[trusty220]

Thank you for the kind words, Dave. When you put so much effort into something a little bit of praise makes it all worthwhile.

I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves, but I must mention a few names that made the display not only good but took it to the next level. Paul and Wendy MacKellow stepped in to display their collection of lawn sprinklers on the club stand alongside Ivan Clark’s unusual hand machines and Sandra Clark’s unique collection of childrens’ gardening tools. John Eyres, who was the steward for the hall, brought along most of his collection of Barford Atom-related machines which included some extremely rare pre-Barford machines made by Mechanical Horticultural Implements Ltd.

A “Very Well Done” to Trevor Fowler who won the VHGMC silver salver for this year with his Barford Atom- he was certainly very surprised and pleased at the same time! The usual exhibitors were there as well, such as Brian Carter with his ultra-rare Atco Tractor and Dave Foster made the journey down-country for the second year running with his Anzani Motor-Hoe.

You can tell from the pictures that there were many more than this, and I apologise if I haven’t mentioned your name, but everyone there made a huge contribution to this successful show.

Thank you all and I hope you will make the effort next year.

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[trusty220]

The difference between the JAP 600 and the BJ magneto may only be the difference between a single cylinder engine (JAP 600) and the two cylinder British Junior. The mags will be the same but the points cover will be replaced on the BJ magneto by a distributor cap with a rotor arm inside.

The other thing to check is the direction of rotation- so long as that is the same you could most likely get a standard Wico A to work.

[trusty220]

Sorry for the delay but I thought there was a catch in my birthday present- I’ve had to build another arc for the chickens! Female cunning got me bang to rights yet again; will I never learn?

Anyway, I have now reconstructed the fuel tap; it’s a large brass one, much bigger than anything that I’ve come across with the JAP engines, so I had to repair it rather than replace. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t be able to make it serviceable again, so I dismantled it, soldered a new knob onto the moving part and, because it’s a conical tap that relies on being a snug fit in the hole, I lapped the two parts together using fine valve lapping compound. I’ve tried blowing down it when it’s closed and there doesn’t seem to be any leakage, so I think I’ve sorted that out.

Whilst doing the fiddly bits I put all the larger bits in the acid tank to soak. Have you ever wished that you hadn’t done something? This was just the case and it seems that everything that is supposed to hold liquid has got a hole in it; the diesel tank has some pinholes along the seam underneath and the oil bath air filter has a pin hole as well.

The air filter was stripped with wire wool and the hole cleaned up. I decided that solder was about the easiest and most permanent solution to this hole, so the blowtorch came out and in no time at all the hole was filled. All I have to do now is to straighten the centre tube and paint it, then move on to the tank. That will be tomorrow’s job because I’ll give it a blast with the steam cleaner at work.

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[trusty220]

In between showers I’ve now dismantled the whole fuel system and I’m slowly going through it stage by stage. I will let the experts at Droitwich do the pump so that I don’t waste any time messing it up then doing it again, but the simple parts like the tank, fuel lines and the filter assembly I’m quite happy to do myself. It looks like it’s had a long career so far as everything seems to be held on with odd bolts (one of my pet hates!), so, if nothing else, I will return it to the proper ones so that I don’t have the same problems dismantling it next time.

One unusual thing that I’ve found so far is the fuel filter which could be the original one, it looks so old! It is made up of felt and is square-shaped; the book that I have lists the filter as being circular and made from corrugated paper, which is the one that I have now put in. As with everything to do with fuel systems, cleanliness is always the uppermost consideration so the fuel filter is very important. How on earth this engine ran I don’t know because there is so much dirt and rust everywhere it’s a miracle it even started.

The next item for attention is the fuel tap which seems to have had the knob broken off. It shouldn’t take too long to fashion a new knob and solder it onto the stub, but Ruth’s playing her face about the smell so I’m going to have to stop for tonight!

Hopefully by next weekend I’ll be in a position to start rebuilding the fuel system and testing it, so keep your fingers crossed!

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[trusty220]

I’m hoping for a dry October as well, but I do have a cunning plan up my sleeve if it turns out wet. Unfortunately the running doesn’t improve when you drive it- what you can’t see (and I didn’t mention) is that I have unloaded the roller from the trailer because it was bowing the boards. I didn’t fancy pushing it so I drove it off the trailer and parked it up in a corner; it does feel as if the roughness wants to clear occasionally, then it comes back so I think the next stage will be to take the pump off and get it looked at. Whilst that’s away I will go through the fuel system from top to toe to eliminate any air leaks and generally clean it out.

