[AT] shop time (Now Kill Switch)

Mon Feb 2 06:45:32 PST 2015

OK, but are stolen tractors at shows a problem? 
	Dave

On Feb 1, 2015, at 10:53 PM, jtchall at nc.rr.com wrote:

> 
> C'mon Dave, he's referring to tractors built prior to keyswitches were the 
> norm.  Then again, even after switches became the normal method of 
> controlling the ignition, most manufacturers only had 2 or 3 different 
> designs.
> 
> John Hall
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: David Rotigel
> Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2015 8:20 PM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: Re: [AT] shop time (Now Kill Switch)
> 
> Is there a problem with stolen tractors at shows? If not, would not simply 
> taking the key out work just as well?
> Dave
> 
> On Feb 1, 2015, at 11:23 AM, charlie hill <charliehill at embarqmail.com> 
> wrote:
> 
>> If you've ever been around a personal water craft (jet ski) or a
>> lot of different types of motor sports vehicles you've no doubt
>> seen a little orange or red lanyard hooked to the drivers shirt.
>> At the other end of that lanyard is a spring loaded kill switch
>> that is held open by a plastic clip.  When the clip is removed
>> it grounds out the ignition kill wire.  It might be a good idea
>> for all of us to put one of those on our tractors that are going
>> to shows.  Put the spring loaded kill switch in a hidden location
>> and remove the plastic clip when the tractor is on display.
>> Those switches are relatively cheap and can be found at boat supply
>> stores and probably at Walmart.
>> 
>> yep I decided to check.  here it is:
>> http://www.walmart.com/ip/Boat-Kill-Switch-Keys-Lanyard/37514258
>> 
>> Charlie
>> 
>> -----Original Message----- 
>> From: Indiana Robinson
>> Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2015 10:52 AM
>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
>> Subject: Re: [AT] shop time
>> 
>> On Sun, Feb 1, 2015 at 9:39 AM, <jtchall at nc.rr.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> With more to do than time to do it in, I've had to draw the line at
>>> waiting for warmer weather to begin winter maintenance. I get dad to cut
>>> the heat on in the shop about mid afternoon so it is comfortable enough 
>>> to
>>> get some work done before supper. It took all week but managed to get the
>>> master cylinder and brake equalizer rebuilt on his IH 454. As for now 
>>> they
>>> appear to be working, had a little more trouble than we anticipated
>>> getting
>>> them bled properly.
>>> 
>>> Saturday it was time to pull the Farmall M in the shop, it had quit
>>> charging. Since it has a magneto, no big deal as long as you didn't cut 
>>> it
>>> off with a weak battery. I can hand crank it, but the mechanism to do so
>>> is
>>> generally too gunked up to turn free.  The field had already been 
>>> grounded
>>> years ago to make it charge. Checked for broke wires, no problems there,
>>> time to look at the generator. I had a buddy stop by and we pulled the
>>> band
>>> off that covers the brushes. Polished that section of armature real
>>> careful
>>> with fine sandpaper on a stick with it running. Pushed on a couple of the
>>> brushes and it charged for a split second. Pulled the generator and took
>>> it
>>> apart. It was a very greasy mess to say the least. I guess the majority 
>>> of
>>> it was the residue form the brushes. Cleaned all that up, greased the
>>> bearing, checked conditions of wires etc. The brushes are worn very bad.
>>> Put it back together anyway. Had to free up the adjustable pulley so we
>>> could tighten the generator belt. Put it back on the tractor, still not
>>> charging. Grounded the field again, still not charging. Noticed one of 
>>> the
>>> brushes was so worn it  it was not making contact. Loosened the screw and
>>> slid it away from the tensioner a bit, jackpot, its charging. I'll pick 
>>> up
>>> a set of brushes this week and hopefully call this problem fixed. Going 
>>> to
>>> leave the field grounded, been that way for a long time. Looks like I can
>>> change the brushes with the generator on the tractor. Also have a new
>>> off/on switch coming for it. Seems everybody wants $50 for one. My
>>> grandmother bought this tractor new so I don't want to disrespect it by
>>> sticking on a $5 switch from a parts house. The starter and generator and
>>> magneto all came on the tractor, of course all have been rebuilt, but
>>> never
>>> exchanged. This tractor hadn't been cranked for 2-3 months and cranked
>>> very
>>> easily in 35 deg weather with the 6 volt system barely spinning it over.
>>> 
>>> John Hall
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> AT mailing list
>>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I have always kind of disliked that many of my tractors do not use even a
>> simple key to start them. At tractor shows I usually pulled the rotor out
>> of the distributor to avoid possible accidents. I've seen it happen 
>> several
>> times over many years.
>> One year at our county fair a kid playing fired up a brand new Farmall Cub
>> and it did a pretty impressive job of plowing a furrow clear across the
>> asphalt drive before someone could catch up with it and shut it down. It
>> could have been a lot worse...
>> I've not priced them in a long time and the price might trigger seizures
>> but I have considered buying some of those key switches with the lid that
>> they used on the number series IHC tractors. My 400 LP had one as did the
>> 300 Utility. That would give the protection of a key and still look
>> "reasonably" appropriate.
>> I did a good job (on purpose) of teaching son Scott that you "NEVER" stand
>> directly in front of or behind a tractor being sold at an auction sale. 
>> I'm
>> not sure that even with my shoes off and my pants unzipped that I could
>> count up the number of times that I have seen someone jump up on a tractor
>> to fire it up and start it in gear. I've thankfully never seen anyone
>> seriously hurt but some serious close calls. I have seen a couple of guys
>> knocked down. The most scary was a guy that started one from the ground 
>> and
>> if another guy on the other side hadn't hit the switch he would have been
>> toast. I've also seen guys start stick-shift trucks in gear at sales too.
>> The N Fords were ahead of the pack with the starter interlock. My TO-20
>> Ferguson has the starter built into the gear shift lever positions at the
>> "S" at the top right. You have to lift the lever a bit to get to the right
>> side for S and reverse.
>> The only problem with the safety interlocks is that you still MUST 
>> maintain
>> the habit of shaking hands with the gear shift lever because the next one
>> you start may not have the safety interlock. Out of 17 (not all running) 
>> my
>> MF-165, the two 8N's, the Ferguson TO-20 have interlocks. None of the
>> others do. My Deere 4020 did but I sold it when I retired. Son Scott's
>> Oliver 1755 did but he sold it when I retired. He now has a MF-175 and of
>> course it has an interlock.
>> People get weird at auctions. I have seen guys swing pitch forks around in
>> a crowd like they were standing alone in the middle of a 20 acre field.
>> Just nuts...
>> -------------------------------
>> Somewhere I have a list I made not long ago of what tractors and garden
>> tractors I have and and whether they are running, need minor work or are
>> basket case project tractors. That was probably a good idea except I have
>> lost the list... I should make a list of where I keep my lists...
>> :-)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> -- 
>> 
>> Francis Robinson
>> aka "farmer"
>> Central Indiana USA
>> robinson46176 at gmail.com
>> _______________________________________________
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>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
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>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
> 
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