Started out sometime shortly after 10am when the temp got above 36 to see if the air tank still had pressure. It didn’t, so started the compressor and went in search of a portable air tank. Found it and got the tire inflater nozzle put on the air line and started filling it. Put 100 psi in and went to air the right front tire on the yellow toyota up so I could clean the bed out and start using it again around the farm.

Anyway, got the tire inflated and then noticed a belt squeeling on the compressor. That meant it was around or over 140 psi so I ran back to the barn and cut the breaker. Pressure gauge showed 150 psi and I could hear air leaking from somewhere so left it for the moment and went back and tried the truck but the starter wasn’t doing anything. Found a wire loose and after rehooking it had a dead battery.

Carried the battery and charger to the barn and started it charging. Then went to see where the air was coming from. Seems that the one way valve from compressor to tank was letting air back out through the compressor. The valve is a special one but I remembered the inlet valves on the air tanks on the transport dollies. Went to look and see if they were what I remembered and they were perfect. 1/2 inch ip thread male on one end and female on the other. Wrong way around for what I needed but with a closed nipple and a coupling it went in line and no more leaking back through the compressor.

Adjusted the pressure switch down to 140 and started the motor again. Shut off fine. Still got some slow leaks but will work on them at a later time. At least I have air over here again!

Got the tractor out and moved it to the front of the barn quickly to keep the exaust as cool as possible. Was clearing in the cedar thicket the other day and a piece of cedar treetop got hung in the exaust and tore the muffler loose. Actually tore the pipe. Was rusted and all but it was still fairly thick. Was a good piece of cedar. I enjoyed the heat from burning too. Just wish it hadn’t cost me 5 hours or so fixing.

Got the tools and started loosening the nuts. 2 came off fairly easily. One took a while and much rust came out as it came off. Threads were gone on the stud. Took the pipe and muffler off and decided to cut the broken piece out and replace with a much thicker piece of pipe I found in the rack. As the flange at the exaust manifold was bent I then went and got a bucket of coal and fired up the forge. Started it with a stick of heart pine about an inch by inch and a half by 6 inches long broken into 3 pieces. laid it in the middle of the air inlet and piled leaves and dry grass on them and then added small chunks of coal while turning the blower handle slowly. Hard to do with an electric blower. Took about 5 minutes to get it up to a good yellow burn and then put the flange end in and started pumping air to it. Got it up to a nice cherry red in about 4 or 5 more minutes and took it to the anvil and started beating on it. Took reheating it 5 or 6 times but got the flange straight and the wrinkle out of the pipe just below the flange. Then another 3 heats were needed to take a bend out about half way down the first straight run. Really good piece of cedar. 🙁

Then cut the welded end off the muffler and got the piece inside out using screwdrivers and pliers and hammers. Another 4 or 5 heatings on the new piece let me expand the end enough to get it over the manifold pipe. Power hack saw put the slits in the expanded end so the clamp will work right.

A little quality time with the hammer and the muffler end is shaped around the new pipe. Cranked the welder and using a small 6013 and low power setting burned a hole in the muffler. At an even lower power setting welded it closed and got the seams all put together. Even one place where I had used brass on it one time before welded up fine.

Now to try putting it back on the tractor. Went on fine but the nuts that came off were all rusted out and had no threads left. So into the barn and more 3/8 24 tpi nuts are found. Only two of the studs have enough threads to hold. One is just too far gone. So I try to remove it. It has other ideas. Been in there since 64 I guess and it don’t want to come out. So I look for a die to take it down another size. No got. Try a metric one but it’s not small enough to cut good threads. So I look at it and decide to add metal then rethread the correct size. Two rows of 6013 later it rethreads fine. Get a jack and use it to put the pipe in place snuggly and then get the nuts tight on all three. Use the old gasket because I didn’t have a new one. It leaks but will get another one asap.

Use the big slip joint pliers to put the clamp around the new bigger pipe. Get the nuts on it and then make a new center braket that was ripped out. Still got the rear bracket to bolt back together but being as it was now dark I quit for the night.

This makes it sound a lot easier and simpler than it actually was. Spent much time on each and every piece of this mess but managed to get at least something done today. Now I can use the tractor to start moving cars and junk so I can move the entry road to the parking area for the Airsoft games. Gonna add some fencing and move the old trailer to a different orientation along the new road too. Planning to gut it and use it for bathrooms, showers, and a kitchen for the events. Not gonna do all this tomorrow but it all follows a hidden master plan, or something… 😉