Valley Axe Man

Work in progress.... Bespoke made Stainless steel exhaust for the 472.... Length of 2 and a quarter inch diameter tube fitted with a 4 inch silencer barrel which has 2 dished baffle plates inside it with 2 and a quarter inch diameter holes through making in effect a straight through with hopefully the baffles reducing the noise a little.... started the polishing up process and have ordered a stainless steel weather cap flap for the top....the bonus of being in and around plenty of dairy pipe as your day job... And staying back abit after a days graft to make use of a TIG welder 👍

A photo off one of my fellow Leyland fanatics, at the time the flagship of the range in the shape of an 804, well weighted with cast rears and a full rack out front but managed to utilize every one of her 82hp pulling 7 furrows, as Mike (Robbo) says above yes furrow widths have changed considerably over the past couple of decades but even at 12" furrows she's a good load on her even in lighter soil types... Funnily enough though another Leyland man re created a similar scene up in mid Scotland with a 465 pulling 6 furrow semi mounted....which would have really dragged the 465 down

Wow John.... Every credit to you... Hard to tell in some of them photos if it's models or real deal... Stunning photos 👍

Cheers Smithy, aye we had a good day at it yesterday, Gemma fairly good now with a socket set so once I laid the bits out she had them clagged back together fairly quick whilst I did the linkages and cylinders, yes this is the second of the knocked through exhausts, first one was just an inch hole with a muck fork tine but this one was knocked through with inch and three quarter solid bar and baffle completely knocked out... When a standard exhaust does the same on the 465 it's pointing to a bad batch of exhausts.....

Well a days hard graft and she's back on the road, new seals in the brake housings, all refit, new linings to replace the oil soaked ones, cab nailed back down and wheels back on, replacement manifold fitted but still issues with the exhausts. Had her out to bed the new linings in and they seem to have settled in ok, but whilst pursue an answer to the exhaust issue there's still a few bits and bobs to do to keep us occupied received_1330154200861762.mp4 received_873042717274181.mp4

A step backwards this weekend.... Still no joy with the exhaust issue, been back to supplier and had a chat yesterday morning, duly a replacement was issued which when fit and tested on the same route as previous.... Unfortunately same issues arose so it was duly removed and returned yesterday lunchtime where after more discussion a further 5 were issued to try to find a good one, one was tried on the 465 to prove a point it isn't the 472, and sure enough same faults arose. Under instructions of testing we even drove a tine off a muck fork down the exhaust and through the baffle but still the blisters and burning appeared..... During testing another fault arose in the shape of a leaking oil seal on the left hand brake shaft thus oiling the brake linings...... So today with Gemma's assistance we got the brakes and housing removed ready for new oil seal and gasket...... And seeing as we in for a penny as well as being in for the pound the right hand side been stripped and will re seal that side as a matter of course whilst it's now back laid up with a couple of legs up..... Shopping list next thing to be made in preparation for a rebuild next weekend before tackling the existing exhaust issues......

A few hours this morning up at the yard, firstly nipped on an errand for my landlord to go and pick up a bit of firewood, so seeing as it weren't a bad morning I thought I'd give the 465 a stretch of her legs, then once back I set the tracking on the 472 and then refitted the tunnel matting.

Happy New Year to all here on ftf, wishing you all good health and happiness for 2023 👍

Not what you expect when you buy of a well respected spares place, it's not the supplier fault it's down to manufacture

Had a run up the road to my dad's final resting place with the 472 and Gemma followed on with our 804... Furthest the 472 has been on the road, to be fair she running well, just a suspect oil seal that might require a wear sleeve when replace seals but will let it develop for now. She pulled well up onto the fell, still a bit bouncy with lack of front end weight... Biggest downside was the recent replacement exhaust that after only 5 miles up the road had started burning the enamel coating off.... needless to say I'm a bit miffed..... Anyhow a couple of photos and a happy and healthy new year to you all on here from me and Gemma. VID_20221231_104542.mp4

Another couple of hours doing a few more bits and bobs, mostly messing with the lengths of the connection linkages between the quadrant and the main lift and auxiliary selectors to get them operating correctly... and then tried to stage a photo in similar position to 12 months ago for comparison.......then and now as it were. Then couldn't resist a quick run up the lane with a couple of photos of her against a better background👍. Think brakes want taking up another flat on adjusters now they getting bedded in, so will happen do that next job before she sees any more road

Couple of hours spent playing with the cab cladding kit that we bought off Tractor cab specialist Logan McMaster.... wasn't cheap to buy but doesn't look too bad now it's in place... A little bubble in the left hand door side where the finishing strip rivits on but I'll pop the strip off and see if I can fettle it.

