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We found this old tractor on CraigsList. It sounded good, so we went out and too a look. It's on the trailer already, so you know how the story is going to end |
| All of the sheet metal looked good, and it had a dandy front loader. Bill the owner told me the clutch was out, so it couldn't be moved. |
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It could use a little TLC, but it looks like a nice tractor. I tried to get it started, but it wouldn't catch. I tried a whiff of starter fluid, and it still wouldn't go? Diesels always run on starter fluid... what the? |
| I found the air cleaner element was packed with mud and debris. I cleaned that up and gave it another whiff, and she was running! After a little haggling, we sealed the deal and winched her up on the trailer |
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Ouch, it's kinda big in the garage. I dropped the bucket to make it easier to work on. |
| I thought it might be something other than the clutch. I popped the transmission cover to have a look-see. Everything looked good in there. I noticed I could turn the input shaft by hand. That means either the shaft is broken, or the clutch is totally fried! |
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There was no way I could lift the loader off of the tractor, so I blocked it up and backed the tractor out from under it.
This is where it met the front axles, I need a plan! |
| Most of the sheet metal needed to come off to split the tractor. I figured I could clean it up a bit while it was off. |  |
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I blocked the engine up, and dropped the front axle. That allowed the tractor to be backed almost all of the way out of the loader frame. |
| There it is, the dead clutch! The facing are completely gone! Just shreds in the bell housing. |
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I removed the rusty old clutch and headed up to Quality Clutch in Dearborn for a rebuild.
Quality Clutch fixed me up when I needed the clutch for my bulldozer too. |
| A few days later they had it ready to go! |  |
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I see a few broken welds in the front axle housing that will need to be tended to. I'm this far into it, I might just drop the pan and see how the crank bearings look? |
| Well that was a bad thing to do. I found the babbit was gone, and they are down to the copper. That engine is gonna need some work! I pulled the engine and got it mounted to the engine stand for a real evaluation. |
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Yea, not looking too good. What a dirty mess in there! I think it's about time to do a major overhaul on the old girl. I stripped the block bare, and sent it out to the machine shop for a little TLC. |
| It came back looking shiny new, and I have all of the parts to start the re-assembly! Guess what, somebody stole my new truck and all of my TOOLS!!!! Oh NO! I had the injectors and the injector pump are in the truck ready to make a trip to the fuel shop! |
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A bit of time elapsed to get here. I also lost my digital camera, so there are no engine assembly pictures. I'm truckless at this point, and I had to buy all new tools so I could finish the work I found a set of injectors on eBay so I could button up the engine, I still need a pump! |
| Today is the day she gets her new engine installed. I wheeled the back end out as far as it would go. |
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Now I had room to work. I was fairly easy to get the engine out in front. |
| A few pumps on the jack handle will have everything in alignment. |  |
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That's it, a few bolts it all it takes to hold it together. |
| I still have a long way to go! I've been busy shopping for another "new truck" |
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Hey, guess what! I found a new "new truck"!!! It's a dandy! Here I just pressed in new bushing, and laid on a little paint. I straightened and welded the front axle support., it was tweaked pretty good. I had to buy a 20 ton press to mash it back into shape before I could weld it |
| She's back on her own feet again! Now I need to button her up for the winter, I have to clear the garage for my wife Carol, before the frost shows up! I didn't finish it completely, I took it to the barn at Bloom for the winter. See ya in the spring! |
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I'll fill this in soon |
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