A-800 Ranger restoration

[Stigian 1,234]

I don't blame you for not wanting to cut and shut the fender pan Andy, getting the curves to match could be quite...er... Interesting  

The 210 fender pan looks a very nice fit, certainly in keeping with the rest of the 'orse

[wheeledhorseman 574]

Thanks for the positive feedback on the fender guys. Having moved away from the 'resto' now and into the 'project' stage its good to have some external input.

 

With its non-adjustable seat mounted directly on a standard fender, the original layout made it a bit of a 'low rider' which to my mind detracted from the overall tractor appearance though I guess the intention was that larger guys would fit between seat and steering wheel. With the height of the 210 fender set (using wood mounting at this development stage) to achieve the right sort of clearance over the wheels the seat height was always going to be higher as a result which led to much experimentation to achieve a balance between overall look and ability to sit on it to drive (kind of important).

 

 

After a frantic search I managed to locate the seat fittings from the 210. The hinged mount originally had the large coils springs at the rear like the 300 / 400 series but these were quickly discounted from the equation as the seat was too high to be practical and the look was wrong for what I'm hoping to achieve. Instead rubber buffers were used to provide clearance for bolt heads but the front hinge mountings had to be redrilled to suit.

 

 

The seat then has become adjustable and it is possible to sit reasonably comfortably to drive the tractor.

 

 

The hinge brackets will need trimming down to restore the normal contour based on the new hole position but I thought I'd save that just in case things still need altering although in a way the development reached the point of no return when the gate for the gear shift was cut out. A very long and tedious task trying to work on such an ungainly object - I can see now why these were usually cut into a small flat panel which bolted on separately.

 

 

I do believe it's beginning to look like the little tractor I wanted to achieve from the potential I saw in it in the first place from the vendor's photo on 'teatray'.

 

 

On track (just about) to get it finished for Ardingly.

 

Andy

 

[Anglo Traction 761]

Yep ! , the back end is looking much more 'In proportion' as a result of your changes Andy  . Are you re-covering the Old Seat Shell in the pics or do you have a replacement?.

[Stigian 1,234]

Congrats Andy on moving on from "Resto" to slight "custom", the fender pan looks right at home on there now.. Nice job on cutting out the shifter gate, I bet that was fun to do.

[neil 2,410]

Nice Job Andy

Is this little guy going to attend Ardingly with its big brothers

[wheeledhorseman 574]

Yep ! , the back end is looking much more 'In proportion' as a result of your changes Andy  . Are you re-covering the Old Seat Shell in the pics or do you have a replacement?.

Oh that I had the skills and materials Richard. It would be sooo handy if you could buy the original vinly moulded covers, particularly the ones with the horse's head embossed on them.

 

The seat it came with was past redemption even the steel shell was rotten underneath so the one I've been using for mocking up came with the C-121 parts tractor and has the horse head but I fear from the amount of gaffer tape that the cover is in a poor way.

 

AS the low back style suits the 'little guy' and the 210  came with an almost new low back seat that found its way to the D, I'm intending to have it back off the D for the A-800. It's been on the list for almost a year now to find a more appropriate seat for the D.

 

I've just picked up an excellent condition mid back seat from a Toro - Wheel Horse 212-5 made by the Michigan Seat Co. for just shy of £40 delivered. Trouble is that it's so good I want to put it on the C-120 where the back will be seen so there may be a bit of swapping round of seats to be done.

 

 

Congrats Andy on moving on from "Resto" to slight "custom", the fender pan looks right at home on there now.. Nice job on cutting out the shifter gate, I bet that was fun to do.

 

Just a tiny step into your world Ian but I'm enjoying being creative with what I think is an improvement over factory, certainly the South Bend export model, possibly both. If it doesn't work out then I can always go back to scaling down the orignal pan but I think that's increasingly unlikely now though it has put another idea in my head. The B-111 that's been sitting around the barn for almost two years now suffers from the same design issue - the fender pan is not in proportion to the tractor so it could become another custom job! Oh yeah, and cutting the shifter gate involved lots of quintuple checking of measurements and leap of faith cutting and filing.

