Oldskool 6,640 #1 Posted January 10, 2020 Hi all. Thanks for the add to the group. Always have liked the older tractors and mowers. This will be my first antique tractor resto. I hope to learn alot here and hope I can help out along the way 6 6 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,266 #2 Posted January 10, 2020 Welcome to another Mainah!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Oldskool 6,640 #3 Posted January 10, 2020 Thank you ebinmaine. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ed Kennell 38,021 #4 Posted January 10, 2020 to the Skool. You got a real treasure there. Keep us posted with pics. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZXT 2,401 #5 Posted January 10, 2020 Welcome! Nice looking little tractor you have there. Any history on it? Be aware that your newfound hobby will lead to bringing more tractors home! 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Oldskool 6,640 #6 Posted January 11, 2020 ZXT, No history yet. The guy I got it from only had it a couple days. Going to try and get history info at a later date. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wallfish 16,983 #7 Posted January 11, 2020 What you have there is the RJ-58. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Oldskool 6,640 #8 Posted January 11, 2020 wallfish you just gave me the answer to a post I was just going to make. When I got the tractor I thought it may have been an RJ58. I looked at the tag today and all I can make out on it is a 57 in the lower right corner. So that changed my thinking to it may be an RJ 35 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZXT 2,401 #10 Posted January 11, 2020 Is it a runner? If it's not, I'd get it running before you pull it apart so that you can gauge the condition of the engine and trans if you don't plan on rebuilding the two. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Oldskool 6,640 #12 Posted January 11, 2020 It will run with a squirt in the carb and the trans seem to shift well but haven't had a ride yet 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wallfish 16,983 #13 Posted January 11, 2020 (edited) 25 minutes ago, Oldskool said: wallfish you just gave me the answer to a post I was just going to make. When I got the tractor I thought it may have been an RJ58. I looked at the tag today and all I can make out on it is a 57 in the lower right corner. So that changed my thinking to it may be an RJ 35 It's a RJ-58 You got the good stuff with it like the belt guard heat shield, a shower head muffler, solid front rims with no holes and the hood wasn't cut. Looks like an original gas tank too but hard to tell. All of those pieces can get expensive when restoring one since they are the most common pieces missing Edited January 11, 2020 by wallfish 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Oldskool 6,640 #14 Posted January 11, 2020 (edited) 5 minutes ago, wallfish said: It's a RJ-58 You got the good stuff with it like the belt guard heat shield, a shower head muffler, solid front rims with no holes and the hood wasn't cut. Looks like an original gas tank too but hard to tell. All of those pieces can get expensive when restoring one since they are the most common pieces missing believe it is the correct tank but the front rims are rotted thru fairly bad. Edited January 11, 2020 by Oldskool Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 48,763 #15 Posted January 11, 2020 Sawweeet ..a 58, check out what appears to be a original shower head fellas.. what better?!? Yah ...that's a 58 and he is right about it having the usual hard to find missing or $$ items. Please keep us posted on your progress Oldskool and feel free to tell us more about yourself and tractors you may have restored. We like all brands ... well almost all brands. Please do tell us your intentions. .. stay orginal mechanical ... full blown resto? Those front rims being gone quite common but we have a work around. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Oldskool 6,640 #16 Posted January 11, 2020 15 minutes ago, WHX24 said: Sawweeet ..a 58, check out what appears to be a original shower head fellas.. what better?!? Yah ...that's a 58 and he is right about it having the usual hard to find missing or $$ items. Please keep us posted on your progress Oldskool and feel free to tell us more about yourself and tractors you may have restored. We like all brands ... well almost all brands. Please do tell us your intentions. .. stay orginal mechanical ... full blown resto? Those front rims being gone quite common but we have a work around. I also have the front plow blade for it. I would like to do a full resto at sometime. At the moment I am going to work all the bug out of it and go from there. What would the work around for the front rims be? Wheelbarrow rims? