Mike's Tractor, and Other Distractions

Nothing new to add...

2006-04-26T14:13:00.000-03:00

Yep, the tractor is still sitting in two pieces in the shed. I need to devise a way to lift the engine so that I can get the oil pan off and replace the rear engine seal. There are only a couple of hours of work left, so I don't know what I'm waiting for!

The Repair Begins

2005-08-15T16:08:00.000-03:00

I picked up my clutch parts from the dealer in Norton at lunchtime today. Let's hope they're the right ones.

On Saturday, I did some cleanup of the shed before driving the tractor in headfirst for surgery. I then removed the battery, disconnected the oil pressure guage, unhooked the starter cable, removed the air breather hose, disconnected the throttle rod (Ouch! -- more on that later), disconnected the steering tie rods, and the radius rods.

All I have left to do is actually unbolt the transmission case from the engine block. This will require blocking the front axle and the rear of the tractor under the transmission, then jacking under the engine. The idea is to roll the back end away from the front. We'll see how that goes. I'll have a picture.

Ouch: The u-bolt (item 19) that holds the throttle rod to the throttle assembly was the only rusted piece I encountered. Of course, the u-bolt snapped off when I tried to remove the nuts. And, of course, I scraped my arms up when they snapped. I left a good deal of arm hair on a clamp on the muffler during that little encounter. OUCH!

I'll see if I can buy one the right size from the hardware store. If I have to, I can make a new one from some threaded rod. I'll also use anti-seize grease.

Jenn's brother and family have come to stay the night tonight, so I don't know if I'll get a chance to do anything...

The Clutch

2005-08-10T11:04:00.000-03:00

I finally called my dealer (www.hallbrosenterprises.com) yesterday to check about ordering my clutch parts. The parts guy couldn't find anything for my tractor at first, so he said he'd check with his supplier and get back to me. (Yikes!)

I was just about to leave work when he called back with prices for all the parts I needed:

Pressure Plate         $325.00
Clutch Disc            $ 84.50
Clutch Release Bearing $ 59.84
Rear Crankshaft Seal   $  9.48
Clutch Pilot Bearing   $  8.78

I decided not to get the pressure plate, for obvious reasons. I can have my current one resurfaced, if necessary, by an auto shop.

I should have the parts in about a week! :)

Model Trains: "Dayliner"

2005-08-04T10:42:00.000-03:00

When I was a kid, growing up in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley, there was still some passenger rail service in the form of the Via Rail "Dayliner". The Dayliner was actually a Rail Diesel Car (RDC) built by Budd, which were self-propelled passenger trains.

These are a model of the machines, in N Scale, made by a company called Kato:
I've dabbled in model railroading over the years and am slowly getting back into them after building a partial N Scale (1:160) layout on a hollow-core door about 8 years ago. These Dayliners would be a perfect addition to my as-yet-unfinished railway. When you're a grownup, you can buy the toys you couldn't have when you were a kid. :)

A British Ferguson Site

2005-07-29T12:52:00.000-03:00

I enjoy reading the "News & Diary" section of this web page:

http://www.holland-brand.co.uk

It's a repair shop in England that specializes in Fergusons. They also sell a huge variety of parts for Fergusons. :) However, I don't think they'll ship to Canada... :(

Tractor Clutch

2005-07-27T15:11:00.000-03:00

The clutch on the tractor hasn't been working for quite a while now. I need to make that call to the Massey-Ferguson dealer one of these days. I might as well order all the clutch bits, including the rear engine seal, which should be replaced while I have it apart.

Still, I can't resist taking it for a drive around the back lawn every so often. The trick is to start the tractor, let it warm up, then shut it off. Then I'll bump the starter to get it running again and quickly slip it into reverse before the engine gets rolling so that I can back out of the shed. Then, I shut it off again, and bump the starter and quickly slip it into 1st gear to drive around. The only trick is to remember to turn off the key to stop and always drive a low throttle. It's not safe, but I always try to take it slow.

Summer!

2005-07-25T10:18:00.000-03:00

Ok, summer is half-over and where have I been? I've been busy with a new baby in the household and a bunch of summer projects.

I am in the middle of repainting the trim on the house, when the weather permits. For some reason a lot of the paint on the eaves and gable end trim has peeled off. I think it's due to moisture getting in behind the wood. I've been taking a closer look at the roof edges and adding a drip edge where necessary to keep the water off of the house itself. If Mike Holmes (HGTV "Holmes on Homes") saw how our roof had been done however many years ago, he'd have an aneurism. I swear these people had no clue. For example, instead of an upside-down course of shingles to start the roof, they just put an extra course of tar paper. And, like you'd expect, the tar paper has now given out, allowing water through to the plywood sheathing, which is now rotten on the edges. I pulled the nails along the bottom course and nailed another shingle up underneath, like it should have been done in the first place. I mean, really, for the price of plywood these days and considering how cheap shingles are, I really wish they'd done it right to begin with. When the roof finally needs a complete replacement, I'll have to replace the bottom edges of the plywood. Thankfully, which is a 12/12 pitch (45 degree) roof, so water doesn't stick around for long.

