"Blackbeard"--Zach's GT-14

[953 nut 55,195]

Look over this thread, has all you need to know.

 

 

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

I was able to get the PTO removed from the parts tractor today and install it on Blackbeard only to find out that my power wasn't making it past the switch.  12v going in only about 2 making it out.  So, when I have more ambition, I'll see if the switch is indeed bad or if it is just the connectors are corroded....

 

It was fun to hear Zach ask to take a ride on his tractor and be able to tell him yes.  We jumped on it and he drove me all around the yard.  His is getting the concept of driving more and more every time he is behind the wheel.

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

My lovely wife is an OR nurse and has been for over 15 years.  She is on call this weekend and got called in last night.  So, I decided to go out and monkey with Blackbeard some more.  I cleaned all the terminals on the PTO switch but I still got a zero current pass through reading to the PTO.  If you read the beginning of the thread, you'll see that the PTO was missing when I bought the tractor and all the wiring in that circuit was fried.  I have replaced all that wiring and I hoped the switch was still good.  No dice.  Have I said yet that I'm glad to have a "parts tractor".  I crossed my fingers and tested the switch from that tractor.  IT WORKED.  . The PTO is on and the wires are all hooked up.  I have two questions though:

 

1.  Is there an air gap setting for the PTO and if so, how to I set it?

 

2.  I only see one fuse for all the electrical system.  Can I put a fuse between the switch and the PTO or would that just blow everytime I turn it on?  My thought is to protect the switch from cooking again if the PTO fails...

 

 

The pulleys are original but the magnet, field coil, and bearings appear to be much newer.

 

Another point of interest--I put up two large fluorescent lights in my shop today.  What an improvement!  Now I can work at night and actually see!!!

 

 

My lovely wife pointed out, "your shop has always been messy, now you can SEE that it is messy!"  Thanks Hon! Time to clean and organize...

[oldredrider 2,548]

You should have a 4 position ignition switch. The ACC position will allow use of the lights and PTO. This circuit should be fused and will prevent meltdowns if there is a malfunction.

If I remember correctly, it uses a 15 amp fuse.

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

Now that I have a functioning PTO, I have turned my attention to the deck.  Overall, this thing is in good shape for being 46 years old.  The gauge wheels and bolts were not surprisingly shot.  The tensioner pulley had no bearing left in it anymore but the spindles, bearings, and main housing all seem to be in good shape.

 

 

what i find fascinating Is the condition of the paint on the deck under the tractor.  I just wish I could've gotten this tractor directly from the original owner where it had been stored inside.  I can only imagine how sharp everything would've looked.  

 

 

I have to pick up a fresh PTO belt and put a new tensioner pulley on then sharpen the blades and I should be ready to test it. 

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

This whole, being laid up with a back issue, doesn't work well with progress on my little tractors.  However, I'm excited to take the next step on Blackbeard (Someone should find me a pirate emoticon!) once my body will allow me to.  I have some questions with it though and would greatly appreciate any suggestions.  You guys have been so helpful already with all the horses in my "stable".  Many Thanks to all who have been involved.    It will be fun to show my son in years to come when he can read, all the help that you guys have given us preserved right here in this thread!  

 

SO---Since I can't work on the tractor right now, I can at least think and plan on it!  How many, if any, parts are available for the GT-14 from Toro?  Can I go to their website and find a list of available and/or obsolete parts?  I'd like to get my hands on some of those little handles for the hood latch and the S/R lever.  I'd also like to find a good center cap for the steering wheel.  I would hope that Toro still handles the drive, deck, and PTO belts.    I'm planning on making a metal dash and tunnel cover and then installing a factory looking decal over it.  Do you guys think that is a good idea?  Any potential problems with that?  I'm planning to change the headlight and tail light bulbs to LED's.  I did that on the Dxi and I'm always amazed at how much brighter they are and substantially less heat emitted.  Please share your thoughts on any or all of these things...

[953 nut 55,195]

2 hours ago, PeacemakerJack said:

dash and tunnel cover and then installing a factory looking decal over it

 

 

2 hours ago, PeacemakerJack said:

center cap for the steering wheel.

