TEA20 rehab: help needed

1. Gas leaks from the sediment bowl unless the fuel is shut off. I lost the shut off handle, so now must turn the fuel on and off with a pair of surgical pliers. Can I stop this leak? If not, can I get a replacement handle for the shut-off?

2. The battery goes dead if I don't lift the positive cable off the battery after every stop. I suspect it's loose or corroded cables down under the air cleaner, because I have to boost it on morning start-up, but the 110 v charger can get very little juice into the battery. Battery was in good condition when running my boat last summer, so I suspect a corroded or loose connection somewhere under there in the area I couldn't reach because of the loader.

3. Rain leaks into the crankcase through the oil filler spout. All there is to cover it is a kind of choke plate which hinges out of the way for an oil can. It doesn't keep water out. What is supposed to go on there?

4. Backfiring, sucking, general missing at startup. My mechanic tells me it needs a valve job, so I'll have to live with this one for a while. As it warms up it levels out and runs smoothly with reasonable power.

Anyway, I can see using this tractor quite a lot for trailer-towing, but I need it to start easily and be able to sit out attached to an implement.

Any suggestions would be appreciated, particularly those which enable me to find the missing parts identified above.

Thanks,

Rod

I'm just up the road from you, in Franktown, and have two working TEAs here if you want to take a look at how something is supposed to be. One is relatively unmolested and the other has been totally restored. You can see it at the web page below which perhaps will give you some tips too.
Email me separately if you want at jim dot wallace at netscape dot ca.
Jim

• TEA web site

I learned a great deal from the thumbnails of the disassembly and your comments upon key components.

The Guatemalian Stove Project seems to be a great, practical way to make the world a better place. This kind of aid makes a lot of sense.

1. There's evidence of water in the crankcase oil when it sits outside for any time.
2. I see drops of water making their way in (nothing to stop them) when the rain is blowing the right way.
3. Water also gets into the tranny, to the point that my dad made a cover for the bottom of the shifter out of a piece of inner tube. I guess there are a couple of gaskets that could take care of that.

I had quite a few of the same problems as you a while back. The fuel sediment bowl on my 1952 TEA-2085 was the original one when I bought her, gas leaked all over the place. I went to my local Massey Dealer in Spring Brook and bought a brand new one. I didnt care if it was original looking, just wanted it to work. Got tired of using pinchers to shut off the gas. The new one cost me $35. TSC Hardware sell them as well. Installed it in about 15 minutes. The battery on my old girl was new as well but kept loosing power, Couldnt understand why, then it hit me. Mine was converted to a 12 volt with an Alternator when I bought her. Turns out the Alternator was not working. Had it rebuilt, and before I put it back on I looked at all the connections and made sure they were all sound and in-tacted. I havent had a problem since.
The oil spout cover on mine is the same as yours, but I have never had a problem with water getting in. Anyway, I hope my 2 cents worth help out. If your ever up Marmora way, Im south on Highway 14 about 15 Km
Stay well Barry