We have a Fiat crawler tractor CI70 and are after a manual or info on steering clutch adjustment , The only number we can find on the machine is 110C 1T1 07398CT3-10/22 Thanks John
Hi john Garrie here in qld. I also have a 70ci Fiat dozer approx 65-67 model, 4 cylinder, I have a full workshop manual for the beast with pictures and replacement, adjustment procedures etc, if you have taken off the top of the cover you are now aware that the clutch is segmented, my baby has just had hers replaced and if you are interested i can photo copy the pages from my manual on relation to the clutch renewal etc, and send to you if you are interested. Garrie.
Thank you that would be great if it is any easier you could photograph them and email them what ever is easy for you. Thanks again john 26 Cressy street Montmorency Victoria 3094
Hi john_au. Do you have any pictures of your 70ci? I used to own and run a 70ci in north east Victoria about 25 years ago. It was painted yellow like the picture in your avatar not the Fiat orange. Mine had rippers on the back. Had some great times using it and not so enjoyable times repairing it. When I bought it there were quite a few problems I had to fix due to lack of maintenance by the previous owner. Was a strong performing machine. Regards AusDave
John,I will attempt your request but as i am a 55model and not really up with that sort of thing if i cant do it that way ill just photocopy the pages for you and send them to you, no problemo, it will be about a week as i am working away from home at the moment and wont get back again for that time, if thats allright and youre not in an immediate hurry will go that way. Garrie.
Hi John have got my manual with me for the beast,if you still want the copys ill run them off for you now and post tommorow, let me know, thanks Garrie.
Fiat 70 ci steering clutch Hi John and Garrie, I also have a Fiat 70 ci dozer with no drive (none under pressure anyway) to one track. I was wondering if it would be possible for one of you to send me a copy of the manual information that you discussed in your posts? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Jim
Hi Jim. Sounds like one of your steering clutches has stripped the fibre disks. AusDave
Hi AusDave, This is what I suspected. I imagine I can get the parts from G.W. Tractors, but the big question is, is there an easy way to do the job or do I need to dismantle half the machine? If isn't too complicated then where do I start? Jim
Hi jim Garrie here from Gin-Gin, I am at present down here in Brisbane with work but in a few weeks will be goig back home where the manual is, if you like I can photostat the pages you will require if you want and Ill send them to you, Garrie Denny.
Hi Garrie, That would be fantastic. All help is greatly appreciated. My address is: 536 Tap Tap Rd, Jack River, Vic, 3971 Thankyou, Jim
Did someone still want some info on the steering clutch adjustments? - i have got scans (& originals) of the service manual / parts manual / maintenance chart. File size is a bit big - but wouldn't be to much of a drama to be able to resize a section of it to be able to email. I have got 3 of the beasts in various stages of not going (2 of them steering related) so i know that part of the manual pretty well - might have a chance to start work on them again now that the rain has stopped (hopefully) Jimbob
Man, that was back in the day when I ran one of those. I don't remember the exact model number, but I do recall it was fairly new condition, about the size of a six and had electric start and hydraulic lift cylinders for the blade, while all the CATS were all cable rigs with pony motors.
Is this model similar to the fiat ad 7 dozer ,
I have a fiat Ad7 dozer and have got a manual if they are similar I can email you the pages related to the steering clutches .I had a problem with the dozer not turning to the right and found that the left clutch had worn thus not engaging . Dose any one have an idea where we can find any clutch discs and plates for this Dozer.
