Recent content by mark in portugal

  1. M

    How far is too far for driving tractor on the road?

    The original question does not define what is meant by "tractor". Some are made to be road legal and some are not; some even have suspension to allow higher transport speeds. Tractors are driving down the road past my rural house all the time. My tractor is road legal and I have insurance...
  2. M

    How far is too far for driving tractor on the road?

    I took this picture of a rig from Germany in my village in southern Portugal. That's a fairly long way. And he's not unique; I met another German who pulled a gypsy wagon at 4mph all the way through Europe too, on an antique "Hanomag" tractor without a cabin. He was totally cooked when I met him.
  3. M

    Forks

    I have a similar pair of forks; I made a frame that will fit on the 3-point or the FEL. It's extremely handy. Today I used it to lift one end of a 20' container while I dragged it 400 yards to another plot. I can't count the number of jobs I've done with this over the last 10 years. Those forks...
  4. M

    INCREASE LOADER LIFE KUBOTA 3901

    I bored my FEL for new pins without a line boring machine; I invented a method to use a wood router with a guide bearing. https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/threads/fel-rebuild.384984/ Some parts I cut off and made replacements to weld on. I also increased the system hydraulic pressure on my...
  5. M

    Insulation between studs or on top? Metal building

    I'm sure the job is done by now; but because others may search and find the thread, I'll add my experience. I converted several old steel barges into homes, and had the same dilemma. At first, I put the insulation across the top and left air gaps. The result was a lot of condensation; a LOT...
  6. M

    SAME Mercury 85 oil leak in the bell housing

    Thanks; I don't know how many hours and Euros I've put into the old beast, but it's done a lot of work for me in return. It's only economically viable because I can do the repairs at home myself. Even at Portuguese wages, if I had to pay every time it broke, I'd be broke too! It's it pretty...
  7. M

    SAME Mercury 85 oil leak in the bell housing

    All reassembled; while checking the hydraulics, I found a leaky hose. This tractor has 10 hydraulic hoses that are all the same (after my modifications), so I have a few spares in stock. And ready to work; I have some tractoring work pending by now.
  8. M

    SAME Mercury 85 oil leak in the bell housing

    The rear engine seal finally turned up, so work could continue. There's a pretty bad groove worn into the crankshaft journal, so I set the new seal on the outer edge of the housing, about 3mm out from the seat, so the new seal rides on undamaged metal. I made an alignment tool for this tractor...
  9. M

    SAME Mercury 85 oil leak in the bell housing

    I imagine that at the factory, they hired a contortionist from the Chinese circus to install those springs. Paid per job most likely. Engine seal didn't get to the shop yet, maybe tomorrow; anyway, there is plenty to do. I should check the valve clearance and retorque the heads. Not in that...
  10. M

    SAME Mercury 85 oil leak in the bell housing

    the inner Oring is 5mm and the cover needs to be pressed against it with some force before the big circlip can go back. So I made the press bar from 30x30 stock I found in the workshop. I made a test fit first, then pressed it in with the extra Oring. The local bearing shop didn't have a big...
  11. M

    SAME Mercury 85 oil leak in the bell housing

    I got the new throwout bearing and some seals, but I'm still waiting for the rear main engine seal. When I unpacked the new bearing, I found the grease cover is smaller than the old one, so the spacer/ grease plate doesn't fit inside it. That was Friday; if I return it I won't get a new one...
  12. M

    So I did a thing... Agria 8900D

    Low tech idea for the steering; add a knob to the steering wheel, like some forklifts have. That might give you a bit of extra leverage and make it more comfortable, and if it doesn't you didn't spend much on the experiment.
  13. M

    So I did a thing... Agria 8900D

    Good point; I'm a gnarled up old machine too.
  14. M

    SAME Mercury 85 oil leak in the bell housing

    Yes, I'm thinking 2 or 3mm; I'll see what the shop has in stock. I have to wait a day or two until he gets the seals. Luckily, there is a bearing + seal shop within driving distance, about 30km north in Odemira. The larger towns to the south don't have one anymore unless I go all the way to...
Top