D-200 Automatic restoration project (re posted)

[wheeledhorseman 573]

I was about to give you all a long awaitd update on my D-200 project but discovered that the old thread got rather trashed in the move to the new website with both photos and text missing.

So I'll begin by trying to rebuild it again but without the various responses (sorry but that would take too long)

The story began last July......

I had been told that whereas the C-120 auto (my first project) are uncommon here in the UK, the D-200 is rare, perhaps very rare. I guess this is partly because of its size which limited its use to an estate or small holding rather than a garden but is almost certainly mainly due to the original cost.

Correct me if I'm wrong but in 1975 a D-200 in the UK would have set you back £2150 +vat, a deck £440 +vat, so I make that a staggering £2700 pounds Sterling including tax at 8% to mow your lawns with this jumbo . To put this in perspective £3200 would have bought you a brand new Triumph Dolomite Sprint, a 2 litre 127 brake horsepower performance car designed to compete with BMW and the like. You could also have bought a conventional tractor with cab and mower for considerably less than £2700 in those days which would be equivalent to about £17k today!

Anyway, here she is having just been fetched from the Isle of Wight, warts and all, which included no reverse, an alarming amount of play in the front steering (no exaggeration), a broken hydraulic lift valve, a bridge rectifier instead of a proper rectifier regulator, and a pto clutch assembly in a bag having been previously removed for an 'unknown' reason. The engine runs well though there appears to have been a significant long term oil leak from around the base of the dipstick tube. The engine has been fitted with an electric fuel pump to replace the original vacuum operated one and the two things have turned out to be related.

The dipstick tube was loose and could be wiggled, the cause I thought of the oil leak until I removed it and oil poured out. Ran out would be a more accurate description as it was as thin as water. It had not been over filled, the faulty fuel pump diaphragm had allowed fuel into the crank case, diluting the oil and raising the level.

A correct rectifier regulator has been obtained from the US and fitted. New front wheel bearings are on their way from the US which should cure part of the steering issue but the worn axle spindles will be a job for an engineering workshop. I tracked the reversing fault (I think) to a broken spring in the hydro motor and have a replacement spring but haven't been able to fit and test it yet as the front end is off the ground at the moment to sort out the steering and pto clutch.

Trying to fit the pto clutch it became apparent that the hook that the clutch bar pivots on had broken at some point and been replaced by perhaps the worst bodged bracket imaginable!

The photo above also shows evidence of the scale of oil leak. The geometry of the whole clutch system is critical and the bodged bracket had resulted in the top end of the clutch bar and trunion fouling against the grille shroud, the solution to which had been to take a cutting torch to the shroud to remove some of it.

Whether the clutch ever worked properly is difficult to say but I guess it was used for a while judging by the way that the clutch assembly has ground against the clutch bar with the geometry being way out. No wonder then that it was ultimately removed and put in a bag.

Making a replacement hook from the photo above supplied by Tom (wh69d16) would have been difficult without one to make an exact copy of so I opted for a bracket that would work though the dimensions to get the geometry correct had to be guessed from Tom's photo.

The sleeve on the bolt is slightly longer than the combined thickness of the two clutch bars and thrust washer it passes through to allow the bolt to be tightened without pinching the bars. The bolt is longer than it need be hence the two fat washers but the extra length will alow for fine tuning of the geometry later if necessary.

The resulting bracket actually works well and the top end no longer fouls on the grille shroud leaving the gas axeman's folly to be repaired.

After some thought and having looked the tractor over in detail I've decided against a complete tear down. Most of the critical parts for painting can be removed and with so many hydraulic connections that could leak if disturbed not to mention contamination getting in, leaving the engine in situ for painting seemed a sensible idea.

The number of parts that have been taken off, stripped back and primed is growing steadily - the grille assembly alone consists of 26 separate parts and so the madness of restoration begins over again. Tomorrow I'll be preping and priming the grille shroud and changing the oil and filter amongst other things methinks.

