DennisThornton 4,769 #76 Posted March 10, 2016 Pretty good bead on that last photo! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,921 #77 Posted March 10, 2016 (edited) 3 hours ago, Snowmobileaddict said: That looks awesome. Something tells me your "white sheet" won't end up catching fire like mine did. Flame retardant fabric must work better. haha. The pipe fittings.... Upper-most filler port/vent is 1/2" NPT The middle reservoir return port is 3/8" NPT The lowest port, the reservoir outlet is 1/2" NPT There is also a tiny check screw just below the top most port (filler port) that you remove in order to fill the reservoir to the correct volume. This is how you fill the reservoir while using the check screw. Start with the all loader cylinders retracted and fill the reservoir with fluid until oil drips from the check hole. Then, you power up the tractor and run the cylinders in/out several times and then retract all the cylinders and shut down the tractor. Then add more fluid till the oil appears at the check hole again and you're done. I can provide you with a height measurement for the check screw and the upper most filler port for reference if you like. -Andy Yeah, the fiberglass sheets help. My garage is so full I was hitting the tractor with sparks. I was afraid I would start a fire. I did catch a shop rag on fire yesterday. It's a good thing you mentioned the screw, I was just going to fill it to the top. I don't think placement is critical, I'll put it a few inches below the top fill. I forgot to bring the tabs on the side of the base out and drill them for the hitch pin. I had a lot of slop at the top. I cut the tabs off today and made new ones, and drilled them for the hitch pin, it barely moves now. I guess my weld was OK (other than being ugly), it was a PITA to cut them back loose and chisel those tabs off. I was rushing, I'll just have to check it tomorrow to be sure I welded everything correctly, then I can drill the pipe fittings, clean the inside of the left pedestal and weld it together. All my hydraulic parts are due tomorrow, so I will hopefully start on the boom arms. Hopefully my drill bits get here, I decided to use bushings, so I had to order drill bits from 1/2" to 3/4 in 1/8" increments. Cobalt bits aren't cheap. 8 minutes ago, DennisThornton said: Pretty good bead on that last photo! Yes, I do much better with gas. Flux core smokes like a forest fire. I forgot how bad ny arthritis is, my hands and fingers feel like someone smashed them with a hammer. Edited March 10, 2016 by WNYPCRepair Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #78 Posted March 10, 2016 1 minute ago, WNYPCRepair said: Yeah, the fiberglass sheets help. My garage is so full I was hitting the tractor with sparks. I was afraid I would start a fire. I did catch a shop rag on fire yesterday. It's a good thing you mentioned the screw, I was just going to fill it to the top. I don't think placement is critical, I'll put it a few inches below the top fill. I forgot to bring the tabs on the side of the base out and drill them for the hitch pin. I had a lot of slop at the top. I cut the tabs off today and made new ones, and drilled them for the hitch pin, it barely moves now. I guess my weld was OK (other than being ugly), it was a PITA to cut them back loose and chisel those tabs off. I was rushing, I'll just have to check it tomorrow to be sure I welded everything correctly, then I can drill the pipe fittings, clean the inside of the left pedestal and weld it together. All my hydraulic parts are due tomorrow, so I will hopefully start on the boom arms. Hopefully my drill bits get here, I decided to use bushings, so I had to order drill bits from 1/2" to 3/4 in 1/8" increments. Cobalt bits aren't cheap. Yes, I do much better with gas. Flux core smokes like a forest fire. I forgot how bad ny arthritis is, my hands and fingers feel like someone smashed them with a hammer. Oh! Sorry. I'm sure glad I don't have the problem. Not yet anyway! Most of my parts from the neck down are still working pretty well, thank goodness! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowmobileaddict 403 #79 Posted March 11, 2016 I think the check screw is like 6" below the vent. They do it to prevent any foaming overflow coming out the vent I think. this is the reservoir breather I'm going to buy. The vent that came on my loader looks just like a pipe plug. But it's actually drilled with a 1/8" hole to vent it. the nortrac breather has a filter element in it for extra protection. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,921 #80 Posted March 11, 2016 I ordered something similar. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,921 #81 Posted March 11, 2016 Woke up feeling kind of crappy today, didn't accomplish much. Had some work to do this morning, then came home and just couldn't motivate myself to do much in the garage. I kept UPS and FedEx busy though. Pump, mount, and cylinders Valve Cut some 3 x 5 tube to use for the front brace mount. Did some work on fitting the left pedestal base, then my stomach revolted. Came in and rested a bit. On March 10, 2016 at 8:33 AM, Snowmobileaddict said: The Kwik-way loaders do have "bushings" in both ends of the boom arms. That is to say if you consider 3/4" ID steel pipe for the loader pins to rest in as bushings. That may actually be bushings. I ordered 6' of bushing stock, and it just looks like pipe. And no, I didn't need 6' but the shipping was 3 times as much as the bushing stock, so I tripled my order. I think shipping was $13 or so, and the bushing stock was about $3 for 2 feet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowmobileaddict 403 #82 Posted March 12, 2016 (edited) Can you unbolt the spool valve handles and rotate them 180 degrees so that the hydraulic ports aim away from the handles? If you can, it might make for a less cluttered install. woukd look more like Steves or mine then. Hoses out the bottom, handles pointing up Edited March 12, 2016 by Snowmobileaddict 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,921 #83 Posted March 12, 2016 13 hours ago, Snowmobileaddict said: Can you unbolt the spool valve handles and rotate them 180 degrees so that the hydraulic ports aim away from the handles? If you can, it might make for a less cluttered install. woukd look more like Steves or mine then. Hoses out the bottom, handles pointing up I haven't even looked at it to be honest. Hoping to get some work done tomorrow. But I agree, that definitely looks better than the hoses sticking up in the air. Took a look this morning, according to Prince, I can rotate the handles 180 degrees Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,921 #84 Posted March 12, 2016 I may have met my match. I had the left pedestal all welded up, fit perfect in the base, then I welded the fittings on, only to find the whole thing leaked like a sieve. Had to cut the base back off, re-welded the base plate to the pedestal, ground the weld down around the fittings until there was next to nothing left, made two passes around each fitting. Pressurized it again, and now I am down to pinholes, but it still leaks under pressure. I realize the tank isn't pressurized in normal use, but my thinking is if it leaks under pressure, it will seep without pressure. Is my thinking correct? The next step is to cut the fittings back off, tap the holes, screw a fitting into the threads and then weld it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #85 Posted March 12, 2016 Some are slow, some fast but leaks are leaks. I'm surprised 'cause your welds looked better than most newbies but slow down, make sure you got a good flowing puddle that fuses everywhere and stays molten longer. Were those flux-core? Either way, clean your lens and take your time. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,921 #86 Posted March 12, 2016 They were using gas. today's beads looked really good. unfortunately they leak. I picked up a set of taps and I'm going to start over. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #87 Posted March 13, 2016 I've burned WAY more pounds of arc rod than mig spools so hopefully someone else with more mig time will chime in. I have a tig but I've never used it! Oh, I've tigged a bit but not with my tig. A tig or even an arc rod could fix all the leaks. Heck, so could a torch and even with brazing rod. Double heck, so could plain solder. No need to go overboard with a complete rebuild. If you have your strength, and surely you do, then all you need is a seal. If you can set your mig to burn but with little deposition then go over those leaks burning in as far as you can and then grind pretty. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,921 #88 Posted March 13, 2016 I tried just going over the leaks. ended up with a nice big hunk of weld that leaked. At this point it's probably faster to cut the welds loose and tap the holes Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbarnhart 240 #89 Posted March 13, 2016 Are you using cast iron pipe fittings, or worse yet, galvanized cast iron? A lot of the hardware store pipe fittings today are made of a very low quality cast iron that will form porous welds and cracks as the weld bead cools. Galvanized pipe fittings are almost impossible to weld with a mig without grinding all the galvanize off first. Find some hydraulic grade STEEL fittings and you should be able to weld it up leak-free. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,921 #90 Posted March 13, 2016 I think you hit the nail on the head. they were cast iron. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #91 Posted March 13, 2016 I missed something? Cast iron fittings? Welded? Leaks? If so then no wonder! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,921 #92 Posted March 13, 2016 7 hours ago, DennisThornton said: I missed something? Cast iron fittings? Welded? Leaks? If so then no wonder! I was going to say the same ones Kwik-Way used, but when I went back and looked at the pictures again, I realized there is a short piece of steel actually welded to the loader, then they used the regular cast iron fittings. It's as if it welded great, but then the cast iron cooled and shrunk, leaving pin holes. I'm cutting them off and starting over this morning anyway Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JPWH 6,080 #93 Posted March 13, 2016 Your build is looking great. If you have the means to thread the holes you can weld in a thick plate and tap your holes then use rector seal on cast fittings. Hank 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #94 Posted March 13, 2016 51 minutes ago, WNYPCRepair said: I was going to say the same ones Kwik-Way used, but when I went back and looked at the pictures again, I realized there is a short piece of steel actually welded to the loader, then they used the regular cast iron fittings. It's as if it welded great, but then the cast iron cooled and shrunk, leaving pin holes. I'm cutting them off and starting over this morning anyway Cast is cantankerous! I use only nickel rod (PRICEY!) and I preheat and slowly cool to avoid cracks. I've done it more than once but I am NOT a pro! I'd look for steel fittings. Now, a small plate and cast fitting could be preheated very nicely, nickel rodded and very slowly cooled (ashes, vermiculite or the like) and then the assembly welded on (steel to steel) without issue. So the base, upright in your case, could be fairly thin but the fitting still have plenty of threads. Whatever method I'd want a tap or thread chaser to clean up any distortion. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowmobileaddict 403 #95 Posted March 13, 2016 The kwikway loader has steel bosses threaded in NPT that are welded onto the reservoir. You used pretty thick wall for the reservoir. You could skip the bosses all together and just drill holes and tap them for the NPT fittings. Then you'd just have to focus on getting a good seal on the base plate of the reservoir . 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,921 #96 Posted March 13, 2016 Tapped the holes (fun) and threaded in a short piece of pipe and welded that. Waiting for it to cool so I can test it 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,921 #97 Posted March 13, 2016 That seems to have done it. No one is going to envy my welding skills, but it holds air now. On to better things. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,921 #98 Posted March 13, 2016 Well, they aren't pretty after cutting them apart and welding them back together, but the pedestals are done and leak tested. Cut the two pieces I am going to use for the pivot point for the boom arms, and cut and drilled the control valve mount. Drilled one of the boom arm mounts, then my grandson came over, so I stopped for the day. The boom arm mount: 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,921 #99 Posted March 14, 2016 (edited) Made some progress today. Tack welded the arm mounts on, and drilled the ends of the arms that mount to the pedestals. I learned my lesson, I am tacking everything until I am sure it fits How much can I lift with wood? I also dropped off a deposit to a local fab shop to make the bucket. I was considering one from the place Andy got his, but the local guy was roughly the same price. Edited March 14, 2016 by WNYPCRepair 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,921 #100 Posted March 14, 2016 Does anyone have a source for large washers? I need some with a 1" hole, and some with a 3/4" hole 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