I also put a window in my shed using a little 20"w x 36"h aluminum storm window that some neighbours threw out when they replaced their old wooden windows with vinyl inserts. All I did was cut a rectangular hole in the wall, squirt some caulk around the edges and fasten the little storm window with screws. I also built myself a nice little 2'x8' workbench along one wall. It just needs another coat of paint and then I can mount my Record vice! It's kind of exciting to have my own space and a proper place to put my tools.

On Saturday morning, the kids and I stacked about 1.5 cords of the firewood we had delivered on June 30. It's so nice to get that out of the way and many hands make light work. The baby supervised from under the bug netting in his carriage, of course. :) Once these 3 cords are safely inside, it'll be time to order the final 2 cords and we're ready for the winter heating season.

Something for the middle of winter

2005-02-08T09:14:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted much lately. I blame it on WINTER. I'm sure I'll be more enthusiastic, come spring. :)

Indian Ocean quake shifted North Pole an inch

2005-01-12T10:58:00.000-04:00

Interesting scientific facts in here... The kind of thing I enjoy. :-)

CBC News - Tue, 11 Jan 2005

WASHINGTON - Scientists at NASA said last month's earthquake in the Indian Ocean affected the shape and rotation of the Earth, and shifted the position of the North Pole.

The underwater quake, the fourth most powerful in the last century, shifted the Earth's North Pole about 2.5 centimetres, or one inch, closer to 145 degrees east longitude, roughly in the direction of Guam.

Scientists also calculate the quake made the Earth slightly rounder, and made the day shorter by 2.68 millionths of a second. They admitted, though, that the calculated changes may be too small to measure.

Researchers with NASA said all quakes affect Earth's rotation to some degree, but the phenomenon is noticeable this time because it was so powerful.

"Any worldly event that involves the movement of mass affects the Earth's rotation, from seasonal weather to driving a car," said Benjamin Fong Chao of the Goddard Space Flight Center, in a release.

The movement of the North Pole is also part of a long-term shift, scientists said.

The researchers said they hope to confirm their calculations with precise measurements from satellites and Earth-based stations.

The Boxing Day quake, measuring a magnitude of 9, triggered tsunamis that killed at least 156,000 people in Indonesia, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka, and left many more homeless.

Gift from Michelle

2005-01-04T11:29:00.000-04:00

My daughter decided that she wanted to get me a t-shirt with a Ferguson on it. My wife ordered the shirt for her and got an extra one, for my dad.

I found a PS2 under the tree!

2005-01-04T10:36:00.000-04:00

Wow. Much fun. Many hours wasted so far. Jenn got me "Gran Turismo 3" and "The Sims" for herself. :-)

I see that "Gran Turismo 4" is coming out in March, so the rush is on to complete GT3. It seem futile as I've driven hundreds of simulated miles so far and had only completed a few percent of the game!

Nice Car

2004-12-15T09:18:00.000-04:00

We finally finished the film in our 35mm camera and rediscovered pictures from our summer vacation. This is one of the kids at the car show held every Canada Day weekend in Montague, PEI.

Of course, that's not a real Cobra; it's just a replica. But it is still nice to look at, like many other artificial things. ;-)

The Shed Door

2004-12-01T11:33:00.000-04:00

My dad and I put the door on the shed last Saturday. I still have to install the little door but I like the way it's going so far. :-)

Power Generation

2004-11-26T10:10:00.000-04:00

With all the talk of electrical power generation in New Brunswick through nuclear fission and natural gas, my mind is drawn to my interest in harnessing some of the "power" we see around us. We have wind, but it's not constant in my area. There's water, of which we've had plenty in the past couple of years. I've often thought of putting a small water wheel in the small stream behind our house, just enough to produce power to light a few lights or something.

I've also wondered about using the 25 foot tides we have on the Bay of Fundy. Why not put a big tank out in the local harbour and generate power by letting the tidal water in past turbines when the tide is coming in, and letting it back out past turbines when the tide is on its way out? There's a tidal power station on the Annapolis River in Nova Scotia.

