Old trucks and tractors...

Okay, so M's tractor is running fine now, right? So naturally it needs a better test. I fired it up this morning and drove it to J&H's to move some manure during my regular shit-shoveling visit, and it didn't give me the slightest trouble. Called D and arranged to meet him at his place, because I needed a more experienced eye to help me find all the grease fittings. Some of the fittings have grease so hard I KNOW they haven't been greased since the Clinton administration, best case. All the links really need lubing, and I didn't want to miss any.

Drove it over there, and again no problem. We're standing in the yard, talking, and L says, "What's that dripping?" This is never a welcome question.

Pretty clearly what was dripping was engine coolant. I raised the hood and poked around, and the drip became a - well, not quite a gush but the lower radiator hose was pretty clearly toast. We got a drain pan under the engine and I pulled it right off the radiator, clamp and all. Oil has been leaking onto it for quite some time, and the hose was all rubbery.

Sigh. D wanted to go to town anyway, fortunately, so I tagged along. Naturally the town's only auto parts store didn't have the right hose, I didn't expect that, but I did hope there would be something close. Nope. Fortunately the old hose is symmetrical: It fits just as well either way. So I put it back on upside-down and it clamped on fine. Brought back two gallons of coolant. Topped it off, and just now drove it home. Slowly. Carefully.

This thing is taking me back to cars I owned when I was a teenager. They're not particularly happy memories, doncha know.