 

 

Nice Job Andy

Is this little guy going to attend Ardingly with its big brothers

 

Thanks Neil, the 'little guy' goes by the name of Tiny Tim the tractor and yes, he's booked in at Ardingly. I'm not taking the D this year as it fills a van on its own and y'all got to see it last year so Tim is hoping to take along the C-120 Auto and the C-100 if I can get a van big enough. Looking forward to getting some pics of the A-800 beside Ian's monster.

 

Andy

[wheeledhorseman 574]

It has surprised me just how many hours have had to go into the fender part of this project but I can finally see what the finished tractor is going to come out like.

 

The modified fender pan was quite rusty in amongst the faded red paint and there were some obsolete holes to weld over but it came back to bright metal ok.

 

 

I did leave a couple of obsolete holes for 'authenticity' as you seem to always get one or two of these for some appendage that wasn't fitted to your model. I'd remembered the seat from the 210-4 as being in generally good condition when it was put on the D-200 but it's amazing just how much rust can lurk beneath the paint used on these which was a kind of plasticote I guess and holds firm whilst the rust travels along underneath it.

 

 

I've taken to using a 'Paint & Rust Remover' wheel by Oakey which is a strange composite but way more effective than wire wheel / abrasive flap wheel etc. and which digs out pitting well. Not quite as good as shot blasting but closer than anything else I've tried.

 

 

Foretunately the rust was confined to the under seat area so the back can remain original for now.

 

The weather has not been good for painting this year - first it was so cold the paint needed more thinners than was wise. It warmed up while I was doing all the metalwork on the fender then went cool again. Cool is good for hand painting enamel but the stuff I use hates high humidity in that it dries and hardens off very slowly so although the parts reached touch dry in a couple of days it was a relief when the sun came out again and they could harden off properly ready for assembly.

 

 

So finally the point of reassembly was reached and a good idea of what the finished tractor is going to look like.

 

 

 

 

 

I've deliberately not photographed it along side a 'C' yet - will save that for the next update!

Still lots to do before Ardingly - fuel system, finish wiring and a charging system, source suitable sized battery for the tray etc, etc.but getting there slowly. Hoping the OEM mufler coming from Canada does indeed fit this engine.

 

Interuptions this weekend have included a very pleasant run down to Dorset to pick up a genuine WH roller in pretty good condition from Simon (Landsurveyor), oh, and today picking up a new addition to my WH rescue centre from Winchester! More on these another time.

 

Andy

[meadowfield 2,593]

Looking fab Andy, you would never know its not the original fender!

[Stigian 1,234]

Your almost there now Andy, it looks like it should of come from the factory with that fender fitted.. Nice work

[Lars 526]

looks really good Andy

[wheeledhorseman 574]

Thanks for the positive comments - they are appreciated guys.

 

Time seems to have flown by since the last update though it's been difficult to find enough of it to complete the project due to a number of distractions like the coil on the C-120 failing, actually going dead short internally cooking the points, loom and ignition switch in the process - deep joy including having to remake the loom. The purchase of several more attachments made possible by the sale of a military trailer I hardly ever used has also meant going here and there to collect things.

 

Anyway, the muffler arrived from Canada, my local garden machinery place sorted out a Briggs gasket that fitted with a slight opening out of the main hole and almost ready to rock and roll except I'd forgotten that the fuel tank needed attention. At some point the rubber bung for the fuel outlet had obviously failed and , rather than getting a replacement, either the PO or a tractor butcher on his behalf had done a redneck repair managing to split the seam of the plastic tank in the process. I'd forgotten that the split was still on the 'to do' list so after fitting the tank and putting some gas in..... drip, drip, drip!!. (strong language at this point)

 

So after a further delay fixing that it was fired up for the first time today and here it is standing beside the C-120.

 

 

Being closer to the camera it doesn't look as small as it really is but the front wheels are a clue to this I think. Hmm, how can I give a better idea other than an aerial shot........ I know, put my son on it which wasn't difficult as he wanted a go anyway.

 

 

Ok, he's 28 and six foot and a bit tall but it is a small tractor, trust me. The clutch is a bit fierce at the moment with a new drive belt and pulleys that have been derusted and havent obtained the polished surface yet so when I first rode it I managed to pull an impressive wheelie without trying, it being pretty light at the front with bags of torque.

