Restoration - Engine Professional

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FEATURE
RESTOR
Endless
opportunities
for profit in
flathead, marine,
ag and vintage
engine work
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RATION
British and
Other Vintage
Engine
Restorations
BY JOHN GOODMAN
My first venture into British motor vehicles was with the purchase of a brand
new 1968 650cc Triumph motorcycle.
The dealer I bought it from was awaiting
his stock order from England so I had
time to kill before taking delivery. The
wait gave me more time to better understand what I was getting by talking to
users directly (sadly, no Internet back
then). I heard all the superlatives about
how well the bike handled, power to
spare, how beautiful it was and of course
that intoxicating exhaust note (well, for
some of us anyway). What was left out
were comments about pernicious oil
leaks, fasteners that rattled loose, electrical problems of all sorts, carburetor fuel
leaks, etc., etc. But this was my first real
British motorcycle so many of these irritations could be forgiven.
When the bike finally arrived, the
dealer uncrated it and began the pre-delivery service. I wanted to be there when this
occurred and the dealer obliged. Armed
with my mental list of “forgivables”, I
slowly became aware of what eventually
became known as “British standard”.
First off, the engine and gearbox were
empty of oil. I asked if this was how
Triumph shipped their motorcycles and
the mechanic laughingly said, yes. Both
gearbox and engine were full of oil when
leaving England but leaked dry in the
time it took to reach US soil. Try getting
that one by officials today.
OK, so it leaks a little oil over time.
How bad can that be? Not bad really if
you don’t mind a perpetual puddle of oil
on the garage floor. But it didn’t just leak
standing still, it liked to leak from rocker
boxes and vent holes while running. This
too wasn’t so bad if you don’t mind dedicating pants, shoes and socks to the
cause. After a few tongue lashings from
my wife, I had to seek alternatives and fix
the oil leaks or find someone else to help
remove oil stains from my clothes.
My first stop was the dealer. I asked if
anything could be done to eliminate these
leaks and while he was at it, explain the
myriad of unusual noises emanating from
the engine. None of this sounded healthy
and if not fixed, I was sure the engine
would succumb too early in its life. The
dealer’s answer to this was if it is British,
it leaks. If it makes unusual, indescribable
noises, it’s British. It comes that way from
the factory new so what could they do
about it now? And this was the great lesson learned; IF IT IS BRITISH (and one
could easily insert Italian, German,
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RESTORATION
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< Figure 1 – Front view of a
1970 Maserati Bora V8.
Opposite Page >
Figure 2 – Bottom end of a
Maserati Bora V8. Note the
heavy 80lb crankshaft;
Figure 3 – Left cylinder
bank of a Maserati Bora V8.
Looks like a 4.9 Caddy;
Figure 4 – Maserati Bora V8
with head gasket and coated piston installed;
Figure 5 – 1970 Maserati V8
cylinder head with cams;
Figure 6 – XK 120 Jaguar
3.4L cast iron block;
Figure 7 – XK 120 Jaguar
3.4L block front view;
Figure 8 – XK 120 Jaguar
3.4L block rear view;
Figure 9 – XK 120 Jaguar
3.4L forged steel crankshaft.
French, etc.), IT WILL LEAK OIL AND
MAKE NOISES. This was true back in
1968 and just as true for those early
engines today. Thus began my odyssey
into noisy, leaky European engines of old.
I spent a good portion of this article
making the point that British (and few
other early engine manufacturers) leaked
oil and made questionable noises when
new. It was because of this that many
engine shops avoided them. In the 1960’s
and 70’s, shops were busy rebuilding
other less problematic engines without
associated customer complaints of leaks
and noise. Today, vintage engine customers accept oil leaks and unexplainable
mechanical noise as common and normal.
Many of today’s engine machine shops
have made the shift away from low to no
profit passenger car engines and on to
higher profit specialty engines. Nowadays,
these vintage engines command premium
labor dollars and owner/customers are
educated about leaks and noises. Because
of this, vintage and specialty engines have
become popular work again.
