19richie66 17,523 #101 Posted January 28, 2018 Ethanol is not your friend. 2 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge 3,463 #102 Posted January 28, 2018 Ethanol is evil - that is documented on every small engine-equipped forum on the planet that has to live with the stuff. Other vintage equipment and vehicles as well - it needs to be banned. I used a different method to pull the wheel on the D due to not wanting to tackle that dash and all it's associated stuff in the way - nor was it going to fit well into my 30 ton press. The bearing splitter has to be decent quality, as well as the thrust frame/screw to put enough pressure on the thing - just be absolutely certain you get the splitter only onto the wheel's steel center and not the steering wheel itself - or you'll break it in short order. If you don't have these tools , most local auto parts stores will rent them but be sure to inspect it first, many are badly damaged enough they won't pull it straight - which is really important. There are a lot of parts on these machines that require bearing splitters - if you ever plan to work on them much it's a great investment to own these tools . Most times I'll stick to OTC, it's a decent price point brand that is still good quality. Maybe not as good as others, but unless you're working on things daily they get the job done. Splitter is an OTC, the beam forcing screw section is a Matco and very heavily built. I still had to soak it with Kroil for a few hours - heard a bang and the wheel fell off by itself, lol. That beam puller can go to 7 tons, so it's pretty stout but be prepared as many require removing the whole mess and using a heavier H-frame hydraulic press, especially the older models. On the D - they use the Ross steering box and this one had to be rebuilt , hence removing the wheel during the front axle work and steering upgrades. Steers like butter now with an improved turning radius, love how it drives/works. Not too familiar with the later model maroon tractors, but yours should be able to come off this way depending upon how much moisture got into that joint on the wheel. One thing I did to this one was bore some holes through the plastic center so it won't hold any water if it gets caught in the rain or during washing. The way they designed the center caps on these things they can fill up with water over time and really rust that joint up badly. I always clean the hole or splines depending on the model , the shaft as well and put them back together with anti-seize - you'll regret it later if you don't as they can corrode quickly. Good luck, this one will be a great lesson for your son - more involved than just changing out parts.... Sarge 1 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeacemakerJack 10,739 #103 Posted January 28, 2018 4 hours ago, 19richie66 said: Ethanol is not your friend. I’ve been telling this to folks for years and I know that we have numerous threads discussing it here on and so I won’t belabor the point but thank you for bringing it up. All of my tractors minus “the smokers” get premium ethanol free fuel as does the Goat and the bike. My Nissan Maxima also gets the good stuff per the manual. I’ve seen enough examples of issues from it... Thank you Sarge for the detailed description of steering wheel removal. I haven’t studied closely JackRabbit’s steering wheel but it doesn’t appear to have a removable center cap like your D-series with the fluted shaft Ross box. It appears to be “pressed or slid” on the the shaft then held in place with the spirol pin. The spirol pin was difficult to get out but a punch and hammer worked. I’m pretty sure if I can get the wheel to twist on the steering shaft that it should slide off—we will see... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge 3,463 #104 Posted January 28, 2018 Just be careful forcing the wheel against the steering gear to break it loose - the cast gears can/will break. Better off using a pipe wrench or similar to hold the shaft - two good sized men can have sort of a tug o war with it and get lucky - maybe. You can shock it with some heat - but some of the wheels will melt really easily so it's not recommended, once you break the bond at the steel center the wheel is junk. I have heated the shaft a bit below the wheel and used paraffin wax to penetrate the joint - it will creep uphill as it cools, just don't let the heat migrate into the plastic with wet rags or something. Some of the center caps sit in a recess, so it's tough to tell if it's separate or not , not sure about that later model as I've never owned one yet - maybe some day...others will chime in I'm sure. Have fun with it - if nothing else it's a great lesson about patience for your son, kids today are far too used to instant results, this thing will teach him otherwise in a hurry just like the wheel hubs and rear hitch cross pins...lol. I like to hit all those areas on any new tractor I acquire - figure it's easier just to tackle those known problem areas now rather than deal with it later if I'm in a hurry to do a repair. Sarge 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aldon 4,827 #105 Posted January 28, 2018 Reason I brought up ethanol again is that I have had issues where the screeen on these valve valves is ok but the valve itself is plugged partially or in a couple cases completely. Just easier to install new IMO. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge 3,463 #106 Posted January 29, 2018 Not to mention, just fyi - ethanol can sometimes attack the brass needle valve tip and literally eat it off. Stem seals last about 5 minutes with high concentrations of the stuff as well - my brother in law found out the hard way as his lost a full tank of fuel in his garage that is attached directly to their house. Lucky he didn't have a fire - he uses non-ethanol in his equipment now that we've repaired several things - including a whole new carb on his chain saw - it ate the old one up past rebuilding it . Sarge 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeacemakerJack 10,739 #107 Posted January 29, 2018 The volt gauge turned out really nice with the fresh paint on the trim ring. Now that we have all of our dash related items prepped and ready, Caleb can put all the pieces on to the dash panel. I investigated the steering wheel a little closer and saw that it indeed has a center cap and so I peeled that out and began to soak the top of the shaft with penetrating oil. I’ll probably do that all week before I try to crack it loose again... 