[AT] 430 update

[Spencer Yost]

I got the second cutting of hay in this week, and was a little disappointed that I couldn't put the hay rake on the 430. The number one cylinder is still soaking in the shop and nothing in the way of progress has occurred.  Not a drop has soaked past the rust barrier.  

To break the impasse(literally and figuratively) a couple of attempts at alternate/improved methods were made prior to hay making. I tried to pressurize the cylinder so that air pressure can help drive the penetrant down per Cecil's recommendation.  But the exhaust valve will not seat well enough to hold air pressure.   Anything over 10 pounds/in and so much air is moving through the cylinder the air is actually blowing the penetrant off the  top of the piston and blowing it out the exhaust manifold.  I guess that rust/rust flakes from the manifold are preventing the valve from seating. Exercising the exhaust valve up-and-down didn't seem to create an improvement in the situation.  Seems to hold 5 to 7 pounds OK without excessive air loss. So I tried that for a while but all it did was make my compressor run too much.

I did try more force on a jacked up rear wheel. But the concrete floor in my shop is so smooth that past a certain point all it does is rotate the other wheel - even if it is chocked(the wheel rides up, or skids against, the two different chocks I tried.

Next step is to rearrange the shop so that I can suspend the rear of the tractor by the rear wheels with a engine hoist.  I hope the engine hoist is up to the job. The cylinder on the hoist was replaced 6 to 8 years ago but if I remember right it's still leaks down ever so slowly. I'm pretty sure the tractor will be on the ground by the next morning.  Raising it back up is  something I will have to do twice a day I am sure.

Been soaking for three months(two at the seller and one here) and no progress can be discerned. I'll put a few more months into it but eventually I'm just gonna have to tear this thing down if it doesn't free up on its own.

Spencer Yost