Put the radiator in place, bolted it down, got the hoses connected and filled the cooling system. No leaks!

Put the trickle charger on last night and by this morning the battery was charged enough to try to start it. Surprisingly after a cough or two it started and ran fairly well. Got the blade raised so I could run a tap through a nut I welded on the cowl mount with a little too much heat and rod. Got the nut cleaned out and the front cowl bolted on. Upper radiator support arms bolted into place with only one foot required for alignment.

Drilled out the broken off exhaust pipe bolt in the exhaust manifold and retaped both of them. Bolted the adapter that they were using back on after cleaning both surfaces good. Reinstalled the exhaust pipe.

Starting it back up didn't go as smoothly with a long spell of just spinning and no attempt at starting. Fiddled with the throttle and it finely took off running. Pulled it out and into some brush and it quit. Started back up and pushed some privit over. Then took it to the top of the garden to a pile of brush that was too near an apple tree and blueberry bush to burn. Started pushing the brush pile and it died again. Pulled the coil wire and turned it over and had a good 1/2 inch of blue spark. Pulled a plug wire and had a 1/8 inch weak red spark. Took distributor cap off and inside was covered with moisture. I had cleaned it out last night but I guess this had condensed in there overnight, or was left over from some of the rain we have had and had evaporated from down in the bottom of the distributor as the engine warmed up. After wiping it out with a rag I then sprayed it out with WD-40, wiped the excess off and let it air dry for a few minutes for the volatiles to get out, then reinstalled it and tried the starter and it fired right up!

Pushed at the brush pile until hornets started buzzing around then went and pushed some logs up into another pile. The Case seems to be running fairly well. Going to have to work on a governor or move the throttle or both. The control that is there now is a lever welded onto the dash and I have to lean forward a bit more than is comfortable to adjust the speed. If it had a working governor the need to adjust the speed wouldn't be as much of a problem. The machine (or cab at least) once had a foot throttle control but when it was converted from diesel to gas engine the hand throttle was installed. After trying to run this machine with 4 controls that need hand attention I don't think I am going to leave the dash throttle. The right foot doesn't come into play much as it only has to push the brake which the hand controls also do if both are pulled back.

And so went Sunday. Monday came and I realized that I have over done it bigtime! All weekend and the last part of last week too. Today I paid. Will probably be down tomorrow too the way I am feeling right now. Got to quit doing this. Knew it as I was going full tilt yesterday but wanted to get that machine running. Took a break or two but the heat is a killer with me now. I was soaking wet 2 or 3 times. Had to change my shirt twice and pants once. Just gonna have to stay inside for a day or two and then take it easier. Small bites eat the elephant. But damn that sucker seems to keep growing…

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