3 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge 3,463 #108 Posted January 29, 2018 Yeah - looks like the typical problem, water has gotten inside and rusted the heck of out of that joint between the wheel's steel center and the shaft. I've had a couple that were so corroded I had to chip the rusty flakes out of the way to get a decent shot at putting the thrust screw for the pulling tool on center and getting some Kroil to the joint itself. The tools will have one of two different styles of ends on the thrust screw - either a centering point or a flat bearing face to push against the shaft. If the shaft doesn't have a center divot in it - putting one on there with a small drill bit helps to prevent it walking as you increase the pressure against the shaft center. 1/8"-3/16" is plenty and especially a 118* bit versus using a 135* angle. Using a 2-point beam style puller can be a challenge to keep it equal and straight - just takes some trial and error to get it right so it pulls straight and true to the shaft. If it doesn't pull dead straight, the angle will cause a fight and you lose the pulling power quickly - same thing for pulling hubs and it's why a hydraulic press works so much better. Again, a lesson in patience for all...lol. Sarge 1 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeacemakerJack 10,739 #109 Posted January 30, 2018 (edited) Good night in the shop tonight although rather abbreviated in between b-ball practice for Caleb and bedtime! Caleb started by removing the two remaining “clip nuts” on the tower rails for the lower dash panel and replacing with new ones. Obviously he installed the necessary four pieces. This thing evidently had some sort of a cab on it at one point. We removed the long bolts out of the tower where the “IC” is above the word “AUTOMATIC” and replaced with the correct length carriage bolts with nylocks on the backside. Once those couple of easy tasks were done, Caleb assembled his dash with the new ignition switch that we got to replace the old one and the voltmeter from Richie. It’s ready to install once the wiring is sorted out... Now for the big project of the night: first I want to thank Sarge for his encouragement to keep at this steering wheel. We worked on it for about 20 min with seemingly no results. I didn’t want to damage the steering wheel or anything else for that matter. We had been soaking it with SeaFoam Deep Creep for several days now. I tried beating on the end of the shaft with a big hammer on a solid brass rod. I tried prying up on the steering wheel with my knees while hitting the center shaft with the brass rod hammer combo—no dice. Caleb was pretty discouraged by this time but I told him that we would get it if we had patience and kept at it. Then I had this idea... I clamped a good Vice Grip to the shaft and placed a 2x4 between it and the tower, grabbed the steering wheel and gave it a turn and it moved We couldn’t believe it! Caleb was stoked and it was a great teaching moment for him. I’m not saying it would work in every application but it worked for us and I’m thankful to be over that hurdle. I need to order a fuel shut off and a grommet next and get back on the wiring. We are getting close to having this thing together...not restored YET but hopefully running and functioning much more like it should be... Edited January 30, 2018 by PeacemakerJack 6 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 49,191 #110 Posted January 30, 2018 Success comes to those that try Josh! 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 68,485 #111 Posted January 30, 2018 Patience. Oh yeah. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
19richie66 17,523 #112 Posted January 30, 2018 Good deal! Those steering wheels are one of the biggest pains...... and rear hubs. Glad you beat it at it’s own game. Looking good. 👍 5 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Achto 27,822 #113 Posted January 30, 2018 Having just gone through a steering wheel experience, I can appreciate what a PITA it can be. Glad that you guys had success!! Things are looking good. Tell Caleb he's doing a great job. 2 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge 3,463 #114 Posted January 30, 2018 Great to hear, glad it gave up the fight - it's all about patience and leverage. Now, take some crocus cloth and clean up that shaft or at least file down any raised metal - it can be quite sharp and every time you're working on that wiring it's going to bite you back for scarring it up....lol. Nice that this one is a smooth shaft with only the roll pin - most I've dealt with were splined and not quite so easy. Sarge 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,497 #115 Posted January 30, 2018 (edited) Coming together piece by piece. Nice job fellas. Glenn Edited January 31, 2018 by JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeacemakerJack 10,739 #116 Posted January 31, 2018 Here’s a little better picture of Jeff’s awesome artwork... The more I look at it, the more I like it! Careful though—I’ll be asking you to make up one for GhostRider, Vader, and Blackbeard before you know it Thanks again... 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WVHillbilly520H 10,374 #117 Posted January 31, 2018 7 hours ago, PeacemakerJack said: The more I look at it, the more I like it! Careful though—I’ll be asking you to make up one for GhostRider, Vader, and Blackbeard before you know it Thanks again... I'm sure I could doodle something out again ...GhostRider seems easy enough, then Blackbeard , Vader ...all I need is some ...Jeff. 2 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeacemakerJack 10,739 #119 Posted January 31, 2018 Zach’s GT-14 is Blackbeard. He was an interesting character with some pretty peculiar tendencies like reportedly putting fuses under his hat and letting them hangout while occasionally lighting one threatening to blow everything and everyone up who was close by! He was a fearsome pirate who met his demise at the hands of Robert Maynard who shares the same name with our own @rmaynard! Zach was on a pirate kick when we got him that tractor and he saw the Black paint on the hood and was convinced that it had to be “Blackbeard”! 