[AT] Best of ATIS? ---The D8 story

Fri May 4 13:30:30 PDT 2012

This is a particularly good story but I have to say that in the old days 
this list was filled with similar stories on a regular basis.  I'm sure 
others here remember well when we used to get 100 or more messages a day and 
you felt the need to read every one.  I'd go out of town for a weekend and 
come back to 400 or more messages to sort through.  Sometimes it would take 
half the night to accomplish accomplish the task.  Ah the good old days.

Charlie

-----Original Message----- 
From: Mattias Kessén
Sent: Friday, May 04, 2012 2:38 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] Best of ATIS? ---The D8 story

This was before I entered the list but it sure sounds interesting keep'em
coming.

Mattias from his HTC
Den 4 maj 2012 18:59 skrev "Doug Tallman" <dtallman at accnorwalk.com>:

> Is Karl still on the list? I haven't seen him post in quite awhile.  Doug 
> T
>
>
>
>
> Mark Sargent wrote:
> > Folks
> >
> > I came across what I consider to be one of the best posts tot the list
> in my
> > saved files on the HD.   I get the list in digest form these days and I
> > noticed very little activity- so I though I'd post
> > one thread I thought may be one of the best stories - I'd seen on ATIS.
> > I'll do it one a day for the five days-unless Karl Olmstead  has
> objections.
> > Karl has a real way with words- and he did/does neat stuff!
> >
> > Here is the first installment - Karl -Let me know if you want me to 
> > stop!
> > It was written back in Dec of '99
> > ------------------------------
> >
> >
> >
> > To: "atis" <antique-tractor at atis.net>
> > Subject: Tractor weekend
> > From: "Karl Olmstead" <olmstead at ridgenet.net>
> > Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 17:47:35 -0800
> > Posted-Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 17:53:46 -0800 (PST)
> >
> > Should be an interesting weekend.  As most of you know, I bought a D8 
> > Cat
> > that was advertised on ebay a couple of months ago.  Price was right;
> less
> > than I usually pay for worn-out Cubs.  It's near Modesto, CA, about 320
> > miles from me.  Owner says that both engines (starting and main) start
> and
> > run well.  Total weight is easily 40K pounds, so with Richard Walker's
> help,
> > I found a trucker to haul it for me.  Name's Charlie, he's an old
> > catskinner.. ideal for this job.
> >
> > The previous owner, who lives in Utah, assured me that the starting
> engine,
> > a 2-cylinder gas hand cranked gas engine, would start as long as I was
> > careful not to flood it.  A week ago I called the trucking company where
> the
> > tractor is stored, and they gave me an entirely different picture.
> > Evidently the D8 has been sitting there for a year or two, which I 
> > didn't
> > realize.  Although they got it started once a long time ago, since then
> > three different guys with Cat experience have failed.  According to the
> > fellow I talked to, 'It's been here so long that the magneto is full of
> crud
> > and there's no way you're going to get it started'.  The PO did mention
> that
> > it had new plugs and wires, so obviously somebody felt that there was an
> > ignition problem.
> >
> > OK, so I changed my plan.  The trucker told me that he had a winch; I
> > figured he could still handle the loading, and I'd bury an anchor at my
> > place to chain the Cat to for unloading it.  I've been corresponding
> offline
> > with John Parks at Western Gear about the matter, and he told me that 
> > the
> > winch was almost certainly not going to be able to pull the D8 up a
> > beavertail or loading ramps.  Checked with Charlie, and he confirmed
> that.
> >
> > So, I'm going North tomorrow to solve the problem.  Never even touched a
> Cat
> > pony motor before, but I do have the D8 service manual because John
> loaned
> > me his to photocopy.  And I bought a D8 operator's manual on ebay a
> couple
> > of weeks ago.
> >
> > My current theory is that there's nothing seriously wrong with the
> starting
> > engine.  If it's been sitting for a year or two, I'm sure that the gas 
> > in
> > the carb has turned to varnish.  It only takes a few months in hot
> > California weather for the gas to go bad.  Worse yet, somebody may have
> left
> > the fuel petcock on, so several gallons of fuel may have evaporated from
> the
> > carb.  I'll bet it's a mess inside!  I'm taking carb and brake cleaner,
> > gasket stock, some brushes and safety wire for cleaning things out.
> >
> > It's entirely possible that the mag's not sparking also, but I'd bet on
> > dirty points instead of some major breakdown.
> >
> > I've also gotten some valuable pointers from Bill Strickland, Richard
> Walker
> > and John Parks.  It seems that Cat starting engine valves tend to stick
> when
> > the engine isn't used.  I'll be checking that.  I'll be taking a gallon
> of
> > Kroil along.
> >
> > Also 1/2" and 1/4" sockets and ratchet, the usual hand tools, a digital
> > multimeter, cleaners, paper towels, a 55 gallon drum to dump bad gas or
> > diesel fuel in, fresh fuel, service manual, pliers and screwdrivers, two
> > sizes of fuel hose, some brass fittings and a petcock...  but no 
> > trailer,
> > for a change.  I haven't driven to Northern California for years without
> my
> > tractor haulin' trailer!  Oh, yeah, and a couple of pieces of plywood so
> I
> > don't have to sit on the track grousers while I work.  And my Y2K Mr.
> Heater
> > propane heater, to take the chill off when I'm working on all that cold
> > iron.
> >
> > I won't have much daylight left tomorrow when I get there, so I expect 
> > to
> > work all day Sunday on the tractor.  I may drive back Monday, but since
> > Charlie's probably going to show up Tuesday morning, I may just stay 
> > over
> > and help him load the D8, then follow him down to my place.  One way or
> > another, I expect to increase the mass of old iron in my yard by about
> one
> > third some time Tuesday afternoon.
> >
> > Guess I'll find out whether I'm a mechanic or not on this little
> adventure!
> >
> > Karl Olmstead   <olmstead at ridgenet.net>
> >
> > K&F Engineering     Ridgecrest, CA
> > Karl's Old Tractor Page:  <http://members.xoom.com/kolmstead>
> >
> > ---------------
> > Tomorrow Part 1
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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