One positive aspect of rebuilding vintage engines is the diversity you will find.
Most vintage engines in the UK are rela-
14 JAN-MAR 2009 engine professional
tively low tech; meaning blocks and heads
are made of cast iron with cam-in-block
configurations. Even the well known
(early) Aston Martin DB5 block is made
of grey cast iron and the head aluminum.
No other exotic materials other than what
may have ventured into the engine from
previous overhauls. One other notable
exception is the Jaguar XK series that
used a dual overhead cam aluminum
cylinder head. But virtually everything else
in the engine was made of common materials and component configurations. The
jaguar engines exported from England
suffered numerous cylinder head failures
here in the United States where climate
can be considerably warmer. The aluminum used in many British cylinder
heads was not of the best quality and not
very resistant to corrosion and erosion.
When rebuilding these heads, pay careful
attention to tappets and tappet guides.
Tappet guides often work loose when
overly hot and cause the tappet to move
at odd angles to the cam. Eventually, the
cam and/or valves fail.
Another is Maserati. The 1970
Mazerati Bora V8 pictured in Figure 1 is
full aluminum employing a number of
quality materials and high performance
design cues. This engine bears a striking
resemblance to a Big Block Chevrolet at
the bottom end (Figure 2) and a 4.9
Cadillac in the cylinder area (Figure 3 and
4). Given what we see today in the most
basic modern dual overhead cam engines,
the Maserati Bora cylinder head looks
almost simple by comparison (Figure 5).
Do you see anything here that would
cause you heartburn to machine and
rebuild? I didn’t think so because even
what sounds exotic, isn’t always difficult
from a shop perspective. The same could
be said for Ferrari, Lamborghini,
Mercedes and other Italian/German sports
and passenger car engines.
Next, let’s take a look at a 3.4L inline
six Jaguar XK 120 series engine. Figures
6, 7 and 8 illustrate just how basic this
cast iron block is. Decking, boring, honing or line boring/honing this block isn’t
any harder than a garden variety Ford
170 so don’t shy away from doing these
engines. Even the crank (Figure 9) isn’t
anything special. It is a forged steel unit
but not nitride hardened and can be
ground safely to an undersize without
additional work. The aftermarket went to
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RESTORATION
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< Opposite Page:
Figure 10 – XK 120 Jaguar
3.4L cylinder head with
cams; Figure 11 – XK 120
Jaguar 3.4L cylinder head
front view; Figure 12 – 1930
Auburn cylinder head/cylinders complete with tappets;
Figure 13 – 1930 Auburn
cylinder head/cylinders
top view; Figure 14 – 1960s
vintage Aston Martin DB5
block top view; Figure 15 –
1960s vintage Aston Martin
DB5 block bottom view;
Figure 16 – 1940s vintage
MG TC engine ready for
teardown; Figure 17 –
1960s vintage MGA engine
ready for teardown.
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work fixing the rear main seal leak on
this and other XK engines. It is now possible to update these blocks to a full circle
oil seal thus eliminating the “stock” oil
leak.
The XK 120 cylinder head is aluminum but like the Maserati Bora V8, not
very complicated. In fact, as a two valve
per chamber head, there are fewer assembly components than found on a 1995
Toyota DOHC inline six (see Figures 10
and 11). Valve buckets have to be fit to
obtain valve clearance but parts for this
engine are readily available.
Next on the list is a1930 Auburn
straight eight. I chose this engine because
of the unique mechanical layout it possesses. As you can see from Figures 12
and 13, everything about this engine is
straight forward and should not cause
you any extraordinary difficulty. Castings
are grey cast iron so materials you work
with on this engine will be very familiar.
The Aston Martin DB5 sounds like
another one of those exotics that imparts
complex machining and assembly issues.
