The thread I hoped to never have to write - my Z06 is broken!!!!

Many years ago you always had to lower the gas tank to replace the in tank fuel pump. Then I think it was around 2000 when Chevy put a large cutout and cover in the trunk, and that made replacing the pump so so much faster and cleaner.
Wonder as the corvette is mostly a plastic body now if it would hurt the rigidity of the body to make a large enough cutout and then an attachable cover in a C5 so an owner could change his pump so much easier.Wonder if anyone has ever done this. And what does Manny think of this idea.
If it's a go, I'll put together a diagram , cutout and cover and patent it.
Al..
 
Good evening Gentlemen,

A good day of combining. Not sure about the yield yet but both combines ran without major problems and almost 1/2 done this field. My gf and cousin will be available this long weekend and the weather looks great so with any luck we'll make some real progress and have so much more to be "Thankful" for on Monday.

An interesting comment Riley and especially in terms of my habit of running on enpty before re-filling. Odd it would shorten the life like that. It is always possible that while the pumps may be designed for say 100 or 200,000 km there will be some that will just fail way before the median/mean of the design specs. But certainly something to keep in mind about filling when it is down to 1/4.

But only 1 pump for two tanks, I suppose that is a good thing in the end as opposed to two tanks, two pumps!

I also never knew they used two tanks before either!! Cute.

So with luck much combining tomorrow, I'll get a better idea of the yield as dad keeps track of this as the trucks are being hauled in, I just fill them and after a while you lose track, especially with two combines.

Cheers,

Garry
 
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On the subject of the mind-set of a farmer, one of the reasons why this is such an intense time for is that this is my payday so to speak. I have a small amount of land myself compared to most farms but it is a period of say 5 or 6 days in total of combining in which you take off say 150k gross - and of course all the operating expenses have to come off this. Now considering that there is at best a 60 day window and you can't be harvesting every day it gets pretty tense. I've got 2/3 of my crop off now and the reduction in stress is huge and I feel a great weight lifted off me. I think that it is the knowledge that I will get the crop off again. Of course I still have some to do the rest of the harvesting for my parents but I don't make the "GO" decision on these fields so my hands are tied and as much as it bothers me when dad foot drags or delays for no reason it is his risk and loss and so I am learning to get over it (but poor mom who has to suffer). And of course I want to get done to maybe do some custom combining. Or if not get done just to move on to other things like maybe a last few Z06 rides when the car if running again! Or spending time with my son at home or going for walks with him............

I've been thinking about taking a short video clip for you non-farmer types that read my posts to share the experience with you as it is a lot of fun when it is going well as it did yesterday and will hopefully do today as well. I may not get done but if not it should be close and not too many hours tomorrow to get it completed.

So cross your fingers, be hopeful and heck I wish some of you guys were here to help!!

Cheers,

Garry
 
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Good evening Riley,

So video clip taken, I've used my old TZ3 and it started to act up again which made me so happy I got a new optical sensor - I just have to install it to see if it solves the problem.

Combining went well outside of the frost and thus not starting until 1ish. But we had a good run until about 9, my gf watched the grain dryer, Dad and cousin Brad trucked and loaded bins and mom and I combined.

I'm not sure what the video clip looks like, it is uploading now while my gf and I are preparing the sutffing for Thomas as this year it is my turn to cook it. I love turkey actually and enjoy cooking it.

So hopefully you'll find it informative and amusing. If I ever get a helmet mount I might use the GoPro! I suppose I could wear my car racing helmet and use the suction cup mount for it!!!

This field, my last, should be done in 4 to 6 hours tomorrow and then we'll see about mom's field by the lake and go from there. Weather still looking good.

I'll post the link when it is finished.........

Cheers,

Garry
 
Got my crop in at about 2 this afternoon! Went home to celebrate with Thanksgiving dinner early, headed out to start mom's field by the lake. Oddly darn YouTube video still not loaded like 24 hours later..............

But does it feel good to have the crop in!!! Waiting to finish drying it and then get a feel for the yield and how much fun money there might be after covering bills.........

