Paw Paw's Charger and leaf vacuum

[ebinmaine 67,496]

Such a beautiful machine!

[kpinnc 12,028]

7 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Such a beautiful machine!

 

Thanks Eb!

 

Pictures definitely do it justice. Like the previous tractor- due to the red paint shortage it has 2 different reds, but it isn't too bad. I wish the whole thing turned out as good as the hood, because it is perfect. 

 

Oh well, it's gonna be dirty on the first day it goes home. It'll look nice on delivery though! 

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

18 hours ago, kpinnc said:

I had to go with a digital voltmeter

I was thinking of taking the amp meter off of my 1984 Work Horse but at this point I don’t know how to hook it up… wonder if you just use the same wires and just hook up the new volt  meter ?

Edited November 15, 2021 by Horse Newbie

[Handy Don 12,226]

2 hours ago, Horse Newbie said:

I was thinking of taking the amp meter off of my 1984 Work Horse but at this point I don’t know how to hook it up… wonder if you just use the same wires and just hook up the new volt  meter ?

Ammeter and volt meters are wired differently.

Volt meter is easy--connect between the 12v line you want to monitor on one side (typically line attached to the Accessory lug on the ignition switch) and ground on the other side.

On the ammeter, it'll vary depending on the tractor's existing wiring.

BTW, if you remove the ammeter from a horse, be sure to securely connect its two leads together and then insulate and support them. Otherwise the tractor won't crank or run!

 

[BeninCT 451]

@kpinnc This thing is looking amazing.  I tow a leaf vac it’s its own motor on the trailer and I love this idea.  Cant wait to see it all set up!  I have used smoke pipe fittings over the years for all kinds of things and I think you may want to add some reinforcement to the 90 degree fitting you have in the intake.  I could be wrong but think the weight of the hose will cause the joints in that fitting to separate over time.  Maybe some metal straps or maybe just a couple welds between the sections if you haven’t already .  Looks great!  I’d like to take some lessons from you on painting.

[kpinnc 12,028]

1 hour ago, BeninCT said:

 I’d like to take some lessons from you on painting

 

First- thank you very much!

Second- in my case at least, pictures always look better than in person. This tractor turned out decent, but I had to repaint several parts after the first coat messed up. I sanded and repainted the rear fender 4 times before I got it right. 

 

 

Edited November 16, 2021 by kpinnc

[kpinnc 12,028]

1 hour ago, BeninCT said:

I think you may want to add some reinforcement to the 90 degree fitting you have in the intake.  I could be wrong but think the weight of the hose will cause the joints in that fitting to separate over time.

 

Yeah that is my FIL's idea. I have a welded steel elbow that is 6" ID, but he wanted to keep the 7" ID. He says it doesn't clog as much.

[BeninCT 451]

16 hours ago, kpinnc said:

 

First- thank you very much!

Second- in my case at least, pictures always look better than in person. This tractor turned out decent, but I had to repaint several parts after the first coat messed up. I sanded and repainted the rear fender 4 times before I got it right. 

 

 

That is the beauty of these types of projects really- the stakes are low and fixes are pretty easy.  Still looks fantastic.  

[ebinmaine 67,496]

Steak 🥩🥩🥩🥩. 

[Lee1977 6,659]

7 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Steak 🥩🥩🥩🥩. 

Now you have EB thinking about food, it will be next week before he get back to thinking about tractors. Then Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years no progress on Colossus

until the middle of February. 

[ebinmaine 67,496]

6 hours ago, Lee1977 said:

Now you have EB thinking about food, it will be next week before he get back to thinking about tractors. Then Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years no progress on Colossus

until the middle of February. 

We don't do Thanksgiving or Christmas here but I most certainly celebrate FOOD as often as possible. 

 

This could be a significantly longer than expected delay. 

 

[kpinnc 12,028]

10 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

16 hours ago, Lee1977 said:

Now you have EB thinking about food, it will be next week before he get back to thinking about tractors. Then Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years no progress on Colossus

until the middle of February. 