But a quick look at Figures 14 and 15
and you will see more grey cast iron subject to normal machining processes. The
DB5 block utilizes wet liners so your
choice is to either buy replacement liners
and pistons or re-bore and hone the stock
liners to an oversize. Unlike the Jaguar
inline six with seven main bearing saddles, the DB5 has four only. However,
these main housings are full circle offering
substantial rigidity, similar to Offenhouser
race engines circa 1975.
Lastly, I thought it important to mention smaller, less exotic engines from MG.
MG was typical of the four cylinder
sports car engines of their time. Triumph
(the car), Ford Lotus/Cortina, AC Bristol,
Morgan, Hillman and other British autos
all had basic engines for power plants and
easily rebuilt. Engine design changes for
these little sports cars moved at a snail’s
Figure 18 – 1960s vintage
MGA engine top view;
Figure 19 – 1960s vintage
MGA timing components.
Note the simple tensioner.
pace so they became
plentiful and parts easy
to find. Figure 16 is of a
1940’s MG TC. Note
the similarities between
the TC and a 1960’s
MGA (Figure 17, 18
and 19).
Once again, the
point of this article is to
demonstrate how easy it
is to work on these vintage engines. Most of
the aggravation with
leaks, noise and lack of profit potential
has been erased by time. Shops specializing in rebuilding these engines enjoy a
minimum of 2X or more the normal shop
rate charged for other similar machine
and assembly work. Because these are
restoration or limited use engines, owners
want the very best in parts and workmanship. Please charge accordingly.■
AERA President John Goodman was director of the
Advanced Technology Center (ATC) for MicromaticTextron prior to his position with AERA. The ATC
focused on manufacturing honing solutions and
studies for OEM engine manufacturers. Testing of
traditional and unique honing abrasive systems,
coolants, fixtures, tools and software were primary
responsibilities of the ATC lab.
engine professional JAN-MAR 2009 17
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RESTORATION
Marine Engine
Restoration
BY KIM RAMONT
As members of AERA, most of us are
familiar with the internal combustion
engine and its many uses. Some of us specialize in automotive, some industrial,
maybe high-performance, but few probably base their business on marine engines.
This article will touch on a few of the differences between automotive and marine
rebuilding relating to four-cycle inboard
marine engines.
Normal shop procedure would be to
disassemble and lay aside the non-basic
engine parts. Marine engines, however,
usually come complete with carburetion,
ignition systems, external cooling systems,
generator and starter. Attention to detail
during disassembly will make assembly
much easier. We take plenty of photos
and keep them on file for future projects.
As we remove pieces we pay close attention to wear and possible corrosion of
external equipment such as thermostat
housings, water-cooled manifolds, risers
and elbows, transmission and oil coolers
and hoses. All of these items are important to the quality of the rebuild and not
only add cost of parts, but also billable
hours to the job.
When we arrive at the basic engine,
(intake to pan), disassembly becomes
more familiar. One possible difference at
this point is rotation of engine. Manuals
and parts lists refer to this as, “standard
rotation”, or, “opposite rotation”. This
fact needs to be determined during disassembly in order to assemble pistons correctly to rods, have properly rotating
camshaft, and insure our timing marks
are aligned properly for cam timing.
Number one cylinder needs to be identified, (sometimes at flywheel end of
engine), and brought to top dead center.
We emphasize making our own timing
reference marks on gears or sprockets.
Chris Craft engines, (Hercules), are especially bad about multiple marks and letters depending on model and rotation.
Disassembly and inspection will proceed as normal, being careful to keep
track of old parts. Keeping old main bearing and rod bearing shells is important
because of availability problems. Bearings
for old Gray Marine, Continental, and
Chris Craft, Hercules, are becoming short
18 JAN-MAR 2009 engine professional
in supply, especially in under sizes, so old
shells may need to be repoured for use.
Cam bearings, if removed, should also be
saved.
Crankshafts should be checked and
serviced as usual, paying extra attention
to oil passages that are sometimes drilled
from crank oil galley thru the snout of the
crank to oil the reverser or reduction
transmission.
