New better than old?? NOT

Soundguy · Jun 22, 2005

Well.. I'm getting pretty good at changing fuel line O-rings on my tractor.

Here's how my day went:

It has been raining in florida just about every day this month. Grass is a mile high.. I've been working doubles for weeks and had no time to mow.

I got off work at 3pm today so I could run home.. feed the animals, and hop on the tractor and lay down about 10ac of blacktops.

Here's where it turns sucky... 3:30pm.. tractor won't start.. battery dead. I hop on my 12v converted 1954 NAA and it of course fires on the first start after setting nearly all year.. even with old gas... I drive it over for a jump... nada...

Ok.. clean the terminals.. .. now battery will make an impressive click at the solenoid. Hygrometer tester shows bad cell in battery.. Oh well.. it is 3ys old? /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Off to TSC.. NO battery for my tractor ( NH 7610s ).. off to NAPA.. they have a battery that is darn close.. I get new cable ends and all the goodies.. felt washers.. cleaner spray.. protector spray.. etc.

It's now 5pm.. new battery is in.. cranks over like a champ.. but won't start? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

I start searching around... find 3 rats nests.. one by radiator.. one under hood on head.. one behind dash. 1 chewed wire.

Fix wire.. tractor starts.. runs for 30 seconds then stalls /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

No fuel att he bleeder.. no fuel at the filter fitting. Plenty of fuel out of the valve opening at the petcock.. just none out of the line from the petcock..

I replaced this line 6 weeks ago and put in new nitrile orings when I did it..

I pull it apart...and find that the oring got soft and bunched up in the front of the hard line. Oring did NOT look like nitrile.. but like plain old rubber... /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

I grabbed my oring picks and my assorted packs of buna-N and nitrile orings.. found a few to match up and thru it back together... had great fuel flow.. I wiped it all down.. let it run for 15 minutes.. ran great even under load.. no leaks.. It's dark now.. 8:30pm.. I see a faint spark under the hood. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Pop the side hood, and find a single strand of copper wire missed the battery end and was sticking straight up.. like an inch.. and was just enough to make contact under the hood /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I cut it off, and then for added safety.. cut up an old tire innertube and made a blanket for the top of the battery..

Oh and I set out a pack of yummy rat poison in the places I found the nests.

As I was putting my tools up I could see the furry critters scurrying around the tractor... I hope they eat their fill tonight! /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

It's like 9:15 now.. I got -0- accomplished and took off work to boot /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Havn't eaton... and am a bit grumpy.... I'm glad the days almost over...

I think the worst part is that this ^%# 24,000$ tractor is working me to death to use it.. yet my antiques seem to keep on going.. and going... with less hassles...

And what's with that bogus oring!!?!?!?!

Soundguy

surfran · Jun 22, 2005

Soundguy,

I feel for you man! Nothing worse than taking off to get a lot done and end up striking out. Hopefully the rest of your week goes better and the "special" food is empty in the morning /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

sweettractors · Jun 22, 2005

Just a average day down on the farm for us. Yesterday, Closed the office at 5, took a 15 minute sandwich break. Headed to the field, using the 3130 JD and 15 Ft batwing and cut for 1 hour and knocked the muffler off on a tree limb and almost took out the front glass on the cab. Too hot to put back on. I left muffler in the field (where I could be sure to easily find it) and finished cutting at 9 PM. Went back to get my cool muffler, ran over it before I found where I left it. Set my ears to ringing all night from hearing the loud tractor exaust. Soundguy, We just go to be special people to enjoy alll this @!*&-- /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif--Ken Sweet

Bigbear · Jun 22, 2005

Huh, I'm not alone. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Indydirtfarmer · Jun 22, 2005

My night/day wasn't QUITE as bad, but none-the-less, not the wonderful experience I envisioned when I rolled outta the parking lot at work.

I started bush hogging a 52 acre field I've been "given" to farm for keeping it mowed. Plan is to plant wheat on it this fall, double crop soybeans next summer, then rotate to corn the next year. But first, the hood-high weeds have to be mowed....

Bull thistle and fescue.... I brought the 4440 and the 15' Bush Hog cutter in for the kill! About 2 hours in, I went to make a hard right-hand turn, and the left front wheel caught a rut. The tire popped off the rim and the tube blew out.

Run home with the wheel and fix the flat.

Back to mowing....

Last year, I did a re-hab on the 4440. I bought after-market radiator grill screens. They have a slightly bigger air hole than the screen in the O.E.M. grills. That let grass seed in. That plugged the radiator. Tractor starts to over-heat. I run home and get the leaf blower to clean out the radiator.

Then it gets interesting.

I decided to run with the door open on the cab for a bit (Don't ask me why..... It's an air-conditioned cab, and outside temps were near 90, plus all the dust. Ionly had the door open for about 20 minutes)

Have you ever had a pheasant fly in your tractor cab? I have! Talk about excitement!

What started off as a (predicted) 7 hour job, started at 1PM, mercifully ended at 11:30PM. I got home at 1AM. Then I reported (bleery eyed) to work at 5AM.

As soon as I get through typing this post, I'm removing the toothpicks that'r propping my eyelids open, and getting some well-needed shut-eye.

OH YEAH.....I ENJOY THIS STUFF.....

