brewdexta
The biggest tool in the box
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Dcal
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Got to agree @tom2207 I knew there was going to be a bit of work in this but I didn't expect there to be so much.
In fairness the "client" was just expecting the normal farmers job but I can't help myself at times.
This bit isn't nose cone related but it's a result of me sticking my nose in where I shouldn't.
As @octo0072000 advised 6 months ago I needed to sort out the water pump.
Simple 10min job when it opened up like this but when I took it off I was met with this.
I posted about this in the “what are you machining thread” a couple of weeks ago but thought I'd put the full story in here.
It’s obvious this hasn’t been maintained to exacting standards and the aluminium timing cover had been eaten away where there close proximity between it and the steel water pump. (By galvanic corrosion is my best guess.)
It needed to come off to get it fixed but I couldn’t get the front pulley bolt off without taking the front axle out. (Is there a tool made that allows it to stay on? big cranked ring spanner might do it but I don't have one.)
Anyway it not worth buying something for a one off job (probably the first time I've ever said that) so instead I removed the nuts holding the front axle carrier to the block, the track rods and then tried to get the bolts holding the axle location bars to the axle. (Don't know the correct terminology but it's the forks that bolt to each side of the axle.)
One came off, the other is rusted solid so instead I removed the location bar where it connects to the rear of the block.
I don't know why Ford used studs and nuts, if they had used bolts for the axle carrier to the front of the block it would make the operation a lot simpler.
Once everything was free I could support the engine on a jack and lever the front axle off it's studs.
Front cover off and it looks like the oil got as much attention as the coolent.
This thing starts on the button (or lever in this case) which just goes to show the abuse they can take.
Cleaned up the cover and was left with this.
The water pump bearings were that far gone the impeller was eating it way through the cover as well as the pitting.
Any sensible person would have told the owner to look for a good second hand or a new cover but I decide to use it as a practice piece for aluminium welding.
I can’t make it any worse?
Ground out the worst of the crud with a burr in a die grinder.
The only 4043 filler I have was 0.8 mig wire so I wound some together with a battery drill and gave it a go.
Well it turns out I can make it worse!
Not only are the welds carp, but the front cover distorted with the heat.
I thought I was doing the right thing by putting plenty of heat into it but I obviously didn't let it cool enough between welds.
In my defence I've had about an hours practice welding alloy which should have told me to leave it to the pros but we all have to learn.
I ground out most of the welds and bolted the cover back onto the engine. Because of it's shape its not easy to get a reference and it was the best way i could think of keeping it flat.
I used a few pairs of vice grips to clamp the cover between the bolt holes.
Welding went better this time, not I think because of any great improvement in my welding skills but because most of the crud had floated to the surface and I could grind it out.
After a couple more goes it was as good as I was going to make it.
The edge into unwelded alloy is still a problem as it is bubbling up but I left it at that.
In hindsight I should have welded to the raised lip where the water pump sits but I hadn't any way or reforming the lip other than an angle grinder, so I bottled it.
It's only a mm or two and I lost it during the "machining" anyway.
I was quite pleased with how it turned out and thought it looked alright but the "machining " showed it up for what it was, a bit of a porous mess.
In fairness the "client" was just expecting the normal farmers job but I can't help myself at times.
This bit isn't nose cone related but it's a result of me sticking my nose in where I shouldn't.
As @octo0072000 advised 6 months ago I needed to sort out the water pump.
Simple 10min job when it opened up like this but when I took it off I was met with this.
I posted about this in the “what are you machining thread” a couple of weeks ago but thought I'd put the full story in here.
It’s obvious this hasn’t been maintained to exacting standards and the aluminium timing cover had been eaten away where there close proximity between it and the steel water pump. (By galvanic corrosion is my best guess.)
It needed to come off to get it fixed but I couldn’t get the front pulley bolt off without taking the front axle out. (Is there a tool made that allows it to stay on? big cranked ring spanner might do it but I don't have one.)
Anyway it not worth buying something for a one off job (probably the first time I've ever said that) so instead I removed the nuts holding the front axle carrier to the block, the track rods and then tried to get the bolts holding the axle location bars to the axle. (Don't know the correct terminology but it's the forks that bolt to each side of the axle.)
One came off, the other is rusted solid so instead I removed the location bar where it connects to the rear of the block.
