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Thanks Steve. I was aiming for high contrast and really like the appearance.
When the new hydraulic tank and control is ready it will complete the black hydraulic system.

Another good day at work on the Cletrac project.

Gas line issues resolved today.

Painted & installed the hydraulic cylinders

Installed an air filter.

Re-threaded the 1/2" pipe nipple with the JIC fitting brazed to it. Saved it!

Hydraulic hoses installed & system tested. Found another nipple that had a hairline crack and was leaking right at the control lever.  Replaced that and now there are no more hydraulic leaks.

I drove it out of the shop for more photos.

Because I want to get it back to work next weekend I installed the old hydraulic controls and hoses. I have a  new tank and control lever ready to go but it will need different hose fittings.

I'm in the final stretch to the finish line.  It's now about 95% complete.

The paint on the blade WILL show use by the end of September.

Everything has gone exceptionally well up to this point in the project, so it was time that I ran into some problems.

I ran a new copper gas line yesterday. I couldn't get the compression fittings to seal. I will have to take the tank out to see what's going on under there. I should have done the gas test before installing the tank.

BTW,  I had cleaned and sloshed the tank 10 years ago.  Nice to be able to put the iPhone inside for these pictures.  The tank has three chambers with large portholes between each.

I also ran into some issues with the hydraulic lines.  One of the custom fittings was broken (it's a 1/2" pipe nipple with pipe thread at one end and a JIC fitting brazed to the other).

In the photo it is coming out of the "T" fitting and attaches to the hydraulic hose.

Just more time and $$$ to fix.

Thanks guys.

I have been out doing trail work (cleaning up after loggers) with my ATV and a York rake.  Wishing the Cletrac was ready to tackle some of the bigger jobs.  Still targeting the last weekend of September for pressing it into service.  My Grandson will be excited to see it. He's young enough that he won't remember what it looked like before.

Earlier in the week I fabricated the throttle pivot from a piece of steel rod. Using a MAPP gas torch, I heated the ends and swedged them, then drilled for cable and carb rod linkage.  Got it right on the first attempt. I only had the top portion of the rod and the bracket that bolts to the engine. The lower part of the pivot was long gone.

I was working on fuel lines yesterday. Will finish that next trip.  Today I will be cleaning the hydraulic cylinders and priming them. Over the weekend I plan to paint the last few items and continue work on final assembly tasks.

I got the stone guard back on today and the headlights. Started working on the fuel lines too. Ran it outside for a few photos.

Over the weekend I painted the headlight pods and breather caps.

Also used a needle scaler to remove old peeling paint from the hydraulic cylinders.

Working on a replacement throttle linkage now.

Tomorrow I go back to installing finished parts and completing fuel tank and delivery system installation.

If the weather cooperates I will take it out for a better photo opportunity.

http://youtu.be/mtzgivMD7N8

Back at work again this week.

Got the engine running again. First time since 1/1/2010.  

Here's its maiden voyage outside the garage under its own power.

Checked the clutch operation before closing up the top cover and installing the gas tank and hood.

The throttle and choke control cables are in. And the dash is finished.


I still have to:
Install fuel petcock and lines
Install the hydraulics for the blade.   Fine tune the engine
Fabricate throttle linkage
Flush & fill the transmission case

Thanks for the photo size increase Blake. That helped a lot.

Heading back up to work on it again this week. More pix by the weekend.

Thanks Steve and Bob. Restoration pictures are always a fun thing to do.  Glad you are enjoying them.

I did the upholstery 9 years ago after the Sheetmetal paintwork was done.  Naugahyde and foam from a fabric store.  Made my own pattern. Two sheets of 3/8" plywood as a backing. I put T-Nuts in the plywood back so I have 1/4-20 bolts threaded in.  The seat bottom needed no fasteners.  1/2" foam for the sides and a pinch trim to hold it to the edges.   I bought the decals from Zimmerman back then too. Just put them on this week.  They really make it look great.

I bolted the seat on today. If you look carefully at the battery box it is actually a large old empty battery case I picked up years ago at a junk yard. It bolted to the fender easily using existing holes in the fender.

I've also been posting photos on MyTractorForum. The photos on my iPhone are initially too large to upload here.  I downloaded an app to resize pix. That helped a lot.

