Allis CA

 Sometimes, not all the time, writing things down that need to be done actually help spur me along. Found the copper gasket spray hidden in one of the many totes with paint in them. Sprayed the gasket on both sides and laid it on the block.

Rebuilt head ready to go on next.

Threads on all head bolts coated in #2 permetex sealant. Torqued to 60 ft lbs.

Valve rocker assembly installed. Valves set to .012 gap.

Cheryl supervised the process:

While in the mood the front timing gear cover might as well go on too.

The crank seal had been damaged when I forced it over the speedi sleeve sharp edge, so I did get a new crank seal. 

I gently peened over the leading edge of speedy sleeve to give a starting lip. Added some black tape to ease the seal onto the crank.

New gasket with sealer on both sides, then timing cover slipped into the home position easily. 

Crank seal slipped onto the crank snout and looked to be in good condition this time:

Hand tighten all the bolts for the timing cover for an hour, then tightened.

The plan is to paint the block without the pan and valve cover, as they are already painted.

Regards,

 Chris and Cheryl

Well we have been busy wrapping up our hobby maple syrup season this spring.

 I think it's spring? we have had a dusting of snow several times in the last few days.

I had a little time to find some of the bench tops in the shop work area. I have lots of paint items for the CA. Looks like way too much! Perfect. Found some of the engine components. Can't find the copper spray gasket can?? I did find some #2 gasket sealer that I plan to use to coat the threads of the head bolts.

Not sure this engine will run any better, but I feel degreeing the cam as recommended by Paul B was the correct thing to do.

Hoping for some weather where I can throw open the doors of the shop and do some sanding and grinding outside. 

My soft goal is to try to have the CA ready for early pulling season. Well that is not going to happen. So the next thing would be to have it ready for our local fair in September. Our great grandson Kolten would be able to pull at that event at age 13. I bought the CA at that event three years ago. Yikes time keeps moving on.

Regards,

Chris and Cheryl

Our Fire and Ice is now somewhat of our brand for all our syrup. We did have ice on the almost syrup in the evaporator this season too. And lots of ice in our collection stations. And with the roaring wood fire below we do make great syrup between the fire and the ice.

We have our second day of our annual Taste and Tour today. Usually several hundred folks come to visit and learn about the art of making syrup. 

(We cut up hot dogs and glaze them with some of the maple BBQ, a nice snack)

I have been blessed with many friends and family helping Cheryl and I this maple season!

I hope all is good in Orange land. I am looking forward to spending some quality time putting the Allis CA together this spring too.

Regards,

 Chris and Cheryl

That's "Maple" BBQ ! Thanks! Will be sending your items out Monday.

We expect several hundred folks to visit us tomorrow and Sunday. We may talk about Allis tractors too!:)

Just finished boiling for the day and have made about 90 gallons of syrup this season. Some amber and some dark. Our maple season is almost done.

 Regards, 

Chris and Cheryl

We have a web site you can look at. 

We have most of our maple products ready for our maple open house this weekend.

There is about 650 gallons of sap to boil tomorrow. Also Maple cotton candy to make. 

The weather is going to be warm for a couple days. Then will need another freeze to start the sap flowing again. Might get a couple additional sap runs?

Regards,

 Chris and Cheryl

Way off topic but we are into our maple syrup season. I will post a bunch of pictures that may be of interest to some folks.

My toy:

Almost syrup:

There is some of the first syrup for 2025 a nice amber, great flavor:

Gathering sap and we have some ice in the collection containers:

Cheryl is trying to stay warm in the cool sugar house. Ruby by her side most of the time:

This was the snow a couple days ago. Dropped just below freezing last night again and another 2 inches of snow this morning.

Samples of our syrup from 24 years in our sugar house. Two windows are full not sure I will fill a third window. We make about 10-20 samples per year. Getting too old for this!

Here is the other display in the window.

Regards,

 Chris and Cheryl

 I installed the cam in the CA engine. Set it up for inspection of the lobe center-line again.

Checked it several times and found the numbers to be consistent at 106 degrees. The spec was 105.4 IIRC. So this is very close to the cam card and it will be close enough to allow me to carry on with the rest of the build.

I will try to check the rest of the cam lobes if I get a chance.

Regards,

 Chris and Cheryl

I have excuses all the time!

Getting ready to tap the sugarbush a couple weeks ago. Cheryl has been riding along with me for hours at a time getting set up and tapped. We only have a small syrup hobby business, about 625 taps.

Family is helping. Great grandson helping tap the last 200 taps:

Gathering sap:

What I do best, rest!

Grandson Mike helping get started with our first boil of 2025:

The old school wood fire in the arch warms the bones:

Back to the real world and the old Allis cam:

Matt using his skills to mill a new key:

Cam gear and shaft re assembled:

Regards,

 Chris and Cheryl

I did get a chance to check the centerline angle of the lobe. A couple of times checking and I got 102 degrees. Which means I went too far and need lees of a offset. May have another key machined at about .024 or .026. (about 2 degrees) Will see if my friend Matt can do this for me again. Might coast me a a case of some frosty adult beverage. 

Regards,

 Chris and Cheryl

 I have the cam in the engine. Need to get some time to start the process of inspection again.

Regards,

 Chris and Cheryl