expeatfarmer

Now well over 30 machines should be a great show, not too late if you want to take part. Spoke to a guy tonight who has not shown for thirty years and wants to come and take part fantastic!

If you have a Ransomes MG machine but are unable to bring it along, please bring some photos that we can display on our "Absent Machines " display board.

Apparently Mark has further registrations so we make achieve 30+ Fantastic.

I now have 27 machines entered for the Malvern display, entries close on 1st February so if you are hoping to come with a machine please e mail either myself or Mark at Tractor World.

Assistance very much appreciated Norm.

Thanks for that Rhys with the small pulley on the alternator and the large on the clutch it should achieve the 1200 rpm for it to charge. Norman was here today and stripped out the burst pipe on the Turf Trak for me, will try to get another in the morning also new filter has arrived. Norman set to and removed the brake bands from the MG40N the gearbox was full of oil and water( mostly water ) to within 2" of the top so no wonder the steering was shot. Drained it all out ready to fit some nice new ones. I spent most of the day making up new mountings for the fuel tank on the ITW to accommodate the starter motor I also fitted a new manual starter mechanism as the original had been interfered with and did not work. Couple of bits and bobs to finish and then I should be able to try starting the Drayton on the ITW. Blasted paint on the wheels was still tacky all day so leaving the tyres until next week.

One of the handbrakes is seized up soaked it overnight hoping it may ease off with a bit of heat. Hope the paint on the wheels has dried so we can fit the tyres today and rig up the electrics. Fitted a pulley clutch housing to drive a small dynamo but not found one yet.

Yes they would but takes too long when you are in a hurry. Engine in, exhaust fitted perfectly fuel tank mounts need to be modified to fit around starter motor.

I bought 310 from an elderly gentleman in Dorset, he told me he bought it from the auction at the STEAM Fair about 25 years ago and at the time there was a fuuly rebuilt shiny machine alongside which he thinks was sold to someone from Hull I have never heard of one since. I also have sand skimmer 311 but that has been cut down to just the body tracks and transmission.Considering that probably about twenty machines were built I would be surprised if there was not one lurking somewhere. Both mine are ex Bristol waterboard.

Reason for split rims is that the wheels are cast and then machined presumably for extra strength and traction weight. I have welded up the screw heads at the back of the wheel to stop the bolts turning when being undone. If I ever need to replace the bolts an end mill would take out the weld. Poor Norman has spent all day splitting two of the wheels which had original tyres so possibly had never been off in 60 years! and rest of the day wire brushing the wheels so I could paint them before we refit new tyres and tubes. As Rhys says the tyres will have a huge side thrust when skid steering and for this reason the tyre beads sit on a very wide sealing face.

Fun and games today, Stormin came to help thank goodness spent most of the day trying to get the four wheels off, the rime are a really neat fit on the hubs and had rusted solid, each wheel had to be heated up with the gas bottles quenched with paintbrush cleaner and then pried off a bit at a time with a 6ft pry bar. We got there in the end I will put some copper slip on when I refit!!! Rebuilt the mag and carb for the skimmer in between .

Hope so !

That's the plan cat litter is good for sopping up oil spills !

Oh yes it is took me three days to clean it up ! Now I have made a right mess in the other one ! Engines and gearboxes and oil all over the place.

I wish ! Had a good day today though, gear change cable on 310 had snapped so took the one off 311 only to find gearbox end was 5/16 thread not 1/4,managed to grind it down and re thread it to fit so fingers crossed I can change gear. The flexible coupling on the petrol engine off the ITW was shot so stripped out the clutch to change the coupling, clutch is brand new as is drum. Then went on to strip the engine just to make sure all is ok, removed the head, bore and valves are absolutely perfect. Gave the valves a spin just to take off any surface rust. The chap who owned it before was an ex Massey Ferguson engineer and as such I expected it all to be good but needed to make sure looks to me as if it has only run for an hour or so since a complete rebuild albeit 25 years ago ! I have removed the mag again brand new inside, condenser is non original and not fixed well so will change that , points are new but furry so a clean up should be all that is needed. The engine is fitted with an Amal 356 carb. Again great condition but full of white powdery corrosion due to having been left dry for so long I will polish it up and should be fine. I am just hoping that the Drayton engine for the ITW is in the same condition as it came from the same guy, we will see in the morning! This machine will be displayed at Malvern come what may complete with 25 years of chicken poo in parts I have not reached yet, it will move under its own power but that is all there are loads of bits missing and aprt from the magic seat it will certainly not win a concours prize and neither will the ITW or the MG40N but these machines are rare and special and I would like as many people as possible to see them and hopefully others will feel inspired to bring along their machines in whatever condition they are. So inspiring that I have even got a Wheelhorse fanatic as number two !