Blocks require the same procedures as
automotive engines with close attention
paid to cleaning any sand or debris stuck
in the lower block and checking for any
erosion of water jackets. Sonic testing
cylinders may be more of a norm here
compared to automotive engines. Because
of unlimited cooling water, (fresh water
cooling systems), and water ejecting
Due to the
small number
of shops willing
to do this
specialized work,
the marine
engine rebuilding
market is alive
and well.
through water cooled manifolds, it’s
almost impossible to diagnose a crack in a
combustion chamber. Valve seat to cylinder bore areas need to be scrutinized for
cracks. “L” head type marine engines are
susceptible to cracking and leaking in
these areas. Stitching, valve seats and
sleeving are all too common in one or two
cylinders in marine applications.
Assuming you have cleaned and
checked components, block, head, crank
rods and pistons, and valve train, you
now have a parts list. There are generally
parts available thru the usual parts
sources. Ideally we try to use original
manufacturers replacement parts to main-
tain the integrity of vintage engines. Many
customers are willing to pay any additional costs for these authentic parts.
Amazingly, some large inventories of old
marine companies still exist. Be careful
when substituting automotive parts for
marine parts. Some things will work but
in certain situations parts may look the
same but subtle differences will cause
problems during assembly. Gaskets may
have or delete a hole or bend, bearing
tangs in different locations, larger head
diameters or stem diameters or valve train
are just some of the pitfalls. Carefully
matching new pieces to old at this time
will eliminate the unwanted phone calls
about leakage or not running correctly.
Now that all the machining procedures
and parts locating have been achieved, it’s
time to reassemble using pictures and
marks created.
Remember, most shops or marinas
can’t do what we do, so paying attention
to billing detail is as important as always.
We don’t, “ballpark”, or estimate these
engines over the phone. It’s almost impossible to figure these engines without a
complete tear down and inspection. We
price marine engine with the understanding that we will be paid for out time for
inspection and cleaning. We receive very
few complaints about price of these jobs.
Most customers appreciate the quality
work with attention to detail. For a
change we can bill for tune-up pieces,
hoses, t-stats, belts etc., because these
units usually come complete.
Even in these tough economic times
these jobs are still out there. Many of
these clients are affluent collectors with
more than one vintage water craft. Due to
the small number of shops willing to do
this specialized work, the marine engine
rebuilding market is alive and well. So,
dive in, the water’s fine!■
Kim Ramont is from Gray Marine Engine Parts, a
supplier of over one million parts for both recreational
and commercial vessels from almost every
manufacturer worldwide. In addition to new parts,
they also specialize in locating obsolete,
no-longer-available, back ordered and used parts.
For more information, please call 630-485-5007
or go online: graymarineparts.com.
Pictured Opposite Page >
Figure 1 – Gray Marine Fireball Four-90;
Figure 2 – Sears Elgin 17 ft. cruiser, kit boat
by Chris Craft, Gray Marine Phantom Six-135;
Figure 3 – Gray Marine Fireball Six-160.
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RESTORATION
Flathead Ford
and Model A
Engine
Restoration
BY MIKE CARUSO
H&H Flatheads has become a 40-year-inthe-making overnight success. With hard
work for many years, they have become
one of the country’s best flathead and
Model A engine builders. H&H has been
building Ford 4 bangers and flatheads
since the late ’60s. It all started in their
grandparents’ garage by the Hermans’
father. It was the only way to fix his daily
driver Model A and eventually turned
into a business with helpful knowledge
passed down from the likes of Joe Gimsa
and Kong Jackson.
In 1972, the garage became too small
and he moved into the shop on 4451
Ramsdell Avenue in La Crescenta,
California, where it still stands today. It
has always specialized in the early Ford 4
cylinders and when Max Herman III took
over H&H Antique Engine Rebuilding 10
years ago, the Model A restoration has
been increasing every year.
