Hello from Queensland, Aust.

[TrevorJ]

Hi all

My background was farming, and in that time got used to overhauling various old machinery - I know just enough to get by most times and know to look about for answers when I can't. I guess I have a soft spot for some of the older tractors and dozers. From what I've seen, tropical conditions and aren't so ideal for sensitive electronic controls of the more modern machinery getting about ... which is good because these days I couldn't afford to buy anything shiny.

Possibly I've noted this forum before in search results, looking for various information while trying to trouble shoot small issues, but this time round I was looking for a parts manual for a new project, an old McCormick IH A-414, to see (eventually) what differences there were between the British and Australian built versions and saw a download here. I found an e manual elsewhere (and possibly the same file on offer here, despite just a few bytes difference in size) in the meantime, but still, this forum looks quite an interesting place and have noted some really interesting pictures posted here and there.

Regards
Trevor. J

[martyn williams]

Hello there and welcome
Martyn

[shane.c]

Welcome to the forum,

[widget]

Welcome Trevor

[FOWLER MAN]

Welcome Trevor,
I hope we can be of help. Please enjoy the forum and keep us posted.
I'm looking forward to being in your part of the world over Christmas, visiting my brotherinlaw at Victoria Point, Brisbane. Never been down under before.
Fred

[TrevorJ]

Thanks for the kind welcome.



Fred, I hope the weather behaves while you're visiting. If you're flying into Australia, (not sure if you'd be doing a direct to Brisbane or somewhere else first) I'm told, plan to arrive during the morning during the storm season - supposedly a smoother ride over most of inland continent that time of day.

I will take some pics of the IH A-414 when I finally get a chance to do some work on it to mark progress. It's not a restoration project as such, back to original, just a project to breathe life back into the poor old girl. I'm fairly sure I will have to do a total rebuild on the engine as the rain has for years pooled in the exhaust. I expect I'll also (finishing touches) radically alter the cowling (as most of it is missing or rusted past useful) to a mostly solid sheet metal front, with radiation ventilation through sprung side panels.

I'm also working towards (slowly) a good scanner and figuring out what free to use software including OCR, is out there to create good compact e books.

Much further down the track I have my eye on a couple of crawlers, and an Old David Brown, but I won't count my chickens just yet. I "did" have an old Nuffield, poor appearance but good rubber etc and it had stopped due to rings breaking up or something, for which I had already purchased a complete engine kit for (minus the crankshaft,) sitting on a property a relative inherited, and they kindly, without a word, (knowing full well I had the kit) had it removed with other old machinery when they had the metal merchants in. Actually they scrapped a lot of machinery, many antique enthusiasts were keenly interested in.