Geoff Ravenhall

If it’s anything like the Blackburne engine on my old Trusty the engine lubricating oil was indeed a total loss system with no scavenge pump to return the used oil to the tank. These old engines seem to be built like that and some of the old photo’s I’ve got from the 1930’s show Trusty tractors working with plenty of exhaust smoke. Not very good…[Read more]

In parts of The Vale of Evesham there are still plenty of old growers’ huts on the edges of fields. As the land has been sold off and absorbed into larger farms they have deteriorated, some have collapsed but there must still be some of “our” stuff out there- it just takes a bit more finding.

Let us know what you find. If it looks like an internal issue I may have a spare transaxle. What part of the country are you in?

Have a look at the pulley on the transaxle. You’ll probably find that the key holding it to the shaft has either sheared or rolled over, giving you an intermittent drive in the lower gears.

When you think that this was printed in 1936 on plain paper how many more could have survived?

The swath board looks like it’s made from sheet steel and doesn’t look too difficult to replicate. Have you thought of having a go now you know what it looks like?

I’ve only just looked at it again and noticed the address on the bottom; Broad Lane, Tottenham is where they first started making tractors and large trailers. They moved out of Tottenham in 1938, so that will date the brochure to five years between 1933-38.

Thanks, Charlie! It’s too much to expect all of my projects to finish with a nett cost of £35, but then all hobbies involve spending money!

I finally got around to finishing the pump off and to say I’m pleased with the result would be understating it. I haven’t filled the case with oil yet as I don’t want the perspex window to be discoloured, I’d rather it was transparent so you can see all of the brass con-rods and polished steel crankshaft inside; it really is a work of art, so why…[Read more]

I have just looked through all of my Trusty Steed records and can’t find any mention of that engine number. Don’t be surprised, though, because after March 1953 they only recorded the engine type, in your case Norton, and engine numbers only appear very few times.

Similarly, the registration number will only be recorded in the factory records if…[Read more]

That’s because it is new!

I blame Covid, but it’s taken some time for the engraver to get around to doing it. Now that it’s done I’m over the moon with the results- you can see from the comparison photo’s how well it’s come out.

I’ll give you a clue- the pin-sharp one with white lettering is the new one!

I have looked out an old Steed parts list which shows the governor parts in exploded view. I had the same problem with my Steed in that the aluminium air vane on the governor arm was broken off. My pet theory is that it is held in the airstream by a spring and when this weakens the vane touches the fans and it snaps off. You can see from the photo…[Read more]

The 2-stroke ready-mix fuel that Stihl sell also has a preservative in and I’ve found that it keeps for well over two years. If you have a 2-stroke that will run on 50:1 mix I would thoroughly recommend it and have been running a chainsaw and brushcutter on it for some time.

As an experiment I will try the Stihl 2-stroke oil in a gallon of E10…[Read more]

I’m sure Will Haggle will be pleased that you enjoyed the read, Andy, and thanks for your comments.

Please keep the articles coming as it is only as good as the content that you members send in; without you we wouldn’t have a club magazine.

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

I’m going to echo Charlie’s thoughts- great to see it in safe hands and being put to good use to help restore another early Simar as well.

At least you’ll have something to copy now, John. Don’t make too good a job of it or Big Ears won’t be happy!