Mike Herman joined the crew over
five years ago and started H&H
Flatheads specializing on the Ford
Flatheads V8. Since then he has also continued the tradition of Barney Navarro by
purchasing the company from him and
producing the best heads and manifolds
on the market.
In early 2006, Mike bought Navarro
Engineering from legendary Barney
Navarro. Now he makes the early heads,
late heads and the special high dome racing heads. He also reintroduced three
manifolds that Barney hasn’t made for
nearly fifty years. Mike is using all the
original permanent patterns and tooling.
H&H is also continuing to expand the
line in 2009 and is coming out with a 2x2
regular dual manifold and a Navarro 471
blower snout and back plate to finish off
a complete Navarro 471 blower kit. The
castings are still being poured at the original fourth generation family foundry in
Los Angeles.
Barney choose H&H because of their
commitment to high quality, nostalgic
engines. He felt it was a perfect fit to
carry on one of the best heads and manifolds ever made for the flattys. “It’s great
20 JAN-MAR 2009 engine professional
being able to talk and learn from hotrod
legends and continue to keep the tradition
alive” says Mike.
H&H is a long-time family business
with help from everyone in the family –
even having a special mom help out from
time to time. Like all mothers, she is
always willing to lend a hand. H&H
Flatheads had led the resurgence in traditional restoration and hotrods by providing a lost art of building some of the best
flathead and four bangers. With the
changing market going from billet aluminum back to rust and Ford Green,
H&H Flatheads has stood the test of time
by always standing behind their products
and always trying to improve them. They
tend to stay with what works and take
the extra step — for example, pressure
sealing every motor that comes through
the shop to ensure no leaks.
It’s great being
able to talk
and learn from
hotrod legends
and continue
to keep the
tradition alive.
H&H Antique has come out with
many new additions to the Model A
restorers. They have made their own full
width insert bearings and H-Beam rods
which will never break in a 4 banger.
Also, for the hill climbers and people who
want a little more “giddy-up and go”, an
aluminum flywheel and a super touring
motor has been developed. H&H also has
all of their valves custom made exclusively by Manley Performance. With the
model A engines, they weld counter
weights on all the cranks and convert the
blocks to insert main and rod bearings
making the old engine just like a modern
motor internally while stock appearing on
the outside. In these 4 cylinder engines,
they also install eight hardened valve seats
then a three-angle valve job. The old
blocks get new cylinder walls from the
installation of four new sleeves. These
blocks look stone stock on the outside,
but they are all updated inside with three
different variations. The first is a stock
engine rebuild, which has all the machine
work listed but the addition of the B
grind on the camshaft. The second version
is the “touring engine”, which has a high
compression head, larger intake valves
and a hotter camshaft grind. The third
version is what they call the “super touring engine” which has their largest intake
valves, an even higher compression head,
a very aggressive camshaft, blending of
the intakes and exhausts ports.
“We continue to put out the best
product possible and stand behind our
work. Building engines people can enjoy
and drive 70mph faster than the wheels
can handle” Max III says.
In 2007, H&H has continued to grow
with the complete recreation of the
S.Co.T blower, the most sought after
blower for flatheads ever produced. Made
from scratch, they recreated the S.Co.T to
exact external dimensions, while sitting
side-by-side you can’t tell the difference.
Once again, these new upgraded units
look and match the fifty-year-old style on
the outside, but new internal modifications and sealed rear bearings the new
S.Co.T blowers eliminated the problems
of the originals units. The kit comes with
everything you need from the blower,
manifold, water pump pulleys, crank pulley, tentioners and idlers. This is truly one
of the best products to come out for the
flatheads in years.
Having both youth and experience on
their side, H&H looks like it is rebuilding
history for the long haul.
For more info check out their
websites, www.flatheads-forever.com
and www.handhantique.com or call them
at 818-248-2371.■
AERA Technical Specialist Mike Caruso brings over
42 years of rebuilding and high-performance
experience to AERA. An ASE-certified Master
Machinist, Mike came to us from FEL-PRO’s
high-performance R&D and tech line, where he
worked for 11 years.
