More Snow and a Crank Shaft

The stuff is coming down outside at a pretty good pace this evening. I spent the first half of the day racing the incoming storm to drive up and pick up the new crank shaft for the old diesel tractor. We are so close to getting that old girl put back together now I can't wait.

I did find an interesting little tidbit out today though. The crankshaft on that particular engine has what is called a balancer on it.

Basically what it does is it keeps the crankshaft from shaking the tractor while it is running at idle. The two gears you see in the picture above turn a middle with a gear on the crankshaft and keep it steady I guess.

The part we took out of the tractor however is missing the two balancer gears AND is from an older model year tractor. Which interestingly enough also corresponds with the fact that several of the teeth on the old crankshaft have been broken off where they would normally ride in the gear teeth of the balancer gears.

Another words someone screwed up the crankshaft and balancer on the old girl years ago and just removed the balancer gears completely. What's funny is the expert tractor guys at the parts house all tell me that without that balancer operational it would shake the tractor apart while at idle.

I used it all year without any shaking I noticed but I am wondering if that is not what started to happen when the tiller started shaking the tractor so bad and caused the rear main seal to go out on it.

By the looks of things I am going to have another 3 to 4 grand into that old girl before this is over now. But she is going to get at least a new quick paint job, a new front brush guard, new transmission along with the complete overhaul and this balancer put back in, a new seat and entire new front sheet metal with used stock grill. I more than likely won't get the tractor underside, rear fenders or rims painted until it warms up though.

Oh ya I forgot to mention new gauges and new oil pump, external hydraulic hoses and starter switch as well too.

That old rust bucket of a diesel is going to look purdy when I get finished with her.

Next Christmas there is going to be an old Ford presence at the local parade damn it. All these Farmalls, Internationals and John Deere they have around here need some competition.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!!!