1977 Economy Tractor Project Thread
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Austen, I did read you post and noted that you were trying to free up the part in a weekends time. I know from working on my own machines that sometimes you need to step back from the project, let the penetrating oil do its work and spend enough time researching the best way to solve a problem. Freeing up a stuck part can take days, weeks or months of heating, cooling and lubricating. Without patience, methodology and tools, the result will never be as good. I am sorry if explaining my method of freeing up parts was condescending, I had no intention of doing so. You and I are still young and aspiring hobbyists, it would be a mistake to think that we are professionals at this point in time. We have a lot to learn, and learning from each other and each others mistakes is a part of the process,
Chris
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6/2/2013 Update:
Here are some photos corresponding to last week's update taken this weekend after I cut the lawn with it. I will be posting more videos of it, but here is a walk-around teaser of it.
Not too much new since last week but the new idler pulleys for the deck came in. As nice as they are, I'm actually going to be exchanging one of them so that I can have a matching pair. The rivets are not facing the same direction and when it comes to somebody (me) who agonizes over small aesthetic details like this, it makes all the difference. Having said that, I was still able to cut the lawn a bit with it sans the idlers. The blades are actually not too dull and was impressed with the cut, it really does well for this job. I think you could hear it a mile away though with the deck on, lol.
I was also able to finish degreasing the rest of the top portion of the machine. I think that I'm going to finish doing the bottom side once I pull the trans tunnel/floorboards/seat assembly off when I do the hydraulic conversion later this year and have a small rust hole fixed.
Anyway, the short term is:
-Paint the front "bumper" (rusty piece in front of the grill)
-Fabrication of custom wheel adapters
-Install new, slightly taller, front tires: 4.80-12
-Rewire the headlights
Long term:
-Hydraulic conversion
-Make new hydraulic lines
-Repair rust hole on floorboard
-Install rear work light
-Breakerless ignition install
-Seat recover
-Powdercoat wheel rims & front bumper
Regarding the wheels adapters, the reason that I've chosen to go this route versus simply reversing the rim directions is because I don't want the wheels stuck out that far when they are installed in that manner. I spun all four around this weekend and while the front looks good, I don't like how the rears are not covered at all underneath the fenders, it just doesn't look right to me that way. I also prefer the look (...remember, this is Mr. Aesthetics) to have the insides of the rims facing out than vice versa. This option will allow for custom front and rear offsets to give the tractor a slightly more aggressive stance while still keeping the rears somewhat tucked under the fenders. Motorsport Tech who's a sponsor on one of the tractor forums is the company who will be doing the work.
Battery box addition.
Oil drain pipe addition.
Here are some photos corresponding to last week's update taken this weekend after I cut the lawn with it. I will be posting more videos of it, but here is a walk-around teaser of it.
Not too much new since last week but the new idler pulleys for the deck came in. As nice as they are, I'm actually going to be exchanging one of them so that I can have a matching pair. The rivets are not facing the same direction and when it comes to somebody (me) who agonizes over small aesthetic details like this, it makes all the difference. Having said that, I was still able to cut the lawn a bit with it sans the idlers. The blades are actually not too dull and was impressed with the cut, it really does well for this job. I think you could hear it a mile away though with the deck on, lol.
I was also able to finish degreasing the rest of the top portion of the machine. I think that I'm going to finish doing the bottom side once I pull the trans tunnel/floorboards/seat assembly off when I do the hydraulic conversion later this year and have a small rust hole fixed.
Anyway, the short term is:
-Paint the front "bumper" (rusty piece in front of the grill)
-Fabrication of custom wheel adapters
-Install new, slightly taller, front tires: 4.80-12
-Rewire the headlights
Long term:
-Hydraulic conversion
-Make new hydraulic lines
-Repair rust hole on floorboard
-Install rear work light
-Breakerless ignition install
-Seat recover
-Powdercoat wheel rims & front bumper
Regarding the wheels adapters, the reason that I've chosen to go this route versus simply reversing the rim directions is because I don't want the wheels stuck out that far when they are installed in that manner. I spun all four around this weekend and while the front looks good, I don't like how the rears are not covered at all underneath the fenders, it just doesn't look right to me that way. I also prefer the look (...remember, this is Mr. Aesthetics) to have the insides of the rims facing out than vice versa. This option will allow for custom front and rear offsets to give the tractor a slightly more aggressive stance while still keeping the rears somewhat tucked under the fenders. Motorsport Tech who's a sponsor on one of the tractor forums is the company who will be doing the work.
