Can't believe there's been a gap of over a week since I last updated the blog!

There are now two carburettors to be serviced. One is on the Suffolk tractor which has a tendency to overflow until the engine is running and the second one which arrived by post has similar problems but a different cause.

There are now new Zenith 24Ts available but how could one beat the  look of a carb. which has been on the tractor for the last half a century...

More when we start looking at them.

Steve and I have been working hard on Daisy May to get her finished for the owner's visit on Wednesday. The new bonnet catch has been fitted and when Steve checked it it clicked smartly into place without any adjustment. He fitted a new ignition switch to replace the defunct one while I checked the heater switch circuit. Nothing wrong with the circuit but the switch is frozen solid. The owner has decided to leave it for the time being as a new switch is quite pricey. He would dearly like a Kigass pump though if anyone wants to sell one.

We fitted the seat with a new spring with the option of doubling the spring up if needed later. Steve had sorted the sharp edges on the new footplate ends which Jeff had made before he left

and given them a solid coat of red oxide.

New Ferguson owners beware ebay sellers claiming to be selling TE20 front wheels when they are in fact for a 35!

Closer up it can be seen that the wheel nuts sit proud of the wheel because the pits are not there. Jeff had taken one look and said, 'They're dangerous!'

He could see that the nuts would not go on far enough- the threads of the studs cannot be seen -so Daisy May's owner had to buy another pair of proper ones.

Steve took Daisy Mat out into the yard on her maiden trip. She started beautifully, the engine ran like a dream (well of course it did, Jeff had done it) but as for stopping!!! Jeff had redone the brakes but had obviously left the adjusting to be done later. This is Steve standing on the brakes trying to stop!

Daisy May's owner came to visit today. For the first time he was able to drive his own Ferguson and the pleasure on his face was a picture. He'd never driven a Ferguson before but was soon spinning her round the yard enchanted with the small turning circle. When he finally drew up (carefully because of the brake situation!) he said, 'I'm really pleased ...'   

There are things still to be done- the brakes (it's back on Atlas just as I was hoping to get Bob on), the hydraulics are not functioning at all, some welded on lumps on each of the footpegs need to come off and the wings which we'd removed to get access to the rocker arm have to be replaced and the dynamo output has to be checked. But the owner is pleased with things as far as they have gone which is great!

This last picture shows Steve working on Daisy May while in the background is Dave. Dave came to help us for the first time today and after dealing with a serious blockage in the water jacket of the Suffolk tractor he then got on with DJ who has been sitting with pistons and liners removed for months and by the end of the day had cleaned out the bores and the liner seats (the problem had been water seeping under the seats and down into the oil) cleaned the liners and pistons and the crankshaft and replaced the liners , pistons, and con-rods. He had noticed that one of the small inserts in the con-rod body and cap was missing and we had a frantic but successful search to find a replacement.  He torqued the con-rod bolts up and now there is only the tab washers to be bent over the nuts and, after, cleaning, the sump to go back on and the head and other bits. It will be such a relief to have DJ mobile because then it will be possible to rebuild Herbert. Jeff always reckoned that it was not cost effective to restore a tractor by the workshop for the workshop but I still look forward to auctioning Herbert at Cheffins...

Oh, and the Flying Saucer!  Honest, this is the name of this convolvulus which I grew from seed. Well, to be accurate I grew fifteen of them but some I gave away and they got eaten by slugs and some I sold and when I planted this one out I thought it was the small purply-red 'Grandpa Otts' but it turned out to be a surviving Flying Saucer. The flower itself is about five inches across but an ephemeral aethetic experience because when I went home it had had its day and was crumpled up and maybe that was it and there will be no more. Question now is whether I try to grow this fragile beauty again next year or not...