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WHGuy413

854 tow truck tractor

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ri702bill

Nice - the 854 is one of my favorites.

That engine may clean up OK - in your favor, both valves are shut. Mine had a stuck intake from sitting outside - nowhere that amount of moisture inside, and cleaned up fine.

 

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The 854 is a short frame tractor - The mid-frame stretch job on @WHX??'s tractor makes sense to keep the front end down ( but the reach way back to shift looks like it takes a bit to get used to).

DO check a few of the common wear items.... How ugly is the 4 speed as far as function and is there water in it??? Mine was a complete rusted solid brick. I swapped in an 8 speed from a 1979 C81 - the low range may just be the ticket for you... More on that later....  A Raider 6 speed is an even easier swap AND has a limited slip differential. Ask @Handy Don.

Look at the frame "F" plate where the Unidrive bolts on - it may show signs of cracking at the four 3/8" bolt holes. If so, you need to strip the tractor to the bare frame to gouge, weld & grind it for a quality repair. You do have a cambered front axle - that is a good thing. Ir has a shorter turning radius than the 1961 and 1962 models. ( Think extended cab 4x4 pickup vs. a school bus!!). Check the axle and spindles, along with the pivot for excessive wear - most of those parts can be repaired. Adding weight - put tubes in the front tires, add either Rimgard or winter W/W antifreeze and wheel weights. I made mine from 25 lb barbell weights.

Now the bad news - stopping. Once you have the mass of two tractors moving, you need to be able to stop it too. The 6 or 8 speed low range helps with that .

 

 

 

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ebinmaine

Very cool project! 

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Handy Don
10 hours ago, ri702bill said:

Once you have the mass of two tractors moving, you need to be able to stop it too. The 6 or 8 speed low range helps with that .

Lots of good points in Bill’s post.

 

As for braking, always remember you have a pulley clutch--you cannot count on engine braking like you can in a fully geared vehicle. When the tractor begins to drive the engine, tension on the belt will cause the clutch pulley to retract and allow for belt slippage and then “Katie bar the gate” you might be in for some unexpected excitement. Thinking you can hold the clutch up with your foot to prevent this? Dream on. And with a single clutch/brake pedal, you have to disengage the clutch to get braking.

 

My 3-speed was in good shape but I wanted the low range and LSD. Lincoln at A-to-Z took the 3 in trade against the 6. The only tricky parts were: 1) making sure I had the right spot for the extra hole for the Hi-Lo shifter before drilling it, and 2) getting the roll pin into the Hi-Lo shift lever (the different fender support tray is in the way). 

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WHGuy413

I am not worried about the stopping. The brakes are one of the only down falls to a wheel horse.  This basically will be a show tractor thing. Use around the house on 90% flat ground. With no towing down hill. I think we will be ok. But yes lots of good points. The way we want to attach the lift will make it easy to come off if we decide it’s a dumb idea 😂

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