FPM to work on.

[RH]

Rick,

Twice I've replied to your post, and it has just disappeared before I could post it!

I think I have the old oil cleaned out allright. below oil level it hadn't set, and was mostly a problem in the valve chest and lift cylinder.
Flax is grown east of where we are, out on the prairie, but not around here.
Back home in the UK, we used to feed cotton seed cake and linseed cake to livestock. (gave a good glossy coat!) Never seen it used over here though.

Best source for a steering wheel? this one is bare bones.
Noticed a thread about a FSM power steering kit;
This one steers so lightly that it seems magic compared to another that I have!......shows how nice the Used to steer when new.
(other tractor had had a loader on, and worn all the steering out.)

Edited to add that I thought about leaving this one in its working clothes, and note some do the rusty -no paint areas with linseed to protect from further rust;
I could Never do that after the fight I've had with this one!!!!!

Richard.

[oehrick]

OK Richard, must be something out there eating posts, I've had a couple which seem to have vanished (not here) and were not something a mod would delete either

Glad you have shifted the muck, yes I know the cake was used over here, I've a cake breaker among my treasures made by 'my research project' Riches & Watts in Norwich, they came about when steam / hydraulic presses arrived and did such a good job of extracting the oil the cake ended up so tough it was a problem breaking it up by hand. I use it to break up the apple cakes which come out of the press after an overnight sit with two 10 ton jacks pumped up - the horse totty down the lane is always happy to take it away for her hayburners although the exhaust seems to run a bit rich afterwards

I'd not seen any signs of cake use over the pond hence my query.

The secret with the FM steering is to jack the front axle up when greasing so it goes everywhere not just out of the slack, worn bits of the linkage and bushes ! I was wondering on the other thread about the orbitrol unit (which I know was used in the Does and some Counties) but our Super simply had a pump with two hoses to the cylinder ends, presumably some sort of valve detected steering rod movement so gave flow, it was a pig even with this due to wide bald tryes and a loader with so much repair iron added it must have weighed as much as the tractor.

I have spent the day pointing sparklers at my now straightened but rustyholey mudguard channel, my cheapo TIG work came to an end when I discovered why the previous owner of the breathing helium bottle left it when his rental at the farm down the lane came to an end, it was nearly empty - so back to stick . It now has structural integrity as I've plated it on the inside faces but talk about pigeon s**t cosmetically. I could braze it but was trying to minimise heat damage to residual paint - when I re attach to the mudguard it will make more of a mess so I may have to paint a bit (dont worry Brian I'm as good at paint runs and blobs as I am cra££y welding

Understand your urge to do a proper job, if I understand the factory method correctly you need a three thousand gallon sump of paint with a ramp both ends, fit a breather to the air intake and drive through in bottom box - Brian, I'm out of bed again

[RH]

Rick,
At the old farm at Ormesby, (North Riding) we had a cake crusher The cake must have been about 14" wide if I remember right. Tough as nails as you say.
The crusher had two rollers or rather spiked cylinders, that broke the cake up as it passed through.
It'd be a bit grim id you got your hand in it! Mind, even a chaffcutter could do wonders to fingers....

When I first saw "Victorian Farm" I think I did all those jobs as a lad in Yorkshire!! I didn't think I was That old.. Always loved using hand tools.

Did the rusty hole mudguards on a Super a year or two ago. Bit of hole-chasing, but got some nice light angle stuck over the raggy bits. Things don't rust as bad over here.
This is the tractor that seems weak and runs fast idle in my other post.

Loaders are not a tractors friend. (Another tee-shirt idea!) I have an old Cockshutt 30 and used a farm-hand on it for Years and years. Rowing up hay and straw bales. (round)
Fantastic rig, as you don't need to stop to pick a bale up, But!.....a real sod to steer with a bale on. Had to sort of take it by surprise and turn when it wasn't expecting it!

[oehrick]

Yup, thats the stuff Richard, like a very dense coconut doormat - probably came from BOCM Selby (British Oil & Cake Mills) There are quite a few preserved and rallied and quite a lot with the same casting as mine but other 'makers' names cast on the front plate, by some rough and ready reckoning I think they were made by Riches & Watts under licence and when they went out of business Hunts of Earls Colne took over the actual manufacture.

