Ransomes MG5 Crawler

[Dieselman 63]

Not sure your concerns were allayed - more like confirmed, especially if two head bolts were missing.

Looks like a home-made head gasket from steam gasket material? Likely contains asbestos.

Probably. I’ll slap some copper slip on it and bang it back together. It’s supposed to have an annealed solid copper head gasket, I may buy some sheet and re-make this.

I've seen that view of a barrel a few times

View attachment 363844

What’s yours off? Have you joined the crawler club?

 

[Robotstar5]

What’s yours off? Have you joined the crawler club?

A Villiers Mk.10 so only a 100cc "baby" engine

 

[Dieselman 63]

A Villiers Mk.10 so only a 100cc "baby" engine

This gives 660cc, I suppose that makes it a kei tractor

 

[Robotstar5]

This gives 660cc, I suppose that makes it a kei tractor

I think the biggest engine I have is 470cc, the Petter A1

 

[Dieselman 63]

I think the biggest engine I have is 470cc, the Petter A1

View attachment 363873

This also exists in the workshop, it’s a B&S mini genset, I think it’s WW2 or around then. Haven’t managed to fire it yet.

 

[Robotstar5]

This also exists in the workshop, it’s a B&S mini genset, I think it’s WW2 or around then. Haven’t managed to fire it yet.

View attachment 363874

B&S engines of that era are pretty hardy, probably just needs the points cleaning or a new condensor. Once you have a spark try a bit of fuel down the plug hole to see if it will fire, the carb may need a rebuild.

 

[Dieselman 63]

I had one similar to that, about 40 years ago. Gutless rubbish. OK for not much. B&S engines were rated, power-wise, by flash testing - they could not maintain that power.

Had to over-rev it to get fridge, or freezer, to start.

I will bear this wisdom in mind next time I use my B&S engined lawnmower for two hours. Thanks for your input.

 

[Dieselman 63]

Opened up the fuel pump to discover more lovelies. Gave it a quick scrub and banged it back together. The clutch housing off the working engine came off easily and the clutch housing off the new engine won’t budge, super frustrating. Some lathe work will be involved tomorrow…

 

[Dieselman 63]

Engine bay clean and tidy on tractor one, and this coupling piece isn’t on tractor two so I had to borrow it and also make new bushes for it. One step closer…

 

[Dieselman 63]

Engine 2 all connected and bolted on. Fuel pump is leaking. Time to break out the cork gasket material!

 

[Dieselman 63]

Engine on and plumbed in. Doesn’t work. Will give a few bangs then tapers off. I think it’s unaccustomed to running, they don’t like not running in a long time. Borrowed the mag, the carb, air filter, head and impeller housing from the other one so it’s only the block and the automatic clutch that’s changed.

I will try again tomorrow, my hands are black from the brass starting handle!

 

[Dieselman 63]

It lives!

It has *almost* started a few times today, the best being five or six bangs then it tapered off. Well, I got it to do it again and it finally went. I got the video out to prove it. Happy days!

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Now you have one for each foot.

 

[Dieselman 63]

Now you have one for each foot.

Well not quite. This one is borrowing heavily from the other one. Missing a lot of bits, due to the scarcity of the machines to begin with these parts are now rare…

 

[Dieselman 63]

Back to what I actually wanted to do today, clean the right hand final drive, get the hub back on, clean the cover, the oil seal, new gasket, clean bolts, fresh oil, done.

These things are a lot simpler said than done!! This work paves the way for reattaching the wheels on this side. I’ll need to do the whole oil seal and top hat thing on the rollers again, replacing the felts. Heaps to do, but one thing down.

 

[Dieselman 63]

Quick video of the drive spinning freely.

 

[Dieselman 63]

A bit of before and after. Everything is wrecked. Everything is covered in paint, grease, oil and water. It’s a long, slow slog to get things back to working (not restored) condition. A lot of the machine has been painted unnecessarily. Nipples and threads won’t work covered in paint.

The balls on the levers are almost white, a bit of polishing has brought the colour back to whatever it’s meant to be, brownish black Bakelite type.

 

[galooph]

How much have you polished off that ball?!

 

[Dieselman 63]

How much have you polished off that ball?!

I sat there a good while. Time flies when you’re polishing your balls.

 

[Dieselman 63]

All the track laid out, two times twenty nine links, plus three rubbers each link, one big and two small. I had *just* enough, funny as when I was up recovering the other one recently I spotted some nice new rubbers and took them - I’m glad I did! Bolts are too long, will need cutting down. Can’t wait for that… I will be cutting them, too, price of steel has gone up 40% here it’s madness!