As those who know me are aware and those who don't have probably guessed, I am interested in all things mechanical, regardless of age, speed, power, function and so on.
Whilst I am still playing catch up with the Spitfire project reports, I thought I would come right back up to date with last weekends trip to Mrs LS Uncles farm on an Island outside of Bergen on the West Coast.
The farm and the farm machinery is not new to me as I lived there during my first 6 months of our time in Norway. Mrs VL's uncle is house bound and the farm is mostly held in control by some sheep which are grazed on the land. For this reason the last time this very peculiar tractor was used was by myself together with Mrs LS and "the thoughtful scotsman", 18 months OK, to assist us with loading the 7.5ton lorry we used for moving, as seen here.
First job of the weekend was to chop up some large trunks with the chain saw (also not used for over 18 months, started first time) and to fetch these up along with a few other piles which the Sister in Law had already chopped up by hand. So we trudged down through the inevitable mud and found the tractor exactly as we had left it in the bottom of the barn. Did all the normal checks, fuel, oil, clutch still went in and out, brake pedal and lever still moved freely. On opening the fuel valve fuel leaked out of the top of the carb, probably a bit of muck, which I hoped would clear once we got some petrol flowing into the engine (as indeed it did).
I got the starting rope out the little tool kit, wrapped it around the main pully and gave a gentle tug to make sure the engine stil turned, not really trying to start it. "Put, Put, brrrrr", it fired into life first try.
We got our hands on some suitable oil, drained the old stuff out,
filled the new, found out how little it took, drained some of the new back out again so that it wasn't over filled,
found a grease gun, greased the umpteen grease nipples and gave the whole thing a good clean.
Leaving it ready to be put into good service for the weekend. Mrs LS's Uncles wet and hilly litle farm is really suited for such a vehicle. A real full size tractor would make such a mess.