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 9,679 #17 Posted January 11, 2020 (edited) That is a great looking complete tractor. you might consider keeping it original, or doing a light wet sand and clearcoat to preserve the patina. Of course the most important thing is to make it you own, and it also is a great tractor for a full restoration. When you get it running flush the transmission by draining and filling it with diesel, driving it around, and draining and refilling with 90w gear oil. The spindles on it are longer than most modern rims. You can find 3/4" spaces at Tractor Supply, etc to put on the spindle, then use a modern rim. However if you want to do a correct restore, those rims are hard to find/expensive. Those rims can probable be repaired. I've taken some with holes in them and sandblasted and welded up the holes. Then used JD weld to smooth the bead area on the inside and smooth the outside. Below are pictures of a really bad David Bradley rim I repaired. I taped the hole on the outside, and on the inside used fiberglass cloth and JB weld. JB weld can be worked down with a files and sand paper. From the outside I can't tell which rim I repaired. Edited January 11, 2020 by oliver2-44 3 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 48,763 #18 Posted January 11, 2020 19 minutes ago, Oldskool said: I also have the front plow blade for it. I would like to do a full resto at sometime. At the moment I am going to work all the bug out of it and go from there. What would the work around for the front rims be? Wheelbarrow rims? Original plow blade?? BTW we like our here. Full resto would out of the question noting that patina and character, for me anyway, BUT fellas here got me brainwashed to stay character but we get the notion that it is your tractor you see fit. As far the rims you may find some ' barrow rims to get/keep it a roller but later Suburban rims might be better suited. Rims from another brand may be another option as well. No chance the rims can be saved? Don't rule that out as I have saved some pretty nasty ones per @oliver2-44...then again lost a few on the table. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZXT 2,401 #19 Posted January 11, 2020 3 minutes ago, oliver2-44 said: That is a great looking complete tractor. you might consider keeping it original, or doing a light wet sand and clearcoat to preserve the patina. Of course the most important thing is to make it you own, and it also is a great tractor for a full restoration. When you get it running flush the transmission by draining and filling it with diesel, driving it around, and draining and refilling with 90w gear oil. The spindles on it are longer than most modern rims. You can find 3/4" spaces at Tractor Supply, etc to put on the spindle, then use a modern rim. However if you want to do a correct restore, those rims are hard to find/expensive. Those rims can probable be repaired. I've taken some with holes in them and sandblasted and welded up the holes. Then used JD weld to smooth the bead area on the inside and smooth the outside. Below are pictures of a really bad David Bradley rim I repaired. I taped the hole on the outside, and on the inside used fiberglass cloth and JB weld. JB weld can be worked down with a files and sand paper. From the outside I can't tell which rim I repaired. Excellent repair. Do you run tubes on them or do they seal pretty well? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 9,679 #21 Posted January 11, 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, ZXT said: Excellent repair. Do you run tubes on them or do they seal pretty well? I have some Suburban rear rims that were heavily pitted/JB weld smoothed that are holding air with out a tube. The above David Bradley rims require a tube even when in good condition due to their split design. Edited January 11, 2020 by oliver2-44 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 55,065 #22 Posted January 11, 2020 11 hours ago, Oldskool said: It will run with a squirt in the carb and the trans seem to shift well but haven't had a ride yet As others have said, you hit the mother load with that sweet little RJ. Sounds like a fuel system clean-up and perhaps a spark plug and you will be on the road. The horn isn't factory, but I would keep it and put a new rubber bulb on it. https://www.google.com/search?q=rubber+horn+bulb&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS845US845&oq=rubber+horn+bulb&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l7.8558j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rjg854 11,349 #23 Posted January 11, 2020 Nice find on the tractor @Oldskool and great place here with lots of helpful people and a wealth of knowledge. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Oldskool 6,640 #24 Posted January 11, 2020 (edited) 11 hours ago, WHX24 said: Original plow blade?? BTW we like our here. Full resto would out of the question noting that patina and character, for me anyway, BUT fellas here got me brainwashed to stay character but we get the notion that it is your tractor you see fit. As far the rims you may find some ' barrow rims to get/keep it a roller but later Suburban rims might be better suited. Rims from another brand may be another option as well. No chance the rims can be saved? Don't rule that out as I have saved some pretty nasty ones per @oliver2-44...then again lost a few on the table. My plow is just like this one minus the shoes and shiny paint lol Edited January 11, 2020 by Oldskool 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Oldskool 6,640 #25 Posted January 11, 2020 A little update for today. Replaced the fuel line and cleaned things up. Had to readjust the governor and throttle cable. Starts and idles with one pull. Puffs some blue smoke with running. Drained the trans. HUH half full of water due to the shifter boot being cracked and sitting outside for quite some time. So now the job of flushing it out 5 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