You can get them here; http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/forum/54-glen-pettit-restoration-parts/

Hope your back problems are minor, lots of us have had spinal surgery.

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

Tonight, I moved Blackbeard into the main garage tonight and realized it was the first time that I had him next to "RED" (my Wife's Dxi).  I thought it was a cool pic with the biggest model of the WH line in 1970 and the biggest of the ToroWH line about 30 years later!

 

 

 

I purposely turned on the headlights on both tractors to show the different between the VLEDS in RED vs the old incandescent bulbs in Blackbeard!

 

cool stable mates I think!

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

I've heard it said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again yet expecting a different end result!  Blackbeard has been running very well this spring and so Zach and I decided to use him to cut the lawn last week.  We were cutting for about 20 minutes and it was going great.  I was very happy with the cut quality and Zach loved riding on his tractor.  I was busy thinking how cool it is that he will get to have many memories on HIS tractor as he grows up. Then when he is ready, he can take it with him into his adult life!  All of a sudden, I turn a corner with the wind to my back and get a big whiff of HyTran!!!  I look behind me and it is spraying everywhere!  So I immediately shut it down.  Sure enough, the hose mentioned in the above post had blown off and was pumping the fluid out!  We towed it back to the shop with RED (towing valve open) and there he sat!  Zach wasn't happy about that and neither is my wife given the 100' long brown "J-hook" in the back yard grass about 4" wide!  HyTran does make a great weed and lawn killer although I wouldn't recommend it!

 

Today, I decided to work with the boys and replace that hose completely and get in some quality time with them...

 

There is the culprit! The PO had put those clamps on there and they didn't like to hold...

 

I wanted to make the change as easy as possible and so I removed the upper tunnel cover, side shield, and seat. Unhooked the back of the 3pt lift bar and propped it up.  Then unbolted the lift controller which allowed me access to the hose at both ends!

 

It was a little difficult to get at everything but I made it work. 

 

Here I'm tightening down the new hose.

 

Then it was the boys turn! They were so excited to put the shielding back on and get to use wrenches and ratchets!  What a great experience with my boys and a 47 year old tractor!

 

 

 

 

[WHX?? 48,815]

Great way to show the boys the value of hand tools and how to use them Josh! Any chance you taught them how to change oil yet? 

[Achto 27,565]

Great job!! It's good that you're boys are willing to turn some wrenches and that they enjoy it.

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

Caleb, Claud, and Judge have all helped me change the oil on the cars and tractors more than once a piece.  Caleb changed the oil on Grizzly today himself.  I really enjoy working with them and seeing their confidence grow while working with basic tools.  

 

I did a test run with Blackbeard today.  It looked leak free although I was still getting a few drips from the excess from the big spill.  My carb was acting funky again today though, almost like it was getting too much air and it was leaning out the mixture.  I pulled the choke out about 3/16" and it would run fine.  So, I need to study over the 47 year old carb and decide if I can make it work without a rebuild...  I tell you one thing, that tractor is super fun to work with,  really hit a home run with this series!  I'm amazed how it "smooths out the bumps" in the back yard.  It also has a tight left turn radius for cutting given the vintage.  I cut about a 1/4 of the yard with it today bad was happy with the job it did.  I want to make sure that I have the running taken care of before diving into "the face lift".  

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

I have a technical question for those of you that can supply me with an answer that I could probably find out fairly easily if I had the time to investigate.

 

Does anyone know off hand what the crank output shaft dimensions are for the GT-14 K321?

 

i found a possible repower engine for Blackbeard.  If the output shaft is correct, I’ll pull the trigger and get this thing back up and running.  I’ll save the original motor for a full rebuild when Zach is in his early teens.  He has been really bugging me about getting it running and rightfully so—it has been nearly 2 years since we’ve used it for anything because of how tired the engine is...

[Achto 27,565]

It should be 1 1/8" Josh

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

4 minutes ago, Achto said:

It should be 1 1/8" Josh

Thanks Dan. Do you know off hand the length?

[19richie66 17,500]

Don’t quote me but I believe it is 3-1/4”

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

45 minutes ago, 19richie66 said:

Don’t quote me but...

The minute I saw this Richie and the fact that is says “Quote” directly under your statement...I couldn’t resist!

