Bolens 1050

[Triumph66 1,256]

I spotted this little gem on Gumtree it few weeks back. It looks complete but it has not been ran for some two years. I spoke to the seller and a deal was struck. He was well chuffed that it was going to a collector and that sealed the deal. It had a new clutch on it a few years back and the seller repainted the bonnet. It need a new tyre on the front apparently. A mate of his will be delivering it to me from Scotland to Devon for an amazing £100 on one of his regular sorties into England.

Here are some photos of it and it nice to see the centre cap on the steering wheel.

Just heard from the seller that the cheque cleared and that it will be delivered sometime tomorrow evening. He also said that he put some fuel in and it fired up but was a wee bit smoky. Not bad after being laid up for 2 years. Looking forward to seeing it in the metal as it were. .

[Stormin 4,458]

Whereabouts over the border, Andrew?

[Triumph66 1,256]

Just outside Dundee.....A place near Montrose, Angus. 600 miles to Devon!

[Stormin 4,458]

ANGUS??

[pmackellow 2,738]

Looks a nice machine, well done

[Triumph66 1,256]

ANGUS??

Aye!

[the showman 4,074]

Looks a nice bit of kit Andrew, well done finding one up there !

[Triumph66 1,256]

Well it arrived at lunch time today. Luckily I was working locally so when I got his text I rushed back to my house. We unloaded the 1050 together and I could not believe it that when I turned the key, it fired up straight away. I let it ran for about a minute. It was smokey from the exhaust but I think a good service will cure that or if not, some new rings. A good grease up and clean I think will make it look even better. I need a new tyre or inner tube for the front. One of the headlights worked and I was once again struck how solid the Bolens is. The courier, a mate of the seller, was absolutely taken with the Bolens. As far as I could tell, all the levers worked but I will need a need a throttle cable at some point. i think it's very a working tractor that have been maintained to a point,

[Triumph66 1,256]

Over the last month or so, I have spent a bit of time working on the 1050. To date, I fitted a used air filter assembly plus new filter sourced from the States, cleaned up the plug and removed one of the front tyres to get a new inner tube which I hope to get fitted this week prior to getting it back to my house so I can do a service on it and give it a thorough clean. The previous owner, a mechanic, have obviously looked after it to a point as all the nipples have been religiously greased and to date everything have been easy to undo. I am in the process of taking offt the metal fuel tank as there is a bit of crap at the bottom. I think I will replace the fuel line to the carb and perhaps install a fuel filter as well. My plan is to spend a good day tinkering with it next Saturday. I will post up some photos of the 1050 after it been washed and serviced and hopefully a video of it running.... 

 

I am also thinking of buying that red seat cover from the US that's on eBay USA.

 

 

 

 

[Joseph 332]

Hi Andrew,nice 1050. I can't wait to see your photos and video.

 

 

[slf-uk 914]

I really like your 1050, I wish mine were anywhere near this good.

 

Good call on the fuel system, tank clean, new pipe and inline filter is the way to go.

 

Now just get your finger out and buy that seat cover, we all want to know what they are like 

 

Iain

[Triumph66 1,256]

Thanks lads.

 

A result this evening. The front wheel/ tyre I took off this morning I managed to reshape the tyre as it was flat. Using my air line I managed to coaxed it to fill out onto the rims. So far it is holding air and should be good enough to put it back on the 1050 sometime this week after work. The side walls are superficially cracked but these are the original tyres I believe being Goodyear? 

 

My plan is to use apple cider vinegar to clean out the tank and then neutralise the acids with solution of soda of carbonate as this is environmentally friendlier and cheaper than using chemicals. I will do some notes on this technique.

[Triumph66 1,256]

The tyre all pumped up and 'touch wood'  it will stay inflated. I don't think the red is the original red as I am sure it's darker?

 

 

[HeadExam 1,783]

19 hours ago, Triumph66 said:

The tyre all pumped up and 'touch wood'  it will stay inflated. I don't think the red is the original red as I am sure it's darker?

