Dyslexic Viking's vehicle fleet.

[Dyslexic Viking]

As I have shared other places here, my dad last week bought another tractor a small Zetor 2511 and since I maintain and fix his machines, I will do some work on this. And since some here liked this tractor, I thought I would share some of this work on this tractor if it's of interest.

And if anyone is interested in more about this tractor, I have written a bit here.

This will be a working tractor so a lot will be done to improve reliability and longevity. As a full service replace all of the rubber hoses, belts and more.

Started today when we got the parts. But did not become the most exciting things that happened today. I started with the air filter which is huge it is bigger than the other tractors here.

The top part is a cyclone filter.

Which had a lot of gravel dust in it. And the bottom part as in the pictures below is of the oil bath type.

This is a proper air filter Zetor has not spared anything here and this must be very effective at cleaning air. And after a thorough cleaning and change of oil (needed 1.3 liters), the air filter was put back together and put back in the tractor.

 

And while we're in this area, take a look at the radiator curtain designed to help keep the engine warm in extreme cold. This is still intact and still works after 46 years which is impressive.

The next thing I started today was to replace the instrument panel as the glass has once in the past unfortunately been damaged which has caused water to come in and several of the gauges no longer work as a result. Old one bellow.

 

This quickly became very frustrating as the screws for the dashboard are of the flat type and the new instrument panel is different in many ways even when it is shud be a direct replacement. So this took time and I focused mostly on getting the job done so there were no pictures. Everything does not work as it should yet so I have to continue with it later and will then come up with more pictures. 

[busmansholiday]

Oil bath air filters, that brings back memories. Just ensure if you get an apprentice to follow your instructions of "clean it out with petrol and refill it", they don't refill it with petrol.

[Dyslexic Viking]

5 minutes ago, busmansholiday said:

Oil bath air filters, that brings back memories. Just ensure if you get an apprentice to follow your instructions of "clean it out with petrol and refill it", they don't refill it with petrol.

I wonder what the consequences of that mishap were if there were any.

[busmansholiday]

20 hours ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

I wonder what the consequences of that mishap were if there were any.

Try it, then don't blame me as you run away thinking this engine is about to explode because it will not turn off.

[Dyslexic Viking]

Work continued on the Zetor today. Started by taking a picture of the new instrument panel and the old one next to it, since forgot this yesterday. Old and new are not quite the same. And the new one is not completely assembled as I am in the process of diagnosing some problems such as the tachometer not working. It also has some other issues that I do not understand like that the charging light is on but the battery is being charged.

But the big thing today was an engine oil change and cleaning of the oil filters. As this tractor like most other tractors from the Eastern Bloc and the Soviet Union, had filters that can be cleaned and reused. The reason for this from what I have read was that spare parts could be difficult to get hold of in the east and it got even worse if one was on a remote collective farm in the middle of nowhere. But the diesel filters on this are of the type that should only be replaced but this was probably only for western markets and the eastern ones got reusable filters instead. And typically for this tractor everything is overkill so this one has 2 large oil filters.

 

And inside each oil filter there are 12 small filters stacked on top of each other which must be removed and cleaned in petrol.

And it quickly became clear that it has been a long time since this was last done as the filters were very dirty.

 

So this was the method I did. I took a filter and put it in petrol with a pair of pliers and after it had lain there for a few minutes, I cleaned the filter carefully with a toothbrush and it was rinsed in petrol and then allowed to dry. This had to be repeated 24 times so this took time.

The petrol also quickly became very dirty so had to change the petrol in the bucket several times went with a total of 4 liters used so glad I do not pay for this. The picture below shows the condition of the petrol after only one filter.

And here is the condition of the bucket after 4 filters have been cleaned so this is effective. Also had to clean the bucket and change the petrol in it after 4 filters since they were so dirty.

 

But a bad surprise that came when cleaning the bucket was there was metal particles in the filters. The engine so far has been in great shape so may start to wonder if these filters have ever been cleaned if they have it is a very long time ago. So just need to monitor this a bit ahead but am not worried yet.

And is not sure if the metal particles are visible on the paper in the picture above.

And after the filters had been cleaned and dried the filters were put together and filled with new oil and put back on the engine. Then the engine oil was changed and it got 6 liters of new oil in total. So then a little more is done and more will come here.

[Dyslexic Viking]

1 hour ago, busmansholiday said:

Try it, then don't blame me as you run away thinking this engine is about to explode because it will not turn off.

This sounds like a bad time. So do not think I will try.

[busmansholiday]

It's possible that the filters have never been changed and the metallic bits are due to the initial"wearing in" process years ago.

[Dyslexic Viking]

6 minutes ago, busmansholiday said:

It's possible that the filters have never been changed and the metallic bits are due to the initial"wearing in" process years ago.

That's what I also think is possible. It is a lot of work to clean these filters properly so many probably never do it.

