Well the valves came in today and they fit perfectly other than we will have to grind a smidge off the end of the valve. Even the MH keepers fit it. They are valve that fit a 301 engine, (thants a JD4010 gas) if anyone is interested. Now I am not sure how a Massey will run with JD valves in it but these are after market so they should be okay. Now to get the valve seats ground and the head can go back together. Getting closer. Still have the oil sump problem to deal with.

I got some work done on it today, took a while to remember where I was at. I got the impulse and mag drive on. I put the govoner and throttle controls on then I put the starting crank system back together. It took me awhile to figure out how that all worked since it was all rusted away when I got it. Then I found an oil sump off one of my red Challengers and it was broke but all the pieces were there. That is one nasty job taking that out. Got it all sandblasted and will take it to the welder friend of mine. Then I sand blasted the cly head and got it ready to take to the machine shop to get the valve seats ground. I think a couple of them are going to have to be replaced. I was amazed that I could turn the motor over with the crank as it was tight. I have the radiator to rebuild, front steel wheels to have made and get the cly head back on. Then the major job of replacing all the rear lugs on the steel wheels. My son tried to losen one of the lug bolts the other night and I think he would have fliped the wheel over before he got one loose. I think this is going to be a job for the gas axe.

Sounds like your making very good progress on your CH Dan, Those lug bolts can be real skin pullers.

Over the years there are only two tractors in my collection of "U" frames that have not had cracked or broken bottom oil filters.
Some have been major repairs all carried out by a very experienced welder well in his 80's now. He uses the blacksmith's forge to both heat up slowly before welding and then cool  down slowly the casting after welding.
The last one he did for me is a spare I found in the bottom of my parts pile two years ago, it now sits on the shelf just in case I need one in the future.

I have often wondered if  one could be totally fabricated from steel pipe, making it easier to weld the curved plate flanges to the top for mating up to the holes in the "U" frame. It's amazing what you can do with a welder, angle grinder and a bit of time.

Malcolm.

I am also currently putting a challenger together that is in "buckets". and have come across all of the same problems that I have been reading about in this post. The information on this website makes life a whole lot easier. After about 6 months of my spare time things are finally starting to go back together

So I got all the new valves and the head is at the machine shop getting the seats ground. I would like to put new valve springs on because some of the valves has washers under the springs so I figure they are weak. Anyone know if there is a valve spring off of something else that works ?
Or would someone know the resting spring pressure of what the spring is supposed to be. None of the books I have give much specs.

So it's time to get back on the Challenger. I found a set of front steel this fall and am very happy with the wheels and the price. Then I gave up on trying to find an oil sump for it so I sent it off to Midwest Cly Head in Nevada IA to get welded. It looks fantastic $$$ but fantastic. Now the only big thing left is the radiator but I will get the rest of it back together before I attempt the work on it.

Looks like Christmas has come early for you Dan, you must be very pleased finding a pair of CH front steel in that condition, with original paint on them looks like they were on a styled red CH in their working life.

Great job on the bottom oil filter casting. It is amazing at what talent is out there, sometimes the difficulty is just finding it.

Keep up the good work.

Malcolm.

Well I finally got back to working on my Challenger. The first thing I did was put my $400 weld job oil sump on. Man that would have been a lot eaiser to do when the motor was out. Had to make a special wrench to get it done. Then onto the cly head now it looks like a tractor. Then I tried to piece the oil filter back together and I need some help.

There are 3 springs in it. One goes on the back side of the reverse oil flow with a steel ball on the end. Then there is another spring about 2" long I am not sure where it goes but I am guessing on the backside if the stem of the reverse plunger. Then there is another spring about half that length that I have no idea where it goes. Anyone out there that can help me with this? Pictures?

I will have to set the valves and I remember one of our old mechanics telling me to set them to the thickeness of a worn nickle. And body know how many thousands a worn nickle is?

Does anyone make manifold gaskets for the Challenger? I have made them in the past out of MR Gasket header gasket material. Is there anything better or reproductions?

I dug the manifold out and I forgot the exhaust pipe  is badly cracked. I suppose I will have to send that the the cast welder also $$$$$

If someone can shed some light on my filter spring problem it would be great.

Well I was digging in my pile of Challenger parts and look what I found. A brand new vaporiser. It doesn't fit the Challenger so I would have to figure out what it fits. Bet there are not to many new ones of those around.

Dan,

The Vaporizer you found is for a Massey Harris 25 Serial Number 73,112 and up. If you have no use for it and would consider selling it I would be interested in buying it. But for now at least you know what it is for.

Joe