Frank installed the throttle and choke cables after I drilled some holes in a piece of copper to be used as a bracket supporting the choke cable. We were not sure what to do when we found that a clip to hold the throttle cable onto part of the engine was missing. But then I went to my junk metal container, spilled it onto the garage floor and there, in the middle of all the old, rusty bolts, etc. was the missing clip. So it has been restored to its rightful place. Frank also installed a used fuel pump I found on E-bay since the existing fuel pump was not working. First he took it apart to inspect it for problems, but it passed inspection and when we did turn the ignition key the engine fired up and kept running, so the fuel pump seems to work.
We then found the PTO safety interlock switch was not working so we had to take it off and bring it first to TSC and then to A-Line Auto Parts. We found a substitute also with a rubber boot (to prevent moisture from ruining the switch, considering the tractor engine likely will get rained on at some point). A-Line ordered it up from the warehouse. We dropped by A-Line after lunch at, appropriately enough, the Railroad Barbeque restaurant, to pick it up.
But we had bigger fish to fry by then. While waiting on the safety interlock switch, we fired up the engine without it and noticed that the engine was running way too fast. The governor did not seem to be working. Frank fiddled around with the control rod on the outside and found it was loose. Regretfully we realized we would have to disassemble everything, remove the engine and then open the engine cover to see what was going on with the governor inside.
We disconnected the engine and moved it up onto the motorcar trailer. At that point we decided it was time to remove the U-joint on the driveshaft coming off the engine since that U-joint would no longer be used and we wouldn't want it flying around with the shaft. Of course, the U-joint had no intention of going peacefully. Apparently it was rusted in place. After much hammering, spraying with penetrating lubricant, and heating with a blowtorch, we were able to dislodge the middle of it. We figured the best way to get the U-joint collar off was to use my angle grinder. I cut along the woodruff key slot, and managed to cut enough so Frank could pull the collar off with my gearpuller.
After that we drained the engine and removed the engine cover to investigate inside. Here's a photo:
This was actually a very interesting moment for me. Being the sheltered person that I am, I had never before seen the insides of an operating engine, not counting those in museums, displays, etc. So it was really neat to see the gears, the piston, and, of course, the governor gear. As it turned out, there are two little "ears" that push a spool-like object that links to the external control rod which governs the throttle. Those two ears were broken off and we found the remnants inside the engine case. With them broken, the governor couldn't work. Frank has since located a new governor for a Bolens 1250 on the internet and has purchased it. He looked at the rest of the engine interior and said it does not appear to have suffered any corrosion from water intrusion. He was glad we have a tapered bearing on it since that made it easier to get the engine cover off. Here's two photos of Frank working on the engine:
We had to drain the oil to taken the engine cover off. While we had the cover off, we cleaned the interior of the engine case with paper towels to get out sludgy contaminants. Hopefully that will help the engine continue running for a good long time. For now, however, that was about all we can do. We did clean off the surface that the engine gasket rests on. Then we replaced the engine cover and all the bolts to keep moisture out and moved the engine to a "tie" on my rail holding the Fairmont M19AA motorcar to remain there for now. As for the rest of the tractor, it looks sort of forlorn, having been torn apart:
But it's just another bump in the road on the way to a functional rail-mower. Frank will let me know when he is ready for our next session so we can keep going. We'll replace the governor, remount the engine and reconnect all the wires and other components. Then, if it works OK, we'll drop the hydraulic transmission and axle off the back and cut off the front wheels (of course, both while the frame is suspended from the hoist) and lift the frame up with the hoist. Then we will slide the motorcar trailer underneath and lower the tractor frame and engine onto the trailer. So that will be a pretty cool transition to its new operating position.
Frank took home a motorcar trailer towbar, along with the hydraulic lift hangers that adjust the mower deck up and down, so he can straighten both (he figures the towbar was smacked by something, causing it to bend into an S-curve). He is also going to fabricate a hold-down for a battery and a breather tube to run from the air cleaner to a vent in the engine cover. That's a lot on his plate and goes to show just how much this project owes to him.
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