I wish , when are you coming over?

Getting bored with tracked machines so today I have made a start on the four wheel drive skid steer tractor number 11734 dating from 1957. This machine is ex British Rail Brighton Yard and was used for shunting trucks, it is equipped with a Boughton cable winch driven off the pto and drop down sprag at the rear. First job was to remove the petrol engine which is destined for the skimming tractor. I then towed it down to the workshop and winched it on to the lift ready to refit it's original Drayton diesel engine which has been fitted with an electric start cleverly mounted to drive a flywheel ring gear. Plan is to get it running and mobile for Malvern, I have some new tyres to fit and the drive chains should ideally be replaced as they are very stiff but may recover if I take them off and soak in plus gas and diesel for a day or two. At some point a large girder has been welded across the back as a big bumper, looking at the welding it was fitted by some incontinent sparrows so I have cut it off, fortunately I have its original tow bar. My lift mounted winch worked a treat I towed the ITW down with my mower to the workshop door and then hitched up the winch cable and pulled it straight on to the lift ramp, easy peasy!

Think I may have found some !!

Rob Virtually all of the mechanical operation parts are missing. The main thing is that all of the original framework is present and I have an original pats manual from which I can either find or make the parts. Neil has sourced a substantial quantity of NOS parts nd I know where there are more so I may be able to re fit . Main thing at the moment is to sort the transmission and refit an original patrol engine so that it is mobile.

Which seal do you mean Rhys? Managed to swap the three speed gearbox over from 311 to 310 today discovered that the two bearings on the pto output shaft were shot hopefully Neil will have some spares. Gear change cable from 310 is snapped, cable from 311 has a 1/4" tail instead of 3/16" as 310. May be able to trim it down and cut a new thread to fit. Both gearbox sump plugs are seized solid so had to dismantle with oil in boxes hence the mess!! In the photo you can see the double final drives of the skimmers which reduce the travel speed to 25ft/min 1st gear, 50ft/min second gear and 1mph third gear. Could take me about an hour to get from the car park at malvern to the stand!!! Next job is to swap the petrol engine from the ITW to the skimmer and fit original Drayton back on the ITW.

It looks as if there are going to be at least 30 machines exhibiting at Tractor World Malvern on 27th / 28th February. We have a large stand along one wall of the first hall and space in the centre so there is no restriction on numbers for anyone who would like to display a machine. The plan is to set out the machines in age order from the left of the stand, if you are displaying it would help if you know the year of manufacture. As I have said before it is not about having a shiny machine it is about taking part and meeting other owners so even if your machine has the patina of decades or a fresh coat of paint please do register and come along. It is an excellent show with hundreds of tractors, loads of trade stands,used parts stands and a massive auction so plenty to do see and buy.No charge for exhibiting and free entry passes if you do. The idea is that there will be at least one of every model of MG tractor that Ransomes produced from 1937 to 1965 including the very rare industrial machines. Currently we are light on MG5 models and the later MG40 machines, a Sachs engined MG40 would be good. Over the years machines have been modified for special purposes ( three wheel shunter ) or just to keep them running engine swaps etc. Such machines are also part of the history of the MG tractor and as such are just as welcome as the machines in original order. Rebuild restorations and projects in progress are very welcome as long as you have the means to move them around on site. If you are going to attend but not display, do bring along any photos of MG machines and implements that you may have, we are setting up a display board with pictures of tractors from all over the world provided by enthusiasts who are too far away to take part. I look forward to meeting up with you, I am the shy good looking white haired bloke with a pipe!!!

Thanks that would be good, I will line up some jobs for you bring your boiler suit.

Thanks

Fortunately it is just a standard three speed box so not too hard to find.

Great looking machine looks as if it will have some grunt!