Another foot pedal mod -C-175 Eaton 1100

[pacer 3,169]

(Edit) Correction. the tractor shown here has the Sundstrand tranny linkage - tho the Eaton is virtually identical. (I had just finished work on an Eaton and didnt shift brain gears)

 

This is yet another foot pedal mod, but its for a "C" which I haven't seen one for this linkage (might've missed one) Really was surprisingly simple.

 

 

Used pieces laying around the shop, a mig welder and a gas welding rig (to heat and bend)  and a fair bit of head scratching to figure the necessary bends...probably got 5-6 hrs in it. I think one thing that made it simpler was being able to utilize the already existing 3/4" pedal rod as a mount for the new one, and the fact that from there was a straight shot from the hand lever to where the pedal support was.  Used  a short piece of 3/4" id pipe as the pivoting starting point. Had a brake rod off a dead chassis and fed it through for a reference point and with a couple pieces of 3/16" steel strap I started experimental bends.

 

 

Then had to figure how to attach the rod to the hand control - didnt want to do any welding here - so came up with a 'U' bolt gizmo to mount a piece of angle to it that would pin the new rod to the hand control without altering it any.

 

 

Then had to make up a pedal and mount it so that the motion with the foot would feel comfortable and still move the lever through the range from fwd to rev -- this was really the part that had me a bit concerned, once it was welded/mounted would be a pain to re-do. Another piece of scrap 1/8" plate from my pile, making a slight bend in it, I started again with 'test' fittings. This is what I ended up with. Thats a piece of mud flap I found on the side of the road some 15yrs ago, I have used that stuff sooo many times! I really liked the way that turned out.

 

 

 

The tractor is down at the moment awaiting back ordered hyd fittings (those dang leaky hyd hoses) one reason I decided was a good time to do experiments I had in my "rountoit" list. Not having a seat mounted, I fabbed up a temporary one to sit and try the 'feel' of my new foot pedal - well, with just sitting there it feels pretty dang good!! Anxious to get a ride on it for real...

Edited October 27, 2014 by pacer

[GT14 243]

Looks very nice, your pedal is much cleaner than mine.   Greats pics. and write-up.   

[AMC RULES 37,130]

Turned out great...

and looks factory built.    

[Trouty56 566]

down right cool!!!!

[fireman 1,021]

Has anyone else built a foot pedal for hydro control on the 70's C series tractors with the Sundstrand transmissions? I really like what pacer did above and that looks like the easiest way to do it. I'll probably copy his but was just wondering what others may have done.

[KC9KAS 4,741]

Very nice fabrication.

I think this would also work on my C-160.

[Bill D 1,920]

On 10/26/2014 at 1:08 PM, pacer said:

(Edit) Correction. the tractor shown here has the Sundstrand tranny linkage - tho the Eaton is virtually identical. (I had just finished work on an Eaton and didnt shift brain gears)

 

This is yet another foot pedal mod, but its for a "C" which I haven't seen one for this linkage (might've missed one) Really was surprisingly simple.

 

 

Used pieces laying around the shop, a mig welder and a gas welding rig (to heat and bend)  and a fair bit of head scratching to figure the necessary bends...probably got 5-6 hrs in it. I think one thing that made it simpler was being able to utilize the already existing 3/4" pedal rod as a mount for the new one, and the fact that from there was a straight shot from the hand lever to where the pedal support was.  Used  a short piece of 3/4" id pipe as the pivoting starting point. Had a brake rod off a dead chassis and fed it through for a reference point and with a couple pieces of 3/16" steel strap I started experimental bends.

 

 

Then had to figure how to attach the rod to the hand control - didnt want to do any welding here - so came up with a 'U' bolt gizmo to mount a piece of angle to it that would pin the new rod to the hand control without altering it any.

 

 

Then had to make up a pedal and mount it so that the motion with the foot would feel comfortable and still move the lever through the range from fwd to rev -- this was really the part that had me a bit concerned, once it was welded/mounted would be a pain to re-do. Another piece of scrap 1/8" plate from my pile, making a slight bend in it, I started again with 'test' fittings. This is what I ended up with. Thats a piece of mud flap I found on the side of the road some 15yrs ago, I have used that stuff sooo many times! I really liked the way that turned out.

