| On July 22, 2000, I fulfilled a dream to return, at least partially, to my childhood. On that day I purchased a brand new (to me) 1947 WC Allis Chalmers. It was a very hot day and we only had to trailer it 250 miles to get it home. It was supposed to run, but would not when I bought it. After pulling it onto the trailer, flat (actually destroyed) right rear tire, we headed for home. It was really a quite awful sight, not only the bad tire but the battery box was a pile of rust, the throttle, choke, starter rod, and magneto cut off rods were all bent, and hanging like a pile of spagetti. The magneto had been tampered with and I don't know if it was supposed to be a distneto, or a magstributor, but at any rate it was also a piece of junk. We had hopes of trying to start it just to see if it really would run but after pulling the mag caps, checking the points, rotor button and all I knew that was hopeless. Then came a two week ordeal of trying to locate a new, used, or rebuilt mag, or getting parts to rebuild it myself. I finally found a local business that said they could rebuild it. Off it came and I carried it to them. At that time I also removed the carburator and put it to soak in a bucket of carb. cleaner. A week later, I was able to pick up the mag. brought it home and installed it. I had purchased a rebuild kit for the carb, so it was time to finish that project. after putting every thing back on the tractor, putting fresh gas in the tank, it was time to try to start it. Crank, crank, crank, crank, It's running, but quite terrible. Nothing would help, could not adjust the carb, so shut it off and pulled the carb again. Even after it had soaked for a week, I found that there were still two small orifices in the carb plugged. Cleaned them. put it back together and reinstalled it. Here we go again. Crank, crank, crank, crank. Its running again, this time much better. Now I can adjust the carb and it is purring like a kitten. After three weeks of ownership, I was able to climb on and drive it for the first time. What a joy. Just like some 40+ years ago when Dad put me on our WC back on the farm in Indiana. PS; I have also replaced that rear tire with a new one. I know there are and were back then lots of good tractors, but nothing can aver take the place of My Toy. Now for a whole lot of sweat, sanding, scraping, and all the rest that goes into it and some day she will look almost like the day she rolled out of the factory. Bob Dalrymple, from La, entered 2000-08-20 |
