"Blackbeard"--Zach's GT-14

[kpinnc 12,008]

It is so heartwarming to see you two tackle this old iron together. You're both making memories that will last a lifetime (or two), and I congratulate you both! 

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

he is my last kiddo and with Caleb in his last few months of High School and Claudia talking Nursing School following her senior year, I am seeing the “handwriting on the wall”.  It is what so many of you gents have shared with me in past years—enjoy every minute that you can.  Make every memory while you can.  I feel so blessed to have the children that I have and I love each one very much but it is scary to think how much life for the wife and I is likely to change in the next decade…not bad, just different.  I like this stage and I’m trying to “squeeze every drop” of enjoyment and memory making that I can!  I hope that every time he spends serious seat time on this tractor, he remembers this time with me working, caring for, refurbishing it!

[Pullstart 62,838]

I’m a bit behind @PeacemakerJack, awesome progress you guys are making!  That pulley system that @gt14rider posted is the same I have.  That 3/4” shaft I imagine you could get a chunk of already keyed round stock or maybe @Achto could mill something for you at work?  I don’t recall who I was talking with about the GT14 tiller setup but apparently the pump shaft originally had a brittle makeup and was prone to snapping with the impacts of the tiller.  Maybe a rod should be built to become a fuse of sorts, with a groove turned into it.  I’d imagine a 3/4” shaft with a 1/16”-1/8” groove would be sufficient to be a sacrifice to save the pump.  Whoever told me that, said many pumps have been repaired with a softer input shaft over the years, to allow more impact without shattering.

[oliver2-44 9,739]

9 minutes ago, PeacemakerJack said:

I’m trying to “squeeze every drop” of enjoyment and memory making that I can!  

I can vouch that the memory making doesn’t end. It just turns from tractors to home remodeling projects and then tractors for grandkids to drive. 

Edited December 28, 2022 by oliver2-44

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

I had some office work to do this morning but Zach came out around 10am asking what he could do.  I put him back on the sanding brigade but  this time it was on the rear rims.  

We went sledding in the early afternoon and then when we got back, Zach was dying to get some color on his rims.

He loves the look of Richie’s grey rims and so he picked charcoal grey by RustOleum.  

They turned out nice and we will be installing the new tires soon!

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

This kid is so excited about each piece that gets finished—I don’t blame him…

We elected to paint the top of the floorboards with truck bed liner from a can.  It has grit in it that makes a pretty good traction surface and should be pretty durable over time.

 

He laid down the self etching primer (thanks Dan for the advice) and after it dulled…

top coated!

He was “dying” to lay down some red and so we elected to do the dash tower next.  After he finished it he declared, “Man, I love the look of that fresh red paint!”

 

Well said.

 

Last night he painted the grill.  And of course, Blackbeard needed…well…a black beard or goatee.

 

Next up Zach learned to work with JB weld for the first time.  We needed to fill the slot on the hood for the hood latch.  I elected to not install that given the geometry of the hood hinge design. 

So Zach got after the task at hand and did a good job! 

 

Next up—a temporary paint booth! We have lots of red to spray now!

[ebinmaine 67,441]

Super awesome!

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

Time to give a little update on Blackbeard! We have completed 5000 miles of travel since January 24 for our mission work but we are back in town for 11 days and trying to get the paint work finished as much as possible!

Zach was so excited to get his new tires rear tires mounted and ready to be installed.

I decided for the first time ever to build a “makeshift” paint booth in the shop.  It works really well.  I am using the 8’ garage door track for the “supports” and I’m a pleased with the results.  Keeps the red “dust” off of my white metal walls, keeps the dust off of Zach’s fresh painted parts, and makes a good environment to work in…

Lots and lots of red!

Zach was curious about how we would take the decals off of the hood. I showed him how to use a heat gun and a putty knife…

then clean up the perimeter with the sander. 

the hood in no means looks as good as Dan’s @Achto work but for a kid—he is doing a great job!