 

So on target to get it to Ardingly. There are still bits to put back on and I need to source a battery that's a good fit for the tray - research so far has thrown up one that fits a Harley would do nicely, just got to find one at a reasonable price and I'll end for now with a tale.

 

There was one on a popular auction site, an unused spare kept on maintenace charge for a couple of years since new starting bid 99p located at 'Newport UK'. Now would that be Newport IOW or Newport in Wales I asked. The reply was 'Neither, Newport Shropshire' Doh!

 

Andy

[meadowfield 2,593]

Looking great Andy,

Re battery, we use the 17Ah ones fitted to jump starts. Do the job a treat...

[Stigian 1,234]

Great work as always Andy

 

What did that little seat come form? It looks the same as the one I've temporary fitted to my 6X6.

[Anglo Traction 761]

Very nice Mods n Job you've done there  Andy!  . Look's a real little cracker. I can see your gonna have decision problems as to which     to ride /use.

Shame about the Coil issue and the 'Fix It' time you had to put in. I trust it's all sorted now.

[wheeledhorseman 574]

Looking great Andy,

Re battery, we use the 17Ah ones fitted to jump starts. Do the job a treat...

 

I have one of these in the workshop but discovered it's knackered - it's the Yuasa type with minimal electrolyte soaked into matting between the plates that needs to be kept away from old type chargers and the like. It's actually the wrong physical size and shape for what I'm looking for i.e. a scaled down standard lead-acid as it's all part of the concept I'm trying to achieve with the project.

 

For now and Ardingly I'll probably just fit a 8 AH lead-acid backup power supply battery thats been on the 316 because I haven't got round to getting it a proper battery yet (wallet hinge needs oiling) and yes, an little 8 AH starts the ONAN just fine, just looks odd.

 

 

Great work as always Andy

 

What did that little seat come form? It looks the same as the one I've temporary fitted to my 6X6.

 

It's a 'low back' Michegan Seat Co seat which was on the first 210 that I parted as it had no engine. The fact that it had a good seat with no tears was one of the things that made it worth buying. I've come to the conclusion that once the original seats with the horse head on the vinyl were no longer available, dealers fitted these as replacements, possibly they were what Toro supplied.  It was on the D last year and nobody commented so I'm sure it will look fine on the beast.

 

 

Very nice Mods n Job you've done there  Andy!  . Look's a real little cracker. I can see your gonna have decision problems as to which     to ride /use.

Shame about the Coil issue and the 'Fix It' time you had to put in. I trust it's all sorted now.

 

 

Waiting in the wings Richard is the deck to restore and the shell, or whats left of it is going to be a challenge but if I can get it done next winter then the long term plan is to keep this little tractor at home to mow the lawn.

 

The C-120 coil issue was a pain, especially as it was on the list to change it for a Kohler coil anyway before the tractor goes to Ardingly. Never had a coil go short circuit before but as there's no main fuse on a C-120 it did some damage. New ignition switch arrived today but with careful turning of the key I've been able to find a start position and a run position to keep using it.

 

I actually ordered two switches, one from the UK which is made in Taiwan - looks well made externally at least. This was the quick fix but I also ordered one from the US, not Toro but made by the OEM. The one from the US including shipping was less than the one from the UK - rip off Britain or what? At least now I'll have a spare on the shelf.

 

Andy

Edited June 5, 2013 by wheeledhorseman

[wheeledhorseman 574]

I thought I'd resurect this thread rather than starting a new one and as a resto is not really finished until, well until it's finished I guess.

 

For guys who've recently joined, my A-800 resto turned into a 'light custom' as Richard put it and therefore isn't totally 'true to type' now but then neither was the model sold in Europe with basically the fender pan from a C series tractor thrown on it.

 

Anyway, some of you saw it at Ardingly last year looking pretty much complete though it had always been my intention to add C type headlamps, sort out the charging system, oh and the little matter of doing something about the deck.

 

Well, managed to pick up a headlamp assembly during the autumn, I have a couple of circuit designs in my head to try out on the charging system, and tonight I 'won' an A-800 deck in way better condition than mine on the bay.

 

Here's the one that came with the tractor which I was assured did still cut grass.

 

 

There's more plating on this deck shell than I've ever seen before - the remains of the original are held together with a large plate on the underside to which the spindle housings and main drive pulley are also mounted. There's also much use of filler and some of the plating round the sides has rotted through.