 

 

 

The tractor is down at the moment awaiting back ordered hyd fittings (those dang leaky hyd hoses) one reason I decided was a good time to do experiments I had in my "rountoit" list. Not having a seat mounted, I fabbed up a temporary one to sit and try the 'feel' of my new foot pedal - well, with just sitting there it feels pretty dang good!! Anxious to get a ride on it for real...

How is this pedal design working for you?  Thinking about building something like this.  What do you think about this design? @Damien Walker

Edited June 7, 2023 by Bill D

[pacer 3,169]

@Bill D Geez, you went waaay back to dig this one up - 9 yrs ago! Which means that not only is the tractor long gone, my aged memory doesnt recall much about the build. I do recall that it worked pretty well for the short time I had it.

 

Reason for short life after the build of the foot pedal -- was advertising another tractor and the guy that came to look at it had an artificial left leg and almost HAD to have a mower that he didnt have to use the left leg. Sooo, when he saw the foot pedal design he pleaded with me to sell it .... really nice guy and I felt obligated to let him have it. Another nice thing about the sale was when he called me about a year later to tell me how much he was enjoying the tractor and thanked me again and again for the sale.... made me feel pretty good!

[kpinnc 12,007]

3 hours ago, pacer said:

Another nice thing about the sale was when he called me about a year later to tell me how much he was enjoying the tractor and thanked me again and again for the sale....

 

Sounds like a good longevity report to me!

 

I have got to get mine finished. Now we have yet another great design! 

[Damien Walker 246]

On 6/7/2023 at 5:56 AM, Bill D said:

How is this pedal design working for you?  Thinking about building something like this.  What do you think about this design? @Damien Walker

Looks very well implemented Bill. I'm intrigued as to what the pedal tra el will be....with that long lever, my guess the pedal travel will be tiny.

 

Despite saying I had no plans to convert my C175, guess what...yes, I'm now looking at it!

 

A major issue for my 518H pedal on the C175 is the engine mount...that will restrict forward travel.

 

I'm wondering if the pushrod could go outside the chassis but within the belt guard.... perhaps go with your idea tofix the pedal crank at the 10 o'clock position?

[Bill D 1,920]

4 hours ago, Damien Walker said:

Looks very well implemented Bill. I'm intrigued as to what the pedal tra el will be....with that long lever, my guess the pedal travel will be tiny.

 

Despite saying I had no plans to convert my C175, guess what...yes, I'm now looking at it!

 

A major issue for my 518H pedal on the C175 is the engine mount...that will restrict forward travel.

 

I'm wondering if the pushrod could go outside the chassis but within the belt guard.... perhaps go with your idea tofix the pedal crank at the 10 o'clock position?

Please forgive the crude drawing as I do not have your level of technical skills.  This is what I was thinking.  Cut a half round in a piece of flat stock.  Weld to a pedal or round tubing that will serve as the pivot for your pedal.  Clock at 10 or 11 o'clock.  I was planning to space the push rod over as you did on your 518 then copy the auto return setup I made for my GT1800.  Something like this should clear the engine mount and that pesky belt guard mounting tab.  All to be done when I find the time.  I really do hate the hand control on my 1994 416H.

[Damien Walker 246]

On 6/8/2023 at 6:10 PM, Bill D said:

Please forgive the crude drawing as I do not have your level of technical skills.  This is what I was thinking.  Cut a half round in a piece of flat stock.  Weld to a pedal or round tubing that will serve as the pivot for your pedal.  Clock at 10 or 11 o'clock.  I was planning to space the push rod over as you did on your 518 then copy the auto return setup I made for my GT1800.  Something like this should clear the engine mount and that pesky belt guard mounting tab.  All to be done when I find the time.  I really do hate the hand control on my 1994 416H.

Nothing wrong with your drawing Bill, I can see exactly what you mean from it. The ideal crank position would be vertical with the pedal in the neutral position though as you point out, this will interfere with the guard mounting tab. I think this is  we have to start to compromise....it we adopt my pedal idea, then I think  we lose the guard tab. I

 

I wouldn't advise welding to the pedal....welding disimilar metals can be entertaining. The different rates of expansion can cause the weld or the base cast iron to crack, leaving you back where you started from ultimately. If you are careful and cool it down very slowly by keeping things hot with a blow lamp, it might work. (If you are lucky, it may just work anyway!). This is why I brazed mine...the process is much cooler and the brass brazing material has 'give in it'. As I didn't attempt to weld mine I can't really say anything other than 'it's not a good idea', and so there's really only one way to find out!

