Tiller Restore

This one was actually started on a month ago.  All it got then was a good steam cleaning so I'll start this from the beginning.  This was taken in on trade from a customer (Tim) that had a lot of work done on a 74 Raider 10, there's a post in this section on that job as well.  

It looks pretty rough and will take a lot of work but will look great when done.  Some before pics.

 

The pulley on this one wouldn't budge at at all.  I've been wanting to make a removal tool for these for a long time and usually make due, but this one had to have one to get it off.  There is a post on the making of it in the Home Made Tool Section and I'll put a pic in here being used for the first time.  It was a real life saver and will be nice to use in the future.  

Other pics are after the steam cleaning and draining the oil.  It took a lot of time and running the steamer at about 220 degrees to get this one clean.  

 

I had some time late last Thursday so the pulley was blasted and fitted and shafts were cleaned up.  As you can see the rear shafts were cleaned up on the multi function tester.  The tester spun the shafts and I just ran the sander over them as they spun, it made it real easy.  I tried the setup you see first and it was heavy enough that it didn't need to be mounted. I figured if it didn't work out that way I could have put it in the front Tach-a-Matic and spun it backwards which would be fine also.  I was in a hurry and the belt moved around a lot but never slipped but after it was all done I did put a pulley on it that took care of that...     

I think I could put the tester behind a tractor, lock the wheels, put the belt on it and clean the shafts on a rearend still on the tractor.  That will be the next test.

I have my eye on a 3" belt sander to make these longer shafts go quicker but waiting to see if a Black Friday deal shows up on Amazon.  The sale starts on Thurs this week, They call it Black Friday week now...  I have a few nice ones for wood working but don't want to get them near metal, plus they're pretty cheap now.  

 

It got opened up last Sat and looked really nice inside.  There was some water in it but that's from the hours of steam cleaning, some from passing through the seals and some from condensation.  I had to run the steamer at 220 degrees to get it really clean.  

The piece of 1/4" flat steel behind the mounting rod was bent upward so had to be straightened.  I got it straight but it split the rod and weld in places, at least it's straight now, it can be welded back up later.  The roll pins were tough to get out but I put a NOS rear tiller tine shaft in the case halves along with pieces made a long time ago to for painting rearends so the bearings stayed together while hammering those pins the rest of the way out.  They will not be put back in, I make locating pins for them when they go back together.  That really should have been done originally...

The insides look great, bearings and everything else in there looked like new minus some surface rust on some parts of the case that had to be cleaned up.  The main case and related parts were all cleaned up and ready to be put back together last Sat.  

 

These pics are from Sat before last, same day as previous post.  Sorry but there are only so many hours a day to work and give updates.  

Everything was blasted and it was time to fix the cover bolt holes.  I was surprised the cover was so straight, usually rocks get up in there and bend the cover up but not this one.  This is the repair of the left bolt hole.  Most of the piece was there but had bent a little before it broke out.  It had to be welded a little at a time and fitted as it was welded.  It was pretty ugly so after it was fitted most of the weld was ground down and re-welded.  

 

These pics are from the finishing up of the right bolt hole last Monday eve and Tuesday.  It was welded up to preserve the roll in of the sheet metal, then the split was so deep it had to have more cut out and a piece replaced.  Pics explain it all.  

 

These pics are from last Tuesday thru Thursday.  I'm almost caught up...  

A few things are painted, that will be the next post.  The top cover will look really good from the front when painted and when the gear box is in, that was the plan and what took so much time to get right.  

I also made a few locating pins from a 3/8" bolt on the lathe.  The case goes together easily now without having to do any hammering but yet the case has to go down pretty much perfectly straight.  The way it should have been done from the factory.  If it ever needs to come apart again it will be easy as well.   

 

Got some painting done last Friday and Sat.  With this post I am finally caught up on pics.  

The tiller still needs to be put together and the main gear case, hookup, tines, and cover painted but I had some other things that had to be done this week so the tiller got put on the back burner...

 

I got bored in the afternoon on Christmas day so I came out to the shop to crank up the jams and play with the tiller a little.  Didn't do a lot, just test fitted everything again, then cleaned up the case halves and painted them and the front mount.  I thought I posted this already but I guess not.  

 

The main tiller case and mid attachment was put back together last Sat.  I'm leaving the big pulley off until it's done to make it easier to move around.  More of my fav tools made here were the seal installers, does the proper backset and makes things quick and easy.  No thinking necessary.