rbrtcrowther

I see you timed it perfectly to get the warning beacon iluminated in that pic. Good skills!!

Offer enough money they might sell it!! £__000!!! They have got rid of all the yatchs now so it's a bit redundent just take it out for novelty value now!

Did i mension i think this is the only floating Fordson in the world!! And possibly the most photographed tractor in the world. People just stare as it potters out to sea!:shocked:

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It really is heavy and a pig to move round!!

Yes it really does float!! Shes not quite off the bottom there as she was leaking a bit after the rebuild. I took her out to sea about 400 yards but she sits REALLY low in the water made about 2 or 3 knots at a fast tick over any faster and it just cavitated. It did have a steering arangement on the prop but it got slurped into it. it will turn using the front wheels. I have got some vidio footage of the firts test after we rebuilt her.

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Right i'm going to highjack this thread!! It's about the life boat tractor you see... I worked in a boatyard where the whole tractor consept was dreamed up. Many years ago they had a problem launching small yatchs on a very flat beach. so a boat owner came up with a plan and designed a tractor with a hull round it. I think his name was Mike Bigley? Anyway the first one was not too good as it was a bit wide and floated out to sea on the first attempt so the mark 2 was made and fitted eith a propeller. It is based on a fordson major tractor and i had the pleasure of rebuilding it a couple of years ago. They offerd the design to the military as an amfibious tractor but nothing came of it so they went to the life boat guys and they said it was just what they were looking for but could you make one 4 wheel drive. And there you have it the county was modified. the rest is history. This tractor is still in service today after 30 years when they were looking to replace it, the lifboat guys said it would cost about £60000 for an ex lifeboat county. When we asked how much our fordson was worth they said it was priceless so we asked if they wanted to buy it....they said no.

Hows yor compressor? Mine was a bit poo when i first had it. I was only chuffing on one cylinder cos one of the valves was gumbed up. Funny thing was the exhaust valves have not got any springs in them the just use gravity and suction to close them, Not sure if this i rigtht but is seems to be ok. How long to pump up your air tanks in the morning? takes mine about 4 of 5 mins at a fast idle.

:idea:Thanks guys you've just given me the idea how to get the tyres off my scammel... I've got two mobile cranes at work with hydraulic outriggers... a toatal of 47 tons of force to pop the tyres off the rims. Bingo:-D

Right...sorted... got a clampy together bolt thingy 1/2" unf and knocked the corners of it in the lathe. Spring is now reassembled and sitting on the floor in the garage waiting for me to be botherd to plop it back on the scammell. To be honest i'm not going anywhere near it in this f****ng weather:mad:

I love a happy ending!:cry:

:rofl::rofl::rotfl:Good oil pump in meadows is'nt it. Still the roof won't rust! I had the bonnet on mine so it was like standing in a water fall.

The big ones are cheap cos knowone has space for them and they are a pain in the arse to move. By putting a small 3 jaw in the huge 4 jaw i can turn smaller stuff (but it's easyer to go and use my mates boxford)

Have you got propper bleed screws in the top of your oil filters or are they just brass plugs like mine? If they are plugs you have to remove them compleatly to bleed the air out of the oil filters....You can't do it on your own you need someone to shut it off when the air has bubbled out, no chance of getting the plug back in with it running!!! ( More oil everywhere all over your boots!!) If the oil pressure takes ages to come up after it's stood for a couple of days there is stil air in the system (or the engine id sha**ed) I think i pumped about a gallon over the floor bleeding mine (sorry...into an enviromental spill controll kit...Definitly not all over the floor... no not the floor):whistle:

Sure i've heard stories of engineers sitting on the front wing adjusting the carbs while the scammell is driving along:shake: Hard enough without the eyebrow and hair burning backfires! Sure theres somthing about not fiddeling with the carbs without the air boxes fitted due to the chance of hair loss:rofl:

Might take longer to clear all the crap off the lathe than it would to make the bolt!:-D

Got the bolts out of the spring tonight gut had a bit of a moment when undoing the main bolt that runs through the middle of all the leaves..... it broke:shocked: managed to hold onto the braker bar as the socket and nut fired themselves round the garage:shake:. Lots of tension in one of those rear springs you know!!! Any way now looking for replacement center spring bolt clampy together thing.

Ahhh..:coffee: Just wondering thats all.

I bought this old clunker of a Wilson lathe about 6 years ago for £50 and have used it quiet a few times. It's better with the four jaw as the 3 jaw was of the self uncentering type, Anyway it dose what i need it to do and for £50 it can sit unused for months if it wants it owes me nothing. I noticed when i picked it up it seemed to have war department markings and numbers on it i have tried to photograph them but as it came from a boatyard that flooded on the big tides there is a 12" tide line right through the markings!! Just thought it might be ex military thats all.....Any thoughts?

Spotted today on a mountain in north wales (ok so it's parked outside my house but i spotted it so there)

hi there :wave: North wales then!!!..... Doh not very near porthmadog:-(

I thought the scammells rock hard suspension would shake the caravan to bits.thats why i was going to use a tent (and i only have a rigid licence at the mo)