I shall not be sorry to see the inside of a mudguard for a VERY long time, I can weld OK on clean metal but not this stuff, I think it may be punishment for salting a few stick welding rods amongst the sparklers at bonfires over the years and enjoying the attempts at getting them to light

The various period 'Farm' series have been very enjoyable, both from the farming aspect plus John Kirkpatrick, the singer / squeezebox player I've known for a while and try to emulate (with little success) those presenters don't mind getting their hands dirty and having a go and put up some creditable performances.

Another (saturated) Banking House Holiday over, more to follow at the month end

Cheers & s

Rick

[Brian]

My back and hands ache after reading about your cake breaker experiences, I used to love cranking the one in the barn where father worked until one day they put cake in it. Then there was the mangol cutter and the chaff cutter too. It really was unfair to take advantage of an over-strong 12 year old.

[RH]

Rich , Brian,

I don't remember the name on our cake crusher, but it ran off an overhead shaft, that also drove a chaffcutter, turnip cutter, buzz saw, roller and a grinder with great big millstones.
Grandfather used to 're-cut ' the grooves in the millstones every now and then. Still have the tool for this. They must be very hard to cut quartz!

Overhead shaft was originally driven off a big old "hit & miss" engine. it had 5 foot flywheels and would run all day on 2 gallons of paraffin & water.
When the millstones were redundant, they were given to Ormesby council, and the stuck them one at either end of the village with the Ormesby name attached.
Might still be there for all I know.
I do enjoy re-watching all the :"farm" series. Sometimes makes me itch when they're not going about it quite right, but as you say Rick, they're very willing to get in and roll their sleeves up!
To bring it back on topic,
T'was at this farm at Ormesby I first drove the old FM, (1954) Before that we had two e-27 N's, and these wound up at Scarborough, bought by fisherman for launching their fishing boats. Used to live on the foreshore by the lifeboat house for years. (the tractors, not me.)
Before That, we had a pair of Standard Fordsons.
Dad had a scar up his leg where the clutch/brake pedal broke off, and the sharp end opened his leg up in a wonderful manner!
My mother ran one of these when she was in the Land Army. Had to stand on the pedal with both feet to shift gears.

Will be trying the FPM out on some harrowing in the next day or two....before the split to fit oil seals.
Bit dry here at present. Little creek dry. Temp 27 yesterday and more the same.

[RH]

Another update.

Tried the old PM harrowing, and under load it had a miss still.
Took rocker cover off and it had a bent push-rod. All others revolved well and seemed straight
Replaced the bent one and no miss. (Res-et clearances)
Worked well after that on a brush mower, and left the mower raised and it still hasn't gone don after 3 days.
Just need to split it to do the oil seals between gearbox and clutch.
Put an E27N steering wheel on for now. better than the bare bones it had.
Clutch seems on its last legs, so will need a close look at when it's out.
Tractor will stall if brakes applied hard, but when PTO engaged, the pedal comes up a long way before PTO begins to turn.
Any suggestions how to check it?

Richard.

[Brian]

How much free travel have you got on the clutch pedal? Should be between 1 1/2" and 1 1/4" measured from the top of the pedal to the footplate.

[RH]

Brian,

I don't know it if we have something odd here as your description of free travel and what I have sound different;

There Is about 1 1/2" of free travel before you feel pressure, But, the top of the clutch pedal is about 7" above the footplate, and of course moves forward rather than straight down, so is not appreciably closer to the footplate when I can feel pressure.

Is this right, or should the pedal be much closer to footplate?? Bit confused!

[Brian]

With a ruler alongside the clutch pedal, in the fully raised position, push the pedal down with your hand until it meets resistance. Check the distance and adjust as required.

If you have around 1 1/2" give it more until it becomes hard to get in gear then see if it improves.

The normal cause for the clutch not engaging until the top of the pedal travel is not enough free play, you could have pressure plate problems though. Or, as you say the disc could be worn although I would have expected clutch slip if that was the case.

[RH]

Thanks Brian,

I will have a play with it when I get time, & let you know what I find.

Richard.

[RH]

Brian,

When clutch pedal all the way up it is 8" above the floorplate.
When down to the point of feeling resisitance, it was only about 7 1/2" , so apparently not enough free play.
I altered it so it has about 1 1/2" free play measured straight down, and will give it a try ASAP.

Thanks again!

R.
Edited to add that the clutch now appears to work as it should. Thank you!

Clutch seems a bit soft, but works OK. PTO clutch engages much sooner now, not near the top of travel.

Thanks Brian.

Just need time to split it now for the seals

Richard.