We don't do Thanksgiving or Christmas here but I most certainly celebrate FOOD as often as possible. 

 

This could be a significantly longer than expected delay. 

 

 

Starting to think we have more in common than tractors...

 

Isn't there a FOOD season? As I recall it runs January through December 31st... 

 

In my 30s, my wife and I could be sitting around, and we had a certain way that we 'looked' at each other- and it was ON! Clothes flying everywhere.

 

Now- we have the same 'look'', but it's usually when we figure out what's for dinner! 

[ebinmaine 67,496]

3 minutes ago, kpinnc said:

 

Starting to think we have more in common than tractors...

 

Isn't there a FOOD season? As I recall it runs January through December 31st... 

 

In my 30s, my wife and I could be sitting around, and we had a certain way that we 'looked' at each other- and it was ON! Clothes flying everywhere.

 

Now- we have the same 'look'', but it's usually when we figure out what's for dinner! 

 

I've stated this multiple times in the past and I'll repeat it for the sake of clarity.

 

Anybody who even so much as considers the fact that they may have some psychological patterns in common with me should immediately get up and begin walking towards the nearest mental health facility. 

 

[kpinnc 12,028]

25 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Anybody who even so much as considers the fact that they may have some psychological patterns in common with me should immediately get up and begin walking towards the nearest mental health facility. 

 

I've always answered the phone as "Whatever (your) county mental health clinic".

 

Keep one thing in mind- knowing you are crazy is actally a great thing. It's the lunatics that think they are sane that scares me!

[SylvanLakeWH 25,557]

58 minutes ago, kpinnc said:

In my 30s, my wife and I could be sitting around, and we had a certain way that we 'looked' at each other- and it was ON! Clothes flying everywhere

Hhhmmm… So, immediately after seeing a great   deal on Craigslist, you’d both be changing into appropriate grungy clothing quickly for the trip to go pick it up…? 

 

Got it… 

 

Same problem here… 

 

 

 

[kpinnc 12,028]

1 hour ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

Hhhmmm… So, immediately after seeing a great   deal on Craigslist, you’d both be changing into appropriate grungy clothing quickly for the trip to go pick it up…? 

 

Got it… 

 

Same problem here… 

 

Exactly! That's it!

 

She knew she was in trouble when one Saturday morning- after I had worked 3rd shift- I picked her up and drove 12 hours to Indiana for a Work Horse tractor. 

 

I figured it was best to show her my level of insanity at an early point in the relationship... 

[kpinnc 12,028]

This tractor is wearing on my nerves... It's my fault of course, so I guess it's better to say my own stupidity is wearing on my nerves.

 

I never questioned the engine I used on this machine because I've seen it run recently. But- it used a fixed throttle before. And it ran great, but seemed far more "stubborn" to start cold than most Kohlers. And also I only have two machines with coil/ points that I've never had to make adjustments to... Well this one had a flaky plug wire, a bad condenser, and the governor was set weird. I added all the variable throttle parts, so nothing was adjusted correctly. Did I mention stupidity? This tractor would choke off just trying to pull the mower deck if it wasn't even down on the lawn... So now after swapping parts and two evenings of test drives, it appears to be running as it should, and cranks on the first turn over. The governor is now set properly as well.

 

I also removed all that clackity clack tension release garbage from the tranny drive belt. The purists can smirk at it, but it at least runs smooth and quiet now without having to hold that T-handle still. It now has a strong single spring for belt tension and is so much better in my opinion. 

 

Maybe I'll get it back home this week. Who knows, maybe he'll get it back as a Christmas present! 

Edited November 18, 2021 by kpinnc

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

32 minutes ago, kpinnc said:

removed all that clackity clack tension release garbage from the tranny drive belt.

 

So no way to disengage the belt now?  

 

Ya got me thinkin... that usually gets me into trouble!

 

I wonder what the reasoning was for adding all that stuff in the first place?  I can't think of a reason one would need to disengage the drive belt anyway.  Unless maybe to reduce the load on the starter when starting the machine?