I hope to get the engine ancillaries, pto clutch and tinwork back in place this weekend but there's a pto brake still to make as the original got lost somewhere along the way and they are no longer available, also a clip on one of the engine cover panels to repair. So much to do but I enjoy it really:D

--------------------------

This weekend I'd hoped to get to a point where I could have the engine running again so that I could try out the pto and move on to actually fit the new spring in the hydro motor and see if the tractor will go forwards and backwards but it wasn't to be. A lot of time was wasted trying to get the pto clutch pulley to line up with the pulley on the pto shaft. In the end I discovered that there were a couple of small but significant parts missing, namely a snap ring and washer that fit inside the shaft of the clutch pulley assembly that set the position at which it sits on the crankshaft. The missing parts were also the reason that I couldn't tighten the retaining bolt without pinching the clutch plates together.

In the end this was as far as I got but it's progress. Sorry about the picture quality above, I think I had the camera set for close up work so it struggled to focus.

I did get round to straightening the front of the frame. Even given the photographic distortion I think its pretty obvious that the rail on the left in the photo is out of true. It was actually a full 1/4 inch out but came back into line using a bar and U clamp from an exhaust clamp.

I won't have much time, if any, to work on it this week but progress is being made. I'm keeping the electric fuel pump for now; the OEM part is very expensive though I believe there's a cheaper after market vacuum operated pump for a B&S engine that would fit. It's actually reasuring though to hear the 'tick, tick, tick' of the SU pump as it primes the float chamber and have an engine that starts on the button so I may not bother replacing it at all.

----------------

I thought that it was about time that I gave an update on the project so here it is. I haven't had a whole lot of time to work on it recently so progress has been rather slow and a mixed bag regarding successes or otherwise

In the process of getting the front end sorted out and painted I did manage to get the PTO system together and working again (sort of). After much puzzling re getting things to line up I discovered that there were a couple of tiny parts missing i.e. a circlip and washer that determine how far back the pulley / clutch assembly sits on the crankshaft. The retaining bolt tightens up against these and without them the assembly won't line up with the pulley on the PTO shaft. The real issue though was that having gotten it to work, the reason it was removed at some point in the past became apparent. The poor geometry of the bodged repair had not only resulted in the grille frame needing to be cut away but had also placed undue strain on the rear engine plate (which is at the front of the tractor) and against which the PTO clutch control arm pivots causing the engine plate to crack. I'm hoping that it is possible to rotate the plate by 180 degrees so that I can use a lug that's not about to part company with the rest of the plate.

For those unfamiliar with the D series, the grille alone consists of 26 separate parts to be taken back to bare metal, treated, primed and painted before reassembly. It's not quite in square in the photo oops! In my rush to fit it for the photo update at the end of the day I missed that

Having fitted a new spring to the acceleration valves in the hydro motor the tractor still doesn't go backwards which leaves the check valve in the hydro pump to check out. There's no way the acceleration valves could have been working properly if they were working at all which could well have led to another failure elsewhere. Accessing and removing the valve in the pump isn�t easy as it's retained by a jumbo screw head down a deep boring in the pump body and the lower side panel partially prevents good access to it. It won't budge with a large screw driver so I'm going to have to make a tool to do the job.

Tearing down the left hand side of the tractor took far longer than expected as there are many parts to remove and bolts to undo. It wasn't designed for easy assembly or dismantling so it's perhaps understandable why they were so expensive to buy new. They couldn't have rolled off the production line very quickly. Having gotten it apart I now have good access to the hydro pump and to the hydraulic control valve assembly which has a broken valve. I've managed to get a replacement valve assembly from a tractor being parted out in the US - don't ask how much it cost by the time shipping, import VAT, oh and the Parcelforce fee for collecting it are included. Oh well, this was never going to be a cheap project

Although I'm not intending to reduce the whole tractor to component parts the importance of removing as many parts as possible can be seen above. Outwardly the tractor looked as though a good rub down and repaint would suffice but out of sight where water has been held between seams and behind panels rust has really got going over the years - good job it's pretty thick steel.