 

Thanks.  I’ll keep you guys posted on what I decide to do with it...

[Pullstart 62,838]

Looking forward to seeing Backbeard taking a stroll through the garden plot!

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

 me too!  And Zach especially!

[19richie66 17,500]

Just measured the crank on the engine from Skittles....3-1/2” long, 1-1/8” diameter 

[Pullstart 62,838]

Hey Josh, @dells68 did a quick re-ring the other day and it was as simple as a one day turnaround, I believe.  Maybe before major overhaul, it would be just as quick to pop a new ring and maybe an oversized piston in, for the time being.  

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

That is VERY tempting and may be a great course of action.  However...the plan is to work this machine pretty hard over the next 8-10 years and then do a full restore with Zach.  He will be my last kid to do this withand so my thought was to preserve the original engine from that additional wear and tear plus the engines that I have been looking at have between 50-200 hours total run time—so they are basically brand new.  I will run a Magnum series motor in it much like GhostRider has (I love that engine!) which should allow me to keep the wiring and switches factory.  I’ve thought about installing a WH mechanical PTO in place of the factory electric one but we will see.  Zach of all my kids seems the most interested in mechanical things and I have a feeling will love to help me work with his Blackbeard.  I want to make sure it is reliable, so that he can get on it and go. I am so glad that I have the factory original K321 for his tractor but methinks that going with a different motor for the next decade might be the best avenue.  I’m definitely open for discussion and welcome thoughts.  All of this is preserved (right here on the forum) for Zach as he grows up on this machine...

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

They say that confession is good for the soul...

This is what Blackbeard has digressed to after a couple of non running yearsbut today that will begin to change.  

After church this morning, we have loaded up and are headed to pick up a “new heart” for Blackbeard from “Davy Jones Locker”(gotta be a Pirates of the Caribbean fan to get that pun!).  Anyway, Zach is super Excited and I’m looking forward to having another good worker in the Stable!  

 

More to follow.

 

”A hunting we will go, a hunting we will go...”

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

Zach was able to come along to get his new engine... 

I forgot how big an M16 engine really is...what a Hunk of steel.

 

Rick was so impressed with the whole situation, he decided to knock $50 off even though I handed him the cash for the total price.  

 

I can see that I’ll be installing an engine soon...

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

We went on a family hike this afternoon at a local state park that was nearby the sellers location and that meant we didn’t arrive home until about 5:30pm.  I don’t think the front wheels of the van had even hit the driveway when Zach piped up from the backseat, “Are we gonna get working on Blackbeard or what?”  

I told him that the first thing we needed to do was to remove all the storage shelf stuff from the tractor and then clean off the dust.

 He worked on that with some assistance while Caleb and I got the beast out of the van and into the shop.

That big ole’ K341 is a handful.  I’m glad that Caleb is getting stronger and able to help me do some of these things that I can’t do easily by myself anymore.

This is a stationary engine designed to run something off a utilities truck.  Anyone who has a thought on what it might have been, please chime in.  I know that it has a triple pulley that needs to come off!

 

Zach finally got his tractor cleaned off and was very satisfied with the result of being able to sit on HIS MACHINE for the first time in awhile.  The first thing he says to me right after I took this picture, “Dad, can you show me how to start this tractor? I don’t remember and I need to know how since it is mine!”  This kid is inquisitive but also really sharp.

 

The stationary engine has a whole lot of stuff that we don’t need and can’t have on it and so Zach and I spent about an hour removing it all. 

It had the self contained panel with ignition switch, choke, and throttle.

It had the attached fuel tank and starter solenoid.

Zach was sooooo excited to get hands on and learn.  He did much of the disassembly himself with just simple guidance from me.

That designation tells the story!  These are powerful engines no doubt. 

When we removed the fuel tank, we discovered that the engine had obviously been painted after the tank was installed.  It had that goofy greenish tan “factory paint” which kinda reminded me of a military application color.  

Here Zach is removing the ignition bracket.  Thankfully the engine does have a fuel pump on it. The fuel system is really varnished and so I’ll be sure to pull that and clean it with the carb unless I choose to spend a little more and install an electric pump.  It was a great day and lots of fun with my youngest!