1010CA Rebuild Project Part VIII

[wwattson]

Had a day with some decent weather so I took a few hours off work this afternoon to see if I could get the transmission and center frame pulled out. This first picture is where I started today.



Here's the transmission right at the point of pulling it loose.



Got it out. Wasn't nearly as much work as I would have thought.



Next comes the center frame.



Now we're down to the basic tractor frame and the two track frames.



After I got everything removed I was able to pick up the remaining assembly with my forklift and ran it outside. I've been fighting a bit with the left track frame and hadn't been able to side it off the rear cross bar. I decided to take the whole deal outside and try the pressure washer trick that Lavoy had mentioned a few weeks back. Worked like a champ! The track frame was completely loose when I got done.

I hadn't removed the bolts from the right side so I wasn't able to check to see if that side was free. I've got a few days of good weather so even if I need to blast it some more, I'll have the weather for it.

[bighamlin]

Great progress - looks like you are going all the way - can't wait to see the reassembly of painted parts.
Paul

[wwattson]

Neither can I Paul. I'm at the point in the process where I'd be almost as happy if the crawler fairies came one night and put it back together for me. Looking forward to the comments on that.

Seriously, I should have both track frames off today with any luck and getting to the sandblasting and painting. I've got to drill out all four bolts on the left track frame and the right frame is stuck but I think I've got it figured out as to how to get it apart.

Thanks for the encouragement.

[Tigerhaze]

I've wished at times that a whole troupe of restoration fairies would come along and finish my projects.

Unfortunately they never came and it seems like the actual cleaning/painting portion of the restoration takes a heck of a lot longer than the disassembly.

Hang in there and try to enjoy the journey- vehicle and equipment restoration is a marathon, not a sprint.

[Little John]

Bill, Looks good from here. I'm really interested in how you get the front cross bars freed up from the frames. I'm still workin' on the first one and it is tight. The water blast worked fine for the rear for me too. You will have a fine lookin' machine when you get done..and if you see the 'crawler fairies' send them over when they get yours done ! Mora

[wwattson]

Thanks for the encouragement guys. As to the front crossbar, the left side was loose already due to the bolts not having their locking tabs. Problem there is that one was already broken bolt and the other three broke as soon as I put any torque to them. The track frame being loose had pretty much done them in.

As to the right side, I tried the pressure washer twice, plenty of heat, and still no luck. I think the rust in the rear of the track frame is cooked out at this point so another round of the pressure washer will probably get it. I just have to get one or the other loose and I think the other will give up the fight. I picked up a fresh set of gas bottles today and the beer cooler is stocked so I'll rejoin the fight tomorrow.

[hunter41mag]

Bill,

You could contact Chip Foose for the show OverHaulin on TV. They strip a car, rebuild, re-assemble and paint it in 7 days. Maybe than can come in and surprise you and take care of your crawler.

Good point to be at but now becomes more time consuming and starts to get expensive. Keep the pictures coming.

[Lavoy]

How come on those type of shows we never see them trying to take out all of the rusted bolts that broke off? I don't think those guys would ever make it working on crawlers.
Lavoy

[wwattson]

I don't know that fighting with the same frozen part for three days in a row would make that good of television.

Maybe the better idea would be to do a crawler rebuild show with the guys from Myth Busters and all the explosives and heavy equipment it would take to tear one down in a day or two. Now that would be television.

Speaking of frozen parts, time to head back out to work on the right side track frame. Now where did I leave that dynamite....

[Stan Disbrow]

Hi,

Actually, the car-rebuild guys would have a show where all their tools were busted and the crawler still in one piece at the end!

And - the MythBuster guys would run out of explosives before they got anywhere - or, they'd just succeed in tossing the entire machine onto their foot!



It takes a different mindset to work on any old equipment, crawlers -or- tractors!

Along the same lines, but from the other direction, I remember a guy that just loved to mechanic in the pits (talking about the Friday/Saturday night bullrings of auto racing here). His day job was as a mechanic on cat equipment. He'd constantly bust just about everything on a race car from being so used to the way one has to turn the wrenches on those cats.

His name was Jerry and we called him Jerry the Hammer....

Stan

[lastchancegarage]

... fresh set of gas bottles today and the beer cooler is stocked so I'll rejoin the fight tomorrow.

Bill,
If that beer cooler is stocked with Molson Ice, I can think of one tractor angel who'll appear at the garage door! Unfortunately, I just made the decision to bring my 440 into the garage to start on the steering clutches. Don't laugh too hard at the naivity of that last comment. I should say I'LL START with the steering clutches, but who knows where that'll end up. She might end up like yours before all's said and done. I've got a few more things to move around before tearing anything apart, but it sure feels good to finally have her inside. I hope to post some pictures once the tracks are split. Good luck with the frame. Looks good so far.

Scott