Parts removed are in the process of being de-rusted and painted but before anything can go back I've got to sort out the reversing issue while there's access to the hydro system. I'll keep you posted.

------------------------

And that's pretty much where I left off way back in September - loads of painted parts have gathered dust on the shelf over the winter but a few weeks ago I got round to cracking on with the project.

I'll post the update tomorrow now that I've put the record of the project back together on the new site in this thread.

(run out of time today)

Andy

[meadowfield 2,545]

Andy, good to see an update and nice to know there is a tractor with more nuts, bolts and brackets than a GT14 !! I still bet there are more captive nuts though... So far I've found about 2 on the GT14....

[1maidenfan 201]

Looking gooood!!!! :woohoo:

[farmer 1,075]

Nice to see your still plugging away at it Andy, every part done is one less.

My Charger is on beet duty now, (gotta get use to that whiny trany) so the Commando is going under the knife soon.

I didn't realize the silencers on your D pointed straight down, strange idea...must kick up a hellish dust storm.

Looking foward to your updates. :coffee:

[bowtiebutler956 649]

That's some fine work your doing there. Looks good! :USA:

[wheeledhorseman 573]

On with the actual update then (had to pop out for a few 'jars' last night)

Over the winter I did manage to sort out the steering so that it is now reasonable, certainly as good as a 'Series' Land Rover gets.

Basically the oil that had got everywhere from the engine leak had resulted in the nuts that secure the front axle pin coming loose, also the big nut that adjusts the steering box. The steering box is a bit worn and could do with a new bush but it's ten times better than it was so I'm content with that for now.

I also looked into replacing the engine bearing plate (cracked where the bodged PTO bracket had put too much strain on it). Discovered that the lugs on the plate aren't symmetrical so rotating it by 180 degress wan't an option. They're still available from Kohler but the price was horrendous - over £300 so I've decided to make a supporting bracket from angle iron which will bolt to the chassis rail. Not original but it will hardly be noticeable.

Didn't get much further with the reversing issue though. Despite having previously thoroughly checked the acceleration valves in the motor took them out to check again then put them back in the wrong places i.e. reverse valve where forward should be and ...... still went forwards but not backwards so I'm certain now that these both work. Something else got damaged when the spring broke and the valves weren't functioning as they should. I'll disconnect and isolate the damping valves (which mount under the fender) - it's about the only way I can think of to see if the fault lies in these perhaps.

So, abandoning the original plan to get the hydro sorted while the side of the tractor was off, I've pressed on an pretty much completed the first side. The bolts are all just finger tight but hold everything together well enough to let me press on with the other side.

Andy, good to see an update and nice to know there is a tractor with more nuts, bolts and brackets than a GT14 !! I still bet there are more captive nuts though... So far I've found about 2 on the GT14....

Yep, there are just so many parts on this tractor and there are a few captive nuts but not many. In the case of the main side panel the steel is so thick that the three bolts securing it to the frame go into punched holes that were threaded avoiding a captive fitting. There's also the turning brake assemblies to deal with as well.

There's still loads and loads to do but I'll keep you all posted.

I didn't realize the silencers on your D pointed straight down, strange idea...must kick up a hellish dust storm.

Not so Rex, the ends of the downpipes are plugged and there are holes in the side of the 'tail pipe' to let the exhaust out.

Andy

[Stigian 1,234]

Good to see you back working on your D Andy, hope you get the reverse issue sorted soon.

The turning circle brakes almost look like they could be a "bolt on" option... You've got me thinking about fitting some to my 312-8 now :D

[wheeledhorseman 573]

They are pretty much that Ian, as far as I can tell from the Toro site they were an accessory option so you don't find them on all D's.

The discs bolt onto the hubs, the caliper assembly is clamped to the axle casings in much the same way as the rear hitch for a snow plow fits.

