I don't know if your adjuster ratchet uses the same parts as on later model, vertical crankshaft Greenfields. One possible solution is to contact Greenfield's service department, in Queensland. If the parts are similar to current ones you have a couple of easy options: get the parts from a wrecked modern machine, or get new parts from Greenfield. If the parts are considerably different, you could post something in the Outdoorking Wanted forum asking if anyone could help. If even that doesn't work, you could contact Rodeobob, a member who owns 3 HD8s, none of them complete or working, and see if he can help with some parts.
On another subject, if you look at the pictures in Rong's thread (a link to which has been posted twice previously in this thread), you will see that the HD8 is not supposed to have a battery or battery box: that is one of the previous tenant's improvements. I do not know if there is some other extraneous wiring on your machine powered by 12 volts, or if alternatively the previous tenant was a bit confused and installed a useless improvement. Perhaps he wanted an easy way to carry a battery around his property, in case he needed to jump-start a machine somewhere remote from the homestead?