Pictured Opposite Page >
Figure 1 – The assembly line at H&H Flatheads
with any color or engine combination desired;
Figure 2 – The bone yard with more than 200 V8's
and 300 Model A cores , making us able to supply
anyone with a machined core or a complete turn
key engine; Figure 3 – Mike Herman owner of H&H
Flatheads/Navarro Racing Equipment cleaning up
some ports; Figure 4 – A turn key test run on a
tuned Navarro equipped flathead; Figure 5 –
Navarro 3x2 intake manifold brand new ready to
go; Figure 6 – Model A blocks waiting for the
rotating assembly to be installed; Figure 7 – The
bottom end of the blown flathead, steel main caps
Scat H beam rods, scat crank and Ross pistons;
Figure 8 – Model A short block ready to have the
finishing touches and get on the road.
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RESTORATION
Rebuilding
the Massey
Ferguson®
Heritage
BY HOWARD HILL anD DAVE HAGEN
Continental engines were a main stay in
the MHF tractor market. As most of us
old folks all know, back in those days the
Continental Engine Company would
make whatever engine you wanted. The
“Z Series” engines were one of the most
popular gas engines in the 20 to 40 horse
power market at that time and they were
used in thousands of Massey Tractors.
Those engines however, like many of their
competitors, did have some problems.
Let’s take a look at the “Z Series” engines
and some of the concerns during engine
building.
Ferguson Family
• TE 20 & TO 20 use a Continental Z120
with a 3-3/16" bore and a 3-3/4"
stroke. The block allowed an oversize
bore to 3-5/16". The Oil filter was
located in the bottom of oil pan, which
was not very common back then.
• TO 30 use a Continental Z129 with
a Bore 3-1/4" and a stroke of 3-7/8".
The block allows an overbore to
3-3/8".
• TO 35 use a Continental Z134 with a
Bore 3-5/16" and a stroke of 3-7/8".
The block allows an overbore to
3-3/8".
• TO 40 [Same as Ferguson 40], Massey
Harris 50, Massey Ferguson 35, 135
Special all use the Continental Z134.
• Massey Ferguson 135 Deluxe, 150,
230, 235 & 245 tractors all use the
Continental Z145 engine with a 3-3/8"
bore and 4-1/16" stroke, no overbore
allowed on those blocks.
The Z120 engine had the oil filter in
the oil pan, while the Z129 has it located
on the right side of the engine where it
was bolted on. The Continental Z134 had
a canister type filter that mounted on the
side of the block.
I like to update and add the spin on
filter kit whenever possible as pieces may
be lost out of the old canister filter and
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those parts are not available any more.
That update also applies to the early
Z145 engines. The late Z145 in the 230,
235 and 245 tractors, the block was made
for the spin on oil filter.
There is a difference between the
cams and distributors in the Z120, Z129,
Z134 and the Z145 engines. The Z120,
129 and 134 have a nine-tooth gear on
the distributor and 18 teeth on the cam.
The Z145 had a 10 tooth on the distributor and 20 teeth on the cam.
Both of the nine-tooth and 10-tooth
distributors need to be taken apart and
the fly weights checked for excessive wear.
I’ve seen some of these distributors where
the weights have come out far enough
and hit the housing, eventually tearing up
the distributor.
Do not, for any reason, use an impact
wrench to install the camshaft gear retaining nut. You will twist off the front of the
cam if you do. Or, worse yet, stress it
enough and it will fail right upon engine
startup. This nut has to be tightened to
65 ft/lbs with a torque wrench.
The oil pump
should be rebuilt
and the relief valve
taken apart and
cleaned. These parts
are still available
from Massey
Ferguson and
Melling. Make sure
you check the idler
gear shaft for wear
as we’ve been seeing
excessive wear on
this shaft too. Don't
forget some of these
pumps have been
working for over 60
years.
