June 2021 for Issue 104 - Aug/Sept 2021

Correction:

In the last issue the eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed the error I made on a photo caption by

calling Nick Bryne's truck a Thames Trader, it is not. The Trader was introduced later, and Nick's is an ET6. Unfortunately, printed mistakes often become quoted facts, so it is necessary that they are corrected,

I apologize.

The National Historic Vehicle Survey conducted by The Federation of British Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC), to

which some of you contributed, makes interesting reading. In the five-year period between 2015 and

2020 the total number of registered historic vehicles grew from 1,039,950 to 1,538,927 an increase of

some 48%. The percentage of agricultural vehicles remained at about 10% of the total and, over the

same period, the estimated average age of an owner has increased by two years to sixty-three. The importance of the movement to the economy is demonstrated by the steady increase in the annual value

of the spend, increasing from one point six billion in 1996 to seven point two in 2020, the report can be accessed on the FBHVC's website.

Registration applications for age related and retained registration marks are taking much longer to process

as a result of the pandemic. The DVLA have been suffering from staffing problems caused both by illness

and working practices introduced that have delayed the service. Hopefully the situation will improve and return to pre Covid levels shortly, in the meantime applicants must be patient

Newark Vintage Tractor and Heritage Show 2021 - 13th and 14th November 2021- Members

please note:

2021 AGM - we will be holding our AGM on Saturday 13th November at 5.00 pm in the President Suite

which is located on the first floor of the Cedric Ford building. Please join us to hear the latest news

about your Club, to raise questions, and to voice your opinions.

Exhibitor Entries - the show ground is introducing online exhibitor entries for all classes this year. Entry

will still be free of charge to all online entries, via www.newarkvintagetractorshow.com however postal entries will incur a £5 administration fee. Entry is available from Monday 14th June with a closing date

of Friday 17th September.

I am happy to assist any member unable to submit an online entry - just give me a call on 01379 677866 ensuring you have all relevant information to hand, i.e., your name, address, telephone number, exhibit including manufacturer, model, year, and fuel.

Jane Broomhall - Secretary/Treasurer

70th British National Ploughing Championships

9-10th October 2021

Mindrum Mill, Mindrum, Northumberland TD12 4QL

FFA have ten plots at the above Championships on Sunday 10th.

With no qualifying possible in 2020 we would welcome interest

from match ploughmen who are members of the Association.

The closing date is early July so please call 01379 677866 immediately and register your interest.

Your News:

Ian West from Alberta: wrote in April, it's early Spring with daytime temperatures in the high single digits. Night-time temperatures continue to hover around the freezing mark for the most part. Despite this

I've encountered a few mosquitos so Spring proper can't be far off. Unlike coastal climates, no greenery

is visible to date this far inland, but the dramatic seasonal changes never cease to amaze me here after

49 years of residency where in the space of a week, literally, Mother Nature bursts into bloom. Our

Winter is to all intents over and certainly was mild with below normal snowfall here in the greater

Edmonton area. This will have negative implications for soil moisture reserves that largely depend

on snowfall due to annual rainfall in the range of 20inches only. Very briefly, we did experience some

bitterly cold in February in the range of minus 40C which rates favourably in Canadian terms.

Average daytime Winter temperatures would typically range between minus 10-15 with January and

February dropping to the lower minus 15-30C.

Wintertime on a grain and hay farm affords one a leisurely lifestyle by comparison with livestock

producers. Apart from commodity marketing I choose to perform seasonal machinery maintenance

or restoration in preparation for Spring activities in the comfort of a heated workshop. Alberta is well

served with natural gas throughout the province and is piped to each customer directly. Forced air

heating is the preferred mode as opposed to water/radiators as this maintains much more uniform temperatures.

Now you might ask-how do we handle equipment during such low temperatures? A 60% antifreeze solution

is preferred for a start. Winter grade diesel too is top of the list though I'm finding since the abolition or reduction of sulphur, diesel seems much lighter year-round and much less prone to congeal. Tractors in

daily service are generally kept indoors in heated facilities and may also be equipped with block

circulation heaters, typically in the 1200-1500watt range. Thankfully with modern multi-grade lubricants

wear and tear is considerably minimized. In early 1970's I recall trying to start my Super Major which

was equipped with the aforementioned circulating heater only to discover upon starting that I'd no hydraulics. Once I managed to get indoors it became apparent that as a result of some moisture in

the hydraulic sump -it had frozen the intake screen. Thereafter, annual hydraulic oil changes solved

the problem. Water distribution lines are typically buried 8ft,. particularly under driveways, where frost

tends to penetrate, as a result of compaction and lack of snow cover.

