expeatfarmer

Does anyone know if the modified skimmer up in Scotland has clear i.d. plates and is the machine still around?

Jumping about from one job to another to keep momentum and interest going I re-cut the valve faces and seats today using a Neway cutter set, one kit cuts the face to 45deg another kit cuts the seat to 46 deg amazing pieces of kit and apparently no lapping required. The complete set costs about 2 grand so I was very lucky to be able to borrow a set. I also cleaned up all the studs and nuts for the crankcases ,timing cover and made a complete set of new gaskets for the barrel crankcase and final drives. A nice quiet day without compressors or grinders running.

Yes turns out it is consecutive number to the one I found in Blandford both ex Bristol water Board. Engine was also bought in Bristol .

Does anyone have a skimming tractor chassis i.d plate ? Or a tractor with one on, my machine has a plate but the centre section is obliterated there are some numbers above the serial number 1311 that look like "750/ 1927 "but I cannot see what they are. A photo of a clear plate would help to get some new ones made.

Whilst the track pads are cooking in the phosphoric acid I decided to tackle the damaged flywheel pulley which is made of cast iron. I thought about heating and welding with MIG but decided that with my luck it would be the flywheel that would crack and not the weld so I looked at the three big chunks missing where someone had tried to lever the clutch apart instead of simply using two long bolts to push it apart. The chips were rounded and I had just found some really big thick washers which were just right to fill in the missing bits. I ground out the chips to an exact fit on the washers which I held in place with a magnet flush with the outer face and then brazed them in, cut the surplus washer away with a cutting disc and then using a power file I rounded off to the o.d of the flywheel. A lathe would have been better but too big for mine. As the washers were about 6mm thick it matched in well with the vee belt groove in the flywheel, I shaped away the surplus washer with a sanding disc to match the sides of the vee. Quick smear of plastic metal to smooth them over and a coat of paint, 3 virtually invisible mends!

Might try that with the next one but ideally you would need to separate the pads and a big tank.

One of the most laborious jobs restoring MG Crawlers is renovating the tracks, the old bolts are difficult to get at with any power tool to aid removal. I have tried sabre saws, angle grinders and a hacksaw all of which are a pain. I recently tried a Fury Evolution steel cutting chop saw which works very well, the blade slips between the track plates and cuts through both the centre rubber and the two bolts on each pad without touching the pads. Result lots of smoke and mess but much quicker. Cleaning up the pads is also a chore, each pad takes about 10 minutes with a bead blaster longer with a power file and wire brush. I decide to see what happens if you dunk the pads in a tank of dilute phosphoric acid for 24 hours, another result clean shiny pads with all but the thickest rust removed. quick brush with the power file and ready to paint.

1311 Skimmer 2 arrived tonight, after dark but managed to get a reasonable look at it. Still not sure which machine it actually is, looks to have quite a few differences to my other one. Kohler twin is cool, electric start alternator etc, not my cup of tea though I will move it on I think. Looks to be a fair size could it be 18/20 Hp? I will try for some better photos tomorrow.

You are welcome to an hour or two on my blast cabinet if you need it Norm.

Thanks Norm sorry it was 2.30 when I arrived at Tom's after a tour of his workshop and then a tour of his toys and a coffee it was 4.30 so had to scoot.

I now have the main body sanded,acid treated and spray putty primer coated ready for a skim of filler to take out the rust pits. I am steadily working my way through all the bolt on bits which have been through the electrolysis tank, shot blasted, acid treated and then primed. Because 137 is such an important machine I am trying to restore it to as it left the factory 80 years ago. using a spectograph i have analysed the original paint colours and ordered some trial aerosols to match the colour as near as i can, they arrived today so i had to have a bit test. I have chosen Ruby red and a turquoise fore the blue, both in satin finish as I believe the original would not have been a high gloss finish. At last the load rollers and idler wheels are finished. The idler rollers were worn undersize so these were skimmed true in a big lathe and then 1/2 " square bar rolled to give 181/2" dia od. which was then brazed on to the skimmed wheels. For the drive rollers, 8" dia x 1/2" thick slices of cast bar were purchased, the original roller rims were turned down to a common size of 7.25 " The cast slices were then bored out in the centre to an interference fit and sweated on to the original wheel located with rawl pins and then brazed. All in all good progress but still a load of blasting and filling to do before re assembly.

I bought it, chuffed to bits, the three speed and clutch are intact and also has the pto output gearbox which is missing from mine and different to MG6.

I am already on the case thanks, the running gear will help me restore my skimmer to original.

At last many thanks for those involved in sorting it out. Photos from yesterday and some from today when I cleaned off half the body and acid treated it with phosphoric before a protective primer coat.

According to payPal I have now paid twice but still showing as pending in MOM ,

You learn something every day ! I have been on this forum for ages and had never realised there was a shop or cost involved. I will try again now and see if photos will upload. No still not working a box comers up saying shrinkpic has reduced the file but attach this file shows error this file was too big to upload. Any clues ?

Very strange uploaded same photos to VHGMC site without any problem Who would I pay £10 to?

Have another it is your birthday!

Finally managed to get back to working on 137 today, pressure washed and degreased body. Cleaned all the crud out of the bottom of the gearbox. It took a chisel and a needle descaler to remove the Worcester marle from underneath but just look at the condition of these eighty year old bolts, just light brush with a wire brush to remove the mud. Interestingly I found that after the primer coat the tractor had been painted lawnmower green before it was painted blue. I wonder if they originally planned them to be green and then changed their minds? Tried to upload photos using shrinkpic but showing error file too big? Not had any problems before is there a gremlin in the works?

Nah! garage all cleared out now loads a room especially with my tent as a back up! Seriously this is a superb machine, Ransomes developed it for use towing barges on canals and general shunting duties but I think the timing was wrong the idea of the steering wheel was to give a more precise response on the steering avoiding the risk of snatching which can occur with levers and could risk tipping into the canal.

Rhys you have to be congratulated, the workmanship and attention to detail is superb. When are you delivering it????

I know of some MG machines in Ohio, one in Florida and I know there are a number in Canada. Changed my mind after driving it and decided to keep it ,it is probably worth more to me as spares than I will get for it whole.

Thanks james

What brand are the tyres and where did you get them from please?

The rear lift consists of two independent three point links ie 4 lift arms and two top links. The idea is to have a left handed plough and a right handed plough, one on the ground and one in the air. At the end of the field you turn the machine around and using the hydraulic ram lift, swap the ploughs over and plough back up the furrow you just made. The benefit being that in a market garden space is limited and crop areas may be small so being able to start at one side of the field and plough across is a benefit it also save a lot of dead running. By using the outer two lift arms and a central top link standard cultivators and rotovators can be fitted to the tractor. The hydraulic pump is located under the seat and is driven by the pto shaft. The only disadvantage is that as all the tractors had a centrifugal clutch you have to remember to lift the implement before you slow the tractor down to turn or take it out of gear and then rev the engine and operate the lift. The linkage arms are category zero ball joints. Ransomes made a full range of ploughs, culivators discs etc many other implements were also made to fit these machines by other manufacturers such as Howard, Mansley, and Gibbs others made seeders , drills and steerable tyne cultivators. As far as transport to Ohio I would say about 1500 dollars.