Thursday, March 28, 2013

Spring has Sprung!

I don't want to jump the gun and speak too soon, but today the weather is nicer than it's been in a long time. The forecast high for Friday is near 50ºF(10ºC). Yesterday, the township had a large front end loader out and they scraped the accumulated ice and snow off the side roads. All that prevents me from getting a bike out is the icy wet driveway!



A few more days of strong sunshine or a day of rain and my driveway will be clear. It might take a little longer for it to dry out and firm up. Maybe I'll try and get the Wr250X out for a ride Friday.

There was a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers in the back yard today. I don't know how to determine their sex, but I'm guessing there was some flirting going on. They were hopping from tree to tree, one chasing the other.



Last week, Nancy and I were down in the "cities". We stopped by to see my riding buddy John, and his wife, Wendie. John and I had been talking on the phone about pulling the engine off the tractor. I had been telling him about needing some way to support the tractor after I removed the front axle. Whatever I used would also have to support the transmission after the engine was removed. On both sides of the tractor, at the end of what Allis-Chalmers calls the "torque tube", or clutch housing, are 2 threaded 5/8" holes. I had given John the dimensions over the phone and we had talked about a reinforcing plate and lengths of 2x4's. John, the craftsman that he is, came up with a perfectly fitting aluminum plate, and a bag of hardware.

The plate...


Plate placed over the threaded rod studs on the left side... The plate will be attached to a correct length of 2x4, then tightened down to the studs.


The engine separates from the clutch housing, AKA "torque tube" right in front of the plate. I'll take plenty of pictures when I get things set up to pull the engine. It will be clearer then.

In the mean time, I wait patiently for more warm weather!!