Here it is that time again — all the Christmas trimmings are
out in the stores and Halloween isn’t past. Such a busy time
with all the fall activities getting started again — the football
games — the clubs — the school books and on and on I could go,
but you know what I mean.
I surely hope you folks have had a nice summer visiting the
shows and meeting new friends and finding old engines — material
to keep you happy over the winter as you reminisce the happenings
of the summer of 1970.
A letter from M. H. NORTON, Box 254, Brewster, Kansas, in which
he writes: ‘Look Fellas, why do you want to keep busting up
those stuck pistons? Why don’t you use your head instead of a
sledge hammer? Just leave that piston alone until you get the head
and valves overhauled, then belt her on with a good gasket. Make
yourself an adapter to go in the spark plug or igniter hole and to
take a zerk grease fitting. Fill the cylinder with oil, screw in
the zerk fitting, take your grease gun and start pumping. That old
piston will slide out of the cylinder and you’ll never believe
how easy it is. I’ve shoved out pistons that way that I
couldn’t move with a 50 ton press. Any cheap old grease gun
will put out about 10,000 pounds per square inch pressure. As soon
as you build up a little pressure the cylinder will stretch a
smidgeon and crack the rust loose and out comes Mr. Piston, safe
and easy. And by the way, you don’t even have to use grease in
the grease gun. I just leave the plunger out, hold the gun upright
and pour oil in the top.
‘Can anybody send me a picture of the original cooling tank
and gas tank for a 4 hp. vertical Cushman, 1914 vintage?’
Now there’s some advice fellas — and maybe you can help Mr.
Norton with his Cushman question.
A small write-up on the Pioneer Tractor comes from R. L.
HUNTSPERGER, Morristown, Arizona, who relates to us: ‘I grew up
in northeast North Dakota at a town named Langdon. I operated the
30-60 Pioneer tractor for several years, the first in the Red River
Valley near Fargo, North Dakota, and the next in Alberta, Canada.
The first Pioneer I ever saw was an old looking one in the year
1912 in northern Montana, as I remember. Its sliding gear shaft was
square, cylinders cast separately and heads had flanges or ribs,
apparently air-cooled. The next one I encountered, the sliding gear
shaft was splined, cylinders separate, low tension Remy magneto,
Pickering governor, fan drive was a long shaft running from a bevel
gear box attached to the transmission train, cams were fastened to
the shaft with two taper pins set at an angle. In the last Pioneers
the cylinders were cast in pairs, fan shaft drive was from acmshaft
in crankcase to belt wheel near the radiator, ignition K. W. high
tension and also had two speed gear built in the steering gear.
‘This tractor was quite a change from the old two lung
I.H.C. Titan I had been running before. On a mile long furrow with
the steering device attached I could sleep in the upholstered seat
with head rest until I got to the end. The Pioneer 30-60 was the
nicest to run of any I have been with, although not the most
economical nor the one with the longest life.
‘Would anyone remember the serial number of any of these
Pioneer 30’s?
‘There is a picture of the Pioneer 30-60 with the plow and
steering device on page 19 of January-February 1966 G.E.M. sent in
by R. L. Huntsperger, Williams, Minnesota. There is another picture
of the Pioneer 30-60 with the steering device in August 1963 of E.
& E. page 41. This one was from F. Hal Higgins Agricultural
Engineering Research Collection University of California at
Davis.’
That’s about it for this time and remember — November runs
into December, December runs into Christmas, and Christmas runs
into money. — Santa Claus is a Christmas creature by whom children
are sometimes confused, often amused, but never refused. — Bye bye
and do have a Blessed holiday with those you love or with someone
who needs some love.