This background of circumstances largely brought about the purchase of my next … Ford 8600 in 1987.

It is a 1975 model, purchased with 3,100hrs at the time, from the original owner in off farm condition.

It came equipped with 3-point linkage, dual rear wheels, heated cab and the standard Dual Power.

Its working life during our pig production term was dedicated to liquid manure hauling, field cultivation

and feed manufacturing using a New Holland 357 Grinder mixer.

In the 10 years of owning the Mix-Mill

we made in excess of 10,000Tonnes of feed and this machine proved to be a life saver in terms of its portability and economics of on farm processing. I made several modifications to the machine and if there

is an interest from the readership, I would be happy to share in a separate article. I've no recollection

of seeing these feed processors in the British Isles, but that doesn't mean they weren't available.

In the 33years of ownership of the Ford 8600, it has proven to be an excellent workhorse with a very satisfactory track record in terms of mechanical reliability.

A complete engine overhaul was done at 10,500hrs after developing an engine knock which was as a result of a couple of worn connecting rod bushings. Even up to that point engine oil pressure was being maintained with minor consumption between oil changes surprisingly. I didn't anticipate the problem to be so basic, even having consulted with more experienced mechanics, so at that point in November 2011, I opted to purchase a used New Holland TM130. Now, faced with a knocking engine … What to do?? Salvage wise I knew I'd take a financial hit as the tractor had been conscientiously maintained and all the other critical components

had been either replaced or repaired so decided I'd do an overhaul myself over the Winter months.

Cylinders were bored oversize, new pistons, crankshaft polished and new main bearings, valves

reground, new injectors and fuel injection pump overhauled. With the engine removed, I overhauled

the clutch with a new disc, pilot, and release bearings also. By then, with a good portion of the tractor disassembled already and a favourable costing to date, I decided to paint the tractor using a combination

of air spray and aerosol cans as touch up using NH factory paints. I was satisfied with the overall factory grade finish and completed the restoration with a complete decal set in addition to re-upholstering the cab.

About 600hrs after the restoration I encountered a problem as a result of the engine oil pump relief

valve seizing which required splitting the tractor again for sump removal. On installing a new oil pump,

I once again experienced an oil blow out problem, from the base of the spin on oil filter adaptor from

the canister style base, which persisted for a time until I finally secured the correct rubber type gasket

in combination with torqueing the filter adaptor nut to 110ft.lbs. Other items of note during my

ownership … Dual Power clutch packs replaced around 6000hrs and a couple of hydraulic pumps

replaced - one of which failed around the same time as the need to overhaul the clutch packs and

again just ahead of the engine knock issue. New inner rear tyres and fronts were replaced Summer

2020 and, judging by auction and sales data, the tractor has maintained its value admirably. It's a basic,

no frills tractor by today's standard, devoid of any problematic electronics and is still the preferred

tractor when it comes to lugging ability on heavy field work. We practice conventional tillage here

unlike many of our large scale, highly capitalized operators, using a no-till regime but with a growing

public awareness and suspicion of chemical solutions, I suspect modern arable practices will only continue

to be subject to increasing scrutiny. I also include a picture taken on April 17 of my 8600's inaugural task

to date this year, rotovating a 40acre hay field which will revert back to cereal production.

Unfortunately, at the time of compiling this article Covid19 continues to be headline news here with

an increasing fear of the variants. Our vaccination levels are falling short of projection for a number

of reasons, resulting in vintage events provincially being cancelled for a second year unfortunately. Out

of country travel too looks improbable, unlike in February a year ago when my wife Linda and I had the

great pleasure of attending the Malvern Three Counties show. We are very fortunate in the agricultural community, nonetheless, being able to enjoy the great outdoors as we go about all our cropping and

farming practices unlike our urban folks who potentially have become unemployed and are living under much more restrictive circumstances.

In closing, I would welcome any enquiries anyone might have pertaining to my submissions to date.

I can be reached preferably by email at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. In the meantime, Stay Safe and continue

to maintain all those Ford & Fordsons!!

Martin Carley reports on the progress Miguel Davis is making with his Dexta in France:

Miguel writes a combination of public holidays and annual leave has allowed me to continue my restoration. The electrical part of the tractor is now finished, and I have reassembled the dashboard and the

instruments panel. Other work has included: replacing the glow plugs, and fuel supply pipe have all

been replaced, as have the water pump and water hoses. The radiator has been cleaned and repainted

and is ready to be reassembled. I also had a problem on the front part of the engine (aluminium dirt fell

into the crankcase), which required me to disassemble the axle and wheels to repair.