Battery box addition.
Oil drain pipe addition.
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6,220 Posts
Fun to see and hear the ol' gal running Austen. You and I have talked about how these old engines just seem to have a soul and are just waiting for someone to bring them to life again. It might sound strange to others, but you and I know she appreciates the attention you're giving her.
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Coming along very nicely Austen, I'm glad you came along to her rescue and saved her from a scrapper.
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7,335 Posts
6/15/2013
New Idler Pulleys:
As you may recall from my last update I returned one of the idler pulleys that I bought for the deck in exchange for a matching one. It came in this week so now the belts are a lot more happy having some actual tension on them.
Front Bumper Paint:
The front bumper, as it was called, had nothing in terms of paint aside from surface rust. I got it taken care of, repainted and clear coated. Someday it'll be powdercoated at the time that I have the rims done, but this'll work for now.
Implement Adjustment Lever Failure:
While mowing today, the nut that holds the spring on the adjustment lever vibrated off which resulted in a nice "zoing!" and a startling boom of the deck falling down suddenly. Nice. There's actually supposed to a knob button that sits on top of the spring assembly but its missing. I threw a lock nut on there to prevent that from happening again and called it a day. Pretty soon the manual lift setup is going to be replaced anyway.
PTO Safety Chain Fix:
The PTO safety chain had always rubbed the steering arm and made an annoying screeching noise so I zip tied it out of the way for now. For a more permanent solution, I'll have to either shorten this one or buy a shorter chain.
New tires:
I ordered new front tires, 4.80 x 12's, and they came in this week as well. They ended up not turning out to be as tall as I had hoped. They were a good 1/2" shorter compared to the the stock 4.00's un-inflated, so inflated, they would have ended up being nearly the same size which would've defeated my intentions for taller tires. I sent them back in exchange for a set of 5.30 x 12's which are not only a good 1 1/2"-1 3/4" taller, but a bit wider as well. Check out the Photoshop illustration below of how they should look compared to the stock 4.00's. I think it's going to look awesome. I also held off on ordering the spacers yet as I need to see how these tires are going to fit to perfect those measurements. But the next time you see it, it'll have both on.
Belly Mower Mounts:
In order to run these taller tires, the deck is going to need to be spaced back a couple of inches.
What's interesting are the different ways the deck can actually be attached. Yes, I said ways. In fact, before I purchased the tires I wanted to make sure there was going to be a belt available in the size that I would need after I spaced it back so I asked the PK experts what length stock one was. They explained that it actually all depends upon the way the deck is setup and currently mounted and thus couldn't get an exact answer. I thought that was kind of interesting. Performing this job shouldn't be too hard as there are already mounting holes spaced a couple of inches back and the chain hanger has extra links in it to compensate. At this time I will also replace a lot of the deck hanger hardware on the mule drive. It has a lot of mismatched fasteners that are driving me nuts!
Here is a video of it action. Don't worry, I do get out of first gear, lol. Watching it in action shows me that from now it'll have to be in at least 2nd gear as watching it on the screen in 1st gear isn't the same effect as when you're driving it in that gear. As always, don't forget to hit the HD.
New Idler Pulleys:
As you may recall from my last update I returned one of the idler pulleys that I bought for the deck in exchange for a matching one. It came in this week so now the belts are a lot more happy having some actual tension on them.
Front Bumper Paint:
The front bumper, as it was called, had nothing in terms of paint aside from surface rust. I got it taken care of, repainted and clear coated. Someday it'll be powdercoated at the time that I have the rims done, but this'll work for now.
Implement Adjustment Lever Failure:
While mowing today, the nut that holds the spring on the adjustment lever vibrated off which resulted in a nice "zoing!" and a startling boom of the deck falling down suddenly. Nice. There's actually supposed to a knob button that sits on top of the spring assembly but its missing. I threw a lock nut on there to prevent that from happening again and called it a day. Pretty soon the manual lift setup is going to be replaced anyway.