 

It was going to be a very time consuming undertaking to attempt to fabricate  a new shell that would look something resembling the original. Patience is a virtue they say and this is the deck I'll be picking up during the week.

 

 

Not perfect but pretty good for its age I think. The bearings etc are good on the one I have as it was used regularly to cut grass and some parts like pulleys have been replaced so between the two I'm hopeful of putting together a nice looking functional deck now.

 

Andy

[Anglo Traction 761]

Thanks for   this one Andy. Gives the Euro area a shot in the arm, and I still think that Mod with the Rear Fender really works well  .

Good find with the other Deck ..and the planned Light Unit Mod will make it even better looking. I'm sure your aware of the LED Bulb equivalents being a blessing for 'low amperage use' situations. 

 Look forward to the updates and your methodical processes  .

 

Edit:- P.S. It may have been Ian that suggested a 'Light Custom' design change from a Resto  .  

Edited February 10, 2014 by Anglo Traction

[neil 2,410]

I remember seeing this tractor at the Ardingley show in 2013 & i was blown away with your work Andy & i didnt realise how cute these little guys were until i saw it in the raw .

amazing job & cant wait to see it with the  restored deck on her .

[meadowfield 2,593]

I watched that deck Andy, I would have gone for it if it wasn't so far away!!!!  I managed to pick up one new spindle bearing for ours, the other still sounds like a fighter jet...

[wheeledhorseman 574]

Thanks for   this one Andy. Gives the Euro area a shot in the arm, and I still think that Mod with the Rear Fender really works well  .

Good find with the other Deck ..and the planned Light Unit Mod will make it even better looking. I'm sure your aware of the LED Bulb equivalents being a blessing for 'low amperage use' situations. 

 Look forward to the updates and your methodical processes  .

 

Edit:- P.S. It may have been Ian that suggested a 'Light Custom' design change from a Resto  .  

 

It's always difficult to decide where to start threads on restos i.e. in the Euro section or main forum which tends to attract more attention and responses though the A, C, and D tractor restos have all been featured here.

 

LED is  going to be essential here as there's only a 3 amp charge circuit (at best). The brightness will be a bonus I guess but I prefer the standard 21 watt bulbs as original and typical of the period.

 

Apologies to Ian for wrongly attributing the term to you.

 

 

I remember seeing this tractor at the Ardingley show in 2013 & i was blown away with your work Andy & i didnt realise how cute these little guys were until i saw it in the raw .

amazing job & cant wait to see it with the  restored deck on her .

 

You are too kind Neil but thanks and yes it is kind of cute in an almost Trojan like way.

 

 

I watched that deck Andy, I would have gone for it if it wasn't so far away!!!!  I managed to pick up one new spindle bearing for ours, the other still sounds like a fighter jet...

 

It was a bonus to find the deck but sad to see the pieces of A-800 being auctioned off. Possibly the engine was beyond repair but mine was a non-runner, just needed the points cleaning and adjusting. Just hoping that I've got two decent bearings from the two decks - not over hopeful about those on the deck I'm picking up on Tuseday though as they were described as not known even though the tractor had been mowing till a year or so ago so it's  for now.

 

Andy

[wheeledhorseman 574]

Picked up the deck yesterday evening from a guy who's got into 'charity lawnmower racing' group called 'Mower Madness' which I learnt does have rules but more flexible than the nationally run championship stuff - this is more just for fun. Turns out he's bought stuff from Ian (frame and body panel offcuts) so now we know what they were for.

 

I got a chance to see what's left of the A-800 in his workshop and in the process of being built up for racing. Sadly the tractor was a runner but the engine went for scrap as did the transaxle     however, he did give me the front axle and the rear wheels that were put up on ebay but nobody bid on  , not sure I'll ever need them for mine but I'm sure they'll come in handy for a project sometime.

 

Anyway, took the deck out to the workshop today (Wednesday) determined not to get involved with it as the dump carts still need a lot of work and I'm on a roller with them at the moment. Forecasters said the storm would reach it's peak round midday, which it did with the rain almost horizontal at times, then there was a power outage as a result so no more cutting and welding

 

Started up the genny but its a little thing we take camping ok for a bit of lighting and small power tools but that's it so out came the deck. There's no play in the bearings and they feel ok when turning the blades but experience  says until they're spinning at speed for a while you can't tell for sure but it's a good start.