John Skipper fits a Horn-draulic loader to his Super Dexta:

A few years ago I managed to find a 24:1 loader to go with my International 434. After a considerable

bit of restoration I achieved a great working combination: loader easy to mount and dismount and

simple to operate. But I could tell that Dilwyn the 1964 Super Dexta was not happy and ready to prove

that he too could enter the fray.

In the middle of last year I spotted an advert for a Dexta loader. At last. So off I trundled to a remote

corner of Carmarthenshire to find this assembly of brown metal and perished hydraulic pipes sitting in a

nettle patch, begging to be saved. "What sort is it?" I asked. "No idea", came the response, "but it was

made in Cardiff so it must be good. But haven't used it in 30 years as the Dexta was used as a yard

scraper". A bit of elbow grease revealed the identity: HORN-DRAULIC LOADER, manufactured by

Steelfab Ltd. Serial number AB2927.

Many readers will be familiar with this brand name but it was new to me. I was lucky enough to be

put in touch with Julian Carder from JCB, who had inherited a vast pile of Steelfab literature and has researched the history of the company. Julian described 'thousands' being manufactured for a wide

range of small/medium sized tractors like the Fordson Major, Dexta and many other makes. Steel

Fabricators Ltd was based in Cardiff and the company was the UK licensee for Horn-Draulic loaders

and the Shawnee Digger, a detachable backhoe for tractors.

A search uncovered the long history of Steel Fabricators Ltd going back to its formation in Birmingham

in 1935. Production of loaders, after its move to Cardiff, was indeed prolific, but was badly affected

by the downturn in farming in the 1990's and, after six decades, they went into receivership in 1998.

I have been trying to find instruction manuals for those fitted to the Dexta. The earlier Horn-draulic

Dexta loaders threw up quite a few problems apparently, with mine eventually identified as the later

Model 502. I've got the 502 sales brochure - but no instruction manual! The sales brochure is for

Steelfab Ltd, making my 502 version after 1962, when the company changed their name from

Steel Fabricators.

Restoration of my Model 502 was pretty straight forward. The quality of the steel under the surface rust

was excellent. There was also some of the beige paint left on the loader frame and Empire Blue on the

dirt bucket. The hydraulic hoses, rams and simple 'up-down' control box were in very poor shape, with

£350 spent getting them professionally restored (contrasting with the £40 I paid for a rusty pile of

potential scrap).

Type 502 Horndraulic loader is complicated to fit, a bracket fits on the bellhousing beneath the tractor

via 4 bolts. The loader supporting arms (rams attached) are then fitted onto this with the rear supported

in a bracket mounted beneath the rear axle. These brackets are still mounted on the original Dexta,

but I've tracked it down and only Covid restrictions have prevented me heading off to reclaim them.

Given that so many Horn-draulic loaders were made I've found it pretty difficult to get hold of anything specific to mine. The search continues, but no matter, I'm getting close and I reckon Dilwyn will only have

to wait a little longer.

Gerard Schoenmakers progress creating his Roadless Ploughmaster 6/2.

After buying a Fordson Super New Performance Major, an industrial 590E engine and 38-inch rear wheels

the project started. The first job was to swap the live drive gearbox with a standard box. (Roadless 6/2

had standard boxes). We only swapped the gears so that the date code of the housing matches the

other castings.

The engine had not turned for at least 20 years and needed a complete overhaul. After overhauling we

tuned the injection pump and adjusted the injectors.

It ran fine right from the first start. Because of the position of the pivot point of the A-frame we had to

alter the aluminium sump.

The industrial 590E has the reservoir in the middle so we had to move this to the back. We used the

bottom of an aluminium sump off an industrial four-cylinder Fordson and welded this in the cut-out section

of the six-cylinder sump. We had to machine the upper side with a mill because the welding had distorted

the sump a bit.

Then we fabricated the special Roadless parts, we were lucky to have had sight of the original drawings

and my friend Jurrie made new metric drawings. In his workshop I drilled all of the holes (and that were

quite a lot). Because of the adaptor plate between the engine and the gearbox Roadless uses

a special flywheel that is 30 mm thicker than normal. We fabricated one by combining two Fordson flywheels, one for a live drive clutch and one for a heavy duty single clutch.

The live drive flywheel is bolted on the crankshaft and then the single clutch flywheel is bolted to its back. We still have parts to fabricate and will report on our progress.