MTFCA Forum

Been working on this for several days. Laid in the mud in Minnesota for probably 50 years or more. It is for a mid teens Avery tractor. Dual fuel. Kerosene or tractor fuel on one side, gasoline on the other for starting. Been beat on with every pipe wrench, rock, pliers, hammer, etc., The balls were rusted into the seats, missing several parts, caps all ruined and had to make new ones, etc., etc.

This is what takes the time.

Before anybody tells me this should be in the new Service section or that I am using the forum to pimp my business: I am not accepting any more repair for for the foreseeable future nor am I taking orders for carburetors for sale until later this year. I have too much work and too many irons in the fire.

I just thought some people might be interested in seeing this.

Note that this is a Kingston ten ball, most of them did not have a tag on this saying Kingston so I did not add one to this. It weighs about 12 pounds complete.

Somewhere I might have a photo of what it looked like when I took it out of the box three years ago. It took me that long to find a correct inlet for the Kerosene side.

If I ever find it, I'll post it. But now it's

BACK TO THE SHOP!!!!

I'll bet the seller told the buyer "All it needs is a carb rebuild-you know how bad modern gas is"

That looks really nice. Great work takes time and this looks great! Bet it works great too. You should have been a watchmaker and bet you could do it. But carburetors are fine too!

My "Grampa Ludwig" who was actually my Aunt Grace's father was a clock and watch repairman. I had his tools and bench until my cousin retired and I gave it all to him. We both did a little clock work when we were kids on some cheap worn out clocks. I didn't pursue it but Larry did and was restoring clicks as a hobby right up until he died.

It is indeed a thing of beauty, but does anyone have an Avery tractor waiting to take it?

Great work Stan!

Found a picture of a duel fuel 1916 Avery Tractor

Chris, yes, this the last thing they need to get it running after a 6 or 7 year restoration of the tractor.

Looks great!!
Hopefully I’m in the que!

I can't imagine anyone would object to your showing the beautiful work on that old carb. That is exactly the sort of thing I enjoy seeing.

I couldn't find one of it before I pressure washed the mud off so maybe this is the first one I took. I dunno. It's hundreds of carburetors ago and I am more forgetful all the time.

Paul, I seldom post anything like this because every time I do I get a couple phone calls or emails about if I have time to do so and so's carb and put pictures of it all over the forum why the hell have they not got their carburetor back yet, etc., etc.

Or they post on the thread, "When are you going to have mine done??????????????????"

I'm about done with the whole thing. I'm in the process of selling one of my ranches, I'm getting close to 80, I'm going to take the money and retire. Might not be able to get it done this year but I'm not going to be doing this the day before the funeral. I've had way too many auctions for the estate of the guy who was going to get that old tractor running or finish the spinning wheel he started for his wife in 1975 and has never had time to finish.

I never so much as put a wrench on my 27 coupe I bought three years ago or started my Earthmaster tractor or took a day or two off this last year and I'm still behind. I spend half the day answering emails and phone calls telling people how to fix their stuff and then end up working until midnight trying to get carbs in the mail.

I'm getting older and slower all the time.

Thanks for taking the time to share it with us. I don't know where else we would see some of these things.
Rich

Stan Howe you are a National Treasure. Someone needs to put a Preservation Order on you.

Thanks, I'm just trying to make a living. Never saved any money when I was young, invested it in piles of Model T Parts, Cars, Women, Whiskey, Big Steaks, Truck Stop Cheeseburgers, raising some other men's children, got old and had to find a way to survive.

I like the work but I found out years ago two things. One is you can't please everybody and Two is the richer they are the cheaper they are and expect you to work for nothing.

Over all it's been a great business and I like to think a worthy one for keeping old vehicles on the road. Pays the Propane bill and buys me cheeseburgers.

Stan,

if it’s not a trade secret, what do you coat them with to prevent them from tarnishing right away ?

Nothing. If the owner wants to do something it's up to them.