PTO Safety Chain Fix:
The PTO safety chain had always rubbed the steering arm and made an annoying screeching noise so I zip tied it out of the way for now. For a more permanent solution, I'll have to either shorten this one or buy a shorter chain.
New tires:
I ordered new front tires, 4.80 x 12's, and they came in this week as well. They ended up not turning out to be as tall as I had hoped. They were a good 1/2" shorter compared to the the stock 4.00's un-inflated, so inflated, they would have ended up being nearly the same size which would've defeated my intentions for taller tires. I sent them back in exchange for a set of 5.30 x 12's which are not only a good 1 1/2"-1 3/4" taller, but a bit wider as well. Check out the Photoshop illustration below of how they should look compared to the stock 4.00's. I think it's going to look awesome. I also held off on ordering the spacers yet as I need to see how these tires are going to fit to perfect those measurements. But the next time you see it, it'll have both on.
Belly Mower Mounts:
In order to run these taller tires, the deck is going to need to be spaced back a couple of inches.
What's interesting are the different ways the deck can actually be attached. Yes, I said ways. In fact, before I purchased the tires I wanted to make sure there was going to be a belt available in the size that I would need after I spaced it back so I asked the PK experts what length stock one was. They explained that it actually all depends upon the way the deck is setup and currently mounted and thus couldn't get an exact answer. I thought that was kind of interesting. Performing this job shouldn't be too hard as there are already mounting holes spaced a couple of inches back and the chain hanger has extra links in it to compensate. At this time I will also replace a lot of the deck hanger hardware on the mule drive. It has a lot of mismatched fasteners that are driving me nuts!
Here is a video of it action. Don't worry, I do get out of first gear, lol. Watching it in action shows me that from now it'll have to be in at least 2nd gear as watching it on the screen in 1st gear isn't the same effect as when you're driving it in that gear. As always, don't forget to hit the HD.
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Looking good! You could enter a slow tractor contest with that creeper gear!:sidelaugh:cool
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7,335 Posts
6/28/2013:
I'm glad to say I'm done with the tire swap.
What's so interesting about this whole thing is that the dimensions of these tires are not as advertised by the manufacture. You probably thought to yourself "can't this guy read descriptions?" when you read that I was returning the 4.80's in my last update because "they were smaller than I thought." Well, if they were actually true to their size as it's stated in the description, I would have kept them. Same deal with these 5.30's being advertised as 21.9" tall (which BTW are basically the same listed dimension for all the other tire manufactures who produce this same size) while in reality are 21" mounted up and inflated with full pressure on the rims. So as you can see, there was no way those 4.80's were going to be taller than the stock sizes, they'd have been shorter! My only guess is that they base these dimensions off trailer rims that have a slightly larger diameter but are still 12" rims??
Because of the estimation difference, they do not rub the deck at all unless the front end is at full droop on either side so the machine is completely usable as it sits with the current positioning of the deck. They do sit very close, I'm talking 2/8" close, to the king pins however because of the 1/2" wider width but don't rub. I don't think I'm going to be going quite as aggressive of a stance as I had in mind before with the spacers and may even run this setup for a while before I get them made up. We'll see.
Overall, it gives the front a kind of cool, higher/bigger tractor like stance.
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I'm glad to say I'm done with the tire swap.
What's so interesting about this whole thing is that the dimensions of these tires are not as advertised by the manufacture. You probably thought to yourself "can't this guy read descriptions?" when you read that I was returning the 4.80's in my last update because "they were smaller than I thought." Well, if they were actually true to their size as it's stated in the description, I would have kept them. Same deal with these 5.30's being advertised as 21.9" tall (which BTW are basically the same listed dimension for all the other tire manufactures who produce this same size) while in reality are 21" mounted up and inflated with full pressure on the rims. So as you can see, there was no way those 4.80's were going to be taller than the stock sizes, they'd have been shorter! My only guess is that they base these dimensions off trailer rims that have a slightly larger diameter but are still 12" rims??
Because of the estimation difference, they do not rub the deck at all unless the front end is at full droop on either side so the machine is completely usable as it sits with the current positioning of the deck. They do sit very close, I'm talking 2/8" close, to the king pins however because of the 1/2" wider width but don't rub. I don't think I'm going to be going quite as aggressive of a stance as I had in mind before with the spacers and may even run this setup for a while before I get them made up. We'll see.
