1-1-00: Happy New Year to Everyone! The question is this:
"Are John Deere model B tractors Y2K compliant?" I have been
waiting all year to find out. At the crack of Noon, I went out into the
garage and opened the door, where it must be about 40 degrees today. I put
fresh water in the radiator, opened the gas valve and cylinder relief valves,
fully closed the choke and put the throttle about half way open, and pulled the
flywheel over. ON THE VERY FIRST PULL it started!!!!! In my
amazement, I stood there in AWE and forgot to open the choke, so the engine
sputtered and died. Oops. But the answer to the question is YES.
I restarted the engine after opening the choke and pulling the flywheel
through about a dozen turns. The carburetor really dumps the gas into the
engine running with the choke fully closed. After starting again, I let
the engine warm up good, looked for leaks, shut the gas off and let it run out
of fuel. I drained the water again, and put it back to bed.
February, 2000
2-1-00: Too cold to work in the shop. We have Joined the North
East Illinois Two Cylinder Club (I will call it the NEITCC to save typing
later on). Pat and I went to the February Pot-Luck dinner meeting in
Bartlett. The club had a charity auction, and I was able to get a
genuine two cylinder tractor fuel gauge for only a dollar. Funny thing,
when I got it, it looked like a foot long half inch square wooden stick with a
wire loop and one end painted green. We are scheduled to go to the
Gathering of the Green in Moline, Illinois next month. This is going to be
a BIG John Deere tractor event, with an estimated 600 people
expected. Harvester and Planter plant tours are planned, and there
will be several seminars on tractor related topics. The event dates are
March 3 and 4.
2-23-00: I ordered the nine hole pan seat and new temperature and oil
pressure gauges from K & K Antique Tractors in Shelbyville, Indiana.
They will bring them to the show next week.
here
to
go to March/April, 2000.