Parts Availability In Oz here there are at least 2 places that carry or import all the parts - Both South Burnett tractor parts and GW Tractors in QLD can get what you need. There is a modification available for the steering clutches to replace them with steel ones but the drums have to be machined to accept them - I haven't done this yet but it looks as though i will have to with two of my ones. Jimbob
Hi Jimbob Do you know who makes this modified plates
Not sure mate - i think a lot of the imported fiat parts are labelled GMB or something - Ask Andrew at South Burnett Tractors Parts (Ph +61741642000 from memory) - they have helped me out a lot Jimbob (not my real name if you try name dropping)
I've just done the conversion from fibre to sintered bronze clutch plates. You need to replace the drum as the splines are different. I replaced all the steel drive plates, the fibre driven plates, the drums, and the springs. The plate count goes up from 11 to 12, presumably with an increase in clutch strength. I got caught because I put the whole thing together before I realised that the new drums take a 14mm bolt, whereas the old drum, and the flange, were arranged for 12mm bolts. Beware!!! 11 hours work to pull it all apart again and drill the flanges out to 14mm, then re-assemble. Should have noticed before I put it all together, but who looks at things like that?
Where did you get the drums and plates from nut wood? And how much if you dont mind me asking? I have got at least one to do as u have done, the other one I might take a set of good std clutch packs from a spare machine depending on how much it costs 11 hours, hmmmn, maybe I should stop putting this job off. Did u have to take the fenders off like the manual says u do jimbob
Hi jimbob; 11 hours was to pull the just installed C/W and clutch assembly out, re-drill the flanges out to 14mm (with a cordless drill), re-install clutch and set up the back lash again. That was the price of not observing that the new drums had 14mm holes, not 12mm like the originals. I think it also included bolting the flanges loosely up to the drums to check that all the holes were aligned correctly. I mention that because one of the more tedious aspects of the job is moving the machine forward so you can get at each flange bolt. Basically the job involves lifting the roll cage up. Mine can hinge at the front so I unbolt and tilt it forward, then attach to the blade. It helps lift some weight off the blade for moving purposes. Seat off, fuel tank off, ripper off, floor boards out, side fenders off. I leave the RHS one sitting on the track as the hydraulics are mounted on it. It's a bit of a nuisance there as it gets in the way but I was doing the job in the bush and didn't want to open up more than I had to. Remove the multitude of little pipes for the clutch power assist. Take photos and label! Gear shift and reverser linkage off, then all the bolts around the top cover, not forgetting the one in the middle. Lift off top cover. Remove boost cylinders. Undo clutch levers and pull them off the shafts. This has been a pain both times I've done this job. Remove C/W cover. Disconnect and remove brake shoes. Take the centring bolt underneath out first, makes life easier! Undo the bolts connecting the brake drums to the flanges. Involves moving the machine forward to access the bolts as the tracks rotate. I put a jack on the tracks. Alternatively have the machine on blocks with the tracks off the ground. Undo the bearing caps, slacken adjusting nuts and lift out the whole clutch and C/W assembly, carefully, whilst disengaging the throw-out forks. Swear because you just realised you haven't undone the grease lines. Undo grease lines and cart the clutch assembly off to a suitable location to overhaul. The above work will take you about a day, give or take a bit depending on facilities and problems. Putting it back together, similar. Possibly a bit longer as you have to set up the C/W and install the seals down the side of the bearing caps but then you don't have rusty bolts and recalcitrant clutch levers to argue with. I'm not sure how long it takes to pull down and re-build the clutch assembly as I did it over several sessions. Depending how set up you are, I'd reckon on a days work there. You need a puller for the inner hubs and a spring compressor for the clutch springs. Easily made. Over engineer the puller!! It's also well worth while making something to hold the assembly solid. I used a bit of 10" RSJ about 2m long and welded two pieces of 50 x 10mm flat bar on that I then bolted to the C/W. While you have the clutches out, well worth renewing seals behind pinion flange. Another puller and argument there! I haven't a breakdown handy but all up I spent about $4500. I replaced both slave cylinders for the clutches. I reckon if you tried hard you'd get the clutch job down to around $3000 but I didn't want to be going back in there for a long time. I didn't replace the brake linings as they were OK and I can do them through the inspection openings. I got my parts from G. W Tractors. South Burnett Tractors were also extremely competitive but were simply further away when it came to shipping heavy stuff to Tassie. The above times are based on one person doing the job with basic equipment. Given a proper workshop with all the trimmings it could be much faster. It's so easy to lose an hour wrestling with one taper that won't come apart, where's the right puller pops it off in a minute. Likewise, extra hands at the right moment can speed things up a lot.
