset Steam Fair and the MG4o and MG6 pictures look to be a local show, hopefully the skimmer was near where the photographer lived and his local show.

Not trying to corner any markets just trying to find all the bits to get a machine restored to full working order. You need to sell things to corner the market and I don't sell a lot.

Would be fantastic to find it, happy to cover any costs if someone goes looking.