Downeaster's Tractor Overhaul Thread.

Downeaster

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As mentioned, I'll start a separate thread for this WInter's tractor overhaul project. A brief review for those who are just finding this.

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I picked up this Shibaura SD1400B. It's a Japanese gray market tractor, water cooled 2 cylinder diesel, 2 wheel drive, 4x2 or possibly 4x3 transmission (won't know until I get it running). I gave $250 for it. The DPO (dreaded previous owner) said he'd had it started but it wouldn't move. Shibaura built, and as far as I know, still builds Ford/New Holland compact and subcompact tractors.

As I was winching it up on the trailer it drug the rear wheels the whole way. I figured probably the brakes were frozen up.

Got it home and up on jackstands and drained all the fluids. Everything looked good, no water or other indications of issues and the antifreeze tested good so no issues with cracked block or ruined radiator.
 
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Day Two: I was partially right about the brakes. It has a pair of disks with a ball-and-ramp actuator between them. When the pedal is press, the actuator presses the disks against the inner and outer surfaces of the brake/axle housing. The disks were indeed stuck to the housings, but not seriously so.

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The real problem was that the outer axle bearing was frozen solid and packed with rust. Some judicious tapping with a 5 pound hammer drove the outer housing off the bearing and a jury-rigged bearing puller pulled the bearing off the axle. Pretty common sized bearing, ordered a pair from Amazon on the assumption that the other axle would have the same issue. Only pulling one at a time to avoid having the ring gear and carrier winding up in the rear end sump.
 
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Day Three: Cleaned up the brake housing which was SERIOUSLY nasty. Got the bright idea of clamping it to the X/Y table on my drill press, cranking the Z axis up to load the cupped wire wheel and then moving the X/Y around to clean things up without worrying about hitting the gasket. Was able to clean the main surface and the bearing/seal seating area very nicely that way.

Took a trip to NAPA and got a new battery and my first guess at a fuel filter. There wasn't one in the housing when I took it apart. There's some indication that this tractor is the same basic unit as a Ford 1300, so I grabbed the filter listed for that tractor. Just a whisker too big to fit in the housing. I have to go back tomorrow to pick up the oil filter they didn't have on hand, so I'll swap it for something a tad smaller. They also had a promo going: Buy a $4.95 tool bag and get 20% off three items. Saved me a few bucks on the battery.

While waiting on parts, I took the steering wheel and dash off. Wanted to put a new ignition switch in as the DPO had been using a screwdriver. Unfortunately, the switch is not a generic unit with several extra connections, so I guess I'll have to cobble up a key or knob or something.

Last project for the day was fixing the seat slider. Cushions are junk but the frame and adjuster are in decent shape, just need to be cleaned up and oiled. Main frame is in the electrolysis bath, sliders will go in next. Front studs that the seat mounts to were a solid gob of rust so clamped the sliders in my mill, milled the area where the studs were welded in flat and drilled and tapped for 1/4-20 bolts.
 
Huh...that's a first...

A while back, I bought a neat little DC power supply with Constant Current/Constant Voltage capability. 0-24VDC, 0-10 Amps. Hadn't had a need for it until tonight.

Set up my electrolysis tank to de-rust the seat assembly and the usual battery charger approach didn't seem to be working. Not sure why, it always has. Thought maybe water temp had something to do with it, so I took it down to the basement. Still not getting any appreciable action.

So, I figured this is a good opportunity to try out my power supply. Pure DC (which battery chargers typically do not produce) should help, plus I can bump up the voltage.

Hooked everything up and turned on the P/S and...Nothing. No lights, no fan, no output. "Well, crap" sez I, "I shoulda checked it out as soon as I unpacked it, no way they'll take it back now."