He loves laying down paint! I need to get him with Dan one of these days to show him how the pros do it!

I love these moments with him in the shop—the guy time is such a blessing!  

[Achto 27,565]

4 minutes ago, PeacemakerJack said:

He loves laying down paint!

 

I started out with spray cans at a young age. Practice & experiments will lead to success. Would be very happy to have him over when I'm painting. Would like to let him run a gun for a few pieces. 

[19richie66 17,500]

He’s doing great. Parts look fantastic. Keep it up Zach!

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

Thanks so much Dan! I know that he would love that whole experience and would soak up anything you’d teach him like water on a dry sponge!

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

More priming and painting…

as I mentioned earlier, he has taken a page out of Richie’s “book” and elected to go with the charcoal rims to match the gray stripe in the bottom half of the hood decal…

It is so nice to see these parts freshened up…hard to believe it has been over 50 years since they were last painted😳

I’m pleased with this little man and he is pleased with the accomplishments so far.  Dan has been helping me with switches for the dash. The headlight switch was fairly easy to locate. Does anyone have a link for a replacement PTO switch?  The factory original switches still work but I’d like to go with something new and save the originals since this tractor is going to be a worker. I would even be alright with a toggle, as long as it functions like the factory switch.  We are installing a metal dash panel thanks to Richie and don’t have the holes cut in it yet, so a standard toggle would work…

[SylvanLakeWH 25,539]

Just outstanding! That smile says it all!!!

 

[Bill D 1,920]

54 minutes ago, PeacemakerJack said:

More priming and painting…

as I mentioned earlier, he has taken a page out of Richie’s “book” and elected to go with the charcoal rims to match the gray stripe in the bottom half of the hood decal…

It is so nice to see these parts freshened up…hard to believe it has been over 50 years since they were last painted😳

I’m pleased with this little man and he is pleased with the accomplishments so far.  Dan has been helping me with switches for the dash. The headlight switch was fairly easy to locate. Does anyone have a link for a replacement PTO switch?  The factory original switches still work but I’d like to go with something new and save the originals since this tractor is going to be a worker. I would even be alright with a toggle, as long as it functions like the factory switch.  We are installing a metal dash panel thanks to Richie and don’t have the holes cut in it yet, so a standard toggle would work…

I'm not sure how the factory PTO switch works, (load capacity, number of contacts, NO/NC contacts, etc) but would it be possible to use a 40 amp rated 5 pin relay in place of the factory switch and have a toggle switch on the dash activate the relay.  Could be much cheaper than a factory style PTO switch.

[Pullstart 62,838]

So awesome Zach!  Great work!

[953 nut 55,195]

5 hours ago, Bill D said:

I'm not sure how the factory PTO switch works, (load capacity, number of contacts, NO/NC contacts, etc) but would it be possible to use a 40 amp rated 5 pin relay in place of the factory switch and have a toggle switch on the dash activate the relay.  Could be much cheaper than a factory style PTO switch.

The function of the four contact switch is to interrupt the start signal to the solenoid prevent the starter from rotating with the PTO on. This saves the starter from being overburdened if a mower or other belt driven item is installed.

If you used a toggle switch for the PTO you could use the five pin relay as shown below to do the same function.

85 to ground

86 to PTO toggle switch output to PTO

30 to "S" terminal of ignition switch

87A to starter solenoid small terminal

[gt14rider 755]

Great job Zach, that's going to be one sharp looking GT14. keep up the good work. 

[Lee1977 6,656]

You might as well start looking for more Wheel Horses for Zack to rebuild!

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

59 minutes ago, Lee1977 said:

You might as well start looking for more Wheel Horses for Zack to rebuild!