Appreciate the info Nutwood i know what you mean about them clutch levers - i ended up using a portapower & a big hammer - i have one machine at a point of crossroads in this repair (luckily outside my shed) where i have just replaced the clutch lever shafts & rebuilt the power assists and patched holes in pipe fittings but am at the point of knowing that the top must come off too seeing as the plates are probably seized rather than stripped (wont release anymore) & the forks or pivots may have even bent or something seein as the adjustment for the forks doesn't add up like it should even with the new clutch lever shafts adjusted properly (the machine was sitting for a while) The other machine was not so lucky - up on a steep bushtrack where they stripped with no drive (lucky to be on a level part of it i guess) - was hoping not to have to pull the fenders & the canopy etc - really do appreciate the step by step & tips - i have another m/c down on the flat which is pretty much a low mileage parts m/c now which will probably now have its clutches robbed for the one on the bushtrack (will be std fibre disks tho) -it has a canopy as well. I'm gonna be a busy boy this winter now that the rain has almost gone - i have been making a lifting jib to come off the back of the cruiser to lift off some of this stuff & to lift out the c/w etc - Question - does the ripper have to come off or is it just to make it easier to access? Might make a difference to how solid i make the lifting jib if i have to remove the ripper too. Never mind - i guess it will come in handy.
Hi Jimbob, Can't see why you'd have to take the ripper off. My ripper's held on by six bolts and two big bars that go forward to plates held on with the fender bolts. The bars have to come off, the hydraulic lines have to come off. For me, it was easy to take the remaining six bolts out and lift the whole assembly to one side with a FEL. If I didn't have the tractor, might have thought differently! It is good to have it out of the way though. Ditto the fenders. Mine bolt down to the transmission top cover but it might be possible to loosen the bolts on them and spread them apart at the rear to allow the cover to come off. Invaluable tool for this job is a Hitachi (or equivalent) cordless rattle gun. Makes short work of all those horrible rusty 1.5mm pitch bolts. One thing to watch is, unless you're taking the block it up path, make sure you lift the blade and put it on a bit of steel or something that'll let it slide as you move the machine. Another reason for taking the ripper off! Perhaps you could just let the ripper drop, snig it one side, and when you're done, carry it out to somewhere convenient with the blade? Do you want some SH clutch disks? I've some in the shed that aren't too bad. I can't see I'll ever need them if the bronze plates live up to expectation.
That sounds real good nutwood, saves me pulling one apart to get the parts required. Like the idea of the cordless impact gun, I have been planning on converting one of my air compressors to engine driven for times like these. How come u changed them? If they work near enough will be good enough for now. Plan is to make two good ones from three with a few spare parts left over and sell one. let me know what u want for them and I can send u some $. [email protected]
You want them; I'll wrap them in brown paper and stick a stamp on them. You pay for the stamp. The set in the shed aren't from my machine. They're the RH set from a machine that failed on the LH side. I'll have a count up and see how many are there. I've also got the RH plates from my machine so I reckon I could muster a full set, or close to it. Seriously though, I don't know your situation but its a right pain in the A to change these plates. The first time I did this job, I had one side totally destroyed, the other side, as new. I took the cheap option, bought 11 new plates, shuffled up my plates and put it all back together. That was eight years ago and I'd never heard of the sintered bronze plates. This time around when one side failed, nose down, with a big boulder in front of the blade and a gum tree behind (she'd skipped sideways a bit!) I vowed I'd never be in this position again. Hence the open credit card approach to this repair. I don't like clutch plates that loose their teeth when they get threatened with a bit of oil. I figure the bronze plates might start to slip a bit if a slave cylinder drops oil on them but they're not going to suddenly go belly up and leave you winching the machine to a flat spot, just so that you can engage in a bit of bonding with a temporary location in the bush; your workshop away from the workshop! I'd think really hard about biting the bullet and converting to bronze. What's three days of your life worth? Mind you, I've only just done the conversion. Give it a while, I might be cursing the day, but I doubt it!