 

[ebinmaine 67,496]

2 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

Unless maybe to reduce the load on the starter when starting the machine

That and the disengaged position is where the park brake is. 

 

I've heard tell of folks running tractors without disengaging the hydro belt for years. 

 

 

[kpinnc 12,028]

6 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

I wonder what the reasoning was for adding all that stuff in the first place?  I can't think of a reason one would need to disengage the drive belt anyway.  Unless maybe to reduce the load on the starter when starting the machine?

 

The park brake is part of it of course, but very few of those even still work. The paws or brackets (depending on model) are usually broken or worn down to the point they no longer engage. The oldest Hydrogears have no other form of braking. Later Sundstrands had traditional band/ drum brakes similar to Eatons and 8 speeds.

 

None of the "newer" hydros have a release. Albeit they aren't Sundstrands, lots of other machines do not use a release regardless. My 518-H had (emphasis on had) the release, but none of the 520-H models that I have use them. I also have a Toro groundsmaster with no such device on a Sundstrand. 

 

The Charger runs much quieter now without all those links rattling around under the belt cover. The belt also slaps less on the guard.

Edited November 18, 2021 by kpinnc

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

14 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

disengaged position is where the park brake is.

 

Not sure I get this...  I can engage or disengage the drive idler with or without the parking brake on.  Talking about either my C-125 or 175. 

 

Are there other models on which one must disengage the drive belt before applying the parking brake?

 

One reason that I'm considering doing this is because on my 'new to me' C-125, the idler doesn't stay firmly DISengaged, making for some rather unpleasant experience if the hydro lever is NOT in neutral and the idler decides to 'snap to attention'.  It's happened twice now.  Once I stopped just inches away from my wife's car door.  The other time was outside so no big deal except I wasn't in the seat. Luckily it was just idling at the time. The Treasurer didn't like that shrubbery anyhow.

 

Edited November 19, 2021 by Jeff-C175

[ebinmaine 67,496]

1 hour ago, Jeff-C175 said:

Not sure I get this...  I can engage or disengage the drive idler with or without the parking brake on.  Talking about either my C-125 or 175. 

 

Are there other models on which one must disengage the drive belt before applying the parking brake?

Oh yeah yeah. 

I don't know what year they came out ... the older Sundstrand transmissions do not have a park brake drum.

 

"Park brake"  is a pawl that gets engaged by an arm that catches a gear.

 

That's attached to the engagement mechanism for the belt.

 

 

[kpinnc 12,028]

11 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

Not sure I get this...  I can engage or disengage the drive idler with or without the parking brake on.  Talking about either my C-125 or 175. 

 

Are there other models on which one must disengage the drive belt before applying the parking brake?

 

The brake in my original post (and on the "hydrogear" Sundstrands) was designed to simultaneously engage the park brake paw when the drive belt was disengaged. There are no other brakes of any form in these transmission- but they are only park brakes, and have only two modes: on and off. They originally held the tractor from moving while at rest. 

 

The pic below is not mine, but shows the hydrogear parking brake circled in blue. It is connected to the tensioner release. The brake arm goes inside the tranny and locks the gear from turning- though they are often broken.

 

The newer Sundstrands (B/C/D series) have traditional brake drums, and are typically actuated with a brake pedal. Those models likely use an integrated park brake and pedal.

 

Edited November 19, 2021 by kpinnc

[kpinnc 12,028]

Now this Charger has a cleaner look at the center console with the disengagement lever now gone. 

 

I also made another brace for the PTO belt guard.

 

 

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

37 minutes ago, kpinnc said:

newer Sundstrands (B/C/D series)

 

Which is what I've got.  Pushing the brake pedal all the way down returns the motion lever to neutral and clamps the drum in the band.

 

Hydros don't really even NEED a brake because going to neutral stops the machine.

 

By the time you have the pedal pushed far enough down to engage the brake the machine is already stopped.  It really is just a parking brake.

 

I'm going to take a look at what I need to do to get rid of that junk

Edited November 19, 2021 by Jeff-C175