The Headless Tractor!

Got the exhaust manifold off with a bit
of cold chisel work. The stud under the
manifold popped loose, and I was able
to wrench it off.

What's this?!?! A headless tractor!?!? I better go back and show some pics on how I got to this point...


You can see where the block was welded. I'm guessing (well, my father in law gave me this idea) that the block froze up in winter.







Can you see the stuck valve? Not hard to spot!

Closer look at the stuck valve. I'll give it a whack when the head is off...
So, what was the cause of the soldering on the valve cover? Another mystery!

Valve train. Notice the wicks sitting on the top of the rocker pans. There are oiler caps on the valve cover. No oil pump or water pump on this engine!! Good old fashioned thermal, gravity, and splash physics to keep the engine running...

You can see the left most valve in this picture is stuck. Well, it WAS stuck. I popped it with a rubber mallet and it closed. It really wasn't THAT stuck...

So, all in all the bolts have been falling out, the parts have popped off, and I haven't hit any big challenges...

Its time for me to slow down, package up my parts in an orderly fashion, and start planning out the next few weeks..

Oh, in case anyone wants to see this engine in ACTION!! (with the help of my youngest daughter)