Geoff Ravenhall

One further point…….I’ve just noticed your serial number has too many digits. Could you check it again and possibly post a photo of the serial number plate? It looks like you’ve been having trouble with the size of your photo’s- check out Charlie’s instructions for reducing photo size so they don’t get too big for the software.

The engine you have is a JAP 5, made by J.A.Prestwich of Tottenham, London. It should have JAP stamped in large letters above the inlet holes for the cooling air and it will have JAP cast into the crankcase just above the output crankshaft. Engine numbers should be stamped into the crankcase at the base of the barrel.

Parts are (or were)…[Read more]

I’ll have to shop around locally to see if there’s anybody around here that offers the same service. Thanks for the info, it’s something that I hadn’t considered.

A combination of old skills and new technology has triumphed again! The pressure gauge was proving to be a bit of a challenge, but once it was all working the gauge face was copied onto a piece of white card with a Rotring pen and compasses and the graduations marked off. So that the lettering and numbers would look professionally done I then…[Read more]

A combination of old skills and new technology has triumphed again! The pressure gauge was proving to be a bit of a challenge, but once it was all working the gauge face was copied onto a piece of white card and the graduations marked off. So that the lettering and numbers would look professionally done I then scanned it into my computer and used…[Read more]

You should be able to adjust the main support bar by bending it in stages to get it flat again. The normal way set these old finger bars was to stretch a piece of string between the two extremities and use gentle force to persuade the bar to move back flat again; hitting it with a hammer should be avoided, better to put part of it in a vice and…[Read more]

That will be the bare tractor; allow another 90 kgs for the plough.

I have just looked up your tractor’s history in my records and found it was sold through the official Trusty dealer in Huddersfield, a company by the name of Tractors (Yorkshire) Ltd. It was invoiced to them on the 10th October 1951.

The NTS stands for New Trusty Steed, so I’m assuming you have what we now call the Mk2 Steed.

The Norton Big Four engine fitted is the same as the motorcycle engine- it has a short, tapered crankshaft extension and the cooling fins on the head run from front to back; don’t confuse it with the Norton Big Four engine which was fitted to the 2-wheel…[Read more]

I think I may just dig out my old engineering drawing equipment and re-draw the gauge dial on card with a Rotring pen. It can’t look any worse than it does now and I’m not damaging the original.

Mr. Woollas has said that I can copy his artwork for the perspex window so it’s just a matter of getting to see him soon to take a decent picture that I…[Read more]

The only way I’ll end up buying that caravan off you is if you fill it with expensive alcohol, particularly single malt whiskey. Your half-hearted attempt at filling it with Liebfraumilch and home-made Damson Wine simply wasn’t enough to sway the deal.

You could always try Mr. Woollas!

You are absolutely right, the short films that appear under the “Glimpses” title on Talking Pictures TV are real gems. Using them for fillers is a masterstroke and they can also be seen on YouTube under the title, “Look at Life”.

On the same note, many manufacturers would start their serial number runs at an artificially high number to hide the actual numbers of machines made and sold.

Tractors (London) Ltd, the makers of Trusty products, would always start their number sequence at 100 and so any competitor looking at one of their tractors would assume they had already…[Read more]

A little update so you know that I’m not being idle! The pump is nearly back together but there are a couple of areas that I’d like to improve upon; the logo on the perspex cover is a definite piece that needs work and patience to make good but I also need to replace the face of the pressure gauge dial. The original is steel which has been stove…[Read more]

I think Thomas’ sojourn in the south has diluted his Yorkshire qualities somewhat. Maybe he needs to go back there for a holiday to top up his thrift muscle.

You say that they are a little cheaper- that’s definitely the Yorkshire part of you coming out; why pay good money for Kilner when you can get just as good for half the price?

It all goes to prove the saying that you can take the man out of Yorkshire but you can’t take the Yorkshire out of the man! It looks like you’re all set to have a great…[Read more]

Don’t forget that these things had to be assembled at some point and so must come apart in some way. Have you tried unscrewing the brass collar so that you can pull the shaft out of the bearing? Is the black washer made of some sort of material that will seal, such as rubber or leather? In most cases the only solution is to make your own but when…[Read more]

There must be some sort of bearing surface in the top of the upright support with a thrust bearing. The increased water pressure will be forcing the rotating part upwards, increasing the load on the thrust bearing and pushing it into hard contact with the underside of the top bearing and locking it up. With less water pressure the weight of the…[Read more]

We used a similar system to time up Ransomes Motor Triple engines with a home-made buzzer that you connected over the points (contact breakers). The MAG 2055 had a separate distributor which made things easier- just set the crankshaft on it’s marks and turn the distributor until the points were just opening; you could even tell when the points…[Read more]

I’m with Andy- can you show us a photo of the flywheel? Normally, if the flywheel is brass you can access the points through the holes between the spokes. Obviously you have to remove the brass cover first but it should be possible to rotate the flywheel on the crankshaft to set the points to the correct gap.

With the piston at the right distance…[Read more]