I don't know why Ford used studs and nuts, if they had used bolts for the axle carrier to the front of the block it would make the operation a lot simpler.
Once everything was free I could support the engine on a jack and lever the front axle off it's studs.
Front cover off and it looks like the oil got as much attention as the coolent.
This thing starts on the button (or lever in this case) which just goes to show the abuse they can take.
Cleaned up the cover and was left with this.
The water pump bearings were that far gone the impeller was eating it way through the cover as well as the pitting.
Any sensible person would have told the owner to look for a good second hand or a new cover but I decide to use it as a practice piece for aluminium welding.
I can’t make it any worse?
Ground out the worst of the crud with a burr in a die grinder.
The only 4043 filler I have was 0.8 mig wire so I wound some together with a battery drill and gave it a go.
Well it turns out I can make it worse!
Not only are the welds carp, but the front cover distorted with the heat.
I thought I was doing the right thing by putting plenty of heat into it but I obviously didn't let it cool enough between welds.
In my defence I've had about an hours practice welding alloy which should have told me to leave it to the pros but we all have to learn.
I ground out most of the welds and bolted the cover back onto the engine. Because of it's shape its not easy to get a reference and it was the best way i could think of keeping it flat.
I used a few pairs of vice grips to clamp the cover between the bolt holes.
Welding went better this time, not I think because of any great improvement in my welding skills but because most of the crud had floated to the surface and I could grind it out.
After a couple more goes it was as good as I was going to make it.
The edge into unwelded alloy is still a problem as it is bubbling up but I left it at that.
In hindsight I should have welded to the raised lip where the water pump sits but I hadn't any way or reforming the lip other than an angle grinder, so I bottled it.
It's only a mm or two and I lost it during the "machining" anyway.
I was quite pleased with how it turned out and thought it looked alright but the "machining " showed it up for what it was, a bit of a porous mess.
Dcal
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Thanks @tom2207 @Parm
@Wallace that’s an excellent idea.
I have some alloy sheet and I could have just used two gaskets and sandwiched it between the water pump and the timing cover.
Stainless would be thinner but it’s another dissimilar metal to add to the electric soup if he doesn't bother with antifreeze again.
The worst that would happen is it moves everything towards the radiator a few mm and I'm certain it could have coped with that.
Sometimes having the gear doesn’t help and there is a better solution staring me in the face if I did but look.
I just thought, I have a welder and I see something to weld and made a lot of work for myself.
Still half the fun's in the trying but I will store your idea for a problem sometime in the future and of course by that time I will have forgotten you gave me the idea.
Anyway on with my attempts with getting this mess flat again (or as close as I can)
I have a shaper that I have up and running but haven’t used much but it’d the best tool I have available for the job.
Biggest problem is holding the cover in the shaper vice.
In the end I made a backing plate I could bolt to the cover using the water pump mounting holes and grip that in the vice.
Only 3 of the holes are tapped, the 4th is a through hole so 3 it is.
I clamped this in the vice and lined up the cut as best as I could.
A few passes later and it's as flat as my best steel rule.
While I was at it I notices a crack in the cover so I welded that as well.
Also welded the mounting lugs for the dynamo. (people always just slacken the adjuster bolt and stick a big lever in and give it a pull and bang goes the lugs.)
That done I put a new crankshaft oil seal in the cover, polished the front pulley and put the cover back on.
I installed the pulley to centre the cover before fitting and tightening the bolts.
That's me almost up to date.
I started to make a cardboard template for @brewdexta.
There is a lot of shape in it and it wasn’t playing ball so thought I’d have a go at making a steel one.
Started with a bit of scrap I had been practicing with on the English Wheel
I made the mistake of forming the lip too early and before it had enough shape in it. (Also forming the lip took some of the shape out of it.)
Used my bead rolller to start the fold.
Hammer formed the rest of the lip and then worked it on the wheel to try and get the shape back into it.
The lip stopped me getting close to the edge so I had to hammer form that bit.
Used the shrinker to close the edges in.
Needs a bit more work but not far away I think and I'm quite pleased for my first try at making something to an actual shape on my wheel.
Only problem is I'm trying to make this to fit an already wrecked nose cone, so god knows if it's close to what it was originally.
Still even making something to the right "wrong" shape is good practice.
ANyway
@Wallace that’s an excellent idea.