Overall, it gives the front a kind of cool, higher/bigger tractor like stance.
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I think it has a nice stout look to it. :2th:
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7-1-2013
Over the weekend I really got the urge to get the headlights working again, I wanted to see those "eyes" come alive and somehow the idea of taking it out for a night spin just sounded appealing to me.
The original headlight wiring was frayed, it appeared that it got wrapped up in the PTO at one point. I ran new wiring and connector to the switch and as Murphy's law would have it, as soon as I hit the switch both lit up but then one went out... not more than a second after being on. Darn!! I couldn't get it light up again, it was done. The output was a little more than I figured and now I see the reason for the heat shield above them and the tank, the single one that did work put out some heat! Why two new bulbs? Because #1, I want them both to match and two, it'll only be a matter of time before the other decides to quit leaving me with a bad wink on a dark night.
I ordered two new bulbs but since they're no longer made with the spade connectors, I ordered a couple of screw-to-spade style adapters versus splicing on new connectors.
While I had the hood off I decided to give her a wax. The engine covers and fenders, especially, shined up really well (P.S., enlarge the pics!
). I thought it was kind of neat to find remnants of old crusty wax in some nooks and crannies which oddly contradicts what you're about to see next.
As I mentioned in a recent update a lot of, if not most, of the hardware fastening the deck to the mule drive and frame mounts is all mismatched and some is just a mess. Take a look at the example to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.
Yeeeahh... not cool. Like I said, it kind of negates the wax a little. Hmmm. Anyhow, this'll all get fixed and replaced with stainless hardware (...an ongoing project with this machine pertaining to appropriate fasteners that need it) once I figure out what needs to be what.
I placed an order today for the custom spacer adapters from Motorsport Tech who's a sponsor on some of the tractor forums. Lenny is hooking me up with a deal in exchange for a write up review on the products, so a separate feature will follow.
Once this stuff is done I'll have to decide if I want to continue using the machine through the rest of the summer or jump into the hydraulic conversion- something that is chomping me at the bit to be installed. If the latter, it'll be out of commission for at least a month or two as I'll also be pulling the trans tunnel off to repair a small rust hole and having new hydraulics lines will take a little time to have done.
Overall, the more that I work on it the move I love it! It's like working on a vintage car and is fun to give it the attention it deserves and watch it come further along. :ThumbUp:
Lasik Surgery
Over the weekend I really got the urge to get the headlights working again, I wanted to see those "eyes" come alive and somehow the idea of taking it out for a night spin just sounded appealing to me.
The original headlight wiring was frayed, it appeared that it got wrapped up in the PTO at one point. I ran new wiring and connector to the switch and as Murphy's law would have it, as soon as I hit the switch both lit up but then one went out... not more than a second after being on. Darn!! I couldn't get it light up again, it was done. The output was a little more than I figured and now I see the reason for the heat shield above them and the tank, the single one that did work put out some heat! Why two new bulbs? Because #1, I want them both to match and two, it'll only be a matter of time before the other decides to quit leaving me with a bad wink on a dark night.
I ordered two new bulbs but since they're no longer made with the spade connectors, I ordered a couple of screw-to-spade style adapters versus splicing on new connectors.
While I had the hood off I decided to give her a wax. The engine covers and fenders, especially, shined up really well (P.S., enlarge the pics!
). I thought it was kind of neat to find remnants of old crusty wax in some nooks and crannies which oddly contradicts what you're about to see next.
As I mentioned in a recent update a lot of, if not most, of the hardware fastening the deck to the mule drive and frame mounts is all mismatched and some is just a mess. Take a look at the example to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.
Yeeeahh... not cool. Like I said, it kind of negates the wax a little. Hmmm. Anyhow, this'll all get fixed and replaced with stainless hardware (...an ongoing project with this machine pertaining to appropriate fasteners that need it) once I figure out what needs to be what.
I placed an order today for the custom spacer adapters from Motorsport Tech who's a sponsor on some of the tractor forums. Lenny is hooking me up with a deal in exchange for a write up review on the products, so a separate feature will follow.