The pedals and connecting rods were all part of the kit which came with assembly and fitting instructions.

Shouldn't be beyond your outstanding skills to come up with a 'home brew' system along the same lines.

Andy

[meadowfield 2,545]

Hmmmm. Brakes! You have got me thinking too.....

[wheeledhorseman 573]

Cracked on with the big 'D' this weekend. Got the other side of the tractor apart and began cleaning up the panels etc.

Also decided to bite the bullet with the hitch lifiting assembly which appeared to have been twisted, or so I thought. It really shouldn't have been a surprise on this tractor to find that somebody had been here before me.

In the photo on the left it can be seen that one arm is twisted to the left, the other very twisted to the right. An original factory weld can also be seen, which to my mind is a bit on the economical side even for a Category / Class 0 hitch so its perhaps not surprising that over the years the welds on the arms had fractured.

Enter at that point probably the same guy who managed the heroic failure with the PTO at the front end. Anyway, at the rear (photo right) an attempt at welding the arms to the shaft had been made, which had surprisingly held despite being at least 50% slag. The odd thing is though, why not actually get everything lined up before welding?

The first stage was to get rid of the mess and free off each of the arms from the shaft.

Saturday was a gloriously sunny day so work then moved outside.

And with everything held correctly (I hope) in place - let the welding begin. A 'belt and braces' job but as the standard factory weld had given out.......

I think this should hold! Not exactly perfection in welding, but not too bad for an amateur.

So hopefully it's now well and truly fixed - just hope it still fits!

Andy

[meadowfield 2,545]

only one way to find out... you need to lift some weight. I can hire out a very reasonable test system...he needs regular teas, the odd butty and he can weld if they break :ychain:

[Stigian 1,234]

Your welds look nice and strong Andy, more than up to the job :handgestures-thumbup:

[wheeledhorseman 573]

Time for an update

Got the next side down which took a while with the turning brake pedals and linkages and so began the restoration of the next batch of panels and parts.

A couple of weeks on and the next batch of parts were ready to start the re-assembly process but first an opportunity for a photo....

So just finger tight at present till I know everything lines up ok parts went back into place and the tractor started to take shape again.

The greatest pleasure was in seeing the three-point come together after repairs.

Thanks to Mark (Meadowfield) who located a top link for his GT-14 on fleabay, I was able to get one also and it seems to be pretty much the perfect length for a 'D' series.

Some days go well, others are more of a challenge with this project like today when I only managed less than half what I'd intended.

One of the previous owners had driven a nut onto a bolt despite the threads not matching so it would neither tighten or come back down the mangled thread. It was also in a pretty inaccessible place so cutting through it without damaging other things wasn't an option.

Some people shouldn't be allowed to own and work on mechanical things - this guy was one of them.

About an hour of patient coaxing and the nut finally dropped to the floor and I was able to remount the starter solenoid properly and so on to draining the oil in the tranny. I knew it was actually oil in there rather than ATF but on draining it discovered it certainly wasn't motor oil. It was very thin so I'm guessing hydraulic oil. It's the second project were a previous owner seems to have been unable to read the instructions as to what should be in there despite the sticker on each tractor being intact and legible.

First case - It's an 'automatic' so I shall ignore the instructions and put in ATF.

Second case (this one) It has hydraulic lifts so I shall ignore the instructions and put in hydraulic oil.

As I said, some people shouldn't be allowed near anything mechanical. Anyway, it meant I had to get out all that I could rather than just draining from the tranny and this took the rest of the afternoon. So next it will be changing the axle oil seals, replacing the impliment lift valves working towards being able to run the motor once again and get onto resolving the reversing issue.

Andy

[1maidenfan 201]

Looking goooood Cant wait till I can start putting my 18 auto back together someday :eusa-think:

[meadowfield 2,545]

good update and you are finally getting there ! maybe it was the choice of oil stopping reverse? sounds unlikely, but who knows !

fingers crossed my GT14 will be on all fours this weekend :woohoo:

[Norlett 3]

These weight's you are on about.

