[AT] you've got to be kidding me!

[jtchall at nc.rr.com]

Still keeping the furnace at the shop running trying to get things ready for spring. Made some more progress on my foam marker for the field sprayer. I’m to the point now I’m ready to build something to go on the sprayer and stop messing with prototypes. When its done I’ll give a report of the good, the bad, and about how much it cost vs a store-bought system. Its looking real promising at the moment!

On to yesterdays shocking revelation. Still got dads 454 IH utility in the shop. Got the brakes fixed after the second attempt. It originally came in to get the radiator pulled and repaired. After the brakes I needed to use it so I did. while checking brake lines for leaks, I found the head gasket was leaking in multiple places. Its at the shop now getting all “prettied up” (just my luck it had to have guides!).  In the meantime I set about finding a carb rebuild kit that had a throttle shaft. Long story short I searched coast to coast and finally find a kit that had the throttle shaft. Paid a small fortune for a venturi as well. The carb on the tractor has almost 8,000 hrs. on it, lets just say its worn a tad bit. By the way it has one of those cast iron TSX Marvel carbs. 25-30 years ago the mechanics at the IH dealership dad worked for were working on the same model tractor. Rebuilt the carb a couple times, could not figure out why the tractor wouldn’t run very well. Finally they put a new carb on the machine. Dad brought the old one home and it has been collecting dust ever since. When I saw how bad the throttle shaft hole was in his, I decided I would try my luck rebuilding the one that the mechanics had given up on. Had it all apart wire brushing it, couldn’t help noticing how clean it was inside. Searched it for every hole I could find to run a wire in. Saw a piece of crud on the outside beside a small hole. Scraped the crud off and there it was, a huge hole that appeared to have been soldered over! When the carb was made, there are some interior air passages that go from the throat into a cavity located above the bowl area. This hole was drilled too deep and actually broke out the top of the carb right above where the float would be. I feel this was a factory mistake because the overall depth of the hole is pretty shallow to begin with. and being 1/4” in dia., you wouldn’t go spinning a drill in it to clean it out when you can visually see thee is no obstruction. This small hole was allowing 2 things, water and trash could go straight into the bowl, and the throat of the carb could pull air direct from the outside, even more so than a worn throttle shaft could ever cause. Anyway, I’m taking it to work to get the hole TIG welded shut and then we should be back in business!

John Hall