 

I have been looking at my C175 in a bit more detail and it's all  a bit frustrating really.... there's always something in the way. My idea was to make the control yoke pivot rod an axle that turns with the control yoke.  I'd then extend the axle through the side of the centre console into the area behind the belt guard. Add a crank there and it would be a straight run down to the pedal. The big problem with this idea is that the transmission drive belt jockey pulley mechanism is really too close....anyway, I'm still looking and thinking about it and will report back if I make some useful progress.

 

 

 

 

[Bill D 1,920]

4 hours ago, Damien Walker said:

Nothing wrong with your drawing Bill, I can see exactly what you mean from it. The ideal crank position would be vertical with the pedal in the neutral position though as you point out, this will interfere with the guard mounting tab. I think this is  we have to start to compromise....it we adopt my pedal idea, then I think  we lose the guard tab. I

 

I wouldn't advise welding to the pedal....welding disimilar metals can be entertaining. The different rates of expansion can cause the weld or the base cast iron to crack, leaving you back where you started from ultimately. If you are careful and cool it down very slowly by keeping things hot with a blow lamp, it might work. (If you are lucky, it may just work anyway!). This is why I brazed mine...the process is much cooler and the brass brazing material has 'give in it'. As I didn't attempt to weld mine I can't really say anything other than 'it's not a good idea', and so there's really only one way to find out!

 

I have been looking at my C175 in a bit more detail and it's all  a bit frustrating really.... there's always something in the way. My idea was to make the control yoke pivot rod an axle that turns with the control yoke.  I'd then extend the axle through the side of the centre console into the area behind the belt guard. Add a crank there and it would be a straight run down to the pedal. The big problem with this idea is that the transmission drive belt jockey pulley mechanism is really too close....anyway, I'm still looking and thinking about it and will report back if I make some useful progress.

 

 

 

 

My aim is to build a bolt on pedal that requires minimal disassembly and modifications to the tractor.  If I make a pedal for my 416H it will likely be entirely homemade from steel to avoid the issues with welding dissimilar metals.  

[Damien Walker 246]

8 hours ago, Bill D said:

My aim is to build a bolt on pedal that requires minimal disassembly and modifications to the tractor.  If I make a pedal for my 416H it will likely be entirely homemade from steel to avoid the issues with welding dissimilar metals.  

If you made a crank somewhat like mine only out of thicker material and split the loop, you could put a clamp bolt in to tighten the clamp onto the round body of the pedal. Obviously it would need to be tight enough to cope with any return spring forces. Either that or make a complete steel pedal as you suggest.

[Lee1977 6,656]

You don't need the belt guard in that area anyway. Design the pedal with a foot grard in the inside.

 

 

 

Edited June 10, 2023 by Lee1977

[Damien Walker 246]

37 minutes ago, Lee1977 said:

You don't need the belt guard in that area anyway. Design the pedal with a foot grard in the inside.

 

 

 

My brake and toe reverse pedal effectively stops your foot from reaching the belt guard so would help here, but I support Bill's wish to keep things standard. I do too but I also feel compromises have to be made...chopping the mounting guard bracket off because it gets in the way of a possibly otherwise good pedal solution, would seem to be a good compromise to me.

 

Nice 520H Lee, is that yours?

[Lee1977 6,656]

Yes , bought it in feb 2019 replace all the safety switches , New cam and cam plate, the original cam had a notch wore in it. Was extreamly hard to get out of reverse. 

Edited June 10, 2023 by Lee1977

[Damien Walker 246]

2 hours ago, Lee1977 said:

Yes , bought it in feb 2019 replace all the safety switches , New cam and cam plate, the original cam had a notch wore in it. Was extreamly hard to get out of reverse. 

Looks to be in very good condition. Interesting to hear about the cam plate, I'd best check mine. Did you have any problems with wiring? The multi pin connector in the wiring loom was in a bad state on mine as were several of the 1/4" blade connectors which fell apart..it appears Toro were using very poor quality when mine was built. Mine must be later than yours as I don't have the drive belt clutch (mine is permanently engaged) and I have the column hydro control....and Toro decals of course.

[Lee1977 6,656]

I have the power wire and the start wire out of the connector. I just soldered the wires together, I have some new connectors a 8 pin and a 2 pin if I ever need them.