 

 

Although whoever did this didn't do a good job of cleaning the rust completely back the resin had bonded securely too it and it had to be prized up and broken off a bit by bit but so far so good. It's bone dry underneath so the shell, what ever condition it's in elsewhere, has been held in a time capsule ever since.

 

My guess is that it was done when the first rot holes appeared so maybe there won't be too much to sort out. Round the sides of the shell the fibreglass got pretty much destroyed by stones over time but the rest is pretty impregnable so maybe it's a good way to preserve if properly derusted and treated first. Whoever did this work went to the trouble of putting red pigment in the resin, another good idea perhaps.

 

Spent the rest of the afternoon trying to get the paint off the headlamp bucket casting which had been daubed on by at least two POs. I don't use much paint stripper but finally ran out of various tins of old stock. Is it me or is the stuff sold now pretty much useless? It smells much the same but whereas paint used to wrinkle up almost straight away with Nitromors but what's sold now as 'new formula' seems be awfull and just softens it, well sort of. Another casualty of the active ingredient being banned I guess.

 

Power came back on just as I'd decided to call it a day so had an early finish. 

 

Andy

[wheeledhorseman 574]

Various parts arrived this week from various locations resulting in some distractions from my main project of the moment i.e. restoring two dump carts.

 

As a result the 316 has rear light lenses at last and the second D-200 has the correct rear lights rather than the fog guard units fitted by a PO. The headlamp lens arrived for this project (cost an arm and a leg) so refurbing the bucket housing I picked up on the bay became a further distraction.

 

These things can look pretty grotty having been daubed by POs.

 

 

Under the silver paint was a really thick layer of white hammerite, the old formulation, which took a lot of soaking in paint stripper to remove. Paint strippers like 'Nitromors' no longer contain dichloromethane which has been banned by EU legislation which doesn't help and the new formulation is pretty poor by comparison. Having removed all the paint and then the greyish oxidised layer that appears on diecast metal over time using wire wool, the reflective surface was sprayed with chrome effect paint then LED bulbs fitted.

 

 

As Richard (Anglotraction) mentioned, the low current requirements of LED are essential for the A-800 as the Tecky engine only has a 3 amp alternator to charge the battery but not designed to run headlamps.

 

 

The screws aren't OEM I know but this is a custom of sorts anyway and it was hard enough to find screws in my collection of odds and ends with the right thread on them.

 

May even get time to fit the headlamps this weekend other distractions permitting.

 

Andy

[Anglo Traction 761]

Looking good Andy  . If your sticking with SMD LED Bulbs, are you covering the Vents up ?.

I did it in order to reduce the moisture ingress on the exposed bulb PC boards, as well as improve the reflecting power.

Those Lense Screw sizes feature a lot in CPU Cabinets and many PC hardware units.    

[wheeledhorseman 574]

Correct as always Richard  - the screws were from my jam jar of computer screws amassed over years of putting PCs together.

 

Also the top vents do need sealing to keep dust, spiders, and moisture out. For the moment if I do get to fit the headlamps later today I'll use bolts rather than rivets so the unit can be removed again and tape over the vents as a temporary measure.

 

The design of the headlamp assembly has always struck me as being wrong in terms of the parabolic reflector being suited to a bulb with a vertical filament rather than the horizontal filament of a standard 21 watt bulb. Paradoxically, it is suited to SMD LED bulbs though light from the LED elements that face upwards is of course wasted.

 

Rather than simply block the vent off and silver it which would trap the light but not really project it forwards my first thoughts were of experimenting with using plastic cut from of a car rear light lens with the little prism shapes moulded into it. However, today when I was removing the fog guard lamps from the D-200 the internal chromed plastic reflectors gave me another idea.

 

Maybe if I cut a section of the mirror out and glue it on a plastic vent cover at the correct angle then light from the top elements of the SMD LED bulb can be projected forward effectively. Just an idea at this stage that will need some experimenting with to get the angles right.

 

Andy.

 

 

[meadowfield 2,593]

Nice work Andy, same led bulbs as we use. I never thought to block the vents and I've never looked inside after 3 years....