Simpson, my 57 CA, is getting a heart transplant.  This motor popped up a while back, the guy hadn't gotten any offers.  Said it ran strong but came out of a C with a bad rear end and transmission.  Hope it holds up until I get a look at the old one, it developed a serious lower engine knock at Don(MO)'s plow day.

 We need some pictures as you progress! Good luck with your CA project transplant!

 Regards,

 Chris

Going to experiment on this one a bit, going to rebuild the generator with new field coils and switch it over to 12v.  I'll still have the alternator off Simpson in the shop in case it wears out too quick, just keep extra brushes on hand.  If it works, the WC is next.  Hey Don, look what I found for the CA, now for the retrofit.

Don(MO) wrote: So how's that new to you engine coming along.

Well now Don, for crying out loud, I just got it washed, it's gonna have to cure for a a bit before I start installing it.  Had to let Simpson cure for a year before investigating the knock.

Actually I am moving stuff around in the shop as the WC and U are in sick bay, but curing sounds better.  I think after 12 years, the wife is catching on the the "curing," process.

Moved  the U out of sick bay for a bit, and even used the 720 to pull Simpson in to place.

Bolts are broke loose, old motor is ready to come off.  Didn't loose near as much religion as I expected getting the nose off.  Kind of surprising to see how little the front end is held together, things could go to worms in a hurry if a person wasn't careful.

That gantry crane was made special to replace ammonia compressors, it;s narrow to fit between the racks.  It wouldn't fit on the outside of the front tires due to the wheel position locks that somebody mounted on the inside.  The gantry was there just to hold the motor steady, rolled the front axle away with the engine hoist.

Swapped the clutch from the old motor and got the new to me motor bolted up.  These little tractors are a might easier to work on than old big ones.  Went out to the bone yard and pulled a 12v generator off my old industrial parts M diesel, bolted up fine, have to redo the bracket for tension but then I noticed the bolt for the pulley sticks out too far and would hit the fan, oh well, maybe it will work on the WC.  Back to the generator rebuild.  Got a slight problem with radiator,  the shroud has come unsoldered from he tank, someone JB welded the one on my other CA.  Also there is a brass plate approximately 1-1/2" by 3" floating around inside the top tank, I guess it was once mounted just below the neck.  Haven't tried to get it out yet.

SIMPSON IS ALIVE!!!  But not without a couple of glitches.  I moved the whole governor and housing along with the distributor and installed 12v windings in the generator.  I made the mistake of reading my I&T manual to set the timing, would have worked but it would have put the rotor 180 degrees out from all my other AC tractors so I closed the book and did it the way I've always done it and away she went, a little too fast but I don't think it rolled over a full revolution when she fired.  The head is shaped different on Simpson's new motor and was impeding the governor rod so a couple of bends later, she purrs like a kitten.

I did avoid disaster, pulled the plugs out of the new to me motor and what a horror of a sight, put the kibosh on that real quick.

I'd list them dang things on E bay and they will bring more than a new set of good plugs. lmao

I was going to blame Don(MO), he warned me, "watch that front end, that SOB will flip over on ya."  Sure enough, rolling it across the floor, over it went!  As I was contemplating the easiest way to flip it back over I noticed a couple of issues, #1 someone welded the front back together and not very well, then#2, I noticed it wasn't centered either so tomorrow out comes the hot wrench, grinder and welder.

Regards,

 Chris

My OCD is why all my tractors aren't done, I think the only cure for it is a coffin.  After taking the front end apart I noticed the pivot bolt was almost a 1/2" off center.  A quick look at the other CA confirmed it wasn't supposed to be that way.  It appears to have alway's been that way, no sign of being moved. Once again, the cut off blade in the grinder, hammer and cole chisel and got it off.  Marked center of both pieces, set everything back under the tractor, aligned and then marked it, took it back out to weld and everything fits like its supposed to.

 Now that looks like something I would do too! Nice work bringing it back to spec!

Regards,

 Chris

By jumpin jehosaphats my radiator repair worked, finally got around to getting it together tonight and my part worked just fine, however the shaft seal is leaking on the water pump but we're going to give it a few days first.  The baffle slash splash guard or whatever they call it that sits at an angle inside the radiator top tank to keep the water from directly hitting the radiator cap broke loose and had fallen, blocking off about a third of the radiator.  It would slide side to side but covered the entire width of the core so I found a piece of copper pipe the size of the inside diameter of the inlet neck, took my die grinder to it, pushed it inside the and soldered it to the radiator inlet holding the baffle up at the right angle then drilled and screwed it to my newfangled bracket.  Seems to be holding up just fine.  I can only imagine the conversation if and when somebody finds it in the future.