Today I began dismantling 137 the oldest known MG2 motor cultivator dating from 1936.
Amazingly every bolt has come undone without any brutal activity other than a big bar on one of the implement frame pivots.
Some bolts have obviously never been touched in 80 years, once the bolts are out the holes are still shiny metal, quality stuff theses old Ransomes.
I spent an hour or so last week giving every bolt a squirt of plus gas and it has obviously paid off.
The final drives are all in good order and should just need a clean up and new seals, the drive rollers are both shot so I will cut them off with a plasma cutter and weld on new rings. Although rusty the body has very few pits, I think I will power sand it rather than shot blast, there are a couple of wear scars where the tracks have cut into the body, I am going to cut these out and weld in donor steel from the half MG2 that came with it. Two of the load rollers are good and still full of oil, the other two need new bushes.
The digger has been put to work over Easter landscaping in my son's garden digging out large shrubs and trees, re planting and moving soil around, worked really well, managed to pull a track off right up against a hedge but I was able to walk it out on the bucket. It was my own fault the track was a bit slack and I was sitting across a slope pushing soil. The wide tracks are very good on soft ground and hardly leave a mark on the grass. I even had my own service crew!
After two days sorting through all the bits I now have 137 and 431 sorted out into their respective piles, there was also a pile of MG5/6 and 40 bits in amongst it to add to the confusion.
137 is now on the ramp ready strip down to begin.
MG2 number 431 is up for sale if anyone is interested, all the parts are present except magneto which I may find, it has the replacement TB engine ,the barrel valves and piston have been renewed but never used.
I have just managed to obtain a new project, it is the earliest known surviving MG2 number 36 off the line in 1936, I bought it from a chap I met at Tractor World.
2016 is the 80th anniversary of the Ransomes crawler. The plan is to stage a display at the 2016 tractor World of at least one of every model MG tractor that Ransomes built, my aim is to totally restore 137 and display at the show. I have yet to finalise the detail of the display with Mark Woodward but if any other MG owners would be interested in joining the display please let me know. It would be fantastic to gather as many MG2 as we can alongside the other models. They do not need to be restored, original condition and patina of age is great. Dates are March 12th and 13th 2016 at the Malvern Three Counties Showground, the display will be inside.
Was a great show with loads of interest in the Ransomes and Whitlocks, I did not know I had won until I asked the guy with the Atco display. I took two machines down but brought three back thanks to the chap who lent me a 32mm spanner so that I could take the blade off the digger to squeeze them on. On my spec sheet for the Whitlock loader I had written that only three were known to exist, when I took down the sheet at the end someone had tucked a note behind it saying that there were four because he had one that also had a crane jib. Unfortunately there was no contact detail so I am unable to gain any more information. The crane is another of those machines that are rumoured like the digger but never seen or recorded. If the owner who left me the note is on this site I would love to hear from you thanks for the note anyway.
I have a Drummond lathe that dates back to 1902, it was used for model making and only has a small keyless chuck . Does anyone have a 6" chuck available I could mount on to a backplate?
I have used Danish oil in the past for preserving the patina on an old machine, it air dries to a hard finish several coats form a deep shine. Normally used on wood but it works well on old metal.
Digger finally finished, oak swamp blocks made and fitted. Machine all polished up ready for Tractor World. Just the Whitlock to finish off, the tracks are complete and fitted, clutch plate replaced new silencer to set up and waiting for new diesel tank.
They were a factory option to lower the ground pressure on soft ground and increase the stability. They are also a lot better on grass for not chewing up the ground when turning. For me they will stop or reduce chewing up the garage floor and the drive.
Ransomes MG2 number 137
in Step by Step restoration
Posted
Today I began dismantling 137 the oldest known MG2 motor cultivator dating from 1936.
Amazingly every bolt has come undone without any brutal activity other than a big bar on one of the implement frame pivots.
Some bolts have obviously never been touched in 80 years, once the bolts are out the holes are still shiny metal, quality stuff theses old Ransomes.
I spent an hour or so last week giving every bolt a squirt of plus gas and it has obviously paid off.
The final drives are all in good order and should just need a clean up and new seals, the drive rollers are both shot so I will cut them off with a plasma cutter and weld on new rings. Although rusty the body has very few pits, I think I will power sand it rather than shot blast, there are a couple of wear scars where the tracks have cut into the body, I am going to cut these out and weld in donor steel from the half MG2 that came with it. Two of the load rollers are good and still full of oil, the other two need new bushes.
