1951 MC crawler ignition question...

[PossumFarms]

I "tested" the oil pressure gauge with an air compressor - no reading...

So I ordered one and it should be here next week.

I don't want to run it until I have a functioning oil pressure gauge!

In the meantime I get to replace some belts and hoses and get the radiator and fuel tank cleaned out and pressure tested and do a little painting...

Just another couple of things to tick off of the list!

Bill

[Stan Disbrow]

Hi,

Yay! Yeah, the voltage drop from modern too-skinny battery cables cause a lot of no-spark headaches. Glad the old girl now has fire in the holes.

Never mind pressure testing the radiator. These are no-pressure thermo-siphon. If it holds water, that is all you need. Make sure you have a zero-pressure cap with a vent hole. What you do need is a really clean set of tubes in the core. These can have no restrictions.

Stan

[PossumFarms]

Stan - Thanks for the comment... I slapped a pair of O'reily Auto Parts 2 gauge battery cables on it. The old battery connections were kind of boogered up and the hardware was rusty and crusty to the point of being almost impossible to wrench on and off. Although the new cables fit perfectly with no slack or extra cable, you guys are right, they aren't of a large enough gauge to be "right" for a 6v system. They "work" but they aren't "right".

I will rectify that situation soon! I found https://www.batterycablesusa.com/0-gaug ... -with-ends this morning and will probably be ordering some proper cables soon. Although I have some great cable for this application somewhere out in the barn (emphasis on "somewhere"!) These guys can give me exactly what I want with little to no hassle and I don't even have to go dig out my old torch and soldering supplies for a decent price! Less than 14 bucks a cable!

Although I seriously entertained the idea of converting everything on this old tractor over to 12v, I feel that it would seriously ruin some of it's "personality" and 6v unique-ness. Being 6v is part of its charm in my eyes. So I think it would be better for me to keep it all 6v just to preserve some of its character and charm. Not to mention it would save me a LOT of hassle!

Thanks for the tip about the radiator. But my old radiator has some spots on the front that looks like someone stuck it with a screwdriver or something and some of the fins are all boogered up. (And a couple of the vertical water tubes are smashed closed!) It isn't leaking at this point, but.... I don't want to get surprised someday in the middle of a job with a pinhole appearing in one of those boogered up spots! The backside is like pristine! The front, not so much... And since I am going to go to the radiator shop and have them steam clean and then coat the inside of the old refurbished gas tank, to prevent any more corrosion, I figured I would at least have them check it out and perhaps fix any pinholes they find in the radiator - just to be on the safe side...

My goal on this little project isn't to do any kind of factory correct restoration or trailer queen restoration, I want to STOP the rust in its tracks and give this little dozer a chance at being around another 50-70 years so someone else can enjoy it someday! And in the meantime, give me another reliable John Deere in my paddock out next to the barn. My wife swears the parking lot looks like a John Deere dealership! (I have a "few"! LOL)

We originally purchased this to help me dig a pond... It quit on us when we needed it the most. I got impatient and rented a skid steer and spent two weeks digging a really big hole in the ground! Now that the pond is done, my wife wants to sell it. I, of course, want to keep my antique toy! But it won't sell unless it is running, it won't bring a fair price either. So to placate the controller of the farm checkbook, I am fixing it up to sell. But that doesn't mean I have to advertise it anytime soon! I want to go play with it! And I have a few jobs around here that it will do quite nicely. Ya know, just to justify its existence!

Besides... During this Covid nightmare, I have something to occupy my time and energy! I look forward to tinkering with it!

Bill

[Lavoy]

I stock #1 battery cable and #2 ground cables.
Lavoy

[PossumFarms]

Still undergoing "Rustoration" - This thing is giving me nightmares...

Nobody likes finding cracks in things...

https://youtu.be/Z5vyamCyDuo

Lavoy is about to get a phone call!

Here is a link to the project - Start to present day https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHZq ... 7hIadGrk2V