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1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2016 2:08 pm
by charlie63
Thought I would share some of my pics of my 1958 Dexta that ive purchased and currently restoring. More pics to follow as progression is made.

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Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2016 3:48 pm
by PghBill
Looking Good !! :clap:

Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2016 2:27 pm
by ianpdexta
Thanks for posting, looking good.

Ian

Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 1:57 am
by Bensdexta
Keep up the good work. You will get there! :D

Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 7:49 am
by charlie63
Thanks for the replies.
Ive finally managed to get the engine out and stripped down as I was only home for 3 weeks this last trip and would welcome any comments on my findings. Ive found the source of the knock that it had when I bought it. Only drained about a pint of oil from the sump and found a load of gunk in the bottom of the sump. No 4 main bearing totaly gone and No3 bearing had light scoring on it. Crankshaft has very little marking on it. In my experience i have always had the big ends go before the main bearings but as they say you learn something new every day. My thoughts are lack of oil with it being the last bearing to recieve oil feed or low oil pressure. Looks like the rope seal could have been leaking as there was oil in the gearbox bell housing and slight oil on the clutch plate. Im going to replace the crankshaft,bearings and oil pump and also fit an engine rebuild kit as also found a small pit in the middle liner even though there was no scoring and they are all within spec when I miked them that way it will be a practically new engine and should give me many years of trouble free use.

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Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2016 12:15 pm
by charlie63
Just an update on my restoration. Engine fully rebuilt and painted in etching primer then zinc phosphate, which has been run on my drive to ensure there were no oil/coolant leaks before refitting to the tractor.

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Gearbox all done and also primed.

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Engine fitted to the tractor. Project has come to a stop for another 4 weeks while I return to Angola for work. Lots of painting to be done on my return. :D

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Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 12:06 am
by Bensdexta
What is that starter cum generator, or are my eyes deceiving me?

Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 7:23 am
by charlie63
Bensdexta,

Your eyes are deceiving you :lol: It is just the angle that the photo was taken at.

Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 7:51 am
by Brian
Any chance of a close up picture of the injection pump please? I was talking to a couple of ex-colleagues the other day and they were very interested.

Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 12:28 pm
by charlie63
Brian,

No problem. Hopefully these will appear okay. If not can you please give me your private email and I can mail them to you. It will be interesting to see what your ex colleagues have to say about it as well. Theres a close up of the pump as well as the I.D. plate on it. :)

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Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 2:32 pm
by Brian
Many thanks, e-mail is : bhe at btconnect.com

Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 7:00 pm
by charlie63
Brian,

Ive sent them to your email address as well. Please keep me posted as to their thoughts.
Many thanks.

Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 9:59 pm
by Mark
Ben, my eyes were seeing the same thing you are. It looks just like the starter and generator are combined together. I couldn't get photobucket to work until I double clicked on his picture of Doris and found another picture, that shows there not connected. It does look that way though.
I've never seen an injector pump like that one, I can't wait until Brian tells us what he's found out.
Keep up the good work, it looks like she's coming together, and looking quite smart for sure.

Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 5:21 pm
by charlie63
Thanks Mark.
She is coming together slowly but surely. It will soon be a year ive been at her but with working away my time is limited with working a 4/4 rotation. It was a great satisfaction hearing her run after totally rebuilding the engine. This site is fantastic with such a wealth of knowledge. It will be interesting to see what more information I can gather regarding my injection pump as Brian has informed me already that it looks like I have a rare prototype tractor with a hybrid engine.

Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 9:08 pm
by charlie63
Paint spraying has started in ernest this time home. Never realised I had cleaned so many parts for painting. Looks like I will have to do it in shifts due to the limited space I have and now the good lady is complaining of smelling paint fumes in the house. Looks like I may have to hire an extractor fan.

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Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:05 am
by Mark
I remember those days well. It's been several years since I did my restoration. I son did all the painting beings he had his own body shop at the time. I posted pictures of my girl but they have been lost somehow.
You have to keep the missus happy and keep the fumes out of the house. I'am lucky I have a outside shop to work in. I had the old girl started and doing some grade work the other day and she ran perfect.
Keep up the work on the old girl, and keep the missus happy.

Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2016 6:24 pm
by charlie63
The main thing is to keep the good lady happy Mark so i comprimised and took her away for the weekend. The problem I have is the garage is joined to the house but found if i kept the extractor fans going full blast in the downstairs loo and the kitchen hood there were no fumes. Luckily I dont have too much more to paint and the tractor is sited in another garage away from the house so wont be bothered with fumes. Good to hear that you are putting your old girl to work they are fantastic tractors. It would be great to see a pic of her. Im hoping to put mine to work once its finished as well as show it.

Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2016 8:14 pm
by charlie63
feel as though I have made great progress this time home and the good old girl is starting to resemble a tractor again.

Engine and gearbox painted.

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Front axle fitted.

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Front wheels nicely painted ready for fitting.

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Resembling something like a tractor again.

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Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2016 11:15 pm
by Bensdexta
Looks good!
Thanks for the pics. :D

Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 4:21 am
by Mark
wooo hooo it won't be long now! :clap: :clap: Looking good, great job on the beautiful paint job. That's the cleanest you will ever see her again. Take plenty of pictures to enjoy down the road.
see ya
mark

Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 7:48 pm
by charlie63
Thanks for the comments guys. Still got the back end to do once the front is finished but hoping to have her ready for the shows next year.
Picked up my nose cone and bonnet today and what a cracking job Hendersons Metal Cleaning Services of Edinburgh did on them dipping them and then shotblasting. Looked like new.

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All nicely painted in etching primer then the zinc phosphate.

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Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2016 8:06 pm
by charlie63
A bit more progress made.Fuel tank cleaned and repaired using POR15 and fitted along with the bonnet and nose cone to ensure everything lines up before painting. I was quite surprised at how well everything fitted. Just a minor adjustment to make to the lower mounting holes on the nosecone. Hopefully give her a run down the road tomorrow to flush the gearbox with a mixture of paraffin and oil and then remove all the panels. Hoping to get all painted and refitted again before heading of on my travels. :D

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Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 9:16 pm
by charlie63
Had the old girl out for a run round the estate today since I have managed to get the diesel tank and radiator cover refitted. Had to fit a new thermostart as well as the old one wasnt letting fuel through when heating up. New one fitted, tested and working and fired up first crank so well happy. Turned her round in the garage so its the rear end and hydraulic lift next. Finally see a difference the past year has made to progress. :D

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Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 1:39 am
by Bensdexta
Where did you get the nose cone from? It's a '62 style with super dexta side cheeks, like mine.

Congrats on your great work. :D

Re: 1958 Dexta Restoration

Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 7:55 pm
by charlie63
Ben,

I bought the nose cone from Hughes Tractor Spares on E-bay for a couple of hundred quid used. Here was me thinking it was the correct one as it looks the same as the pic on the original brochure as well as the original nose cone that came of minus all the dents and rusty holes lol. Maybe you can explain.

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