Mate I know exactly what you're saying - it's why I've been procrastinating - the sintered bronze modified plates I've been told from a number of reliable sources are a lifetime job. But life is a set of dominoes - short story is when the earthworks around my shed r finished in such a way that I can park 2 or 3 dozers outside on flat ground to make the best out of 3 - ideally I need one of them to b able to nudge the others into place - and to b able to get the 1 off the bush track on its own steam would be a big bonus and then at my leisure in the shed, make the best of what's left. I believe the drums need some machining - who did you get to do that for u or was it from gw? Would appreciate the plates for sure - short term domino measure at low cost for right now.
I bought two new drums from GW. Hence the low point in my year when I realised the new drums had 14mm bolts and the old ones had 12mm.. sorry have I mentioned that before? Arrgh! I'll have a muster of available clutch plates and see if I can make a set. You've provided your e.mail address above, I'll be in touch and we'll get the plates in the mail. With all these parts dozers, you don't happen to have a surplus track spring by any chance...? I test out the powers of 16TC rods every year when I weld mine back together!
Did I see somewhere before that yours are grease pump up to tension ones? And are we talking about the main track tensioner? That's a serious thing to break, I know when I broke a track spring tensioning rod (it was cracked already and mine are all the wind up with big spanners type) it was quite scary how over engineered I had to make my spring compressor and even then the thing jumped out at the very last moment pushing past very solid spring compressor mark 2. Quite dangerous. I think mine broke because of the front track wheel having sloppy bushes to the stage it cuts into the front wishbone/fork. Bit of hi tensile Galv all thread has worked for that repair (bushes still sloppy for now). When i get to the stage when I swap all the bits around I'm sure I will have a spare spring if it is the correct one for you (the later ones have a double spring & not sure what the grease type have).
Unless you mean the spring that holds up the tracks at each side (the suspension i guess)??
No, I mean the big sucker that keeps the tension on the tracks. Not sure what happened to mine. When I first bought it I noticed that one track would skip if you reversed uphill. You could pump the tensioner up and the problem would go away; for a while! Investigation showed that the spring wasn't broken, it was shattered. At least six pieces and obviously had been that way for quite a while. I let the tension off via the grease, jiggle bits around and get up it with low hydrogen rods, then pump the grease up again. Lasts surprisingly well but I've always got an eye open for another spring. I suspect that my machine was made from several at some stage and I reckon that spring came from a rusty wreck, possible one that had been burnt out, and had become brittle.
Man that's a big spring to become brittle! If it's the right spring after I do the bulldozer mish mash it's got your name on it - may not be real soon before I can line them all up together outside the shed, but the track gear is on the cards to get a total swap around anyway with one machine having new type oil front track wheels and another one having newish tracks/grousers and super heavy duty rock guards.
Hmmm, that's what I thought when I finally managed to get the cover off. It really is shattered. I removed some of the smaller fragments and re-arranged the rest to lap a bit for welding. It's a strange looking spring now! One thing I did this time around on the clutch repair wqas to invest $85 and hire a petrol powered pressure cleaner. 400 litres on the back of the ute and I blasted every bit of dirt oil and grease that I could find. Only thing I overlooked was to take the inspection covers off the clutch housing, squirt in a heap of degreaser and blast in there as well. Ended up doing it, after it was all apart, with my daughters souped up water pistol. Not quite 4000psi and didn't I cop it when she realised! I've been exploring in the shed and I've disinterred 24 fibre plates in reasonable condition. Heap of rusty steel ones as well. I've also got a spare piece of rope for the side of the bearing caps and I reckon you should be able to rescue your stranded machine without buying anything, apart from some gasket goo. The manual reckons you have to drop the oil but you don't. If you are going to do the job soon, I can also send up the couple of tools you'll need. Puller for the inner hub and spring compressor. Just post them back when you're done.
