The Mabel Mae Project- A 1936 John Deere BO story

Stab 2 at reassembly found the low excitement task of bolting back together the radiator block. Lots of bolts, nuts, and cursed knuckles. Unfortunately it came to screaming halt when we realized we had no idea how the radiator top tank was originally connected to the part we just welded Lucky for us I keep all my photos in a drop box and in one photo from Uncle Bob we can see s small part of the connection. The rest blocked by cowling  I found the blue rubber well enough bur nothing I had functionally matches up go the tank. I figured I left it in my work truck. Went home.... its not there. So now we must hunt. It's all fun and games until you lose a part

Long alas we started reassembly! the hallowed piece was installed  Only to remember we needed to put a seal.  Thankfully Uncle Bob had the exact seal in the box he sent me. But we had installed when realized then had to Uninstall and reinstall again. Then the joy of the radiator, radiator cisterns and brackets  (not fully pictured) good thing we had good help! But the last thing we did.... the traditional gremlin Started by my coworker at RDO he always draws a gremlins in warm, quiet spots to attract the gremlins to leave the rest of the tractor or car alone  hopefully he's happy there. We put a grandpa Gremlin since it was Great Great Grandpa Orin's tractor 

...Between the availability of parts and the ability of time for said parts The welder finished our new pipe, 300 dollars was paid and we were back in the races.  Except my helper had boy scouts camp this week and rodeo camp next week  Hopefully soon 

The welder needed me measure and dry fit the pipe before he would weld it. Did that and we need to cut about 6 inches off the pipe and align it but we will get it back to the welder for the final weld and then... we might, just might, be ready to put it all back together again 

 There is, at all times, an inverse relationship between a God forsaken impossible temperatureto do a project and the parts being available. Welding is needing to be checked before they finish the weld but...   its minus ah  hell no

Still waiting  Its hard waiting on others. Patience is the only skill that you only learn when by being deeply in the middle of it. There's only testing in it  After waiting for the welder since October I finally paid him a visit.  Turns out he was right in the middle of fixing the exhaust as system as you can see they did get some good stuff done eventually  so this shoes the part as 8A Which connects to 23 and then 23 to 21 and then 21 to 10B Shes been torn apart this whole time because the part is down at the veeerryyy bottom

Putting her in a spot where she can stay dry over the winter but can still be pulled out to work on  In other news Someone got to feel the wheel the first time  she's going to be put back together soon as the welder is done

Spent the day sand blasting the iron deposits off and getting it ready.  Before after before After I paid to have the pipe rewelded the pipe which I'm still waiting for  I took the time to also line the fuel tanks too

  Parts acquired.   But, now, I have to spend my time with my Jeep Wrangler.  But the pipe still needs to be love welded on to the cast iron hold.  Adding some seals and adding some lost nuts 

  https://greenmagazine.com/the-br-and-bo/ The “BR” and “BO” may not be everyone’s cup of tea. In fact, some might say that they look like a tractor that someone accidentally left the “McCormick” decal off. However, for those who like them, there is little that could replace one. There is hardly a two-cylinder tractor built by Deere that is more agile or fun to drive and their size makes them better suited to the weekend handyman than almost anything else Deere built.  

 Labor day weekend!   The time to rest and relax, or get armpit deep in a project that you thought would take half a day which makes you reconsider life choices.  Mostly on taking of radiator caps.  We started a bit later in the day Monday.  I talked about starting Sunday and was hit with a wave of laziness and thought "Monday should be good enough".  I just need to change the sediment bowl screen, change a couple of fuel gaskets, maybe rebuild the carburetor. Also and I'm going to check the radiator and... ohhhhh gooood gravy Gravy, was about the consistency of what I saw. I t was majestic.   We pulled everything off and flushed out the entire system. The radiator core looked worse than it actually was.  I was able to do a reverse flush which came out mostly clear. Not a horrible ordeal but we had to stop before we put things back together because we are going to do some sand blasting on the tanks.  We also needed to buy new gaskets for...

 There is, at all times, an inverse relationship between time to do a project and the parts being available. I finally got all the parts but now being called into work on the weekend (harvest season) plus Cougar football season means my time will be precarious We'll see how it goes soon  

 As someone who's job relies around selling John Deere Equipment let me tell you the shortages, backups, and slow downs has been an experience.    After going into the John Deere parts look up, using the eye chart that is them just scanning the old parts manuals into the program (a 1930's 8.5 x 11 binder now in a 4 x4 pop up) and squinting I sent my parts guy a list of parts. This was my first of a long series of emails back and forth  before we realized he didn't have at least half my parts.  (More pictures of the leaks) Striking at the iron #2 I found https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/ which seems to have most (not all) of the parts that I'm stabbing in the dark to think I need to clean up the fuel leak.   They also had some rust prevention liner goo for the fuel tanks.  I figured ounce of prevention is worth not having to listen to nuts and bolts in the tanks again.  Uncle Bob also reminded me I probably need to check the radiator fo...

 

  "Well I  hate to tell you this, but there is rust in the gas tank" THANK GOD I have my Brother in Law.  To him machines are breathing, engines are second nature,  and I would have never thought for two seconds to even look in the tank.  WHY? Because I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING.  Thankfully I had both a Brother in Law and a  book. "How to Restore Your Farm Tractor: Choosing a tractor and setting up a workshop - Engine, transmission, and PTO rebuilds - Bodywork, painting, and decals and badging".  He said to do... exactly what my brother in law had already told me to.  So you know $14.50 or listen to him.  Luckily I also had the watchful eye of my Nephew.  He is ready to roll, but we still needed to clean the tanks.  A few handfuls of nuts & bolts, lots of shaking later, we were able to knock most of the rust clean.   It was the cocktail shaker that I never knew I needed and made me very much crave a on the roc...

 

 On July 23nd I got the phone call from Uncle Bob. "The Tractor is on it's way" Good Good... this works.  I back calculate that it should be to my sister's farm Monday.   I can plan to be at the John Deere dealership that day that is nearest by to allow me to come accept the deliver.  This also allows my sister and her family to get back from their trip to the Northern Half of our state.  This was going to be ideal.   I had these imaginary minds view of the family of us sitting there, holding hands like the who's in whoville as the tractor is lowered slowly amongst cherubs (fun victorian cherubs, not scary Book of Ezekiel cherubs) and singing.  11:00 a.m. on the 24th... I get a phone call.  The truck will be there at 5:00. My family won't be home until the 25th.  I called them frantically.  "What do I do" "Break and enter into our house" What started as the whoville ends in a little light B&E.   Yes, that tracks w...

Meet our new project! The what: 1936 John Deere BO Now the long story: A couple by the names Orin and Mabel Mae moved from OK to CA during the dust bowl. After he spent some time earning up money in San Francisco they purchased a small farm in Winters, CA.  IN 1936 they ordered from John Deere, straight from the factory this tractor. It was delivered by rail and was a part of the family including pumping water from the well. They raised hay, they raised chickens (selling up to 25 dozen a day) and raised several kids and grandchildren on that farm   This is my GREAT GRANDPARENTS TRACTOR!  It's a project I know that is going to be a steep learning curve for us but words can't describe how excited, nervous, and grateful I am to be adding to her history with my nephew. Welcome home lil John Deere. You've got a family that is looking forward to loving your steel lil heart!