The next weekend, the crankshaft is moved. In a specialised company, they confirm that it isn't broken, and that it can be rectified. But the main problem is to find a rod bearing for the second connection rod. After two weeks, they announced me that they had found a bearing of some Russian engine that could be adapted to fit. So, now I could really start the restoration!

So, immediately, I removed the water pump, and cleaned properly the engine block to bring it also to that company. They also made me the best offer to replace all worn parts, and even proposed to remount all this parts for a cheaper price than I had elsewhere for only the parts. So, what gain of time and money!
The only thing they asked me was some patience!
 

But patiently waiting and doing nothing, that not my way of life.
Because most of the things were dismounted yet, why not repair the sheet metals, and paint the whole tractor. The more, there is no cabin, no hydraulics, no lightening system and the whole electrical system can be removed as one single part. And there is only one single colour for the whole tractor, except for the rims.

So, after three weekends of hard and intense working, the tractor is ready to be painted. I have chosen a two-compounds paint, and most really bad parts had first been treated with an anti-corrosion product.
 

On the Internet, I found that the right colour is 'somewhere' between RAL-3003 and RAL-3002. I finally combined 75% of RAL-3003 and 25% of RAL-3002, and it seems to me that it is very well.
 

Next weekend, all parts have been remounted, but still without the engine.
The tyres also have been removed to paint the rims inside and outside, witch was especially necessary for the fore wheels. I had put the old tyres, but the ones of the fore wheels didn't survive the first test, and needed to be replaced by new ones.
 

Thursday evening, the 11/07/2002:
Finally, I may look for my engine, and the proper evening, I paint it after putting on provisory the cylinder head and the valve housing cover.
 
 

Saturday morning: time to reassemble the engine.

Mounting the rear oil seal takes some time. It seems to be too great, but finally, it fits however. Mounting the rear plate, flywheel and clutch goes much easier.
 

Late in the evening, all parts are successfully remounted. Only the cylinder head is not fixed yet.
 

Sunday morning: Time to mount the cylinder head.

First mishap: The company, who had retuned the engine, had removed all of the bolts for the cylinder head nuts. Doing this, they have damaged the threat in one of the holes in the engine block, so that I couldn’t refit the bolt.

But there was also a second mishap: Till now, I hadn't cleaned the cylinder head, and doing this, all of sudden I see a fissure between the two valves of the second cylinder.

So, what to do now?

Some hours later, having some clearer thinking, I begin to remember that that fissure also was there when I opened the engine for the first time, 26 years ago, when I was 18. So, I decide to put the cylinder head as it is. We would see how it works.

But the bolt now!
I finally decide to make another one, having on the underside a metric M14*1.5 threat instead of the G1/2". The metric threat is about 1.5 mm greater than the G1/2", so I can fit a new threat in the existing hole in the engine block. I can finish all this successfully, so with 2 weeks of delay, the engine is installed in the tractor.
 

During this installation, - by my own stupid fault! - I also broke the half corroded and weak radiator. So another unexpected cost, and another delay of 2 weeks.
 

13/08/2002:
Finally!
Here it is, turning in front of the house of my brother in law.

A beautiful sound of old mechanics, working again after 18 years. Good oil pressure, no leakage and no smoke, unless just after starting.
However, now and then there is a little bit of air coming in the radiator, but not enough to really worry about.

The photos were taken about one hour after starting. Two hours later, the left front tyre broke, so instead of continuing my tests, I had to replace the both front tyres, and the day was finished. But I was happy!

The missing parts (head of the air filter and cover plate under the flywheel), the stickers, new instruments, a new muffler, lightning ..., that will be for later, when budget and time will permit doing this.

Because I didn't have any official paper of this tractor (bought as old iron, do you remember), it took about 1 month to have the necessary papers to ride on the public roads. I prefer an old capricious Diesel engine, rather then the hard Belgian administration.
 

Carl DEVLIES, Wevelgem, Octobre 2002.