Thankfully, I have a couple more “lurking” around here that could use his touch—namely a 1054A should he indicate that it is time to do another one😎🙌🏻

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

We are currently in OKC and so Blackbeard is on “hold” until we return at the end of the month. However, I wanted to update everyone with a few details of the project that took place before we left…

There was  a one inch “tear” in the metal in the usual fender spot and so I called upon my buddy Nate (a welder by trade) to fix it up for us. He sent me these pictures yesterday.

 

 

 

It looks to me like all we need now is a little filler and we are ready to prime and paint that fender😎. We are getting closer to having all the red laid down🙌🏻

 

Speaking of reassembly, Zach was so excited to assemble one of the small pieces on Blackbeard before we left.  The original headlight assembly still had the aluminum foil from the factory behind the headlights.  We took that out, sanded the housing and Zach painted it with reflective aluminum paint.

 

It turned out really nice!  I need to find a set of LED headlights for extra brightness but for now he reinstalled the working incandescent bulbs.

I didn’t think about how the “goatee” around the grille would tie in with the black strip around the headlight lens but we agree that it looks awesome😎

Some of you may cry “Foul” here as this is a non original addition but thank to our “in house vinyl maestro” Terry @Vinylguy we are opting to go with a metal dash and tunnel insert and place decals rather than try to stick with the original plastic. As you can see in the picture our original was complete yet rough. Terry did an excellent job of creating a factory look for us!  @19richie66 had an extra dash panel that he offered to Zach along with a tunnel cover—thank you so much Richie! This tractor is a full on worker and it will be relatively easy for us to keep extra stickers on hand should the one in place look worn. However, I really don’t think that will be a problem.  My 1980 Case GT has the factory dash decal installed 43 years ago and it still looks good👍🏻

 

Now that Terry has this worked out and you guys are aware of it, it might be a good seller for him!🤔🧐

 

For anyone who personally knows Zach, this next statement will meet with complete agreement. Zach doesn’t know a stranger.  We were at the church last night and he kept asking to borrow my phone, he wanted to show guys pictures of his tractor and tell them the story.  A gentleman came up to me afterward and said “Zach is a sharp kid! He asked me if I was mechanically inclined and when I told him that I was, he proceeded to tell me all about his new toolbox for Christmas and the restoration of his tractor! He sure knows a lot of stuff for a 9 year old!”

 

Well said! He has about 15 guys now across the south that want me to send them pictures of Blackbeard when it is finished🙌🏻

 

Edited March 16, 2023 by PeacemakerJack

[ebinmaine 67,441]

7 hours ago, PeacemakerJack said:

we are opting to go with a metal dash and .... place decals

I do the same in the C Series when we restore them. 

I REALLY like the look a LOT better than the OE plastic dash cover.  

 

 

7 hours ago, PeacemakerJack said:

Zach doesn’t know a stranger.  

THAT. Is an admirable trait.  

[Pullstart 62,838]

8 hours ago, PeacemakerJack said:

Well said! He has about 15 guys now across the south that want me to send them pictures of Blackbeard when it is finished🙌🏻

Zach needs to get some business cards with this thread as a QR code on them!  I think I got it, try this… 

[Pullstart 62,838]

Oh, and it’s looking great!

[953 nut 55,195]

21 hours ago, PeacemakerJack said:

Terry @Vinylguy we are opting to go with a metal dash and tunnel insert and place decals rather than try to stick with the original plastic. As you can see in the picture our original was complete yet rough. Terry did an excellent job of creating a factory look for us!

     Zach is doing a great job, you are justifiably proud of you son.      That dash looks great.    FYI, the 953/1054 metal dash plate fits the GT-14 opening perfectly, it has round holes for the starter push button and generator light but they probably line up with the two switches on the GT-14, now I just need to order one of the decals from Terry.  

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

14 hours ago, Pullstart said:

Zach needs to get some business cards with this thread as a QR code on them! 

Thanks Kevin…Zach is totally excited about this.  He was reading your post on my phone, then asked momma for her phone, scanned the QR and was amazed when it redirected to his thread😃😎

 

next up—making up some cards!