Tractor Stories

This evening I got a few minutes to work on the 8N again. This time I replaced the Proof Meter (tachometer), added a gas gauge which is like the one riding mowers have – a float extends into the gas tank and sort of tells the gas level when the vehicle is still. I would have replaced the steering wheel, but so far have not figured out how to get the old one off. I removed the center nut and used some Parts Blaster liquid to loosen the fifty-three years of rust. No luck this evening. I drove the tractor around the yard, enjoying both the new ammeter (which I think I have wired correctly now) and the Proof Meter. I also greased everything I found that had a grease fitting. I found a few more after I ran out of grease in one of the grease guns. I have two full size grease guns and a new air powered one which I have not yet used. The one grease gun is empty now. Tomorrow I will work on the Ford 640 and remove the rear wheels and fenders to paint them, hopefully remove the gas tank and add ...

This evening I decided to mow the grass while it was 90 degrees and managed to do about a third of the yard inside the fence before I lost interest. Then I decided to tackle the wheel on the 8N by myself. I got the bolts and new battery holder today from Just 8Ns so could do this – I thought. The wheel center weighs about forty or fifty pounds, I think. I put it in the tire rim and put one bolt at a time in place. Of course it did not fit any better than the one for the other wheel so I got the trusty sledge hammer out and adjusted the center to fit the rim. This time I wore ear protection as it gets pretty loud when the steel meets steel. With just a few light taps (and several hard smashes) the center fit perfectly in the rim. The air impact tool snugged it in place using the new bolts, nuts, and washers. A few squirts of gray paint and the wheel was ready to go back on the 8N on the right side. Okay, here is a challenge for you. How does one person hold a 200 pound wheel in place wh...