[AT] Best of ATIS? ---The D8 story -Karl's last post and his Secret Weapon!

[Gunnells, Bradley R]

Ben, ask away. I don't know that I'd have the answer to your questions but as you say the wealth of knowledge on this list is very good. And I always enjoy the questions because even though it's not mine I often learn something new.

Brad

On May 8, 2012, at 8:06 PM, Ben Wagner wrote:

> I hesitate to add my voice because I was not around to remember many of 
> the folks you mention.  I came in right as Farmer stopped posting often, 
> and I have one or two messages from Cecil Monson.
> 
> However, I sincerely hope the ATIS lists will continue on for awhile.  
> Many times I feel like I know quite a few of you through your messages.  
> I know I always enjoy reading the posts and hearing the stories.  All of 
> you gentlemen on here provide a wealth and standard of knowledge for old 
> tractors of which I can only hope to grab scattered pieces.  It's not 
> often a young person like me can go straight to those who know from 
> experience; I really appreciate the opportunity.   I just hope you don't 
> mind too many questions!
> 
> Ben Wagner
> 
> 
> On 5/8/2012 1:49 PM, Mark Sargent wrote:
>> Folks,
>> Before the last post--- a few comments,  I'm glad some folks enjoyed it.
>> Back in the heyday of the list there were quite a few 'adventure' tractor
>> stories like Karl's (and Karl had a more of them).   Some of you have
>> analyzed the decline of the list - I'm not sure if any of the analysis I
>> read is true.
>> I kept this thread at the time -because- it was just that good- there were a
>> couple people on the list that said they were compiling the "Best of ATIS"
>> threads but nothing ever came of it.    I glad I kept this one for Dad to
>> read or I wouldn't have it.    Don't know if the Spencer keeps digests in
>> the archives anymore - but digging posts out now would be chore to skim
>> through- all of them from the mid to late '90s.    I  was hoping someone
>> would pull out a post they kept.       At any rate-- my favorite ATIS
>> posters of all time were :
>> (my opinion only - you can come up with your own list)
>> 
>> Karl Olmstead-  He did neat stuff and took the time to write about.
>> George Willer-  He did some great stuff ( like the NFE Cub), wrote well, and
>> always tried to help with questions-    George was/is a great guy.
>> Richard Walker-  Early on - he was a reason to tune in to the list.
>> Bill Hood- Texas guy that just got things done.  He could write, too.
>> Mike Sloane- he had projects and the time to write-- He was/ also super
>> helpful.
>> Cecil Monson- Stories- he had more than a few few good ones!
>> 
>> Don't get me wrong there was a lot of traffic - back in the day and you
>> could always count on Farmer Robinson, Charlie Hill, Dean Vinson, Dean Van
>> Perusem, Herb Metz, Bill Strickland, Gene Dotson- to come through with
>> knowledge or a story every day!
>> I know I'm leaving a lot of you out-- not on purpose- I'm  just forgetful.
>> A lot of time the best threads were stories with only a passing reference to
>> tractors.   Charlie reminisced one time  about Tobacco selling time on
>> Tobacco road  in its heyday--- made you feel like you were there.  And there
>> were others.
>> Most of the time -- with this list - you felt like you got to know folks --
>> because you would listen to them over a pretty long period of time-- respect
>> and sometimes friendships -- naturally followed..
>> 
>> There were a few bad apples- (my opinion only) Like Crispens, Walt,  Acton
>> - but for the most part the core kept right on pluggin.     The digest of
>> the list used to be a must read for me.  - It was like a good book.
>> 
>> And Karl if you are listening-- Thanks for the stories and the  secret
>> weapon!
>> 
>> Take care,
>> Mark
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Karl's last post  -
>> --------------------
>> 
>> Tractor Weekend (summary)
>> 
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ----
>> 
>> To: "atis"<antique-tractor at atis.net>
>> Subject: Tractor Weekend (summary)
>> From: "Karl Olmstead"<olmstead at ridgenet.net>
>> Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 17:12:00 -0800
>> Posted-Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 17:18:36 -0800 (PST)
>> 
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ----
>> 
>> When I drove up to Salida to get the D8's starting engine going, there was
>> almost no doubt in my mind that I would succeed.  I'm not that great of
>> mechanic, but I know how to stack the deck in my favor.
>> 
>> Talking to the people at the trucking company where the Cat was stored, I
>> knew that the pony motor had been run within the last year or so.  Then when
>> the Cat was sold (it sold on ebay), the guys at the trucking company tried
>> to start it for the buyer.  Three people, taking turns cranking and
>> tinkering.  Three hours.  They failed, and the buyer took a hike.
>> 
>>> From this information, I concluded that the pony wasn't stuck, and people
>> had messed with the carb adjustments.  And apparently there weren't any