So I figured I wasn't out anything if I took it apart to see if I could figure out what was wrong. Fuse is good. I know that outlet is hot, cuz the gooseneck lamp is working. Put the meter across the AC connector on the inside of the P/S - Nada. WTF??? Nah, couldn't be... Gotta check it tho. Grabbed another AC cord off a computer power supply I use as a 5v DC source for various tasks and plugged the P/S in using that. PRESTO! It works. I'll be damned, first time I've ever run across a brand new AC cord that was bad. Ohmed it out, sure enough the hot side is open.

Anyhow with the new P/S set to 24v and 1.5 amps, I gots bubbles, which is a good sign.
 

Engine runs good. Had to do some minor wiring fixes and repair the battery cables.

Went to hook the ground up and the starter immediately began cranking the engine. Unhooked the solenoid wire and same issue. WTF? Thought perhaps the solenoid was jammed so took the starter off and checked it out. No apparent issues, but did oil the bendix and armature bearings while I had it off.

Put it back on, same problem. Then I pulled my head out of my nether regions and realized that the ring terminal on the battery cable was touching the lead to the starter brushes...doh...insulated it and turned it a bit on the stud and all is well.

Did take some cranking to prime the injectors, but once they got fuel, she cranked right up. Just need to check and see if the glow plugs are working and I think we're done with the engine.
 
Got the axle seals in today. Put the left axle back together and it turns freely until I torque the housing down and then it locks up. Brake disks swollen or shims missing, not sure which. I'll futz with the brake adjustment some tomorrow and see if I can clear that up.

Took the right axle off and the seal and bearing are okay, but the brake is junk. Discs are double sided, fastened to a splined plate that slides over the axle splines. Inner disc came apart. Haven't looked to see if I can fix that with rivets or something. FInding new ones is easy, they're on the shelf right beside hen's teeth and canned unicorn farts. Push comes to shove, I'll just leave that disc out. Who needs brakes on a tractor?
 
Well, we shall see, I guess.

I threw the parts of the brake disc in the sandblaster and cleaned it up good. The center is metal and the brake material appears to have been glued to either side, no rivets. There are 8 roughly 1/2" holes around the metal center and I can see the glue still holding the other side on.

So a mixed up a batch of our Good Friend, Mr. J.B. Weld, and dropped a blob in each hole and clamped the loose side in place.

Also took a flap wheel to the actuator and polished both sides of the actuator to get the rust and heat-welded bits of brake disc off it.
I should probably take the other side back apart and do the same there. Will definitely help the brake action and may even solve the drag problem.
 
I should probably take the other side back apart and do the same there. Will definitely help the brake action and may even solve the drag problem.

I'm gettin' real good at pulling those axles!

I took the left one back apart and cleaned up the brake actuator and it did indeed make a major difference. I can run the bolts on the housing down (snug but not torqued) and still turn the axle. Quite a bit of drag but I figure a couple of trips up and down the driveway will fix that once it's back together.

Just gotta wait for that other disc pack to cure and I can reassemble the right axle and re-fill the differential with oil. I'll crank it up on the stands and run it through the gears to check it out. Maybe by Monday!

Once that's done, it's body work and tires and tubes for the front.
 
You’re moving much to fast on this, you’ll finish this up by Christmas at this rate. Then you won’t have a winter project! :laugh2: Hey by the way, just curious, do you have some sort of heat in your workspace or do you just pile a lot of clothes on and drink coffee?
 
You’re moving much to fast on this, you’ll finish this up by Christmas at this rate. Then you won’t have a winter project! :laugh2:

I know. When I get started on something like this, I only stop/slow down while waiting for parts or for really nasty weather.

I do have a scheme simmering in the back of my mind involving the plow/dozer blade off a garden tractor I have in my junk spare parts pile...
 
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Well, poop. :poo: Got the axles rebuilt and reinstalled, fired it up and got a little jerky motion out of the left axle. Held the brake on that side and no movement on the right axle, plus some seriously disturbing sounds from the rear end.

Ring and pinion shelled out. No way no how I'd ever find parts for it and even if that particular Unicorn landed in my lap, it'd cost more than the tractor's worth. Time to part it out. Anybody need a nice little 2-banger diesel engine? :redface:
 
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