Windolph crawler

[eb in oregon 28]

As neither of us seems to have a factory manual, and "terminology" is suspect, I'm refering to the large coil spring on the front axel that interfaces with the front axel "knuckle," which you may be calling the "Torsion spring." The spring I'm refering to has one loop that engages a large welded rivet on the frame, and the other loop engages the "front knuckle" for the hub assembly. The other spring you mention escapes me, unless you're refering to the coil spring on the outside support assembly for the hub. That spring is a "no brainer."

 

It seems that you managed to remove the tension from that "torsion spring" and disassemble the front axel without throwing yourself across the garage and I was wondering how you did it.

[Lawn Ranger kid 14]

yeah I figured it out from the other post. I posted how I did it there.

[eb in oregon 28]

I've not "gone looking" for replacement track yet. That's one of those things that basically require motoring around looking at the different scrap steel yards, abandoned lumber mills, or storage yards of lumber and logging company's. I'm not in a rush.

 

Other than the transmission cluster gear, I've found nothing regarding replacement parts. I'm convinced that just about all the gears, if in poor condition,  would require either serious repair (normalize the gear, weld the gear, re-cut the gear, harden the gear) or new manufacture. I guess I lucked out there. While there is some wear on all the gears, all of them (with the exception of the broken cluster gear) were in decent enough condition for re-use.

 

These are pictures after my first "putt" around the yard after getting it together, before the fenders were replaced, and I'm getting the blade installed today I hope. It's flipping cold outside.

 

 

Oh yes, you mentioned the number of links while you were rebuilding yours. Each of mine has 37 links. I'm pretty sure you have the same number. Plus or minus one.

Edited November 23, 2013 by eb in oregon

[eb in oregon 28]

Today I got the front blade installed and wanted to see how it "moved dirt." I had a governor issue (it surged badly under load) and spent several hours chasing that chicken. I did a "ghetto" fix to the linkage (which will be improved once I spend a little more time on the issue) and gave it another shot. The engine worked just fine and the rpm of the engine was much more acceptable.

 

However, I'm terribly disappointed in the right side clutch and brake. I have to really yank on the clutch lever and stand on the band brake to get any turning action there.

 

When the axel was disassembled, the contact pads of the clutch forks were welded and reground. After doing so, when comparing the two, I noticed that the angles of the two (laying on its back with the forks compared to each other) were different when compared side by side. One was at close to 45 degrees, the other maybe closer to 35 degrees. The fork with the 45 degree angle had a crack and I thought it might be bent. I had discovered during disassembly that the right side throw out bearing had been installed backwards. I believed that the bearing being installed backwards might have been the major portion of the problem. As the crack was small, and not believing that it would cause a problem in my lifetime, I reassembled the axel.

 

However, one of the clutch shafts (the shaft that runs vertically through the axel housing and controls the clutch fork) was twisted a few degrees. The two shafts appear to be identical. I thought at the time that the twisted shaft and the “bent†clutch fork came from the same side. Again, I didn’t see this during disassembly. I didn’t pay close enough attention to all those pieces when I took it apart apparently. So when I reassembled the axel I switched the “bent fork†to the left side, along with the good shaft, and the right side with the “good†fork and the “twisted†shaft.

 

So, the “good†fork and the “twisted†clutch shaft are on the right side. And it ain’t working good. So I’ll have to pull the differential cover and try to figure out what is wrong.

[Lawn Ranger kid 14]

Well i hope your able to figure it out.  Let me know if you need any pictures or help. Mine is pretty much all apart right now so i can get decent pictures. What keeps the clutch shafts in place? The left side clutch shaft on mine will gradually ride up out a little and has to be pushed back in continuously.

[eb in oregon 28]

Well i hope your able to figure it out.  Let me know if you need any pictures or help. Mine is pretty much all apart right now so i can get decent pictures. What keeps the clutch shafts in place? The left side clutch shaft on mine will gradually ride up out a little and has to be pushed back in continuously.

 

I hope that I (and a friend) can figure it out to.

 

If you were to lay both clutch forks on their back side, and compare the angles, and possibly use a protractor of any kind, to compare like angles, an average angle of those two angles would be appreciated.

 

There is no mechanical means to retain the shafts for the clutch forks other than tension of the parts. I drilled and tapped a 10-32 set screw in each of the forks, on the casting numbers ( sort off in the middle) of the shaft. A set screw will keep things in place. However, if the "twisted shaft" is a problem, I'll have a bigger one if I can't get to that screw merely taking the differential cover off. If the twisted shaft is the problem and I can't get to that screw, the whole right side comes back off.

 

I think a set screw, or a pin (the set screw is easier) to keep the clutch yoke in place is a good idea. However it just may be a better idea to put it in the back side where one can get at it from the cover. I thought about that but didn't do that because it was a little easier to put it on the front side. Sometimes the hard way is the best way.

Edited November 24, 2013 by eb in oregon

[Olratlr 25]

Now you went and done it I want one.