[trusty220]

The paintwork is definitely not the factory finish, but the more I look at it the more it grows on me. If I can get the engine running properly I will take it around the shows next year and ask spectators what they think- do I strip it off completely and return it to glossy green with red wheels, or do I practice my signwriting skills and try to replicate the last owner’s decoration?

[trusty220]

The jet that you need to clean is the one at the bottom of the float chamber. You access it via a brass plug on the outside of the carb, below the inlet banjo connection. It will be recessed a long way in and probably seized as well, so be very careful. That is the main jet which handles 90% of the fuel when the engine is off tick-over. At tick-over the slow-running jet inside the carb handles just enough to keep it running slowly.

Hope that helps.

[trusty220]

Thanks for that, Charlie, but I’ve already bought some manuals off the auction site. I must say that Petter manuals are very comprehensive and show all sorts of necessary things like Spill Timing, something that is absolutely necessary when you’re messing with these old diesels.

The weather got in the way last weekend so I’m hoping to have a go at it this weekend. I will make a fresh posting in the “Projects” section about how to go about dismantling and timing it up again.

Now, where did I put that spare Tarmac……..?

[trusty220]

I was at Dorset on Thursday and took the new club flags down for Charlie. Plenty of banter was swapped (as usual!) and met a few members as well. I must say that Charlie has done a cracking job with his marquee and the tea flowed very freely. To see the whole show in a day is very tiring and almost impossible, but I think we did it.

I’m having a breather at present, but rest assured I will start to tinker before the end of the Bank Holiday! First job will be to take the injector pump apart to see if that’s why it doesn’t run properly. Fingers crossed, everyone!

[trusty220]

You are quite correct- it is an Atco Tractor but it’s missing some of it’s Villiers engine. The transfers are still legible on the toolbox and there are no implements with it, but I’d say it’s the rarest piece in the sale.
Did you buy it?

[trusty220]

It looks like it may be the BSA version that was fitted to the Marquis/Auto Certes range before Villiers took over the design.
I’m not convinced that it was fitted to a Ransomes mower, though, because the crankshaft is long and parallel sided with a straight keyway. All of the slopers that I’ve known fitted to Ransomes mowers had a short tapered crankshaft and you had to loctite the flywheel on (that was Ransomes’ recommendation).
You could get a flywheel with a parallel sided hole and straight keyway but that was fitted to the Briggs and Stratton engined version- not very successful because the tick over was too high, and if you adjusted it down enough to disengage the clutch shoes the exhaust valve lifter came into play and stopped the engine. The valve lifter was supposed to ease compression on starting (Easy-Spin Starting) but was more trouble than it was worth on the Marquis.
Just a few thoughts from the days when I used to earn an honest living!

[trusty220]

I’ve still got that ten bob note that you passed me at Holbeach a few years ago. I can’t get anyone to take it off my hands, so I’m guessing you know what you can do with the rest. I should never have believed you when you said it was a Scottish ten pound note! It was only when I showed it to Aunt Bessie that she told me what it was and I ruined a whole batch of her Yorkshire Puddings with my reply, suitably emphasized with choice swear words!.

Fenland Dawn was quite reticent on the matter too- apparently she’s got a whole purse full of pound notes that she can’t spend. I never asked her how she came by them, but it was just after Holbeach “a few years ago”. Another coincidence? I think not!

No, Charlie, keep your dud money in Somerset, DDT or no DDT!

[trusty220]

Now that you mention it, do you think it best to allow Charlie into Essex? After all, his moths did get the blame for the cabbage blight on The Fens a few years back after the Holbeach Working Weekend. And we won’t even mention what he did to the potatoes for fear of offending the Fenland Ladies’ Guild- their roast spuds just haven’t been the same since, and Aunt Bessie still has nightmares to this day.

Coincidence?? I think not!

[trusty220]

To me that looks like a Huffey. They were made in the U.S. and many other manufacturers bought them to put their own badges on. Alan Newbould has done quite a bit of research on the brand and he may be able to shed some more light on it.

[trusty220]

A photograph would be a great help to identify the type of flywheel. I’m guessing it would be off a Howard Gem.

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