>> major parts missing.  Odds were good that they hadn't had the time to louse
>> up the magneto.
>> 
>> So my working theory was that the carb was full of mung, all the adjustments
>> were wrong, and the magneto might or might not have spark, but there was
>> nothing seriously wrong with it.  When I got to the tractor, I cleaned the
>> carburetor, verified that the valves weren't stuck and that there was
>> compression, and I made sure that I had spark at the right time.  Once I
>> knew that the ignition was OK, I went to work getting the carb adjusted
>> properly.
>> 
>> I took along Karl's Secret Weapon, which I mentioned briefly in the report
>> last night.  I like to think that I've been helpful over the past couple of
>> years on ATIS, but everything that I've done before pales in comparison with
>> revealing the Secret Weapon.
>> 
>> Naturally, I can't just tell you what it is; I'm going to milk this
>> opportunity and work up to the revelation.  Learned a thing or two from
>> farmer along the way, I have!
>> 
>> When I was sixteen, (see what I mean?) my very first real job was doing
>> appliance repairs for a little company called 'B Frank Repair', in Rapid
>> City, S.D.  Frank would accept any kind of repair job, from toasters to
>> washing machines to rototillers.  He was a Lawnboy dealer, and did repairs
>> on other brands of mowers and tillers as well.  Actually, I don't think I
>> ever saw Frank work on anything; he had me and a couple of other fellows to
>> do the work.  The most important trick I learned while working 'up front'
>> was that a 100 watt light bulb in series with an appliance will let you
>> diagnose most problems without burning anything up.  Motors will run
>> (weakly), toasters will heat, etc.
>> 
>> Frank had a fellow with a hot-rod '57 Ford who fixed mowers at the back end
>> of Frank's shop.  Along about midsummer, the mower repairman quit, and Frank
>> asked me to take over.  I had tinkered a little with gas engines before, so
>> it wasn't all new to me.  He handed me a few tools and turned me loose.  One
>> of those tools was a squeeze handle oilcan full of gasoline.
>> 
>> Over the remainder of the summer, I probably worked on 100 gas engines,
>> mosly lawn mowers, but with a sprinkling of tillers and go-karts thrown in.
>> During that time, not one engine failed to start while I worked on it.  I
>> had a standard routine, and it worked EVERY TIME!
>> 
>> First I made sure that the engine had spark.  If it didn't, I cleaned the
>> plug.  If that didn't help, I pulled the flywheel and cleaned and set the
>> points.  Once in a very great while, I had to replace a condenser.  After I
>> had spark, I replaced the flywheel and set the carburetor adjustment screws
>> to 1 1/2 turns open.  If the engine still wouldn't start, I used Karl's
>> Secret Weapon (the oil can full of gasoline) to shoot gas into the
>> carburetor.  You know what?  The engine _always_ fired.  Then, keeping the
>> engine running by squirting gas into it, I fiddled with carb adjustment
>> screws until the engine ran by itself.
>> 
>> On really stubborn cases, I also squirted gas directly into the cylinder
>> after removing the spark plug.  Gas injected that way will give you two or
>> three good pops before it gets used up.
>> 
>> Some people use ether (starting fluid) and accomplish the same thing.  It's
>> never worked for me.  Ether evaporates so quickly that I've never managed to
>> squirt and then crank soon enough.
>> 
>> When I was starting the D8's pony motor Sunday morning, I squirted gas into
>> the top of the carb (air cleaner removed), walked to the front of the
>> tractor, and gave the crank a few spins.  I got the first pop on the fourth
>> or fifth crank.  Then I KNEW that I was going to succeed.  I started
>> fiddling with carb adjustments, squirting more gas into the carb, and
>> cranking.  Pretty soon I had pop-pop.  Then three or four pops.  Then enough
>> so I could get around to the carb and play with the choke.  Then the pony
>> was running!  Didn't take long to get the idle and main jets set after that.
>> The engine got stronger and stronger as I adjusted the screws.
>> 
>> I have to admit, Karl's Secret Weapon is a pain to use on most tractors.
>> First of all, you have to get access to the carb inlet, and that means that
>> you have to get the hose off that couples the carb to the air cleaner.  Some
>> times you even have to remove the air cleaner.  But trust me, it's worth the
>> effort.  You can even run an engine without a carb by giving it rapid
>> squirts of gas into the intake manifold.
>> 
>> So, that's it.  My secret revealed.  Just don't tell that Cat mechanic up in
>> Modesto.  Or the three guys from the trucking company who spent hours
>> cranking their guts out trying to get the pony started.  You learned this
>> trick because you subscribe to and support ATIS, therefore you deserved to
>> know.
>> 
>> Karl Olmstead<olmstead at ridgenet.net>
>> 
>> K&F Engineering     Ridgecrest, CA
>> Karl's Old Tractor Page:<http://members.xoom.com/kolmstead>
>> 
>> *
>> 
>> 
>> 
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