[warch]

Old engines seem to be fine with what often looks like apocalyptic engine wear, i.e. grey sludge in the filters. Provided it works ok, doesn't make any untoward mechanical doom noises and isn't down on power or oil pressure then I wouldn't worry. As previously pointed out, tractors especially can go for decades with the same pair of filters due to sporadic or non existent servicing, but still be ok.

Speaking of unclear instructions, my dad once asked one of his undergardeners to service a tractor and then fill it up. Taking him at his word the thing was apparently filled with oil right up to the valve train. Luckily it wasn't actually started before someone spotted this.

[Dyslexic Viking]

I will mount an oil pressure gauge on it since it has so far only had a warning light and if the engine has a good oil pressure then I am not worried about the metal in the filter. Because as you say, old engines are touch and can withstand a lot.

 

And will come more about the tractor on Saturday and Sunday if everything goes according to plan.

[Dyslexic Viking]

Work on the Zetor tractor day 3. Today's focus was the cooling system and the whole day was used on this. The cooling system is often poorly maintained on  vehicles and especially old tractors so I was prepared for some nasty surprises and I got it.

 

When I drained the coolant this came out and this is bad, really bad.

This is mud rust and large rust flakes. I've never seen anything like this and this is the worst I've seen come out of a cooling system. So the cooling system must be flushed out properly. And the first thing I have to do is take out the thermostat that will be replaced anyway. And of course one of the 4 bolts to the thermostat housing broke.

 

And it was fixed with a welder and a nut.

The thermostat did not look good and neither did the inside of the thermostat housing and there was rust and mud here as well.

Then after a lot of flushing with a garden hose of the engine and radiator the cooling system was filled with clean water and the tractor was started and backed out of the shed and the engine ran for 20 minutes.

 

And after this I drained the water out of the cooling system and there was still dirt and rust coming out. So I filled the cooling system with water again, left it for 5 minutes, drained it and filled with new water. Repeated this 20 plus times and got a lot out each time.

 

But finally in the end, only clean water came out. So then I could start changing cooling hoses and put in a new thermostat.

 

But since I'm a massive idiot, I had managed to order to small hose clamps so I can not complete this until I get some.

Another downturn today was that the new oil pressure sensor with gauge had someone retuned after they had taken the sensor so it needs to be retuned and get a new one. And I did not get to do as much as I wanted today but that's the way it goes, I hope it goes better tomorrow.

[Dyslexic Viking]

Work on the Zetor tractor day 4. Found more hose clamps and completed the cooling system today.

 

Then I also got an electric engine heater installed. This will help with cold start and get the engine warmer faster in winter. The most efficient are those that are in the engine by removing a frost plug and replacing it with an engine heater. But such are not available for this engine so became a heater that is put in the lower cooling hose instead. This is a Defa hose heater 550W and 220V.

It is too hot for an engine heater to be needed now but tested it and after 10 minutes the radiator was noticeably warmer. Also made a shield afterwards to cover the heater because do not know how  water tight it is.

The next thing was the fan belt and typically for this tractor, everything is a bit excessive, belt for Zetor on the left and typical belt for the other tractors on the right. So Zetor has a much bigger one..

I was also very happy when changing the belt as Zetor has made a notch in the fan cover to make changing the belt easier.

New fan belt is on.

And this was the condition of some of the cooling hoses they did not have long left. So good to get everyone changed.

So then the cooling system is finished and the tractor has got a good coolant mixed 60/40 with distilled water which should withstand minus 50. The next thing tomorrow is the diesel system.

[Dyslexic Viking]

And have no idea why the text got weird in the post above.

[Zelandeth]

What came out of that cooling system really doesn't surprise me.  I used to help look after some farm equipment and leaky cooling systems being topped up from unfiltered, standing for weeks collected rain water or even using a jar found on the ground and water from a creek were pretty much standard.

I distinctly remember dealing with a 70s Ford that was overheating and found the thermostat jammed full of partly decomposed leaves.

Wouldn't surprise me if the vast majority of farm machinery deals with similar levels of poor treatment.

[Dyslexic Viking]

49 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

What came out of that cooling system really doesn't surprise me.  I used to help look after some farm equipment and leaky cooling systems being topped up from unfiltered, standing for weeks collected rain water or even using a jar found on the ground and water from a creek were pretty much standard.

I distinctly remember dealing with a 70s Ford that was overheating and found the thermostat jammed full of partly decomposed leaves.

Wouldn't surprise me if the vast majority of farm machinery deals with similar levels of poor treatment.

 

It would not surprise me either if this applies to most agricultural machinery. Most of the tractors that have arrived here need full service and repairs immediately after arrival. But I find it strange as farmers are dependent on the machines for their livelihood so would have thought that they would take care of the machines better but obviously not.

