Insley Dragline Crane - Engine Tuning and First Moves in 20 Years! - Part 3

We get the engine straightened out and try to get the old girl moving from the spot where it sat for 20 years!

[WatchWesWork]

Based on the mostly negative feedback for the "premier" feature, I cancelled it and made the video live. I thought it was kind of cool to be able to chat with the viewers, but I probably will not try it again.

[scoop]

Thanks from an old mechanic. You keep doing what you're doing. And remember, "Don't let stupid people ruin your day."

[laelboren]

Pretty cool to see an old Insley run. I am one of the owners of the parent company that used to own Insley and I personally ran the facility that last made them in Minnesota called Badger equipment. Ironically I noticed you mentioned a Pierce governor, it just happens that our company owned Pierce as well. I am glad to see someone get one of these old girls running again. Looks like fun.

[geraldtrudeau]

"I'm willing to milk a couple more videos out of it". I like that, ....refreshing honesty. 👍😄

[shackman]

Thank you I absolutely love this project. I had the good fortune at age 17 to operate a very old link belt drag line. It was the same size as much I can now recall. It had been converted to be just a crane. The original engine had been repowered to a 400 cat diesel. Your crane is much newer in design. The link belt I operated had large drum and brake system with esentric yoke the sinched a brake band around the drum. All functions where controlled by three or four levers. There were piped coming straight up out of floor of the cab. Chains with bull rings came up through the center of the pipes. You would pull up on the rings and rotate them 90 degrees and perch them into different cut outs on the interior walls of the tubes to change the functions of the levers. There 2 or 3 petals on the floor also. One I distinctly remember held the lift cable. I and another guy took turns hooking and operating the crane. We were standing under 10000 pound steel boxes of fine ground ceramic brick dust. Ron was a Vietnam Army Corp of Engineers Veteran. We had to trust one another not to lift off of that cable brake pedal while the hooker was removing the door locks at the bottom of the containers. They called them jim boxes cause the material came from a johns and mansfield fire brick plant. We used it as a filler for a product that was applied to the walls of underground coal mines to seal them and also it had something in it that would detect methane gas by turning color. Just like I notice your house movement the levers get pulled and you have to catch them and push or pull them the opposite way. The crane I ran was a different animal everyday because of the temperature and humidity. The bands would grab or slip. You had to use both hands or it could get away from you. I being young and Ron being used to crazy dangerous stuff from the war, we made a good team. Sorry to go so long you brought back some very good memories. Thank you again.

[crdorado]

Wes, give those jerks no mind. I have COMPLETELY enjoyed your efforts in all of the 3 vlogs. The reason they balk at your efforts is that they can't open a beer and fart at the same time. There's many more that like the videos than not. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

[chrispza]

When you were struggling with fitting the valve-spring, I was fighting not to reach into the screen to give a hand.
Great job!

[manusamoaus]

Wes, milk away and resurrect that behemeth. I would love to see it move again and love seeing your videos. Good Luck and keep them coming.

[texasjetman]

106, 000 views 800 comments in two days should tell you Wes that we like watching your detailed real life make it happen repairs. No matter what you tackle you give it your best and you are not afraid to say "that didn't work". I assure you 99.9% of us viewers will never see or be around n INNSLEY Crane so this is cool old schools technology and we like it.

[DavidGrassSr]

I remember these old drag lines, 62 years ago i was 13 years old, my dad has a friend named Moon Smith that had a dirt pit. I would sneak over there and watch him dig dirt . One day he ask me to come on up and set in this iron seat and run this thing.. I was so scared that thing rattled and shook when you pulled those levers. Old Moon would just laugh when i made it swing to the right and left and make the boom go up and down . Dragging the bucket in was with dirt was something else you had to do 3 are 4 thing all at the same time ?? I guess that's why we love your old video's, they bring back a lot of old memories .. Thank You so much.. I rang the bell ??

[lloydr.]

Apart from purely being interested there are a lot of us machine heads around the world who have a single project, mine is a 50 year old Massey Ferguson 135, and we learn from people like you. I have worked away from the farm all my adult life and came back after 50 years and now I need this stuff to work out even the most basic stuff. Don't worry about the knockers, they don't have to watch. In addition even my wife watches Mustie, Bundy Bear and you plus scores of others. If you can afford the time and expense and you enjoy it then more of the same, if not then we've enjoyed and learned from everything you've done, just look at the
Thanks Lloyd and Donna .. Wales, UK.

[GrandsonofKong]

Post'em and I'll watch'em!! As mentioned, love to see old iron brought back to life. Realize it's not $$$ practical, especially when missing parts either.

[luisbatista]

Loved it when Wes went out to his family property and attempt to start the old abandoned he'd do this again every now and then....

[oceannavagator]

Pretty amazing for an engine that could have voted for Herbert Hoover.

[meruliouslacrimens]

You milk as many videos as you like and we will keep on watching. I personally think its great that you not only put the work in but you rescue these magnificent machines rather than just letting them rust into oblivion, i mean who can afford to just dump something like this and walk away. We love it.

[ludvigtande]

Never thought I would see anything move on her. Fascinating. Will be here every time you post.

[leecosworth]

The more negative comments and people you get viewing your channel the better your doing, just jealousy for either what or how you do things or what your working on or how you found it, some great work and a nice piece of history saved and useable, well done.

[hoser]

my father had one of these old draglines, it only had a 40ft boom and a 3/4yd bucket, but it worked, we had a continental in it from the beginning but i remember dad replacing it with a automotive 6cly, ,and it worked! he taught me how to operate it when i was 16yrs old!!! we were in fremont michigan, , "Fremont Gravel and construction company" got my ass chewed many times for dumping the dirt on top of the cab of the dump truck before I got good enough to load the truck, "got tired of the ass chewings!!! and even a 6yd chevy big 6cly 10speed dump truck, , hauled a lot of sand for beachs and pit run gravel for driveways. loved hearing this rig run again, keep up the good work! ours had bad center pin and clutchs. dad had the cancer and wanted to run the dragline one last time with me driving the dump truck, , I was 20 then, , loaded me twice and then we had to carry him back to hospital. I'm a operating excavator nowadays but will never forget the work commitment I was taught. i hope you get it to move again! dad would be proud, thanks

[jkrende]

DUDE...

That thing is awesome. I mean, yeah, it's old and would have limited uses but that thing is still just... awesome old iron. Keep it up we're going to have to nick-name you Lazarus.

[CrazyPetez]

Wes, you are obviously so knowledgeable about mechanical devices and electrical components, you should ignore all the complainers and nay sayers. They aren’t worth the time to correct; they lack your knowledge level. I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Please keep all flavors of your videos coming.