Geoff Ravenhall

What do you do if you want to know something? You ask an expert, which is what I did with the radiator today. Not only was the core blocked between the fins with grass cuttings but the vertical tubes were also blocked internally making for a very poor flow rate. I’d noticed that the engine warmed up very quickly but assumed it was because somebody…[Read more]

The cylinder and bottom blade are now with Allett Mowers at Stafford for sharpening. I hope they can face up the bottom blade as the screws look as if they’ve been in for some time; from experience I’m guessing that the countersunk heads will shear off if I try to move them leaving me with no alternative but to drill and tap each hole, quite a…[Read more]

It looks a lot like an ATCO from the backbone chassis, but then that was air cooled with a Villiers engine.

Next on the agenda was the removal of the cutting cylinder and bottom blade carrier. The cylinder looked simple enough with four countersunk screws at each end holding the cylinder bearings to the frame, so I parted the chain, unbolted the sprocket off the drive end and removed it then attacked the screws. Luckily they all came out without too…[Read more]

Thanks for the tip, Dave. I was using petrol because I had a jerry can full in the corner! I suppose you could say that I’ve actually found a use for E10 petrol- it cleans oil and dirt off chains and sprockets really well. I was working on the basis that it must be good for something because it’s awful to use as a fuel.

Any of our members can show under the VHGMC banner at any of their local (or otherwise) agricultural shows. For this reason we provide Public Liability cover up to a maximum indemnity of £5 million.

One thing that show organisers tend to ask for these days is insurance cover for road risks; some time back a law was passed which raised the…[Read more]

I think the prize would go to the front A-frames on the Ransomes Motor Triple. How many people have been knocked senseless by taking the pin out and forgetting that the frame is sprung loaded? I haven’t, but know of one or two in the day.

Hmmmmm, let’s see- loosely connected to Gunsmith? Would that be the BMB Plowmate?

OK, lets have another picture then! I see you tried to upload a third one but it didn’t come out.

I’ve spent most of the day on the Allett today. First off was to remove the grassbox and carrying brackets- I’ve got enough lumps on my shins from walking into Mastiff brackets so I’m determined not to add to the collection. Even the grassbox has had a lot of thought behind it so that the carrying bolts will act as pivots to empty it; the washers…[Read more]

Our local farm supplies, TFM Machinery, sells Tractol enamel. The green that I used on the toolframe was labelled as Ransomes Green but it is the old shade that they used up to the mid-eighties. It’s a little lighter than the current shade of green that Ransomes use but I thought I’d use it to show up the toolframe better.

Thanks for the kind comments.

Hi, John. Those wheels look like Gunsmith. Am I right?

That was exactly what I was going to do- leave it alone! When I was running it the other day the only adverse noises that I could hear were an excessive tappet noise. Roy Allett says that one of the service mods done on them during their working life was to set inlet and exhaust valves both to 8 thou. I will investigate over the weekend and let…[Read more]

The engine block is cast aluminium and has “Reliant” cast into it, but I’m hoping that I can source various parts from Mini suppliers. It will need a full set of radiator hoses as well as an engine oil filter so I’m hoping that the original builders used commonly available items.

After talking briefly to Roy Allett he informed me that the engine…[Read more]

It lives! After a considerable amount of time and swearing the engine finally burst into life this evening. If I were to paraphrase Eric Morecombe, all the parts were there but not necessarily in the right place; the ignition coil took it’s live feed off the positive side of the starter solenoid which meant that the coil was live at all times even…[Read more]

It lives! After a considerable amount of time and swearing the engine finally burst into life this evening. If I were to paraphrase Eric Morecombe, all the parts were there but not necessarily in the right place; the ignition coil took it’s live feed off the positive side of the starter solenoid which meant that the coil was live at all times even…[Read more]

Here are some pictures that I took of the mower whilst it was still at the factory. For it’s age it is in remarkably good condition and definitely needs preserving rather than restoring. A certain amount of paint re-touching will be necessary and the skill will be in blending it in with the existing paint.

I’ve just been clearing out the workshop ready for the next project which is due to arrive on Wednesday. In case you were wondering what had happened to the Trusty rebuild, here are some photo’s I took earlier today before I unloaded it at the farm. The depth wheel isn’t fitted as it won’t go high enough to allow the wooden trestle to fit under…[Read more]

They were also used on wartime searchlights to give them increased mobility. An example on tracks is in the Yorkshire Air Museum.

Another wartime use of the heavier type was for recovering crashed aircraft from inaccessible sites; a pair of tracks was used either side of a platform and the whole tracked trolley was placed under a strong point of…[Read more]