Soundguy · Jun 22, 2005

Yep.. the worst part about this deal is.. 6 weeks ago I was out in the pasture and broke down... fuel valve plugged up. I was out inthe boonies... I finally got ahold of a ride into town and got a new fuel line.. fuel valve, and orings.. etc. Fuel filter.. etc.

I draind the fuel tank into a bucket to make sure i got the crud out.. put the new valve in.. new line.. and new oring... Added new fuel just to be safe.. used the old fuel inthe parts cleaner. Installed a new filter.

That day.. a 3 hour mowing job turned into 8hrs.

I figured I was -done- with dinking with the fuel system for a while.. when i find that bogus oring.

I honestly think that was a rubber oring that got tossed into the buna / nitrile pile, as the other 2 orings inthe valve did not disolve.. and this one was eaton up pretty badly.

Luckilly I have a few boxes of metric and sae oring assortment kits.. one is buna-n and the other nitrile rubber.. both claim good for oil/fuel/solvents.. etc.

I -hope- I've used the right thing this time?

I'm glad i picked up a set of oring pics at the chineese store the other day ( 1 buck.. well spent.. made digginf the dead oring out of the valve soooo much easier. )

The muffler story makes me feel a tad better. i was beginning to feel like the but of a bad cosmic joke... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Comments?

Soundguy

Soundguy · Jun 22, 2005

( About 2 hours in, I went to make a hard right-hand turn, and the left front wheel caught a rut. The tire popped off the rim and the tube blew out.
)

Yep... I see you get the same kind of luck I get. That's one of those 1 in a 1000 type deals.

( Have you ever had a pheasant fly in your tractor cab? I have! Talk about excitement! )

No.. but when I finally did get my tractor started tonight, I did have a mouse or two shoot out from under the hood and dash like being shot out of a cannon! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif One shot right out from under the side hood and ran right over my boot and baled out the back of the operator platform.. kina scared me.. or startled me anyway...

I hope those nasty critters are gone in a few days. It took me 45 minutes to dig rats nest out from behind the little 2" space between my radiator and front of the engine... My hand just couldnt get down in there /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Soundguy

Soundguy · Jun 22, 2005

( Soundguy, We just go to be special people to enjoy alll this @!*&-- --Ken Sweet )

Yep.. i guess it does take a special breed of people to farm and run tractors...

My friends that I grew up with are baffled that I got into farming... their concept of food supply is a publix or walmart.. etc!

Soundguy

hobbyfarm · Jun 23, 2005

Soundguy,
All this 'cause the wife is out of pocket.
Don't worry, she'll be home soon and things'l settle down to a dull roar.

Soundguy · Jun 23, 2005

Tell me about it. When i finally got in and showered.. it was 10pm.. and I sat down and did something I havn't done in years... I ate a tv dinner... I was starveing.. and it tasted pretty good under the circumstances.

I'm used to home cooked... sure miss the wife..

Soundguy

Indydirtfarmer · Jun 23, 2005

( Tell me about it. When i finally got in and showered.. it was 10pm.. and I sat down and did something I havn't done in years... I ate a tv dinner... I was starveing.. and it tasted pretty good under the circumstances.

I'm used to home cooked... sure miss the wife..

Soundguy )

With my cook/chief financial officer/advisor on all issues/wife working second shift, I've been reduced to eating like my bachelor days too... Now I remember ANOTHER reason why I got married...

Did you know there's over 100 ways to eat Vienna sausages?

MAN, I'm hungry (for some REAL food)... /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Soundguy · Jun 23, 2005

Lets see.. my wifey has been gone a week so far. i've eaton sandwhiches.. breakfast foods ( eggs.. bacon.. etc ).. um... tv dinner.... take out or leftover lunch... that's about it. Typical guy food when the wifes not around to make us eat better...

Soundguy

SailorBob · Jun 23, 2005

I think the worst part is that this ^%# 24,000$ tractor is working me to death to use it.. yet my antiques seem to keep on going.. and going... with less hassles...

I bet your Yannie would have fired right up /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I know it's too small for the job you were doing though..

Soundguy · Jun 23, 2005

Since it is late 70's.. i consider that as antique too /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

And yes.. i bet it would have.. but I think the 10' mower would have been a bit much for it! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Soundguy

slowzuki · Jun 23, 2005

Soundguy,

We bought the new Kubota cause the old IH needed 3 hours work for every hour use it got!

AndyM · Jun 23, 2005

sure miss the wife.. 

I know the feeling. My wife travels overnight several days a year and I miss her for just that day here and there, but now she is interviewing for a job 2.5 hours away.

If she gets it, the immediate plan is for her to stay with her parents during the week and drive back here on the weekends until there is something definite on the future of my job! I don't know what I'll do seeing her only 28 percent of each week!

Back on track, my Ford 8N can sit outside for months, it can be uncovered for a few weeks at a time, but it always starts like it was brand new! Oh, and the sound it makes is music to my ears! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

riptides · Jun 24, 2005

( wifes not around to make us eat better ) ???

Wives cook and make you eat better?? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif What? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Soundguy · Jun 24, 2005

Finally got out and mowed about 10ac this morning.

Found the rats had taken the poison again.. and built another nest. I cleaned out the nest.. greased the tractor.. checked the lube in the gear boxes on the mower and went to work. Started to rain just as I was parking the tractor.

I added some more ratbait before I came in.

The grass was thick and tall.. I'm glad I finally got it cut!!

Soundguy