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeacemakerJack 10,739 #120 Posted February 5, 2018 Great time working on JackRabbit with Caleb this afternoon. Caleb is getting excited now because he is starting to see it come together. Even as an adult who has done this multiple times before, I’m excited at this point too! Thanks @Ed Kennell for the advice on the petcock installation. I had Caleb read your advice on installing that fuel shut off and he did it! Let’s take a minute to talk about the shut off. One of my local circle buddies Dan stopped by and gave Caleb a shut off and grommet that he had in his tool box at work for some time. He also gave Caleb a box of 1/4”-20 Button head stainless bolts that you will see used on the dash, tunnel cover, and other visible areas that need some bling! @Achto for your investment once again into my family—you are a great friend! It isn’t a stock shut off in that you just move it 90 degrees for off and on. I prefer that for easy of use! Then Caleb turned his attention to cleaning up the floor boards. They are in pretty ugly shape but FOR NOW we are just cleaning them and installing them. Eventually (maybe this summer?) they will get restored. I picked up some new stainless carriage bolts and Caleb loosely fit them in place. While he was working on that, I removed the old starter wire. It was about 2” too short and was riding on the back of the drive belt. I had a longer one in my collection and fit that for length. Caleb crimped a new end on and then fed the wire loom over for an extra level of protection followed by installing in as shown above. Next up: finish the wiring investigation and repair, then tackle the steering column, dash, and wheel assembly... 3 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 49,191 #121 Posted February 5, 2018 (edited) 10 hours ago, PeacemakerJack said: gave Caleb a box of 1/4”-20 Button head stainless bolts that you will see used on the dash A little bling bling on the 520 Josh... Thanks for the dumpster diving Dan!! Edited February 5, 2018 by WHX14 2 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 68,485 #122 Posted February 5, 2018 11 hours ago, PeacemakerJack said: in my collection I find the words that we use to describe our piles of stuff interesting. Great to see that thing coming back together. I can see why you're excited 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeacemakerJack 10,739 #123 Posted February 5, 2018 You see Eric—we have to come up with “creative terms” otherwise people on the outside look in a drawer like this... and say, “when are you going to clean the junk out of this drawer?” I could’ve run to town and bought a new wire for JackRabbit but by saving most of the wiring from old projects in the past, I looked through it until I found what I needed I’ve got enough stuff (some new and most used) in there to probably wire a couple of older tractors! 1 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeacemakerJack 10,739 #124 Posted March 12, 2018 Wow! A month goes by really fast when you are out of the country. I spent two weeks on a missions trip to the Philippines (more about that in a separate thread) and then I have to catch up when I get back. We are hoping to get the steering, dash, and electrical together this week but I want to take this post and brag on Caleb a little... I really don’t deserve a son as good as he is but I thank God for him. He was born one month premature at 4.5 lbs and was small enough that I could pretty much hold him in one hand (once they finally let us hold him—he was in the incubator for awhile). It took nearly two weeks before we could take him home and our lives have never been the same! He has trouble focusing on book work and remembering things at times but he is a hard worker. Probably his best characteristic is that he truly loves and cares for others. Anyway, it was his sports banquet on Friday night for his small Christian school that he attends. He played soccer in the fall and was supposed to play JV basketball over the winter. However, the varsity team was short on players and since Caleb is a tall kid, they brought him up to play with the “big boys”. He got an education for sure but I challenged him all year that when he got knocked down to get back up and work even harder. He listened! His coach for soccer awarded him the Christian Character award for his work ethic, determination in practice, and all around displaying a good attitude. His varsity b-ball coach gave him the “6th Man” award which is given to that guy who comes off the bench whenever needed and can be depended upon to play his best. The coolest award that he received though was from his team mates. There was a game that they played mid season where everyone was off. They weren’t playing good basketball and the coach was on them in the locker room. Caleb got tires of losing and playing lousy ball. He ended up taking over the game defensively. He was out playing much better players from the opposing team by stealing the ball, forcing turnovers, and just being a pest on defense. This power play caused the rest of our team to step up and follow his leadership. They figured if one of the youngest guys on the team could do it, so could they. They still ended up losing the game by a few points but managed to come all the way back from a 25 point deficit. Unknown to the coaches, the captain of the team bought a game ball and had everyone on the team sign it to Caleb. After the awards portion of the even was finished, Tanner (the team captain) took the mic and gave this ball to Caleb while everyone listened in. I think it is really special to be honored by your peers, especially when they are teenage guys (not typically the most thoughtful). I couldn’t have been more proud of Caleb for the character that he showed as a 13 year old. I pray that he can build upon that as he continues to grow. now back to the tractor build... 1 11 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
19richie66 17,523 #125 Posted March 12, 2018 He’s a good kid! I can tell. 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
