Got an e-mail from Frank Glatzl this evening. He has already installed the lift handle for the mower deck, used a die to cut additional threads on the governor rod, and installed the breather tube. He tried to install the stabilizer bars for the front axle but the dimensions were a bit off so he has to widen the holes for the bolts. He looked very closely at how the new Walbro WHG carb would mount on the S-12D engine inlet and found the mounting holes are 1/8" off. But there is a way to deal with that, by widening the bolt holes on the adapter plate, so he is going to go that route. He might make a new adaptor plate in the future, but for Saturday's rail-mower trial he will modify and reuse the current one. He took the breather cover off and confirmed that the valve seats are in excellent shape so that was good news. Frank will give the rail-mower a test on Thursday evening and I am looking forward to hearing how it does. If all goes well, he will bring it up to Kingsland on Saturday, where I will meet him with my Woodings CBI, which we will use to pull the rail-mower on its first test run. I will bring the muffler (which stayed behind with me) to be attached Saturday morning to keep the noise down. I will also bring the safety skirts for the sides.
Back at the ranch, it was a rainy day so I stayed inside the garage. I made two clevis pins for the Bolens 1455 mower deck using 5/8" bolts that I drilled holes in, then cut them off to the right length and cut a bevel on the end with the holes, using my angle grinder. I also inspected the mower gearbox and driveshaft that came off the Bolens 1250 tractor now being used for the rail-mower. Unfortunately the driveshaft is heavily pitted with corrosion. When I opened up the gearbox it looked very different than the other three identical gearboxes I have--much for the worse--the gears were corroded and it looked as though there was water in the bottom of the gearbox instead of gear oil. I presume the tractor lay for years out in the open and that took its inevitable toll on the gearbox as well as the rest of the mower deck, which is beyond restoration. This gearbox will form the nucleus of my new collection of salvage metal.
Organized my Bolens spare parts using a big tool box that my wife has always wanted out of sight. I put it to one side of my workbench and shoved it far enough back that I don't think she will notice it for a while.
Noticed that my electric drill, a Black and Decker Quantum about 10-15 years old, was sparking heavily inside. I took the screws out and poked around. The spring brushes seemed OK and I couldn't tell whether there was a problem anywhere else. Put it back together and it runs fine with minimal sparking, so must have done something right. Am glad because that is one of my favorite tools.
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