You will love it
when someone
brings you a cylinder head from one
of these engines.
They don't realize
that this engine has
Roto-Caps on both
the intake and
exhaust valves and
they lose them. The
late Z145 has
Stellite exhaust
valves.
All of the Z
Series engine blocks
are noted for block
cracking. I had a old Massey service tech
tell me, “If it is cracked on the top deck,
the head gasket will seal it, if it is cracked
on the bottom, it has to be repaired.” I
have used this recommendation for over
40 years and it has not failed me once.
All of these Continental crankshafts
can be ground to as far as .040" undersize on both rods and mains without any
problems. There are two different types of
thrust bearings used. The Z120 and Z129
have select fit individual thrust washers
while the Z134 and Z145 use a flanged
thrust on the center main bearing.
When you’re working on a Z134 and
the tractor has a front end loader on it,
the governor and timing gears need to be
looked at very closely. Most likely you’ll
need to replace the cam gear. This cam
gear drives the power steering pump, and
it wears a lot from the extra loading from
the power steering pump.■
Dave Hagen, AERA Senior Technician, has over
36 years of experience in our industry. An ASE-certified
Master Machinist, Dave specialized in cylinder head
work and complete engine assembly for the first
17 years of his career.
EP 01-2009 12-23:Layout 1 1/23/09 8:26 AM Page 23
Howard Hill is pictured with
one of the Massey Ferguson
tractors in his collection.
Hooked on Tractors
Ohio Enthusiast Promotes Massey Ferguson®,
Heritage Equipment
BY DIANA LAMBDIN MEYER, MASSEY TODAY
Howard Hill’s father had planned to purchase an
International Harvester tractor one day back in
1950, but 12-year-old Howard would have none of
it. By the end of the day, the Hill farm in Cuyahoga
County, Ohio, was taking possession of a brand
new Ferguson TO20 at a cost of $1,350. That was
a lot of money in 1950, but Hill’s father never regretted the decision and eventually bought three more
Fergusons, a paltry number compared to his son’s
collection that now includes 37 Ferguson, MasseyHarris and Massey Ferguson tractors and a half
dozen other implements.
The passion that little Howard Hill exhibited more
than a half century ago was the beginning of a lifelong passion for Massey Ferguson products. “I liked
going to county fairs and climbing on the tractors
and I just fell in love with the Ferguson as a kid,” he
said. “There was just something about them that
was very exciting to me then, and I’m still excited
today.”
Today, Hill is vice president of the Massey
Collectors association, an organization with 1,500
members in north america. He is also a member of
similar groups in australia and the United Kingdom.
“When I was in high school, they teased me that
I loved tractors more than I liked girls,” he said, but
his late wife, Delores, enjoyed tractor shows as
much as he still does today.
Hill shares his knowledge of Massey products by
authoring a number of technical articles in MCa
publications and making himself available as a
resource for collectors from around the world. Just
recently he made a trip to several destinations in
Ohio, attempting to track down a part for a collector
from England who contacted him for assistance. “I
didn’t find it yet, but I know it’s out there,” Hill said.
It’s that same steadfast devotion that Hill also
brings to raising funds for the restoration of the
Harry Ferguson Homestead in Lisburn, County
antrim, northern Ireland. He makes bulk purchases
of a DVD of the 2005 Massey show at the Harry
Ferguson Homestead and a VHS tape of the closing
of the Banner Lane Massey Ferguson plant in
Coventry, England. He then converts the British
recordings to formats suitable for north american
playback systems and sells them for $24. all proceeds go to the restoration fund.
But perhaps Hill’s greatest contribution to the
heritage of Massey Ferguson is his plan to donate
his collection to the Massey Collectors association
and create a museum in conjunction with the village
of Windham, Ohio, and the state of Ohio. “This was
a farming area around here and these tractors hold
lots of pleasant memories for many people,” he
said. “Our history is important.”■
engine professional JAN-MAR 2009 23