Work Horse GT1600 restoration and conversion to Hydro

[MainelyWheelhorse 919]

And I thought my IH red spray bombed tractor looked nice…. Excellent Work @cleat !!!

[kpinnc 13,443]

1 hour ago, Horse Newbie said:

This work and attention to detail is unbelievable !

It is like an assembly section in a manual. Not one of my restos come close to these. 
 

Needless to say, @cleat could sell his tractors as “remanufactured”. 

[SylvanLakeWH 27,179]

ATD - Attention to Detail.

 

Every step.

 

Fantastic!

[cleat 6,911]

Muffler bracket ready to bolt to muffler.

 

Muffler bracket loosely bolted to muffler.

 

Engine ready for muffler bracket to be installed (top 4 bolts of crankcase cover removed).

Muffler adapters coated in never seize.

 

Muffler and bracket ready to be bolted to engine.

 

Muffler assembly bolted to engine.

Crankcase cover torqued to 225in/lb in proper sequence as per engine manual.

 

Muffler to bracket bolts tightened.

 

 

[cleat 6,911]

Air guide frame ready to install.

 

Air guide frame installed.

 

[cleat 6,911]

Nut and tooth washer ready to install onto starter.

 

Starter cable ready to install.

 

Starter cable installed.

 

Solenoid to starter cable installed with cable clip.

 

[cleat 6,911]

Ignition coil ready to install.

 

Ignition coil installed spaced out as far as possible from flywheel.

 

Plug wires routed as per manual.

 

Ignition stop wire ready to assemble.

I used blue because the wire diagram shows it as blue.

 

Coil end push on connector soldered on.

 

Heat shrink complete.

 

Wire cut to length and ring terminal installed.

 

Ignition stop wire installed onto coil with a little dielectric grease used to stop corrosion.

Other end routed up and bolted to connection block.

 

 

[cleat 6,911]

Voltage regulator ready to install.

This machine originally did not have a voltage regulator.

I decided to mount it on the guard bracket.

 

Regulator bolts bolted up tight in bracket.

I need the space under the regulator because there is a protruding screw head on the bottom of the regulator.

 

Regulator bolted on.

 

[Wayne0 849]

I have that same soldering gun! Do they still make them?

[cleat 6,911]

I have 2 of those and one higher powered model.

I think they still make them but they are not built as well.

[cleat 6,911]

Nipple for pulse fuel pump ready to install.

 

Engine block ready for pulse fuel pump nipple installation.

 

Nipple for pulse fuel pump installed.

 

Hose for pulse fuel pump installed.

 

[cleat 6,911]

Flywheel ready to install.

 

Flywheel installed.

I kept the taper surfaces dry but put a tiny bit of never seize on the crankshaft threads.

 

[cleat 6,911]

Feeler gauge used to set ignition coil clearance.

 

Ignition coil proper air gap set.

 

[cleat 6,911]

This is the original carb.

It had the adjustable needle valves but unfortunately some previous owner replaced a needle valve with a screw effectively destroying the carb body.

 

Therefor I at least for now am going to install a cheap China carb.

Here is the carb, intake, and governor assembly ready to install.

 

Carb bolted to intake.

 

Governor assembly installed onto carb and intake as per manual.

 

Carb, intake and governor assembly installed onto engine block and torqued to 90in/lb.

 

Governor static adjustment performed by ensuring throttle was held wide open and governor shaft rotated counter-clockwise as far as it will go then clamp bolt on governor arm tightened.

 

Vacuum hose installed onto fuel pump (sorry for the blurry pic, I took a few and this is the best one).

 

[kpinnc 13,443]

6 hours ago, cleat said:

a cheap China carb.

And now you have a rebuildable spare to have ready to swap if needed. 

[Wayne0 849]

2 hours ago, kpinnc said:

And now you have a rebuildable spare to have ready to swap if needed. 

Not so much as the body is toast.

[cleat 6,911]

I'm hoping the China carb will work fine but if not I will track down a good OEM carb and rebuild that as needed.

[kpinnc 13,443]

1 hour ago, cleat said:

I'm hoping the China carb will work fine but if not I will track down a good OEM carb and rebuild that as needed.

I have had better luck with China carbs I guess. Of course I only have three Kohler-powered tractors left, but it allows me to have a rebuilt spare in a plastic bag. 
 

Even my Vanguards have a couple china copies in the mix. 
 

 

[cleat 6,911]

Blower housing and static guard ready to install.

 

Blower housing and static guard installed.

 

Top air guide and muffler heat shield installed.

 

Air guide #1 installed on rear cylinder.

 

Dipstick assembly installed into tube seal with a light coat of grease then bolted into place.

 

Air guide #2 ready to be installed on front cylinder.

 

Air guide #2 installed on front cylinder.

Thanks again to cseriesdon for this nice straight cover.

 

Engine air guides and guards complete.

 

 

Edited December 13, 2024 by cleat

[cleat 6,911]

Muffler deflector ready to be installed.

 

Muffler deflector installed.

 

[bds1984 1,466]

13 hours ago, cleat said:

I'm hoping the China carb will work fine but if not I will track down a good OEM carb and rebuild that as needed.

 

I've been running some of those cheap carbs across four machines for a decade now.  They work just fine but please disassemble them and clean them out if you haven't already.  Every single one of them had a cosmoline/gritty paste inside of them.  

[cleat 6,911]

8 minutes ago, bds1984 said:

 

I've been running some of those cheap carbs across four machines for a decade now.  They work just fine but please disassemble them and clean them out if you haven't already.  Every single one of them had a cosmoline/gritty paste inside of them.  

 

I just now took the top off to look inside.

Looks spotless.

Thank you bds1984 for letting me know to check.

 

[bds1984 1,466]

9 minutes ago, cleat said:

 

 

Thank you bds1984 for letting me know to check.

 

You're welcome.  Some of us learned the hard way and saved a few others from it.  I look forward to seeing this rig running.  

[ebinmaine 70,320]

2 hours ago, bds1984 said:

 

I've been running some of those cheap carbs across four machines for a decade now.  They work just fine but please disassemble them and clean them out if you haven't already.  Every single one of them had a cosmoline/gritty paste inside of them.  

 

Excellent advice 

[cleat 6,911]

Rubber pad cut for the battery to sit on.

I have a new battery tray but the rubber pad seems to work just as well.