.We’re held up on Trevor the Diesel, waiting for the diesel injectors to come back so the TE20 with a Z120 (Continental engine) is the project for today.
Already the engine has come off and stripped down and is now waiting for the crankshaft regrind and new shells. The problem of the new ring gear (almost impossible to get new in this country) has been solved by a helpful relative  from the States, over here for a family wedding, who packed one in her suitcase for us.

The owner has decided to go for a full repaint so, as various jobs are done on the tractor, cleaning, red-oxiding and sometimes top-coating is carried on as parts become accessible.  The steering arm seals are to be renewed so, all the parts which have to come off for this are cleaned and painted while they are off. The dashboard, which is a beast for cleaning in situ is off and hung up in a red-oxide coat together with the tool-box, cowling, sump and air filter.

The hydraulics were not scheduled for any attention but when the quadrant lever was moved to lower the arms and nothing happened closer examination revealed that the plunger was rusted solid to the sensor spring seat and sheared off it has become obvious that attention was needed. Because we never go in for half a job here, the whole of the hydraulics system was examined. Getting the top cover with the lift arms off was obstructed by the clevis pins which attach the lift arms to the fork shaft being both rusted in solid and mushroomed at the ends. However an angle grinder, a hammer, some WD40 and a solid block to minimise the impact on the lift arms settled that problem.  It was a good thing that the whole system was looked at as the control valve was found to be completely detached from the arms owing to their having been spread well beyond where they should go – oh and as usual, the control valve plunger stem was bent!  So – new plunger, yoke and control valve assembly.  There was evidence that the lower hydraulic parts had sat in water for some time both from water stains on the components and the water that came out with the oil.

The owner of this Z120 might be selling it after its left us so its an advantage to have everything working.