Ferrari Tractor Restoration part 2

 So, three years, a pandemic and a broken collarbone later, it's done. Not quite the blow-by-blow account I was intending when I put the last post up.

Shortly after getting some assistance with welding up the bonnet, I came off my bike, broke my collar bone and couldn't do anything for a few months. That knocked a hole in my enthusiasm. 

Once I got back to it, it was just a slow process of taking things apart, cleaning them up and repainting. It turns out that RAL6001 is about as good a match as I could hope for. Paint spraying isn't as easy as it looks, and cleaning up a sprayer takes much longer than putting a brush in water for next time, so it's only worth spraying if there is a lot to do. That means I try to get a lot ready in one morning, and end up not getting it done so it needs preparing again next weekend. On the other hand I can nip out in the evening and brush paint a small bit with minimal overheads. 

One brake pipe fell apart under the wire brush, which seems as good an outcome as I could hope for. The master cylinder was not in good shape. I assume it has been replaced at some point as the bracket looks somewhat, shall we say, after-market and it is a type usually fitted to S2 Landrovers. A new pattern one was about the same price as an OEM overhaul kit, without the risk or hassle. The brakes still aren't right, but they just about do something.  

The engine started first time, once I had fitted new batteries and fuel filter. For the record, the fuel filter is a Wix WF8156, aka Bosch A0000901151. It was fairly manky after all that time sitting.

The clutch was less cooperative. I bent the pedal jumping on it to free it off, to no avail, but eventually it came free by itself. There is almost no travel before it disengages so one day soon it will have to come apart for re-lining. New challenges await...

Overall it has gone OK, if slowly. Apart from the clutch and brakes, none of the lights work so there will be a second iteration starting soon, but it is back together and has done one show.

(*$%&@ Drum Brakes!

I've always thought drum brakes were a pain. Why would a designer ever choose the system that is less efficient, more complicated and harder to maintain to boot? OK I know they are better for handbrake jobs.

Anyway, the brakes on the Ferrari were even more of a hassle than the usual run. I really thought for a while I was going to have to remove the drive flange to get the new shoes in. I just could not believe that it was designed such that you had to drain the gearbox and risk getting oil all over the shoes; there had to be a better way. There was no way I could stretch the springs in situ though.

After much swearing and failing, I finally worked it out. Here for the benefit of anyone else daft enough to have bought one of these tractors is how I did it.

Removing: Take off the shoe retaining springs and lower return spring. Pull the leading shoe away from the piston and place a spacer in there. Now pull the bottom of the shoe away until it comes clear of the handbrake operating bar, and hook it to one side out of the way (fig 1). This picture is taken from the offside, ie rear of the tractor to the left.

The handbrake spreader can now be withdrawn past the shoe. (fig 2)It might need a little "persuasion" to get started.

It should now be easy to detach the top spring and the handbrake cable.

For refitting, first engage the handbrake cable then fit the top spring. Then using the cunning slot in the drive flange, work the shoes roughly into place. (fig 3). (Is it just me that thinks this looks like an afterthought in the design?). Again hook the leading shoe out the way on feed the spreader bar in, engaging it on the trailing shoe.

At this point I needed both hands, so no picture, but you need to lever both shoes away from the pistons and put spacers in, to give enough clearance to get the spacer in and keep the slots sufficiently aligned. It is probably easiest to let the bottom of the trailing shoe come away from its slot. Then pull the bottom of the leading shoe and engage the spreader. Pulling the bottom of the shoe gives enough leverage on the top spring to pull it by hand, so no slipping levers and one hand free to engage the spreader.

Then just refit the bottom spring and the retainers. What was so hard about that then?

Tractor repairs

I've nearly got the tractor going again. It has been up on jacks for a couple of weeks. I decided it was time to check the brake shoes, as a precautin. Most were OK but one wheel was contaminated with axle oil from a duff oil seal. The UK main agents were up to their usual standard, no response to my enquiry. Luckily the oil seal is standard, and I could see the size - 60-85-10 - from the outside.

The shoes had to be sent off for re-lining. I have had two shoes relined, and the plan is to fit them as the leading shoes with the older shoes, which were on the other wheel, as trailing.

The one brake hose was in a very sorry state. This also had to be acquired by spec, rather than by application. M10x1.25 female convex unions at each end, our local hydraulics supplier doesn't keep those unions so I went to a performance brake supplier and got a shiney braided one. Well it is a Ferrari :). Not too expensive either in fact. And while I had the brake hydraulics apart, I changed the brake light switch. M10x1 taper thread - the local car shop came up with the goods, as fitted to a 70s cortina (Commercial Ignition XBLS7).

SO having changed the oil seal, I had to top up the axle again. I finally tracked down the right oil. BP Energol GR280XP it says on the filler cap. 220 appears to be the nearest that is currently made. I still have not found out what the practical difference is between industrial CLP gear oil (at £60/20l) and automotive GL4 (EP90) at about half the price.