Tractor Thread

[The Dirt]

Tony, thanks, I wanted your permission on this one because it has your picture. Wasn't sure you wanted it disseminated, considering that there may be small children and delicate women that might inadvertently look at the screen.

That said, look at this beauty!

[E7]

Pete,

Waaaaaay cool! Glad to see the tractor thread revived!

Rich

[E7]

There's a socket layin' just to the left of the Marvel can that Tony'll be lookin' for. Hell, I lose tools right in front of me that I've just used minutes before. Sometimes I swear the Bench Monster ate them , but eventually they turn up.

Mitch,

You might try my solution: I have a couple of sets to be "lost" and one to actually use! Works......sometimes.

Rich

[The Dirt]

Tony, I have a video of the guys at R&T trying to start that... what?... Model A, that had the rear wheels jacked-up to run that Orangeville thresher (did you know that thresher was made two miles from me?). You were standing right next to the driver's side door. The car was barely turning over, and it seemed like a long time before it kicked-off. I had the impression you were getting ready to yank that guy out of his seat so the job could get done right. A screen-shot...





Was that guy doing anything wrong? Or did the battery need a charge?

I have a website saved with a page that tries to describe how a Model T transmission works, but I still struggle with it, considering that the controls (including the hand brake?) are so foreign to my experience. If you get a free minutes away from the chores, describe the process of finding neutral, and then shifting through the gears. (Or, you could drive up here, and I could learn firsthand while we tootle down the road... ).

http://www.modeltcentral.com/transmissi ... ation.html

I'd love to see pictures of your engines as they sit in their chassis (Merriam-Webster says the plural is spelled the same).

[Mitch]

Mitch,

You might try my solution: I have a couple of sets to be "lost" and one to actually use! Works......sometimes.

Rich

Rich, Snap-On tools are entirely too expensive to buy 3 of everything. If you know where 1 tool is, there's no need to buy extra. Just this past Monday, I was preppin' a 2013 Cadillac SRX used car, and at the last minute putting the air cleaner lid and throttle body hose back on, I dropped a ratchet. This is a special 1/4" drive perfectly round ratchet about 1.5" in diameter and only about 3/8" thick. It had a 5/16" deepwell socket on it. I heard it go down through hitting metal 3 different times, but it never came out the bottom. A service writer came out bothering me to look at a "waiter's" car for an oil change and a check engine light, but I put him off for 20 more minutes while I looked for that ratchet. Didn't find it. The next day, brought the Caddy back in and racked it up and searched for 1/2 hour before I spotted it. There is a stamped hole in the right frame rail behind the AC lines and next to the firewall. By lookin' through another hole with a laser beam flashlight about 2 1/2' back from under the car, I could see the open end of the socket in the upper frame. Farted around for 2 more hours with the flex magnet and a length of 1/4" brake line, using the brake line to push the combo up the frame rail (up hill) 'til I could get it from the top with the flex magnet. It would have taken 7 hours pay (before taxes) to replace that ratchet. I paid $25 for it back in the early '90s, but it's about $125 now, and another $15 for the socket. That ratchet is handier than a pocket on a shirt, and I use it almost daily. Can't be without it. In 1/4" drive I have 6 complete socket sets, standard and metric, in short, semi-deep, and deepwell, not to mention other sets like Torx, and reverse female Torx, Allen head, and several impact 1/4" drive sockets for air ratchet use. You just can't work on today's crap without the right tools.

PS: I have a total of 28 complete socket sets, and I keep all of them on rails. That way, at a glance, you know if something is misplaced, or lost. Hell, in the heat of the flat rate battle, I've put a tool away in the wrong drawer and went crazy for an hour lookin' for it.

[robert.]

here is a wagon i'm going to move for a customer. somebody has done a lot of retro fitting on this. it has a lawnmower motor and an asian transaxle to move the chain drive. i think it should be a simple friction drive.

[Tony-h]

Well Jeez Pete! You sure got your mug in enough pictures here! Whatzamatter? You jealous of a picture of another handsome devil stealing your thunder?

Now, down to business. Driving a T is simplicity itself, so long as you have four hands and three feet! The "emergency" brake lever on the left has 3 functions. Straight up in the center position moves a cam into the left pedal linkage to lock the transmission in neutral. Pulling the lever to the rear still keeps it in neutral but also activates the rear wheel PARKING brake. The main service brake, that works, sort of, is controlled by the right pedal that tightens a band around a drum that is on the output shaft. Think of an old car or truck drive shaft brake except this one is inside the transmission. Lose your pinion gear or universal joint and you have next to nothing except your shoe leather. The rear brakes are next to useless.

