Three pronged approach to loss of power

After getting the finish mower operational, I found the 284 didn't have the expected level of power. The little tractor must have developed a problem while in winter storage. After the work we did disking the garden, I knew I would have to address this problem. Two weeks ago I had cleaned and reinstalled the spark plugs but this apparently didn't help. I was afraid this might be a problem with the carburetor. So this morning I began a 3 point approach to diagnose the problem. First I would verify the firing sequence and checked to see that the spark plug cables were correctly installed, then replace the spark plugs with new ones and check the old ones for resistance, and finally, if those measures failed, remove the hood and pull the carburetor for cleaning. While in the process of checking the firing sequence, I found that one spark plug wire had a cut in it. I produced a replacement and still went ahead with the spark plug replacement. I also saw that the fuel line had some cracking around the end so I replaced it just in case it was allowing air to be drawn in with fuel. Those changes worked and now the little tractor pulls the bushhog as before. I look forward to trying the finish mower around the old house again soon.

The old spark plugs were checked with a multi-meter and found to be fine. With cleaning they will be ready for use in the future.

In other news, all the work to prepare the Troybilt tiller has paid off. It performed wonderfully for tilling the garden for the green beans and corn.

Inspection of the 55-66 didn't show any further fuel drippage so perhaps the lift pump replacement has solved that little problem.

Catching up

After my recovery period for Covid, I went to Cullman on Monday the 8th and started catching up on the mowing and farm stuff. Pretty much everything needed mowing. The big tractor made short work on the main north fields and David helped me with the field across from the pond. The grass had grown quite long and with the two week absence, I simply started and mowed all of them. There is always some mowing to do. At least no trees had fallen. There were some indoor projects pending. A couple of shower fixtures had to be replaced. The screen door latch didn't hold and had to be improved. The old JD mower needed a bit of tuning so it would climb better and the mowing deck replaced. And the garden needed to be disked and more corn and okra planted. David should have had a shot on the groundhog at the old house but forgot to check his ammo. The hammer fell on an empty chamber. I got the conibear traps out and caught one of the groundhogs that lived by the spring. David had ...

Spock

Spock is my favorite character in all fiction. A character who bridged the gap between two worlds and faced disdain from each. Who strove for excellence and exemplified strength, character, intelligence, and control. His nearly emotionless demeanor was a perfect foil for those who would attempt to intimidate or insult him. It was a style I would endeavor to imitate to thwart those attempting to insult, demean, or scare me in my own young life. I bought this little figure to remind me to guard against letting my defenses down and allowing emotional hurt to strike me.

Counting down to Florida Bike Safari...

Darn cold weather! I got up this morning to some cool north breezes. It made me decide to hike rather than bike. Next week I will do the pm rides for the bike club. In the mornings, if there is time, I will get in some climbing out toward Bull Gap. I need to do the climbs more than the long rides. I seem to be stronger on the hills than last year. Maybe it is the 35 lbs I have dropped. That is almost equal to 2 bikes. I also dropped about 7 or 8 from the new bike. Combined that puts me 42 pounds of weight saved which would be a substantial load to pull up the hill. Now I just need to train those leg muscles to pound out the climbs. The only way I see to do that is to just do hills! I need to remember some small but important things when I pack for the trip. I will need to be sure I have a wrench to change the tire with. I need to check the spare to make sure it holds air. I will need to pack the charger just in case. A long extension cord might be nice. Sunscreen and bug repel will be ...

diddlee

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