Link Arms

OK, double posting for the price of one. Re-motivated that I've finally sorted the Top Link Rocker Bush my attentions have turned to the link arms. Originally removed during the dismantling process and stored.  The first job being to replace one of the Link Arm Ends. When I first got Tillie, one of the 'ball joints' was missing from one of the arms. I decided to replace this with a replacement weld on end. If this is successfull, I will proberly end up replacing both ends on both arms as they are all fairly badly worn. However for the meantine I decide to just replace one and leave the others for next winter.

Replacement end welded in position ready for fettling.

I now turn my attention to preparing the arms for painting. I favour using the two types of abrasive impregnated grinding wheels shown in the photos below. The solid wheel being very effective at rapidly removing paint and rust, with the orange coloured flexible brush good at producing a good finish and a getting into corners etc. These aren't cheap but I find more effective than traditional wire bushes.

Arms prepared I decided to prime both arms, fit to the tractor and then brush apply a top coat as shown below.

Whilst I have the paint to hand and after painting the Link Arms, instead of throwing the supplus paint away I decide to very roughly and without to much preparation bush paint the front wheels. These like the rear wheels are coated in various coats of grey, white, and green paint (see inside of rear wheel above and front wheels on the Blog header picture). Frankly, making Tillie look very shabby. I had originally planned to wire brush the wheels reprime and spray paint a top coat.

Anyway although only a quick botch job, just having the front wheels all one colour is a big improvement.

Not good on close inspection but from a distance a big improvement.

Wings

With the sun shining, I have set about finishing fitting the new wing skins to the original wing frames. With both frames removed, and after plenty of grinding the frames have been primer.

I have started by attaching the bottom frame (the wings came with the bottom centre bolt hole already drilled but no others) Once in place, I then drilled the other 6 holes. 2 for the bottom frame and 4 for both the bottom and top frame where the two frames bolt together.

I'm using 10mm stainless hex nuts and bolts with nyloc nuts for the bottom 7 fixings and 8mm dome headed bolts and nyloc's for the top 3 fixings).

This picture shows both wings bolted to there primed frames, hung ready for painting.

You can just make out all 10 fixings it you look closely.

I've decided to paint the wings in two separate sessions, the inside and frames first and then the outside. This is mainly due to limited space in my garage. I also wanted the give the insides and frames a good coating of paint to help protect them. The next image showns the wings after a quick blast of top coat.

 Both wings top coated. Plan is to leave them for 24 hrs before preparing the outsides ready for paint. coating.

More Bank Holidays

What a difference a Bank Holiday weekend makes. Or maybe its the recent good weather or, my recent tyre purchase? Whatever, it meant I was able to commit some real time to Tillie.

On Friday I spent a few hours wire brushing the final bits of old paint off the back axle and removing the Top Link Rocker. The location pin is rock hard so I still have the pleasure of removing the pin but have managed to remove the rocker.

The photo opposite shows a 'naked' Tillie. With the tractor now prepped time to turn my attention to priming. I have decided to use a enamel primed called 'Repaint' as I already have a tin of primer and thinners. The thought of spraying the tractor takes me back to my late teens, when everybody seemed to spend there lives repairing car body work with Isopon P38. I can still remember the smell of the Isopon (probably not a good thing!) and spending hours rubbing down filler and spraying car panels.

As can be seen from the next photos, the primer is a cream colour. This will help when I top coat the tractor in seeing where I've been and the depth of the top coat.

Spraying the primer has produced a good finish and I'm really pleased with the result.

This only took about an hour, so time to go to the Pub afterwards to settle the dust.

The plan is to leave the primer a couple of weeks to fully harden before top coating.

For the top coat, I already have some Agriline Ferguson Grey enamel so the plan is to prepare the dash, battery tray, track rods refit the engine and front axle before top coating.

It's satisfying to see the results all coming together.

New Rubber

Quick update,

Spotted a pair of rear tryes for sale on ebay. As Tillie currently only has grass tryes, thought these would complete the look. Deal done, a trip to Essex to collect and home.

Got home about midnight, with no sign of the trailer tailgate !!!!

Deciding that it couldn't have come off on the motorway, I retraced my route only to find it laying in the middle of the road in the next village to home. A real mystery how it became detatched ! But thankfully no damage done.

A quick hose down the next day and the tryes look good, brand new and unused a result.