Awesome - I will get right on it I reckon - Am finalising my plan for the cruiser lifting jib & eyeing off the tree that is right next to a stationary dozer that may even assist in some lifts so will plan to start within the month i reckon & would hope to be done by the end of June. Send me an email and I can sort out some postage money & details etc - really appreciate this - I like to be able to "see" a job where possible before i start it so it doesn't hit a roadblock in the middle - when these things are done at nights & weekends they drag on long enough without holdups & weather. When i did my headstuds (had to drill out & bush 3 of them) man that was a job that took a while - all done under a tarp - & then the obligitory "oh well i may as well paint it too" - full rewire & gauges etc - waterpump etc - pretty as a picture from radiator to dash - It really is good to know what you getting into before starting - appreciate the tips & assistance for sure.
Know exactly what you mean about "seeing" a job. That's why I shove in a heap of detail. Anyone not doing the job probably reckons I'm nuts but when you're doing it, it's nice to know someone else had trouble at that spot as well. The good thing about forums like this is they hang about to help the next person. I've just sent an e.mail.
Thanks - will check it when I get home - Yeah it's the things that the manual doesn't cover that makes the difference - it's all about the details - for people who give a stuff that is. I reckon there's a lot of people who not only don't pass on all the good tips & tricks - but probably don't care enough to even remember them - There are times to erase the memory banks but - some jobs don't bear reliving.
Hi Jeembawb, Sorry about delay, life got in the way! I've had to do a bit of travelling recently, but I'm back again so I put a DIY parcel together for you last night. Just checking the job's still a goer and it should be in the post this afternoon.
Parcel dispatched. Should have it by the weekend given a bit of luck and a tail wind. Included are the fibre plates, rope for seal, puller for hub and flange (if you're tackling the flange on this quick repair?), spring compressor, 65mm socket and 1" driver head. You'll have to locate a good tough bit of 3/4" bar to use with this. You'll also need to procure the cork seals that sit under the bearings and I'd suggest replacing the crown wheel support seals (85 x 57 x 12/13mm viton) while you're in the area. Bit more work but I'd also be replacing the flange seals (120 x 90 x 12mm viton). Might be a quick repair but done right it could last for years. Mind you, it might be hard work getting the flange off, depending how long it's been on. With regard to the puller and the spring compressor make sure you screw the holding threads in well, especially the 12mm thread on the spring compressor. There's a lot of tension on that thread when you're trying to get the last bit of compression on the springs. I'd love to know if you find an easy way to get those fiddly little rusted collets out. I use a wee screwdriver and a nail. The puller is designed to be used in conjunction with a hammer. It has a 7/8" unc thread to give a bit of slack. Oil the thread, tension up, then whack the bolt head with a 2 - 4lb hammer. Slack in the thread should transmit the impact to the hub. I had a lot of trouble with one of my hubs the first time I did this, much heat and hitting required. Don't worry that the bolt doesn't look like it's been hit much, it's a new one as the last borrower got a bit carried away with the hammer bit:bash and destroyed the bolt. Didn't mention it of course. :Banghead They are also the reason the compressor has two centre bolts. I fixed the original, so there's a spare. Like I say, screw in well!
