[charlie]

Good news, a request placed on Facebook has come up trumps with someone who is willing to do the work.

[charlie]

I am fortunate, so far, not to have had to rebuild an engine to that extent.
Looking at the parts list diagram the pin will only come out one way. If it was me I would heat the piston to see if that helps.
I am not aware of anyone having spares, but there is a drawing held at MERL, drawing number 5269 MERL ref TR/DX/1607/8/5269

[charlie]

Sounds like con rod is broken or big end. The only way to find out is to strip the engine. If the piston is not moving that would explain why no compression.

[charlie]

John, you will need to contact the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) at Reading, I only have a list of the drawings. The drawing you require is drawing number RD.310 the MERL reference is TR DX 493/1.

[charlie]

The only information, (taken from Brain Bell’s book 70 Years of Garden Machinery), I can find is Wrigley motor truck was invented in the early 1930’s and Geest made their motor trucks from the early 1950’s.

[charlie]

As far as I know the springs are not available off the shelf. There are two types of spring depending which style of tines you have. If they are the type that are round cross section and hook onto the spring it is part number 634. If they are flat bar in cross section and attach to the spring using a pin that locates in a casting held in the spring it is RD310. I have had a quick look at my list of drawings held at MERL and they have the drawing for RD310 but I could not see one for 610.

[charlie]

That rocker cover looks like new. I don’t suppose Allett have any old spares lying around?

[charlie]

No they are not the same machine, two totally different companies.
Are they any good? It depends what you want the machine to do, I am guessing you want to cut long grass. The Allen scythe was primarily a grass cutting machine, although other attachments were available. The Barford Atom was a multi purpose machine with cultivating implements and a cutter bar amongst the range of attachments. Barford also made the Councillor Power Scythe, which was very much like the Allen Scythe.
I have no experience of using either for cutting long grass so cannot comment on their performance.

[charlie]

Have you checked all the wiring for continuity and good earth where there should be one? Any contact to earth where there should not be one will prevent spark.

[charlie]

Its amazing what a good degreasing does, as I have fund cleaning up Land Rover gearboxes. As well as brake cleaner I also use Screwfix own brand degreaser which can be washed off, I use a pump up garden sprayer for that.

[charlie]

The legislation trusty220 refers to is the Road Traffic Act which was revised/amended to encompass more than what we generally consider to be roads. This is when rally fields and showgrounds amongst other places became ‘Public Places’ and only affects ride on machines such as garden tractors and ride on lawn mowers, it does not include pedestrian operated machines with a trailer or riding bogey eg a Trusty or British Anzani Iron Horse. Various insurance companies can provide the necessary insurance for shows. The machine does not need to be taxed or registered, it does need some means of unique identifier eg serial number.
On a general note, please refer to the BAVCC Safety Code, a copy of which all members should have received with the April 2022 issue of The Cultivator.

[charlie]

The following are links to the patent records.
248839
306431
269644
I could not find anything for 248838 but the photograph, see below, I have of the plate on the example I saw has 248839 and not 248838.

Attachments:

1. 

[charlie]

A step ladder???

[charlie]

I have to say I have never, well not yet, broken a fork or spade handle. That could be because the ones I use are old Elwell tools, this is a make well worth looking out for at car boot sales etc. I am a firm believer that the older tools, like many other things, were of far better quality in years gone by. The modern trend seems to be to make items down to a given price.

[charlie]

The photos confirm it is like the wheelbarrow in the photo I posted.
I see the makers plate lists several patent numbers but can’t read them. It might be worth looking them up.

[Author]

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