Janicholson
Well-known Member
For Fritz and interested
Our 1949 SP 125 was pulled out of the shed and checked over for wheat harvest. From setting concave and cylinder speed, to putting in a new battery and fluids, it was prepped. It would not even begin to make a single sound of running. Before the battery ran down, and frustration started the field on fire, we checked the mag and fuel on the Continental flat head 6. All good. Ran when parked etc.
So dad decided to pull start it with the 350U. I drove the U and had it in 2dn direct. We were on blacktop, and dad had the combine in 3rd. When h let out the clutch, the combine loaded the 350 enough to cause the rites to make marks on the blacktop, but not spin, just slip like plowing. We pulled it about 100 feet with the engine spinning as though it was wide open. Choke in Choke out, no difference.
With a blast that sounded like a 12 gauge, the engine started. I was looking back at the combine when it exploded, and noticed something black blast out of the straight pipe like a sand filled sausage. We both jammed in the clutches and the chain slackened. I climbed up on the platform and talked to my dad. He said I have no idea what just happened, but it is running the Oil pressure is good, it is charging, and seems OK.
I said that i saw something fly into the bean field next to the road. He said go see. So I took chain off the tractor and drove it to the field entrance while he took the combine back to the farm lot. I walked out in the beans 50 yards where I thought it had landed. as I searched around I smelled something awful in the area. Using my nose I discovered (then almost puked) a dead rat. It had crawled into the exhaust pipe looking for one last soybean from the previous harvest, and could not back out and up at a 45 degree angle. It had completely plugged the exhaust right to the manifold. THe built up fuel and air finally ignited and blew it out in that mighty blast. I didn't pick it up to show dad. I told him and he went within 50 feet of it before stopping and admitting i was not making it up. That was a memorable event. Jim
Our 1949 SP 125 was pulled out of the shed and checked over for wheat harvest. From setting concave and cylinder speed, to putting in a new battery and fluids, it was prepped. It would not even begin to make a single sound of running. Before the battery ran down, and frustration started the field on fire, we checked the mag and fuel on the Continental flat head 6. All good. Ran when parked etc.
So dad decided to pull start it with the 350U. I drove the U and had it in 2dn direct. We were on blacktop, and dad had the combine in 3rd. When h let out the clutch, the combine loaded the 350 enough to cause the rites to make marks on the blacktop, but not spin, just slip like plowing. We pulled it about 100 feet with the engine spinning as though it was wide open. Choke in Choke out, no difference.
With a blast that sounded like a 12 gauge, the engine started. I was looking back at the combine when it exploded, and noticed something black blast out of the straight pipe like a sand filled sausage. We both jammed in the clutches and the chain slackened. I climbed up on the platform and talked to my dad. He said I have no idea what just happened, but it is running the Oil pressure is good, it is charging, and seems OK.
I said that i saw something fly into the bean field next to the road. He said go see. So I took chain off the tractor and drove it to the field entrance while he took the combine back to the farm lot. I walked out in the beans 50 yards where I thought it had landed. as I searched around I smelled something awful in the area. Using my nose I discovered (then almost puked) a dead rat. It had crawled into the exhaust pipe looking for one last soybean from the previous harvest, and could not back out and up at a 45 degree angle. It had completely plugged the exhaust right to the manifold. THe built up fuel and air finally ignited and blew it out in that mighty blast. I didn't pick it up to show dad. I told him and he went within 50 feet of it before stopping and admitting i was not making it up. That was a memorable event. Jim