Awesome - love the pics & the details too (& your ad7 looks in reasonable condition for the age - looks looked after)- looks like you have some big wood to cut in one of those pics - do you do any milling? - I have a hydraulic drive chainsaw mill my old man modified from a double ender alaskan mill that I will get around to modifying into a hydraulic drive bandsaw mill (based on the woodmizer cantilever single beam system) and sell off the alaskan mill chainsaw part (without the chainsaws) - Thread might be off subject now
Hmm, you had me puzzled until I went back and looked at the images. I reckon the one you're looking at has the tractor carrying the top cover. The apparent log off to the right is actually a rock. I fished it up with the dozer and whilst I was moving it off to the sidelines, it split clean down the middle. Looks just like the end of a quality log though! This property only grows average trees but we grow excellent rocks. Trust me, I meet them on a regular basis! This discussion is probably a bit unfair though, as I e.mailed the images and they aren't available to others viewing this thread. I'm thinking that I might start a dedicated thread on repairs to 70CI dozers. I've done a few and if I can work out how to add images, we could add a bit to general knowledge on fixing these beasts. Might be boring as bat poo to someone with a D9 and a good contract but if you've got a broken dozer half way down into a gully and very few $'s to fix it with, a few images and some real life experiences could be real treasure. What do you reckon? I can throw in my repairs. If yourself and others could add stories and images, it could live?
Me too big rocks I think benching up against some big rocks was the cause of my steering clutch demise. Love the idea of the fiat fix it thread - I have got pics of most of my done jobs - I think it could be worth more than a service manual when you talk the real world stuff that the manual doesn't cover. Who cares about what D9ers think - they don't know what they're missing out on - why sit on a rig getting bored when you could be fixin it. As to posting pics - I think I had a bit of fun getting the avatar pic thing up there (i got pretty determined but i nearly gave up) i can't remember exactly right now but i may have found some info (a post or somewhere else) that gave 2 options and one of them worked for me - will look at it a bit later to see what i can remember. Go the fiat fix it thread! ( I always carry some No 8 fencing wire in my onboard toolcase - serious .
HeavyEquipmentForums Seems to require albums being created for the pics and then linked to posts - not real sure - it looks a little long winded
Hi Garrie here, from following your thread that would be a good idea about a dedicated thread for owners of 70ci crawlers, any information is never enough, I have one for you re-my head job on my unit I just did and im still puzzled re steam coming out of the rocker cover cap after unit reaches 65c temp ? Garrie.
I can't think of any explanation that doesn't involve a dodgy head gasket or a cracked head.
Sounds not good after doing all that work - I gotta ask - did you replace all the head studs with new ones? It's a big job if they are broken/rusted off or break when you try to get them out - but you really can't put a head back on one of these engines (& all the similar/same ones in Fiat tractors) without replacing the head studs (unless you know the studs have been replaced relatively recently and haven't had 40+ years to corrode away yet). If they are not the problem - you are talking; head gasket, cracked or warped head, cracked or warped block, cylinder seals/shims at the bottom (especially if the cylinders/liners got disturbed while the head was off - i clamped mine down when i was drilling out the head studs), anything really that causes a leak between the crankcase & the water jacket (& i seem to remember there were some areas where water jacket bolts went into the crankcase requiring sealing properly? would have to try & remember & have a look). I guess you have milky oil now huh? A couple more questions i guess - 1. was it doing this before you did the head? 2. why & what did you do to the head & associated bits when you did it? 3. Was the head checked for straightness or crack tested or pressure tested? 4. Is your radiator overflow pipe working & not blocked? 5. Are you sure you haven't got one of the older "steam engine" models? Happy to help if i can Jimbob
Glad to hear parcel got there Jimbob. I tried to reply to your e.mail but your e.mail server doesn't trust my e.mail server so back it came. You'd think having your small, local, ISP taken over by iinet would improve that sort of problem but not so. Watch out for the foam beads when you unpack. They're my secret weapon against clumsy handling. Bust my parcel and there'll be beads everywhere, so they tape the damage up quick smart!