Proof that Oil and Water Don't Mix

As variety is the spice of life I've decided to have a little break from the engine rebuild. So I set about removing the dash panel and battery tray ready for prepping the gearbox and axle for painting. I'm using a range of wire and abrasive coated nylon brushes in an electric drill to remove most of the old paint, muck and corrosion. Whilst tackling the steering box, water started to run from the bottom of the steering box casting. After about 200ml, the water changed to oil which in turn changed to a thick orangery sludge !
As can be seen from the first photo, note the running water !
Having allowed all the oil to drain and pushing out the sludge using a air pressure, I was left with a small hole in the ally casting. Interestingly this had showed no signs of leaking prior to me removing the old paint. I guess the oil is under no pressure so a bit of paint was sufficient to prevent any leaks. The hole can be clearly seen in the photo below.

Options for repair are either remove the steering box and take a trip to the welders or, fill the hole with a liquid metal or epoxy adhesive. I decide to go the epoxy route for both speed and cost. If paint stopped the leak then providing the surface is well cleaned epoxy should in theory have no problems.
Just visible in the third photo is the repair. I've decided to fill the steering box with a semi fluid grease instead of oil on the basis that this should limit any leakage from the steering arm seals. Hopefully the epoxy repair will hold and once painted won't be visible.

Crankshaft

Right, time for another update. Having removed the sump I have checked the crankshaft end float. This is 12 thou. The manual suggests the new clearance should be between 5 and 12 thou with a "max permissible return to service wear" of 10 thou (I'm guessing this means that if greater than 10 thou the engine should not be put back into service without new bearings). I've therefore decided I need to replace the thrust bearings and the main bearings at the same time.

When the new thrust bearings arrived, I decided to compared there thickness, the new bearings being 2 thou thicker than the old ones. With a bearing either side of the crank journal this should reduce the end float to about 8 thou ( I hope).

I'm now in a position to start the reassembly process. This feels good after a couple of weeks of un-bolting and removing as many parts as I can.

After reassembling the bearings and replacing the rear seal (easy with the sump removed). I used a dial test indicator to measure the new end float. 7 thou and success!

Whilst cleaning up the sump jointing flange on the bottom of the engine, I come across two sets of hand punched figures at either end of the block 'H25' (see bottom photo). I'm intrigued to find out what these signify or mean.

With the sump on these numbers are hidden. Hopefully the FoFH maybe able to provide an answer or two?

Clutch and rear gear box oil seal ordered today as well. So the next job is to remove the gearbox input shaft and replace this seal. Hopefully this should minimise the chance of any future oil leaks.

More Engine

Since my last blog, I've managed to ‘find’ a block and tackle. I’m now in a position to remove the engine from the front axle. This will enable me to move the block with greater easy. Therefore the next job is to take off the sump and check the bearings. Having removed the sump, I'm presented with a thick oily mixture in the bottom of the sump that has the consistency of sticky toffee. Better out that in ! (see below).

Looking at the engine internals, my first observation is that the undersides of the pistons are shiny. Is this the answer to why the piston tops were clean compared to the head. I’m strongly of the opinion that the pistons have therefore been replaced.

With the sump off I can remove the main bearing carriers. Inspecting the bearings shows some but not excessive wear and that they are of standard size see below. The only problem I have is that I didn't think to remove the front fan belt pulley before removing the engine. My fear being that I won't be able to undo the pulley securing bolt/nut now the engine is out off the tractor. If this is the case I can't remove the pulley and timing belt cover which in turn means I can't take out the crank.

If this is the case I will have to replace the bearings in-situ. Whilst this can be done its not ideal.

On a different note, despite the cold weather I've started to notice that the lighter evenings are coming. Perhaps the first signs of spring. In the back of my mind I'm conscious that I need to start the process of re assembly some time. At the moment all I seam to be doing is dis-ssembly. Lots still to do.

Olives, Apples and Tractors

More of a social update than a Tractor refurbishment blog. However, as its part of the story it goes in the blog !
Saturday, petrol tank off and fuel tap removed, blockage found on the reserve side of the tank as suspected. New toolbox and ignition switch fitted. However the most important job is to fabricate a bracket so I can mount a tow ball in order to tow my trailer.









The trailer being the preferred method of conveyance (plus two Straw bales – well done Phil) to the Sweet Olive Restaurant for (left to right) Rob,Geoff, Phil and Kevin.




A 20min or so drive, smiles on everybody’s faces and the general acceptance that being towed by a vintage tractor in a trailer with a beer in hand is the only way to travel!
Above, proud owner, Tillie and guests.

Come Sunday, a further plan is hatched to use the tractor and trailer to go scrumping around the village in order to gather a crop for next weeks cider making project. The scrumping ends down the Red Lion where the ‘Cider Boy’s’ and Tillie are targeted by some local country Girls.

Tillie and the ‘Cider Boys & Girls’ with a bumper crop.

Left- top to bottom Mia, Sharon, Dor's, The Vickster, Minster

Center - Tillie, trailer and lots of Apples

Right - top to bottom John, Phil, Geoff