I ran into a snag today. There are no drains at the bottom of the wheel gear housing wells. The manual points out 4 lower drains and 2 overflow drains.  I guess I will have to siphon it out of those wells.

The muddy oil in the trans was mixed with water from power washing.  Probably been a few decades since the last time it was flushed.  I've had it 15 years and never checked it. (Oops)

I am so anxious to run it and drive even a few feet. I'd like to put it back up on blocks so I can access the underside easier.  I've left the top clutch cover off so I can make adjustments if needed. Then fasten the cover before installing the gas tank shelf and finally the gas tank can go back in place.

I am targeting end of September to finish.

Last photo before Cletrac Orange paint, and a couple of shots after

Here are some photos of the unpainted and then primed chassis

It's been about a dozen years since I pulled the engine out. It was bad. I got another engine that needed work and finished that about Christmas 2009 and got it running on New Years Day 2010.  Then a lot of life stuff happened. The engine has been sitting in my furnace room at the house while the chassis was sitting in the equipment shed at the farm.  We are trying to clean out the house to move in a year or two and the engine needs to be back in the tractor. But first I needed to clean and paint the chassis. 

I cleaned and primed it last week and painted on Thursday and Friday.  I mixed the paint color myself. The sheet metal (radiator firewall etc) was painted and stored probably 10 years ago.  Reassembly to begin next week.   I will post progress photos as it moves along. Right now the files are too big to share.

[Short story: Need help getting back on track!]

Short story: Need help getting back on track!  Track came off rear sprocket and front idlers, and was jammed inside against the frame.
Field repair needed to get my 1945 AG-6 out of the woods.

The long story: The tracks are both very loose, and I have had success getting them back on before - if only partially off, I can usually back up and turn to put the proper pressure on them and encourage them to play nice. I've even been successful using pry bars and come-alongs to get them back on when off either the front rollers or rear sprocket.

I pay particular attention to the tracks, since I am aware of their tendency to jump off.   In August 2011, I was working on a new trail, and when I made a turn - the right track came off both front and back, and all my attempts to get it back on have failed.  A lot of unrelated "stuff" got in the way, and I left it under a tarp until last weekend, when I finally got a chance to spend some time with it.
Obviously, if I were able to move the adjuster, that would help a lot, or if I had a hydraulic press, I would have removed a link pin and that would make the repair so much easier.

Because the track was completely wrapped around the rear guide (inboard of the sprocket) I decided to take the rear sprocket off, and was able to pull the track back into alignment, front to back.  The challenge for next weekend is to see if I can get the sprocket back on with the track wrapped around it.  The track has a lot of slop in it, (stretched), and the adjuster is unmovable. I am envisioning putting the sprocket inside the track, and using a come-along to pull the track backward and outward, then a second come-along to pull the sprocket in toward the rear spindle.  Based on how loose the track is, I believe there would be enough play to make this happen.  Aligning the sprocket keyway and woodruff keys will add to the fun, no doubt. 

My questions are:
Has anyone else attempted this method of getting the track back on?  Any other suggestions?
What field repairs have you done on your tracks?

I coulda brought some A fenders for you John...

Bob

Yeah, When Blake told me you were there too, I knew I had missed a great opportunity...  We'll make it happen another time.

Meanwhile, I've got some work to do - the '45 AG-6 was out in the woods doing some trail work with me a couple of weeks ago, and one track came off the rear sprocket.  It happened once before, and I was able to do a field repair, but this time is being a bit more of a challenge.  Not on level ground, and not a lot of room to work in.  I have got to break loose the adjusting nuts - both tracks are way too loose

I decided to go to the National Pike show at the last minute - I took a buddy's Gravely to sell, and a bunch of Gravely parts.  Sorry I missed you guys -  Blake, Bob and Dadjon.

I attended because it was the Gravely Tractor Club's annual Mow-In, held in conjunction with the National Pike Steam show, and had a great time. 

I obviously didn't do my homework, or I would have realized the show was way more than Gravely's and would have been in touch with you guys about meeting up there.  As soon as I drove in the gate, it dawned on me - and I did look around to see if I could recognize Blake.   In retrospect, I did see Bob's FDE in action on top of the dirt pile! 

Doh!