 

But thinking about it farmers and tractor owners are probably just like most car owners I think they do not take care of their vehicles. And since tractors have a higher survival rate than cars we see more poorly maintained tractors than cars. This is a possible reason.

But I really wonder how a modern advanced tractor will handle this.

[Dyslexic Viking]

Work on Zetor tractor day 5. Today was the diesel system.

Unfortunately someone has cut off the pipe from the diesel tank to the lift pump and replaced it with a rubber hose. They have also removed the water separator that was in the tool box but this should be replaced something to be done later.

 

I started with draining the diesel tank and at the bottom was water mud and rust flakes that I got rid of after a lot of rinsing.

And then the tank was filled up with new and clean diesel. Next were the 2 diesel filters and they were as expected.

They were replaced with new filters and then the rubber hose and the universal filter on the hose were replaced. This was changed to a new hose and a new universal filter for now, and to see what we do in the future with this. Then the diesel system was filled and air removed and surprisingly the tractor started instantly and ran fine. Let the engine run for half an hour which it did without any problems. So then the diesel system is done for now but are some things that need to be done later before winter as a water separator.

I now have over 30 hours of work on this but now almost everything is done the only thing left is to change all of the oil behind the engine and make the tachometer work.

[Nibbler]

That Zetor is really nice. I must admit having  a thing for eastern block tractors. One day I will own a Ursus, Zetor or Belarus. 

[Dyslexic Viking]

12 minutes ago, Nibbler said:

That Zetor is really nice. I must admit having  a thing for eastern block tractors. One day I will own a Ursus, Zetor or Belarus. 

I also like these tractors simple and robust machines. Zetor seems to be among the best of the east block tractor and has an undeserved bad reputation in my opinion.

[TrabbieRonnie]

Great work, and a good read...  Cheers DV 👍

[Dyslexic Viking]

8 hours ago, TrabbieRonnie said:

Great work, and a good read...  Cheers DV 👍

Thank you. I struggle with my dyslexia putting words and sentences together so often spend almost an hour or more writing a post. So appreciate hearing this.

[Andrew353w]

There's a fleeting reference to Zetor tractors in this Youtube video:

Showing their importation, together with rear-engined Skodas and associated parts. I knew a guy in Cornwall who sold them in the 1980s, too!  

[Dyslexic Viking]

24 minutes ago, Andrew353w said:

There's a fleeting reference to Zetor tractors in this Youtube video:

Showing their importation, together with rear-engined Skodas and associated parts. I knew a guy in Cornwall who sold them in the 1980s, too!  

Thanks for sharing it was really interesting and fun to watch.

[junkyarddog]

I'd like to see a cold start video of your little Zetor when you have it ready,

Please😁

[Dyslexic Viking]

9 hours ago, junkyarddog said:

I'd like to see a cold start video of your little Zetor when you have it ready,

Please😁

This may  be possible I just need some advice from someone who is more technical than me.

How can I post a video here without having to start a youtube channel?

[loserone]

7 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

This may  be possible I just need some advice from someone who is more technical than me.

How can I post a video here without having to start a youtube channel?

You can upload videos right into messages here, but in my experience it doesn't work.

Honestly I'd just make a throwaway Google account (if that bothers you) and upload to YouTube.  

[Dyslexic Viking]

9 minutes ago, loserone said:

You can upload videos right into messages here, but in my experience it doesn't work.

Honestly I'd just make a throwaway Google account (if that bothers you) and upload to YouTube.  

 

I prefer not to use my google account for this. So I have to create another one as you say. Then the only question is how do I upload a video to the other account when my android phone is on a different google account than the one where the video is to be uploaded? I have an old tablet that I can maybe create another  google account on and film with it?

[loserone]

You can do that pretty easily in the Android YouTube client

[Dyslexic Viking]

Took the Audi out of hibernation and out on the first drive this year. And the engine runs surprisingly well after all the carburetor work this winter but was a short trip as the brakes are not good. The brake pedal almost goes to the floor remember that the brakes were weird after the garage changed a brake pipe this fall but not that they were that bad also have a very nasty noise on the right rear brake. So brake work on the Audi is next.

[Dyslexic Viking]

Have a little thing on the Zetor tractor that had hoped someone could help me a little with. The charging lamp on the dashboard is lit but the battery gets 13.9 volts so it charges so why can it be lit? Are there any obvious things I  have overlook? I have replaced the instrument panel as the old one was broken and there are 2 contacts for this lamp marked in red in the picture below I was careful that the wires came in the right places.

 

Can also add the diagram for the wiring on this.

So I wonder if anyone has any ideas or if one just has to live with that lamp is lit all the time.

[Mr Pastry]

11 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

So I wonder if anyone has any ideas or if one just has to live with that lamp is lit all the time.

You need to check the voltage regulator, item 6.  Possibly just dirty contacts in there, or a bad earth.