Together Again

       The Ford tractor steering gear arrived.  The weather was dry, relatively speaking, and a new chain link in hand for the swather’s reel drive chain, it seemed prudent to knock down the rank grass in the yard while the sun shone. 

    The chain was restored after two attempts, the oil change completed, and the farmyard resembled a hay meadow.  Then it rained.

     Nothing to do but put the Ford back together.  Here was the problem:

 

      At about three o’clock on the gear the teeth are badly worn.  That toothless gear could no longer mesh with the badly-worn drive gear.

 

     The drive gear fits between a right and left sector gears that control the right and left front wheels.  I spent two hours trying to get the three gears meshed and back on the tractor, which I did—several times.  But the arms wouldn’t match up with the tie rods running from the gear arms to the front wheels.

    Finally, the awful truth wormed its way into my mind.  I had reversed right and left gear sectors, in spite of my careful attempt to label the old and new gears.  Sure enough, when I changed sides, the thing went on, matched up with the tie rods, and worked perfectly.

   Here it is with arms in wrong.  Reminds me of a Thanksgiving turkey on a platter.

Here it is being checked out before putting everything back together.  It works!

     I decided it would be a good time to change the spark plugs, which are on the very top of the engine, while I had the hood off. 

     With the hood on, you have to kneel and work under the gas tank with only a couple of inches between spark plug and gas tank.  A one hour job with hood on becomes a five minute job, standing comfortably with the hood off.

     The plan was to load up the empty propane bottle, go to town first thing in the morning, grab the new spark plugs, the filled propane tank, return and finish assembling the Ford.

     I awoke to the pitter-patter on the tin roof and the down spouts gurgling.  So I occupied myself doing some work in the shop.  It was Friday.  The propane folks wouldn’t be open on Saturday.  It finally stopped raining.

      Propane tank loaded and secured, Bella and I started up the freshly-graded and dragged road a little before noon.  A road with an inch and a half of rain newly fallen.  It took ten minutes to go that half mile.

 

    Looks like the road grader will be called back into service.  The trip was successfully completed, the propane tank back in place, the Ford reassembled.

    By Saturday afternoon, it was dry enough to take the Ford out and mow a little.  Then I exchanged the mower for the rake.  

     Next step, get the “G” and Farmhand running, move the hay off the meadow.  Some of the hay will serve as mulch in the garden, where the bloomin’ peas are finally blooming.