Back to the lever. Putting it full forward, actually up under the dash , moves the neutral lockout cam away from the low-neutral-high (left) pedal and allows access to high gear. You always have access to low gear, reverse gear (center) pedal and right pedal service brake. If the left pedal is allowed to move all the way out the car is in high gear.

Backing up is accomplished by pushing the left pedal in a couple inches to access neutral with your left foot and depressing the center (reverse) pedal with your right foot. Your third foot is still available for the brake (right) pedal.

To drive a running T hold the left pedal in the position set by the neutral lever while you release the lever
to full forward with hand no. 1. Advance the time with hand no.2 while advancing the hand throttle lever with hand no. 4. Hand 3 is busy steering. Depress the left pedal to engage the low speed band and move off. Advance the time fully while advancing the hand throttle. At about 10 mph reduce the throttle while letting the left pedal all the way out quickly. You are now in high gear. Use retarded timing and engine compression to slow well in advance of a complete stop when you need to hold the left pedal in the neutral position. Once moving well hand no. 1 is now available for any digital excavation duties.

Congratulations! You have now completed Model T 101!

BTW, Mitch might like this! The multiple disk high gear clutch pack is usually replaced with Hydramatic Turbo 400 disks that have a little ground off the tabs! I think GM just replaced the manual pedals with hydraulic actuators on the original Chevy Powerglide.

Tony

[rogruth]

No wonder people generally prefer automatic transmissions.

[The Dirt]

Tony, I laughed my *** off! That tutorial is a keeper!



If I was ever to try and learn driving one of those, I think I'd best do it in the middle of the Salt Flats.

[The Dirt]

Robert, that wagon puts me to mind of this International Harvester Auto-Wagon I saw cruising around R&T. Dual chain drives...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6owC8_Rr9tY

[E7]

Rich, Snap-On tools are entirely too expensive to buy 3 of everything. If you know where 1 tool is, there's no need to buy extra.

Snap-On is a little rich for my blood as I am NOT a Pro. As for knowing where tools are, my tool storage system is what might best be described as "challenged"!

Just this past Monday, I was preppin' a 2013 Cadillac SRX used car, and at the last minute putting the air cleaner lid and throttle body hose back on, I dropped a ratchet. This is a special 1/4" drive perfectly round ratchet about 1.5" in diameter and only about 3/8" thick.

I have 3 similar ratchets 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2". I think they are "Craftsman" (witch is what the bulk of my stuff is, but I don't recall for certain. They were a recent addition.

PS: I have a total of 28 complete socket sets, and I keep all of them on rails. That way, at a glance, you know if something is misplaced, or lost. Hell, in the heat of the flat rate battle, I've put a tool away in the wrong drawer and went crazy for an hour lookin' for it.

I can't claim 28 sets, but I'm probably not far behind. I have a set of Crescent brand in a plastic brief case like carrier that I like a lot. I also have a set of Kobalts ala Lowes which have some features I like, but I'm not sure how good the metallurgy is! All are no doubt ample for my meager mechanic skills! I just plain forget where I put stuff, sometimes losing the whole d*mn set!

I have a few sets of those rails, but they only work if you put stuff back on 'em!

Rich

[Tony-h]

Pete, in response to your question about the R&T Ford, all T models crank slowly by today's standards. The 6 volt starters had enough grunt but not any top speed! When cars came out with 12 volt systems the starters were actually wound for 8 volts.

This particular car could have been suffering from several conditions. The NH carbs, being side draft, sort of, are prone to flooding if the choke is used on warm days. Also, unless the fuel is shut off when the engine is idle for any length of time fuel can bypass the float valve since gravity is always pushing the fuel. Fuel can settle in the horizontal venturi.

A cool engine on a summers day usually needs no more than 1 revolution with the choke. Any more and the engine is flooded. On my TT the engine has a weird 2 piece updraft carb called a vaporizer. Since fuel must be drawn up through it nearly a foot to reach the manifold it requires much choking to get things running. Each car has its own foibles so a get acquainted period is needed for a strange car.

Tony

[robert.]

stuck tractor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnRRGW6z3UQ

[The Dirt]

Update: The little dude is not only up and around during the day, and his mom is giving him wide leeway, but when I whistled at him from the bottom of Ray's corral (he being maybe 3/4 of the way up), he was so unconcerned that he didn't even look up, to have his portrait taken.

The little sh*t.

[robert.]

Rhinebeck ny. tractor and motorcycle show.