Downeaster's Tractor Overhaul Thread.

Untitled.png
 
Close enough to you to go look?

Well, sort. 250 miles one way. Major road trip. Wifey would grumble, but for <$100, certainly worth it. If he gets back to me thinking the parts he has will work, I'll jerk the old ones out of the tractor and take them up to be sure.
 
Great work Jim! Fingers crossed Downeaster.
 
diffout1.jpg


diffout2.jpg


diffout3.jpg


Did some head-scratching deciding how the bearing retainers for the differential came out. Fortunately, they pulled out very easily once I rigged a puller. Surprised me a little, I figured they'd be corroded in place.

Differential is out, ring gear is off, pix and specs sent to the parts guy up Nawth.
 
Well, poop. Again. Sent the pictures, he doesn't have anything even close. Apparently the tractor is something of an odd duck even among Shibauras.

Maybe I'll slap it back together minus the ring gear so I can use the PTO to drive........whatever.
 
Well, poop. Again. Sent the pictures, he doesn't have anything even close. Apparently the tractor is something of an odd duck even among Shibauras.

Maybe I'll slap it back together minus the ring gear so I can use the PTO to drive........whatever.
Any chance of "rednecking" a junk yard truck rear end into it?
 
Any chance of "rednecking" a junk yard truck rear end into it?

I started to say "Nope, no way" and then another hamster jumped on the wheel...

I'd have to delete the entire rear housing, whip up an adapter plate to go on the back of the transmission housing and find a VERY narrow rear.

Not really a practical idea and we all know how practical I am...:rolleyes:
 
pinion2.jpg


pinion1.jpg


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:

DANG!!! What a shame Paul. :poo::notworthy:
 
Today, I reassembled the rear end (minus the ring gear) for a couple of reasons:

1. So I know where all the parts are, just in case the Ether Bunny brings me a ring gear.
2. So I have a rolling chassis for the engine.
3. To hook up the PTO so I can use it to drive whatever.

I think I'll rig a tow bar so I can move it around with Guido once I decide what I'm going to power with it.
 
Speaking of tow bars...

towing.jpg
towing.jpg


I'm not entirely sure how steering works on a towed vehicle. Also, the steering is VERY stiff on the Shibaura due, I suspect, to corrosion and swollen rubber bushings in the steering column. Plan A is to unhook the link between the steering box and kingpin.

Is there any advantage to the A frame versus the straight towbar? Both would have ball hitches at the towing tractor end. The straight bar would have a swivel pin at the towed tractor end.
 
Unfortunately I don't think it will work well. the front wheels will tend to turn to one lock unless you lock the steering wheel then it won't turn at all. Pulling a car, the A frame attaches to the car frame the steering left free, in sharper turns the front wheels can drag badly. A car's geometry is designed to aid self centering, a tractor not as much. I'm guessing the higher leverage ratio on a tractors steering is going to fight you badly. 4 wheel wagon gear attaches steering tie rods to the tongue and that's a low speed set up, at speed they'll whipsaw. a fork bar on a narrow front tractor might work but you might have to undo the steering shrug, It's looking like an SPU.
PS I've done lots of stupid pulling stunts, towed a Chinook motorhome from Texas back to Wisconsin behind a jacked up Chevy Blazer. I was true adventure, the outcome in doubt many times, it required FULL attention every second of the drive, ah youth!.............
 
Last edited:
Speaking of tow bars...

towing.jpg
towing.jpg


I'm not entirely sure how steering works on a towed vehicle. Also, the steering is VERY stiff on the Shibaura due, I suspect, to corrosion and swollen rubber bushings in the steering column. Plan A is to unhook the link between the steering box and kingpin.

Is there any advantage to the A frame versus the straight towbar? Both would have ball hitches at the towing tractor end. The straight bar would have a swivel pin at the towed tractor end.

The lower arrangement has a couple of extra degrees of freedom (hinges) and so it could get away from you more easily on a downhill and bash into the tow vehicle.

Most four-wheeled vehicles have steering geometry that works just fine with the upper-most tow-bar arrangement but as Gary says, a tractor isn't quite like a car. Is there a way to attach the tow bar to the frame of the towed tractor? That might work OK for short distances at slow speed....
 
Last edited:
That's what I was afraid of.

It will only be towed short distances, on the order of 100 yards around the farm at VERY slow speeds. No serious elevation changes so gravity-induced runaways are unlikely.

My initial thinking was a wagon gear style hookup but I was hoping a simpler approach would do. I shall perch on my Thinking Stool in the garage and stare at it for a while. That technique frequently leads to solutions.
 
It's basically impossible to back up a rig like that, making it pretty non useful round the homestead.
Where I unload hay wagons requires me to back them out. It provides great fun for the spectators.
 
It's basically impossible to back up a rig like that, making it pretty non useful round the homestead.
Where I unload hay wagons requires me to back them out. It provides great fun for the spectators.

Don't I know it!

Dad could back a hay wagon into the barn with 6 inches of clearance, first shot, with a hand clutch John Deere and no power steering.

If I was REAL lucky, I could hit the broad side of the barn. If I didn't jackknife it first.
 
Back
Top