Once this stuff is done I'll have to decide if I want to continue using the machine through the rest of the summer or jump into the hydraulic conversion- something that is chomping me at the bit to be installed. If the latter, it'll be out of commission for at least a month or two as I'll also be pulling the trans tunnel off to repair a small rust hole and having new hydraulics lines will take a little time to have done.
Overall, the more that I work on it the move I love it! It's like working on a vintage car and is fun to give it the attention it deserves and watch it come further along. :ThumbUp:
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5,899 Posts
Little by little, she's getting done. You know you'll end up repainting her......
BTW, the nail adds a really nice touch to it..
BTW, the nail adds a really nice touch to it..
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7,335 Posts
LOL, Some day...Little by little, she's getting done. You know you'll end up repainting her......
BTW, the nail adds a really nice touch to it..
Oh, and the nail... that was real fun to remove.
The nail, the square nut, all the washers, suggest to me that the repair was done in a hurry, because there was work to get done. The repair worked so well, that it was never addressed again. Much care was given to ensure the nail would not fall out. I just bend them once.
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7,696 Posts
Looking good! You'll get all the bugs worked out of it! :ThumbUp:
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7,335 Posts
7-20-2013
Headlights:
I have to be honest here in saying that getting the headlights working has been one of the most rewarding projects with this machine. It's like it has a sole now!
As I mentioned before, replacement style bulbs that have the original style spade connectors are really hard to find. I found these screw-to-spade adapters on an online at an appliance store's website and mounted them to the new bulbs.
And the final result!
=share&list=UU43sSeLRXDvV0z58NeDJGzA
I'm pretty anxious now to get the rear spotlight mounted after getting the fronts working. I'll wire it up to the headlight switch so that it comes on with the fronts versus mounting a second switch. This will probably be done at the time of the hydraulic project when the trans tunnel is off to make routing of the wiring easier and cleaner.
Mowing Deck:
A large portion of this update is also devoted to the mowing deck.
The first object here was to space the deck back for extra clearance between for the tires due to their increased size and scrub radius that will eventually happen with the spacers. This required the addition of a 3" longer drive belt.
One thing that had always sort of bugged me was that the deck hung down low (by my standards) at the very highest setting for transport.
While I was in the middle of spacing the deck back, I took advantage of the higher mounting points underneath the tractor so that it could sit up as high as it possibly can at the highest level, 3" higher than before. This took quite a bit of trial and error. Adjustment to the chain the deck is attached to underneath had to be shortened two links.
I cut these pads for the deck to rest on where it touches when it's in the highest position.
My head was shaking as I removed all the deck fasteners as hardly anything matched, it was all just a pile of miscellaneous rust thrown together here and there. After some thinking I decided to use clevis and hairclip pins for all the mounting points on the deck. Someday I'll get a rear grader blade attachment and want the deck to be easy and quick to remove. While I was at it, I also replaced the screws for both the guards as again, many were missing and mismatched.
vs.
If this were a true, full, restoration the appropriate pieces would get sandblasted & powdercoated such as the mowing deck but this is not what this project was intended to be at this time. This is about the revivement, refreshment and preservation of the machine so show quality is not the main priority. There is an exception in this case that I may need to fully restore the mowing deck sooner if it need be. There's surface rust on the top of the deck that I both scraped away and then treated. I sprayed the entire top side of the deck with a clear rust preventive/stopper coating. As far as I can tell, there are no weak spots. It came out ok and think it's going to work but is something that I will be keeping my eye on. While I had the belt covers off, I pounded out a couple of small dents (probably from being stepped on) that came out nicely in each.
This update will probably be the last one for a while as there's not much left to do. The next project will be the hydraulics but that's most likely is not going to be for several months out. The spacer project is not done yet though as I'm still currently waiting on them to be built which should be done within the next couple of weeks so photos and a write up are in the near future.
Thanks to all who have followed along!
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Wow, those headlights really make it cool! Add those improvements to the deck and I'll bet that tractor can't wait to mow something. I wonder why the previous owner was so haphazard with replacing the deck hardware. That must have been a nightmare!:dunno:
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Nice update Austen, will be waiting for the hydro update :2th:
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