[AT] The value of tractor manuals

[Mike Sloane]

I am glad that things worked out for you. But you need to be cautious 
when relying on the parts manual for any tractor as an assembly manual. 
The reason for this is that the illustrations for the parts manuals are 
done by staff artists, not engineers. And the artist will sometimes try 
to make the illustrations "better" by altering or simplifying. The main 
purpose of a parts manual is not to help the customer with assembling 
the tractor but to help the customer and parts counterman with figuring 
out which part is needed to repair a particular component. Some 
manufacturers did a better job than others, but none are 100% accurate 
all the time.

Mike

Kyle Sands wrote:
> This is a no-brainer; obviously a good repair manual and parts manual
> is invaluable to anyone working on an old tractor.  Mine came in
> handy for the first time this past weekend when my troubles continued
> with my Minnie-Mo RTU.  I got the ignition problem cured thanks to
> you guys on ATIS - I merely needed to clean the points.  But it still
> wouldn't run very strongly.  If I advanced the throttle too quickly,
> the engine would load up and it sounded like it was running on 2
> cylinders.  It lacked power, and when trying to drive up a hill it
> would stall out even in first gear.  Adjusting the needles on the
> carb proved fruitless as well.  I could literally unscrew the load
> jet all the way and pull it out of the carb body while the tractor
> was running and it wouldn't make any difference.  And the low speed
> jet was so sensitive that any more than 1/4 turn open would stall the
> motor, and completely closed would do that same.  As a last resort, I
> figured I had to have a dirty carb.  S! o I took it apart...but it
> was spotless.  There was no sign of dirty fuel or anything.  The carb
> is a Marvel-Schebler that has a removable venturi.  It was then that
> I referenced my parts manual to see how that venturi was supposed to
> be positioned in there.  And wouldn't you know it, but I had put the
> venturi in upside down when I had first cleaned it earlier this
> summer!  Well, I wasn't exactly sure this would solve my problem, but
> when I reinstalled the carb and started the tractor, it made all the
> difference in the world!  Now she's back to running like I remember
> earlier this year.  My service manual wouldn't have helped in this
> instance, but that parts manual was just the ticket.  It just paid
> for itself in this one instance!
> 
> Kyle Sands <>< Huntley, MN

-- 
Mike Sloane
Allamuchy NJ
mikesloane at verizon.net
Images: <www.fotki.com/mikesloane>

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always
so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. -Bertrand
Russell, philosopher, mathematician, author, Nobel laureate (1872-1970)