Cheers Smithy, aye was talking to landlord earlier and he said he didn't think that we'd make anything of it when we landed it back up at the yard, but he's surprised at how far we come with it now, he's even more surprised at how Gemma got stuck in with needle gun and grinder and even learning to weld... To be fair she surprise me a bit too but fair play to her for getting stuck in.... She's now got her sights on helping Sandra and Mick with this year's lambing campaign

Cheers John, aye she does look a bit different now, don't quite know how many hours we've got in her so far but there be a few..... And wouldn't want to be paying the labour bill... Parts bill been bad enough although the Nuffield club discount at Charnleys has been a good help

12 months to the day since we picked her up.... Come a long way since then.... Still remember the little fellas Fastrac needing low first to climb out of Roeburndale bottoms..... Later after a few weekends worth of investigation, lack of power turned out to be an underfuelling issue....

Another couple of additions off Gemma and her mum for me as part of my Christmas gifts, first off a export 282/482 brochure, which a cabless 482 would be high on my list of tractor investment as shod with the right wheels and lacking a set of wafers is 99.99% on the money weight wise legally on an ifor behind my Landy.... Secondly an ST72 forestry forwarder brochure.... Which utilizes a 472 skid unit and engine as it's heart to be reincarnated as a forestry machine.... I've never seen one in the flesh but by the brochure they were only built 10 miles down the road from us in Blackburn......

Cheers Justin, aye outside it's now just the little cosmetic stuff and also the decals but next big chunk of labour that will hopefully get done in next couple of days will be getting the cladding kit inside the cab fitted and tunnel mat back in.... Apart from sorting the plough lamps all the electrical work is done, picked up the hitch latch spring and lock the other day so that will finish the back end off apart from a pair of stabilizer brackets for the sway bars and to make new hydraulic hoses at work for the spools, I had hoped to have had her finished by the year end hence why I called her project 22 but with recent engagement ring to pay for and our week away up at Edinburgh job seemed to have slowed abit.... I know once she sees a bit of road to warm her up properly there could be a few oil seals that weep but hopefully there be nothing major mechanical to do before show season next year

Cheers Paul, aye she's getting there.... Still a bit to do but she's fit enough to be on the road now...

Managed a quick couple of hours up at the shed this afternoon between errands and last minute bits, got front grille fitted, new original spec light grey enamel exhaust, new temp sender unit fitted, and mirror arms cleaned off and given a couple or three coats of satin black hammerite..... Not much but made a start at getting going on her again after almost 2 months of not making any serious progress.... To be fair the 465 started first turn after not being run since start of November, 472 wound over a bit but then went without too much bother... Couple of laps of the yard before grabbing a photo of them but should hopefully get a bit more progress during the Christmas break 👍 VID_20221224_134929.mp4

Just want to wish all the forum members on here a Merry Christmas with hopefully good health to enjoy the festive season, some of you on here know us but from me and Gemma aka MarshallGem here in Lancashire we hope you all have a good one 👍

Looks like you getting on though John 👍

Bit of last minute Christmas Shopping 🤣🤣bits for the 472 at Charnleys, good to catch up with JMDs son Matt and a couple of free cups

Yep your spot on Nigel.. hence the QF in the name, although the brochure shows fitted to a 245, which being a nimble little tractor was ideal for loader work especially with the synchro gear box, 1st and reverse being a straight through shift but the downfall to the 245 and latter 502 were the weak bellhousing when used in heavy loader work, as unlike the 4 cylinder Leylands they didn't have the cast chassis and quite a few tractors literally broke in two at the bellhousing... Think there was a service update stating that those wanting to use a 245 on heavy loader work were advised on secondary brackets to take the loader stressed through to the rear axle trumpets

Even my future mother in law to be has started feeding my habit for Leyland literature 🤣 a birthday present off Gemma's mum... Qf loader brochure

Looks an impressive face shovel does that Joe..... Aye would have been good to have got a catch up, to be fair we couldn't get in visitors centre at the wheel, bad bit was £3.50 for parking and everywhere closed up including the toilets... Did see something written somewhere about the mention of a kettle Vs power in the wheel on revolution. Certainly a credit to the engineers and the folk that built it.