Has he got the odd wheel horse or two? Cos I might know him.

He likes the odd beer or three.It helps him weld straight.And does'nt shake. :text-thankyoublue:

[meadowfield 2,545]

thats right, a few beers definitely makes the welds straight!!!!!!

though my plough lever has broken..... :hide:

[wheeledhorseman 573]

Another two weeks have passed so it’s update time I guess. The weather’s been getting warmer, the sun shining and the grass growing so there’s ever more work to be done outside and I’m lucky to find a couple of hours each day at the moment to work on the project.

Anyway, with the fluid drained out it was time to change the axle seals and swap out the lift valve unit.

The lever mechanism for the three-point had been broken off so the ever resourceful previous owner had simply swapped the plumbing over to use the remaining good mid hitch lift valve for the rear three-point. I had to get the replacement shipped from the US, the most expensive single item for the resto so far.

Not exactly the easiest space to work in given that two spanners were required but got there in the end.

Turned my attention next to sorting out the turning brakes which had also undergone ‘owner adaption’. I’m not sure who bought this guy a welder for Christmas but it was used as a blunt multi-purpose service tool in an attempt to sort out most ailments on the tractor!

On each side of the tractor a piece of angle had been added to force the caliper out of true to the disc. I must assume this was done in an attempt to get more braking force rather than investigating why the brakes were not performing as well as they should. Typical!

Anyway, decided to put things back to how they should be and have a go at relining the brakes which turned out to be easier than I’d imagined. The ‘high strength’ lining material used was the same as previously fitted and has brass wire woven into it forming a sort of visible hexagon pattern. Each pad was 3/16ths x 1.5†x 4 inch but having been cut from a roll needed flattening out first.

Who says guys don’t do baking? A couple of minutes in the oven at 150 C and they become pliable. They were then clamped between a couple of blocks of wood in a vice to cool down ending up not quite perfectly flat but good enough for bonding to the metal plates.

Removing the old linings was far easier than anticipated and after experimenting with the first one I managed to get the others off in one go using a wood chisel with its bevelled edge down against the metal plate.

Having cleaned and degreased the metal the new linings were bonded using two pack rapid setting epoxy (Araldite). Given the limited working time once the adhesive is mixed I did them two at a time and left them clamped face to face in a vice for an hour before removing them and doing the second pair. After giving them a further hour or so to harden any excess lining protruding beyond the metal plate was removed using a rasp type file. The metal plates were painted and left overnight to dry.

Two things are perhaps worth mentioning at this point. Firstly, for total authenticity the metal plates should actually be red not black and secondly the OEM pads were contoured to the shape of the disc. Thanks to Jeff (hodge71) for pointing this out – he’s restoring an ‘18’ at present.

See:

The reason for this becomes apparent looking at the part worn pad I removed. As the pad wears a ridge will form where it doesn’t make contact with the disc. This wouldn’t normally be a problem except that the discs on the tractor are much thinner than is typical for an automobile.

So as the pads wear down there will come a point where the ridges on opposing pads will touch and they will no longer be able to apply pressure to the disc. My initial thought was to machine off the unused area of the linings but in reality the pads will be getting on for half worn by the time the problem occurs and it will be easier and less time consuming to take the pads out and file off the ridge at that point rather than removing it now. What I won’t be doing is welding in bits of angle iron in an attempt to make them continue to work !!!!

The next stage was to use the rasp type file again to make sure that the surfaces of the linings were flat

Having flattened the surfaces of both pads a first fit was tried but with the calliper assembled the gap between the two pads was too small and more filing was needed until the assembly with pads slid over the disc. It then took a while to work out how to set up the brake assembly so that the pads didn’t bind on the disc in either direction of rotation. This involved slackening off the long bolts that secure the assembly to the axle casing and then tightening them while the calliper was held firmly (and squarely) against the disk to ensure that the calliper was parallel to the disc. If it’s just a fraction out of true then the brake will tend to bind in one or other direction of rotation. All easy to say but it took me ages to work out the reason it was binding despite being initially free to turn.

