🚜 The HOPEMOBILE ❌ FRANKENTRACTOR ♻️ Spares & Repairs 🚜

If the lights come on then it shows the safety switches are all made. The Countax we have, which is basically identical except it's a 15hp single, has the seat one and one on the footbrake.

The starter solenoid was goosed on ours, but I managed to use a boggo Lucas one I had in the stores after swapping some terminals around. The genuine Countax solenoid was pretty dear.

Three days at home with. Key Account Management training had me climbing the walls.

Only George kept me amused.

He's such a dickhead.



So today we got a full hours lunch break.

And when they closed the Teams meeting down for lunch, my plan was already made.

Down to the garage.

Pull out the Westwood Spears and Reapers tractor and dismantle the top to get to the flywheel.

A multitude of tools needed.





Bit of hammering to release the flywheel from the drive shaft.



Removed the shaft key, known also sometimes as a Woodruf key.

Important not to lose this little guy.



Got the flywheel off.

The ring gear was riveted in four places.

So mr grinder brought into service.



Punched out all four.





Reassembled after cleaning with the screws and nyloc nuts supplied in the service kit.





Reassembly looked decent.

At which point it was time to go back to class.



I would get back after work, just pulled a canvas over it all as the weather forecast was for a lot more rain.

More in a bit for those who like the whole story.

Good work Rian,
Stupid question, it doesn't have a fuel cut off does it ??
Get a decent battery on it and you're more than half way there,
Nigel

On my tractor you need to depress the clutch to make it spring into life....

Good work Sir.

P.

Thank youQ

So after changing the starter and ring gears, failing to get it started, I checked the usual suspects.

Fuel pours out after the pancake filter

Sparkplug cleaned and dry.

Airfilter horrendously dirty, cleaned and removed.

At lunchtime I drove the 6 miles to my nearest Toolstation for some “Easystart” came back and tried it before the next online session started.

Put out a fire. Laughed and tried again.









So I pulled the cup off the bottom of the carburettor to find it pretty bad.

Wire brush and wipe out later, removing 28 years worth of crud and rust.





Reassembled, twice.

BECAUSE.



Then tried starting it again because that is what I do.

Failed again, possibly no fuel getting through.

No further fires.

But also a dry plug.



So I decided to walk away as it was getting dark, despite the lights in the carport.

Once back in the house a quick search showed that complete carburettors can be had for £11.99 delivered.

Seriously, even if I were working for minimum wage, my time and frustration, spent on a possible rebuild, just is not worth the effort.

So after speaking to a human I ordered a replacement part.



Tonight, on the way home I stopped at my local motorfactors to see if they had a battery to replace the very tired on that came with the tractor, in fact, they had two…… priced at £70.00

So I smiled and walked outside, ordered one online for less.

Battery is less than 24 hour delivery.



Unfortunately the spares shop is one down from the Fish and Chip shop.

The smell of freshly fried chips and vinegar permeates the air late afternoon……

So I promptly spent £2.40 of the savings made on the battery on a bag of chips to eat on the way home.



Friday night.

Waiting for the courier to get here with the V-Twin carburettor that Paul Y sent over yesterday.

Maybe start to play with it tomorrow.

I know the FRANKENTRACTOR is missing a few bits.

Lets see what we can get done though.

Later.

Of course it is.


Alwys 😉

We obviously have different definitions of a dry plug 😉

It’s genius tips like this ☝️that keep me coming back here. 🤣😃