In Flanders Fields

2004-11-10T10:14:00.000-04:00

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

-- John McCrae, 1915

A Door for Harry, a Door for Mike

2004-11-07T19:13:00.000-04:00

I built the door for the tractor side of the shed today, as well as completing the drip edge and the center wall. Knowing it's a pain to slide a big door open and closed all the time, I made a little swinging "Mike" door as well. (We had these on the farm, except those doors were easily 16 feet high and 20 wide.) My personal door is only 2 feet wide and 6 feet high, but it's 8 inches up from the bottom, so I *shouldn't* hit my head as I do in and out. :-)

I'm going to order the sliding door parts from Home Hardware this week, so you'll have to imagine it on the front of the shed. :-P

Artificial Christmas

2004-11-06T17:20:00.000-04:00

Well, we've done it now. We picked up an artificial tree at Canadian Tire today. It's 6.5' tall and prelit with 400 white lights. Normally, I am against artificial things like this, but a real tree is quite a mess, needs to be watered all the time, has to be disposed of afterwards (no tree pickup where we live), and it turns out that Matthew is allergic to the real thing. He was sick the whole time we had the tree in the house last Chrismas.

But don't worry, it's not going up any time soon! They're on sale right now. :-D

Sliding Barn Door

2004-11-01T13:10:00.000-04:00

I'm planning to put a horizontal sliding barn door on the smaller square door in shed. (The larger one where the firewood sits will be left open for maximum ventilation.) The sliding door will be 8'x8' and will use hardware something like this:

Working on the shed roof

2004-10-31T09:30:00.000-04:00

Here's a picture of Michelle posing on the partially-finished roof.

I worked from 10AM until 10PM finishing the sheathing, putting up drip edge on three sides, rolling on tar paper, then shingling. All day, which was nice and sunny, I listened to reports of wind and rain starting overnight. This provided me with the motivation to finish in one day. :-)

Sure enough, I woke in the night to hear rain pounding the windows. I went out to check on things this morning and found that the roof is still there and everything in the shed is dry. Success!

I still need to cut off the shingles on the leading edge of the roof (it's a single pitch) and install the drip edge there. That will have to wait until Monday.

Time to get at it

2004-10-30T09:30:00.000-03:00

It's Saturday morning, the sun is shining and there's a full day of work ahead of me. The kids are fed and dressed; Mich will be leaving for skating in 25 minutes. Then, Matt and I will go out to work on the shed.

I have to add 1 small piece to finish off the roof sheathing, then it's time to put on the drip edge and tar paper (a.k.a. roofing felt). Everything is covered in frost this morning, so I'm hoping that roof isn't too slippery. It wouldn't do to fall, even if the roof is only 10' high. :-)

I'll take a picture of my progress later.

Roofing Shingles

2004-10-29T19:54:00.000-03:00

I just got back from town with the shingles for the shed roof. If the weather holds tomorrow, I'll start to install some of the 14 bundles of shingles I bought.

Fourteen bundles doesn't sound like much until you realize that each one is 70 lbs and I'm hauling them in my utility trailer behind the car. That's almost 1,000 lbs of materials. I think it's about the most I want to put in the trailer, although I did once go to the landfill site with the trailer full of approx. 700 kg (1,500 lbs) of old plaster and drywall. I knew it was heavy, but had no idea until weighed in on the way out of the site. Ouch! Since then, I'd limited my capacity to a more reasonable level. >:)

The Shed

2004-10-29T13:18:00.000-03:00

I wanted a new shed to cover our seasonal 5 cords of firewood as well as my tractor and other items. The existing shed must be 50 years old and is made from a patchwork of what look like scrounged materials. It is also long and narrow and not really suited to the things I wanted to store.

A new shed was the answer. I decided on a simple shed with a single slope roof and an open front so that firewood would dry better. I would divide it into two compartments, one for wood and the other for the tractor. But it had to be relatively cheap to construct, which meant there wouldn't be a fancy poured concrete floor and footing. I decided instead on a sill of pressure treated wood sitting on a bed of gravel. I've seen many other utility buildings done this way which have lasted many years.

Here's how it progressed:

September 7 -- Sills laid

September 7 -- Frame started

October 2 -- More framing

October 8 -- Getting some sheathing installed

October 17 -- Harry is waiting patiently

October 24 -- A good coat of marine paint

I know I made a number of "mistakes" but I'm not a professional carpenter, so ignorance is bliss. I'm reasonably assured that it won't fall down, though! :-)

The Tractor

2004-10-29T10:09:00.000-03:00

OK, so here's the Tractor:

1950 Harry Ferguson TEA-20.

Why do I have this tractor? It's not like I need one for the 1.25 acres we own. I bought it for nostalgic reasons, having grown up on a farm in a farming community and now displaced to a fishing community, surrounded by woods rather than fields. I missed having a tractor around; you might not understand unless you've come from a farming background. :-)

This "Ferguson" was of particular interest as my grandfather bought one as his first tractor, having come from Holland after WWII and having used only horses. My dad, a semi-retired dairy farmer, learned his tractor skills as a kid on that Ferguson and actually owns a 1952 example himself.

Is blogging for me?

2004-10-29T09:30:00.000-03:00

I was encouraged to start a blog and since everyone seems to be doing it these days, here's mine.

If you can suffer through it, I'll be mostly talking about farm tractors, home renovations and cars.

Enjoy. :-)

-mike