Ransomes mg2 questions

[vhgmcbuddy]

Today’s question. Is it possible to remove the track drive rollers without splitting the track and drive sprocket? Five of mine on one sprocket are without nuts on the end and don’t even protrude enough through the sprocket to get one on. I have managed to get all but one roller free to rotate on the pins apart from the ones with no nuts on.

[expeatfarmer]

PM received and cover in process of wrapping.

[expeatfarmer]

Some of the track drive rollers may be originals that were riveted over rather than nuts and threaded shafts. The way to free off the rollers is repeated hammering to break up the rust mud inside the roller. Do not use grease or oil on the freed rollers they are meant to run dry.Not easy to hammer with track on .

[vhgmcbuddy]

They are all free now aside from the ones that just rotate in the sprocket because the bolt is not held tight. I spent at least a couple of hours gently tapping the last one with a hammer before I could get it to rotate freely. I was tempted to reach for the WD40 but resisted. If I could have got them off easily I would have soaked them in oil to free them up and then degreased them after. Having turned my attention to the engine i realised that there was no compression so I took the side panel near the decompression lever off to investigate and found that the exhaust valve has stuck open. So now it looks as if I have to take the head off to sort that out. That will have to wait until the rest of it is back together.
I have identified a few leaks and worn bits that need doing but want to get it running so that we can see everything that needs doing so we can do it all at once before it is painted. Been good fun though, without all the heavy bits that try to kill you every time you remove a bolt on larger tractors

[vhgmcbuddy]

Dave,
Managed to get a good light on the chassis plate this morning and my wife unprompted came up with the same number that I thought I could see. 521, which makes it 1939 I think. I stand to be corrected though. Can’t see an engine number although I don’t know where I should be looking.

[expeatfarmer]

You may be able to free the exhaust valve with a wooden dowel down through the plug hole if you are reluctant to remove the head.Speaking from recent experience even bits of a Ransomes MG are heavy `enough to kill you if you try lifting them unaided.

[dave]

Thanks for the machine number. Your contact details would be handy for the
records. I will keep them safe and not disclose them.
Dave.

[vhgmcbuddy]

A bit more progress but unfortunately we have had some unwelcome visitors last weekend, going through our sheds and helping themselves to bits and pieces so I have been busy increasing our security rather than working on the ransomes.
I did whip the head off and free up the exhaust valve and now we have compression although I think in the long term the valves will benefit from a lapping in but we shall see. The carburrettor bowl was leaking so I decided to have a look at the gasket but that is held in with two rusty screws which refused to come undone so they are soaking in penetrating oil until the weekend. Once that is sorted out we can see if it will run.

[expeatfarmer]

Good progress,have some spare spark plugs to hand and if you have one a spark tell tale that fits between plug and ht lead and lights up when plug sparks. Clean and check magneto points, nice new petrol and off you go ,make sure tractor is out of gear, throttle open a fraction and full choke until it fires then back off the choke slightly. To start the MG2 needs to be virtually flooded with petrol by depressing the float tickler until fuel runs out of the overflow. Good luck.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Finally got a few minutes on the mg2 again today, still fiddling with the carb trying to make it leak free. I did however spot the engine number under the grime, TB 6135. Hopefully on my day off this week I should get it back together and make some real progress.

[vhgmcbuddy]

At last after catching up on my jobs list I am back in the garage trying to get the ransomes started but no joy. I am not 100% sure that I have set the points properly so I will have a look at that again. Could somebody tell me what the points gap in the magneto should be please.

[ransomes256]

Points gap 0.015″
Magneto pawl release set at TDC

Neil

[vhgmcbuddy]

Right, so near but so far. I am still not getting a spark, I tried another spark plug pressed against the cylinder head in the dark with no success. I have replaced the points and regapped them, it has a new condenser and spark plug. Before I begin to suspect the winding itself could somebody please give me an exhaustive list of anything else I should check. It wouldn’t be fun if it wasnt a challenge but just occasionally it would be good if things worked first time.

[ransomes256]

No spark with new condenser!
Have you put the insulator strip round the outside of the points spring so it cannot short out to the magneto body?
Are the stop tabs / buttons clear of the mag body?
Have you had the stop tabs undone and are the through stud insulators in place and not shorted?
If you have a multimeter the HT to ground reading should be about 5 k ohm.
Neil

[vhgmcbuddy]

Not getting a lot of opportunity to work on this due to a change in career but starting to scratch my head a bit now. I have put the new points in but now I am unable to get the points gap correct. Either I have done or am doing something stupid or somebody has messed about with the magneto before our ownership. On the basis that the highest point of the cam is opposite the slit therefore that should be the point at which the gap should be greatest I have wound the adjusting screw as far as it will go but am still only getting a gap of 0.010 of an inch at maximum adjustment. I am quite happy to be called stupid as long as somebody can tell me what is going on!

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