So finally that was one side done – the second side went faster but there was still much patient filing to ensure a good fit.

I found a quicker route to goal this time was to file each pad till it just slipped between the mounting bracket and disc.

So that’s about it for now. I’ve ordered some Cat 0 pins ready for making an ‘A’ frame for the three-point hitch, picked up a pack of ten plastic knobs for a song on flea-bay which I’m hoping will look okay on the implement lift valve arms, oh and thanks to Tim (Tap53) I now have the diagrams and dimensions to make a ‘mule’ so that I’ll be able to mount a cutting deck at some point in the future.

Still lots of work to do on the tractor though first.

Andy

[Hodge71 663]

Nice work brother. I have my lining bonded on 3 out of 4 of thre backing plates. I ended up taking a pad and making a template of the factory oval shape and cutting 4 pieces out of the roll I got. Now I dont have to worry about shaping it after its bonded to the backing plate. I will still have to file material off it to fit the disk beteween the caliper but with some patient filing of my own I'll get there.

[wheeledhorseman 573]

I think we're both getting there step by step Jeff.

Another couple of weeks seemed to have rushed by and it's been a bit slow doing all those little things that you put off till later knowing they're going to be tedious. Despite the tractor's overall size, it's still difficult to get to lots of places to put bolts in and tighten them up. It doesn't help that I have large hands with stumpy fingers which are fine for doing the major physical tasks but not so good for the delicate things but the aim was to reach a stage where I could get it out of the workshop to do the finishing off over the coming weeks out in the sun and fresh air.

The low back seat is a bit minimalist for a D but the original had more tape than vinyl and as I had this one that's in vgc I decided to use it for now.

The color difference beween the engine and panels is simply due to the dust that's accumulated depsite being covered most of the time.

I was determined to get it out of the shop this weekend but refilling the transmission took a while. The filler isn't exactly in an easy location and having completely emptied the system there were 6 quarts (5.7 litres) to put back in. Thought I'd manage to get say 4.5 litres in before running up the engine but no - it overflowed and made a mess!!! Having mopped up the spill which wasn't too bad an air pocket cleared bringing more oil up and out of the filler. So mopped this spill up then fitted the gas tank only to take it out again realising that the rear lights and wiring have to be done first. Decided to tow it outside rather than start it in the shop which was a good thing as the electric fuel pump decided to leak where sealing washers had dried out over the winter it was one of those days. Replacing them with O rings did the trick.

The control housing and hood still need painting but it was good to see it back together again and an opportunity to straighten a few bits out on the hood to ensure it opens and closes without fouling on anything. The engine fired up on the first turn but it took a while for the hydraulic system to purge itself of air. The gas tank cap is a temporary measure - I have the original but it's well and truly passed its best. Does anyone out there know of a source for a suitable replacement?

I really must get round to sorting out the means by which the front wheels are retained. The square 'washers' are another example of the PO's ingenuity but how the correct washers were lost from both sides can only be guessed at.

There were no leaks on the hydraulics and both the mid lift and point hitch worked correctly with the replacement control valves though a little noisy until all of the air had been purged by which time the oil needed topping up again by now as it was below the dipstick.

The link pins arrived during the week so in an effort to avoid forgetting where I've put them they're on the hitch for now which made me realise that when the D was designed nobody considered that you need a little 'toolbox' somewhere to keep linch pins etc in.

That's about it for now - need to sort out the wiring and reinstate the safety switch system which has been stripped out at some point in the past. I'll continue to keep you posted.

Andy

[meadowfield 2,545]

looking good !

I ended up buying a top link pin and making my own lower link pins...

