von patfinistere » 21.12.2006, 07:30
Good Morning,
Thank you for the replies, it is so encouraging to hear from fellow enthusiasts like yourseleves.
We all have interests in the restoration of our Agricultural Heritage which in Europe is very well advanced from a fairly early date. Various engineers have advanced the style, ingenuity and eficacity of the agricultural tractor and it's implements since the beginning of the 20th century, just over 100 years. I will name just two people Harry Ferguson and Heinreich Lanz. The former with his invention of variable draught on the three point linkage and the latter with his rightly dogged insistance that the single cylinder, semi deisel with few working parts was the best form of power possible for our food production.
HL was right of course till such a time in the early 60's the internal cumbustion engine started to be improved, chain production and research took over from the diehards. Some say "Shame" others "We had to move on". Could we not have moved on still using the same tried and tested power source, gone into multiple cylinders, streamlined the concept, I can't offer any other ideas, but then I am not an industrial production engineer. I just see what is good and appreciate it.
In the Lanz system I see good. It is a shame that it is lost to the future of agriculture. Others have experimented with 2 stroke diesel, Foden in UK for instance made a 6 cylinder vertical engine for some of their lorries, but the problem there was unequal cooling of the heads leading to cracking and failure. I believe that the engine manufacturer Detroit still has a range of 2 stroke diesels but I know nothing about them.
Rohölzünder, thank you for your comments and offer of help, the D1706 as you say is very similar to the 5506, but without a hot bulb. The crankshaft bearings on the 55 are Timken style taper roller bearings and are tightened by inserting metal gaskets behind the transfer gear housing on the clutch side. I had to add 0.08mm of thickness before the crank would turn easily. I have left it at that as it seems to run quite happily now, easy to turn by hand to start and run. At present I have not ever started the tractor on Petrol, but when I do I understand that 1/3 deisel and 2/3 petrol is a good mix. I will let you know in time. I have found a "BAT" horizontal petrol starting lamp that I have used on one or two occasions, but I have to make one or two minor alterations to it's form so that it fits into the clip in the front toolbox door. Usually I use propane with a blowtorch, it is easier and cleaner. But for show in the future I will try to master the petrol blowtorch, it is more entertaining for the public.
Hi Yaume, as you say good to see you in another forum apart from Farmall Cubs. There is a SFV forum in French but it does not seem to encourage chatting about things, it seems only to be for buy and sell and basic advice, as you say a shame, but now that we are invited, we can perhaps start to chat a bit about that French make of tractor that follows so gallantly in the footsteps of it's German predecessor. Ther is a bulb just in front of the exhaust collector on the 55, there is also a coil and plug which all works now, but rests unused for the moment. I have, with the help of Le Floche Industries at Quimper got the Pendelstarter to work, that is off the tractor on the bench, I am waiting for the spring warm weather to come to partially dismantle the 5506 to put it back in, along with some other work to do before a final coat of paint and a couple of coats of varnish to come closer to the finished product.
The 2816, I am waiting for a piston ring as one was broken when we forced the piston out of it's cylinder after 23 years of being siezed in there, when that arrives I will start putting it back together again. The crankshaft and all it's ancillary gear such as injector pump, oil pump etc. is all back together after a thorough overhaul, I have to go to Morlaix to pick up the connecting rod with it's new little end bearing sometime, then put the grooves in the bearing for the oul distribution, then that will be all ready to put together. Everything is getting a couple of coats of paint as it is put back together, although it is not my intention to go to the lengths that I have done with the 55 in respect to finish.
When I restore a tractor I do not always repair all the little bumps and repairs that have arrived over the years, I treat them as "Battle Scars" worthy of being seen. However having said that, when I had the wheels for the 55 sand blasted at Brest, quite a few holes appeared which had to be welded up and ground down, the front wheels were very very fragile, the rims almost not existing in some places, this of course had to be repaired and ground down to be almost un-noticable.
And in the end Theo, thank you for your confirmation to use the board for Société Française Vierzon traffic, let's hope the word will get around so others will come in. Both Yaume and I are ardent followers of farmallcub.com as a discussion board where there is so much going on. It would be nice to get the name of this english speakers Lanz group better known and therefore used. It is for the edification and entertainment of us all.
Thank you all again for your interest in our English Speaking Lanz tractors!
Pat
Pat
perso.wanadoo.fr/kostalan-life/