Those foam beads sure are fun - we get them all the time at work & they go everywhere - apparently you can eat them! You would think iinet would be compatible with aanet?? Been eyeing off 18v impact wrenches like you mentioned to make the job a bit more fun - i have got an unused 12v impact wrench that i might try 1st - i didn't realise till i spoke with a powertool salesman yesterday that dc impact wrenches can have more grunt (more efficient grunt at least) than air impact wrenches. Looks like Garrie has a situation on his hands - my neighbour had a fiat tractor with the same sort of motor (wet liners) & the 1st time their mechanic (not familiar with fiat) replaced the head gasket, he didn't know to fit new studs and it didn't last too long at all before it failed again because the corroded studs had stretched - quite common i believe. I have an old chamberlain backhoe with a 4.236 that i have had to do the head gasket twice now - i can say that vht spray on copper gasket is well worth trying - in fact i would now use it on every head gasket i do seeing as it has reliably fixed a crack in the top of the liner that the head gasket seals on - it's done a bit of digging since, so i guess it's fixed - magic goo can fix anything!
Hi Garrie here, I replaced 1 head stud and showed it to IanOz when he came through here with yet another dozer to add to hi very fie collection and he thought it was fine the rest were better, I dont understand stretched head studs ? there tentioned to 225 ft/pnd. any corroded stud that was that badly rusted would not take that torque pressure. The head studs on these tractors are very thick in diamater approx 19-20 mm. the studs that i haveseen that would break under tension have already rusted out and are your next little JOB to be removed from the block when you take the head off .
Hi Garrie I know what you mean - you wouldn't think an 18mm high tensile stud would stretch much huh - however I used two of my good condition left over head studs to make a spring compressor for my track spring when the rod had broken off almost flush with the adjuster nut - now this spring compressor was never going to work seeing as the rod is 36mm & the cross sectional area between the two 18mm studs vs the one 36mm track rod spring - all I was hoping for was to "hold" the spring back while I cut it with the oxy. I watched those studs stretch - the oxidisation flaked off and you could easily see them stretch, mainly down the bottom end where they had been subjected to very minor corrosion (I ended up making a beefy spring compressor with 1" high tensile allthread which worked ok enough) - Anyway - from what I understand - any Fiat experienced tractor mechanic would always replace the studs - but if yours are in good condition, it may be something else P.S. Ianoz has some good looking collection there huh - and sure has a handle on how to post pics
How the hell does one of those springs break ? I would have thought that was the last piece of steel that would self destruct on the old 70. But there you go nothing is guaranteed to last is it. Re my steam from rocker cover, it happes after about 2-3 hrs run time and as there are no valve spring seals on our models im betting the head gasket is leaking slightly and allowing to pass to stem of valve thus water(steam) into top of head and valve cover. Its not serious and i top up about 1 litre of water in the radiator after about 6 hours run time the motor never goes over 70 degrees so im not that concerned at the present time, I dont over rev or thrash the old girl and she gets operated with the respect her age demands. Good luck with your sprig dramas, Garrie
Track spring rod replaced with 36mm hi tensile allthread & all good now thanks Garrie - I don't know how it broke (it was broke & welded up when i got it) but I think it is due to the front track wheel bushes being a bit flogged causing a side load on the tension spring assembly - I guess you could try the various water additives with copper bits in it (seal & go & chemiweld etc) some of them are quite good for fixing little leaks
water issue I was thinking of using some liquid glass which is supposed to be the bees-knees but as with ay of those additives it requires the removal of the thermostat and after the fun time i had with doing up the head and valves springs and valve stem seals i thik ill leave it a while she working like a new one apart from the steam issue. thanks, Garrie. I thought you were talking about the actual spring breaking, which i couldnt fathom, as far as the tensioning bolt goes that i can understand.
I think there are surely some additives that don't require thermostat removal - you just have to wait till it's open.
Ill have to have a look aroud for one of the others, the liquid glass one i looked at said it had to go in the rariator when water cold not warm or hot thus the need for the t/stat removal so it circulated through the head straight away i guess, thanks Garrie.