Cheers,

Garry
 
Good morning Wayne,

I finished at about 2 yesterday afternoon and does it feel great! The crop is almost all dried now too since it is so fast to dry at this air temperature. We all went home and had some turkey and then moved everything out to mom's field by the lake and started that one. It is yielding less than mine so we are going though it more quickly and ought to be onto the last canola field sometime today. Then just the 4 wheat fields and hopefully a bit of custom combining. The yield does look as good as I'd hoped but I'm just waiting for the estimate from dad first.

The darn video is still loading - WTF - but they now say when it is does, whenever that might be (!) the link will be:

I'd rather be driving my Z06 but this is how I help to pay for it!! - YouTube

So all I can say is hang in there!

Frosty this morning so we'll be drying and a few odds and ends in the yard before we head out but for me almost a stressless feeling and I've earned this one.

Cheers,

Garry
 
Good evening everyone,


Thanks for the positive feedback! You may be subjected to more as a result!

On to the 5th last field this evening and the final canola field.

To answer the question, while it is mor common to straight cut canola these days it was and still is more common to swath it. Canola, while breeding has improved this, is a bit prone to shatter and pod drop if left standing so it was always cut and laid in a swath. As well, you don't always get a "killing" frost when you would like it so when you swath a crop it forces it to mature - some years we've gone well into October before a frost comes along - normally it arrives around the 7th of September. Having crops that are still silly enough to think that they should be trying to grow in mid October, when we will get snow for sure at the end of October, is not a good position to be in!!

So you cut the stem from the roots and the plant dies and cures in two to three weeks and can then be combined.

The canola yield, overall, looks like a solid 45 bushels per acre so I have to pleased with that. And I am.

I had the thought this Thanksgiving that I am not sure what I would ever improve in my life or that I could be possibly more thankful for than I already am. It is a good life and has been a great year!!

Another week and we should be done and what a relief that will be.

I had a moose run in front of the combine yesterday and saw a doe with twin fawns - it was so beautiful. One of the reasons why I generally don't allow hunting. I'm not an animal rights type but just figure that they get shot at on enough fields and ought to have a few they can be safe from bullets in..............

Cheers,

Garry
 
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Hi Garry! Thanks for posting the video! Good to see the ol combine in action. I am surprised to hear about straight cutting canola. I've never seen that done down here. That is a good explanation about why it is swathed.

Best of luck with the rest of the crop!
 
Good (very early) morning to you all!

While I have 4 field combines, two 7720's, an 8820 and the 9600 the later two are the ones that are used due to manpower. We crop just 1400 acres on 11 quarters of land. In 2014 7 were canola and 4 were wheat so that worked out to be about 900 ac of canola and 500 ac of wheat.

All the canola is done now and the two combines were making their way through the wheat when about 4:30 yesterday afternoon a rear beater (remember that?!) bearing failed on the 9600. Machines now a days have their grease zerks in banks to make maintenance easier. In the process of removing the old bearing we discovered that the grease line for the rear beater had broke so when we thought we were greasing the bearing we were not. So it was a matter of time before it failed and we're lucky is was not any earlier this harvest.

We were very luck in that we were able to remove the old inner bearing race without having to use a torch which is a common requirement as my father just dreams about using a torch around combines which of course are filled with nothing but tinder dry straw. He's lit a few on fire in his day but never actually totally burned one so it actually sort of scares me when I see him getting that look in his eye and the igniter in his hand.

So now the challenge is to find a replacement bearing/locking collar, the flangettes and the grease line and we'll be rolling again with the 9600. Oh and one or both rear beater belts too. In the meantime mom rolls along with the 8820 and within hours we'll be onto the 2nd last field. The end is still in sight but will just not come as rapidly as we'd been anticipating/hoping without the 9600.

At least this is not a long weekend if parts need to be ordered. But there are 4 dealers in the region and with luck we can find what we need from them, one dealer or in combination................

Cheers,

Garry
 
Wow Garry thats quite a bit of land....quite a few smaller here especially the dairy....probably has alot to do with the over priced land here. I can probably give you a great deal on canola seed especially if you include a drive in the yellow beast!! lol. Good luck getting the rest of the wheat in.
 
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