 

 

The red on the Bolens tended to fade over the years. I use gloss International Harvest Red Industrial alkyd enamel and add 2 ounces of gloss black industrial alkyd enamel to a gallon, it matches Bolens Regal Red almost perfectly and also looks darn close the the Wheel Horse Red

[Triumph66 1,256]

Well,  I got the petrol tank off this afternoon after I put the wheel back on (tyre was still inflated). I tipped the stale fuel out into a see through container; looked like someone urinated in it! Specks of flaky rusts also came out. I then pressure washed the tank a few times. I then quickly dried it out with my air line before pouring  in undiluted  Sainsbury's  cider vinegar almost to the top. I am going to leave it in there for at least 48 hours,, possibly longer. Every now and again, I will give it a shake to slosh it around the tank. I am using this method as it's cheaper than using chemicals and also safer to the user and cleaner for the environment; all worthy reasons. To neutralise the acids I will use be using diluted baking soda after a thorugh rinsing. It will be interesting to see how clean it will be afterwards.

 

 

[Wristpin 400]

A neighbour has just asked me to sort out a Howard Rotavator that has stood unused for twenty years and the fuel tank was in a similar state. Clean now but with more perforations in the bottom than a certain brand of tea bag!

Thanks for the birthday wishes from forum members - celebrated with a visit to the dentist for a crown, £££!!! OMG!

[Triumph66 1,256]

Quick update. I looked inside the tank and the scum and floating rusty participles was noticeable. I have shaken it a few times in the last 24 hours and tomorrow I think I might put the tank in the back of the pickup as I got a good 45 minutes drive tomorrow there and back. Might help remove even more filth.

 

On my way back I popped into our local John Deere supplier to buy the Stihl Evo 2 stroke fuel for my hedge trimmer when I spotted a sale on for 5 L  containers of unleaded petrol produced by Viking (part of the Stihl Group). My intention is to over winter my running Bolens with this fuel to reduce 'gumming up' the fuel system and for ease of starting after being laid up. I have used its 2 stroke equivalent for a number of years with no problems. I bought 2 containers at a bargain price for £11.90 plus VAT each.

 

 

 

[Stormin 4,458]

Looks a different colour in a glass.

[Triumph66 1,256]

14 minutes ago, Stormin said:

Looks a different colour in a glass.

 

That's ordinary petrol......

[HeadExam 1,783]

We have 87, 89, and 91 no ethanol petrol at various stations around here for 2.48-2.56 per gallon. A spares distributor sells 90 and 100 octane leaded fuel, but it is in cans and barrels at 5.00-7.00 per gallon. I generally use 89 or 91 octane non ethanol fuel and add 1 ounce of Seafoam per gallon. I have never had a fuel related issue.

[Triumph66 1,256]

Quick update. I drained the tank full of apple cider vinegar through a sieve to capture any specks of rusted metal/ sediments  into a bucket. The colour was certainly darker than before. I could see that it was getting cleaner at the bottom  of the tank with the aid of my IPhone torch. I refilled again with the used vinegar after passing it through a sieve again. I think it's working, albiet slowing. 

 

[slf-uk 914]

Andrew, I am watching this with interest. I usually use POR15 Marine clean but that is not cheap. If it is really bad I then use POR15 tank sealer. I love the POR15 products, they are not cheap but they work perfectly.

 

Iain 

[Triumph66 1,256]

Iain, as it happens my thoughts are now to seal the tank after cleansing. POR15  sealant is a possibility. Any other brands out there?

[HeadExam 1,783]

A solution of tri-sodium phosphate (similar to a lye soap concentrate) and water is a very good rust neutralizing agent and I do not know why one could not use the battery charger with this solution to remove rust from the inside of the tank, electrolysis should work like this as well. After the tank is sufficiently clean I would us OSPHO, http://www.ospho.com/ it leaves a clear varnish like sealer that is embedded in the metal and acts as a rust prevention solution without a typical "coating".

[Stormin 4,458]

You could try Halfords. As they sell Petro Patch they may sell a sealer.