[Trouty56 565]

Andy. that D is beautiful..... About the gas cap..mine has an original but it leaks when the tank is full and the gas sloshes around. I have an old Jeep tank above the garage. I always wanted to see if that cap would fit. Today I will check it out. I think it is one of those 1/4 turn caps.

Jeep cap doesn't fit......

[neil 2,398]

Real nice to see it out in the open Andy , and it certainly looks a real beast ( i want one ) When do you hope to start working HER ?

[wheeledhorseman 573]

Neil, the answer is as soon as possible but if I’m going to take it to the ‘Ardingly Roundup’ I’ll have to finish and keep it clean till then.

It’s been a slow kind of couple of weeks as I did both my knees in as a result of falling while carrying our oldest dog downstairs. Managed to hold on to the dog and he was fine but landing on my knees rather crippled them and has limited what it’s been possible to do, particularly if it involved kneeling down.

I got round to sorting out the turning brake return springs which had originally been attached to the spacers between the calliper mounting bracket and frame. The spacers are needed and being as they're in different thicknesses, stamped out and plated rather than home made, I suspect they were factory although I couldn’t find them on the Toro diagram I’ve worked from. After a bit of head scratching I decided to make the little brackets to attach the springs to the calliper (as per Toro diagram) but the tension in the springs is barely adequate tending to indicate that they were intended to go to the spacers.

As no tool box for ‘bits and bobs’ was included in the design of a D the lynch pins were chained to the lower arms. These were missing and the new ones add a bit of ‘bling’ compared with the stabiliser chains. (I tend to give working chains a thin coat of ‘waxoyl’ rather than paint them as they’ll get knocked about a bit in use). The originals were secured by big split pins but bolts seemed a neater solution.

I finally got round to sorting out the front wheels in terms of new bearings and getting rid of the hideous square washers – another of the PO’s creations. It did mean making the washers as they’re a very large imperial size and the smallest quantity I could find over here was a pack of thirty. I haven’t got a lathe yet so it meant a lot of filing and I did feel like the ‘fettler’s apprentice’ – I seem to recall it’s the sort of exercise apprentices used to have to endure.

It was now possible to consider fitting dust caps. I’m not sure if the originals are still available but I did make a useful discovery….

Firstly a cap from a butane refill can will fit. A bit long and an odd colour but it could be painted but then it struck me that these cans must be a standard size. Woo Hoo! The cap from a rattle can of chrome effect paint also fitted so I went out an bought another can and…..

Bling! Not factory I know but I think they look pretty cool and even click on like they would on the can.

There was also some work on the PTO still to do and I took the opportunity to take a photo of an issue I’d encountered early on in the project.

(The discoloration is where I used an inspection lamp to get some light down the shaft - result being over exposure)

The PTO pulley wouldn’t line up with the PTO shaft pulley below it. The reason was that I was missing a circlip (spring clip) that sits inside the shaft and the washer(s) that sit behind it to space the assembly correctly on the crank shaft when the end bolt is tightened up. As I’ve come across another D owner with the same issue I thought it worth including this photo.

The remaining issue with the PTO was that the PO’s bodge repair where the operating arms pivot on a hook like pin mounted on the front engine plate had stressed the plate causing it to crack. You can see where a couple of holes were drilled in the plate in an attempt to stop the crack running. A new plate from Kohler was available but at an astronomic cost (over £300).

After some more head scratching I decided that it wouldn’t be pretty but the economic solution was to provide a brace that would take the stress away from the lug on the engine plate which is still just about attached.

It will tend to disappear from sight once its painted red but it does mean I’m going to have to tear down the front of the tractor and remove a muffler to drill the chassis to take the bracket.One of the jobs for the coming week.

Andy

[Hodge71 663]

Its coming along my friend. My progress has been a bit slower than yours as it has been my back, nit my knees. But I'm up and at it again. I hope mine is running on its own this week. I hope youre feeling better and getting around ok....I wish mine was a D-200 or yours was an 18 auto...we could have sister tractors instead of sister cities...lol