[Farmall] Another O-12 project, part 7

[Karl Olmstead]

Still had plenty of prep to do; spent hours on top and bottom radiator tank, grinding the PC-7 filler I used on the mating flanges down, and then cleaning out all the bolt holes.   It's almost impossible to avoid getting filler in the bolt holes, so I re-drilled all the unthreaded holes, then re-tapped the threaded ones.  Started the thread tap by hand, then used a drill motor to run the tap in and out.  Used a 20" disk grinder to remove the excess filler from the radiator tank flanges.  I  bought the grinder a few years ago specifically for this type of work.  Files take too long!  They do have their place, though; I'll have to use them on the flanges on the engine.. one on the head for the radiator fan bracket, and another on the side of the block for the lower radiator hose connection.

Despite the switch to Daylight Saving Time, I don't know if I'll have time to do any finish painting this week.  Maybe I'll work on the rusty front wheels instead.  I got the worst one needle scaled last weekend.  Need to get the other one done and start sandblasting.  There's probably a couple of day's work just in the wheels.  Then I need to get them painted and new tires ordered.  Valve stem hole on one is enlarged due to rust.  Needs fixing; I'll either have it welded or use some fiberglass cloth.  Still cleaning up wheel bearings and hubcaps.

Countless hours of sandblasting.  I'm having to change the cabinet window protector and rebuild the gun every weekend because of the heavy usage.  The sand needs changing every couple of weeks, and the dust collector keeps filling up.  The sandblast cabinet is easily my most-used restoration tool.  Well, that and the wood stove.

Finally, some measurable progress!  I primed all the parts I've been sandblasting and rebuilding for the past several weeks.  Painted all the radiator parts except for the cap, plus hand crank parts and a ton of fuel pump housings.  It's getting difficult to get automotive paint here; I settled for oddball primer last time I bought.  I prefer Omni or Dupont, but the closest place selling those is 50 miles away.

Next weekend I should start painting topcoat, which is always fun.  And I need to start dismantling magnetos and carburetors.  The end is not near.  Beyond the immediate task of getting this one O-12 running, my objective is to end up with about ten mags, carbs and fuel pumps rebuilt and sitting on the shelf.  Time to get a little more efficient in this restoration business.  Even if it's not as interesting as doing one tractor at a time.

When I was dismantling fuel pumps a couple of days ago, I could see my skill and efficiency improving with each pump I took apart.  After the first couple pumps, I had all the right tools at hand, and understood exactly what was required to take one apart with little or no damage or wasted time.  There's no way to achieve that level of proficiency when doing one or two a year.  Besides, I love the sight of all those shiny, rebuilt parts on my shelves!

Time to decide what I'm going to do about the O-12's exhaust manifold.  Both the exhaust pipe bolt holes are corroded and way oversized.  And the rear one has a lot of metal missing where part of the flange has broken off.  Do I want to drill the holes out, re-tap and use Heli-coils, and build up the flange with Pyro Putty, or just find a better manifold?  The exhaust manifold also has a large wad of braze on it to fix a crack.

-Karl

_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live™ Contacts: Organize your contact list. 
http://windowslive.com/connect/post/marcusatmicrosoft.spaces.live.com-Blog-cns!503D1D86EBB2B53C!2285.entry?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_UGC_Contacts_032009