I have some alloy sheet and I could have just used two gaskets and sandwiched it between the water pump and the timing cover.
Stainless would be thinner but it’s another dissimilar metal to add to the electric soup if he doesn't bother with antifreeze again.
The worst that would happen is it moves everything towards the radiator a few mm and I'm certain it could have coped with that.
Sometimes having the gear doesn’t help and there is a better solution staring me in the face if I did but look.
I just thought, I have a welder and I see something to weld and made a lot of work for myself.
Still half the fun's in the trying but I will store your idea for a problem sometime in the future and of course by that time I will have forgotten you gave me the idea.
Anyway on with my attempts with getting this mess flat again (or as close as I can)
I have a shaper that I have up and running but haven’t used much but it’d the best tool I have available for the job.
Biggest problem is holding the cover in the shaper vice.
In the end I made a backing plate I could bolt to the cover using the water pump mounting holes and grip that in the vice.
Only 3 of the holes are tapped, the 4th is a through hole so 3 it is.
I clamped this in the vice and lined up the cut as best as I could.
A few passes later and it's as flat as my best steel rule.
While I was at it I notices a crack in the cover so I welded that as well.
Also welded the mounting lugs for the dynamo. (people always just slacken the adjuster bolt and stick a big lever in and give it a pull and bang goes the lugs.)
That done I put a new crankshaft oil seal in the cover, polished the front pulley and put the cover back on.
I installed the pulley to centre the cover before fitting and tightening the bolts.
That's me almost up to date.
I started to make a cardboard template for @brewdexta.
There is a lot of shape in it and it wasn’t playing ball so thought I’d have a go at making a steel one.
Started with a bit of scrap I had been practicing with on the English Wheel
I made the mistake of forming the lip too early and before it had enough shape in it. (Also forming the lip took some of the shape out of it.)
Used my bead rolller to start the fold.
Hammer formed the rest of the lip and then worked it on the wheel to try and get the shape back into it.
The lip stopped me getting close to the edge so I had to hammer form that bit.
Used the shrinker to close the edges in.
Needs a bit more work but not far away I think and I'm quite pleased for my first try at making something to an actual shape on my wheel.
Only problem is I'm trying to make this to fit an already wrecked nose cone, so god knows if it's close to what it was originally.
Still even making something to the right "wrong" shape is good practice.
ANyway
Dcal
Member
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Thanks @Wallace
The stuck bolt in the front axle was bothering me so I decided to see if I could remove it.
I didn't need to get it out anymore I just didn't want it to beat me.
First job, cut the top off with a grinder and give it a slap.
No chance.
So I drilled a 1/2 inch hole in the top of the 5/8 bolt.
This allowed me to put a 12 mm bolt in the hole, lifted the axle off the ground with a jack, and give it a propper slap with a sledge.
Still no joy, the 8.8 bolt just flattened.
So I applied the best heat source I have (a propane torch) and let it soak for a full half hour then tried again
That still didn’t work so I brought out the big guns, some 10.9 countersunk bolts and that did the trick.
So this is the drifts I used.
Perseverance usually gets there in the end.
The countersunk bolt started out the same length!
The stuck bolt in the front axle was bothering me so I decided to see if I could remove it.
I didn't need to get it out anymore I just didn't want it to beat me.
First job, cut the top off with a grinder and give it a slap.
No chance.
So I drilled a 1/2 inch hole in the top of the 5/8 bolt.
This allowed me to put a 12 mm bolt in the hole, lifted the axle off the ground with a jack, and give it a propper slap with a sledge.
Still no joy, the 8.8 bolt just flattened.
So I applied the best heat source I have (a propane torch) and let it soak for a full half hour then tried again
That still didn’t work so I brought out the big guns, some 10.9 countersunk bolts and that did the trick.
So this is the drifts I used.
Perseverance usually gets there in the end.
The countersunk bolt started out the same length!
Wallace
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It never ceases to amaze me the hold corrosion can have on two pieces of metal. I have found the Tig very useful on rusty and broken bolts as you can direct a lot of heat directly onto the bolt or sheared stud and the corrosion seems to act as an insulator slowing the heat soakaway.
Dcal
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Finally got around to finishing the bits I took on, on this.
Gave the front cover and the water pump a quick rattle with a needle gun then a coat of epoxy and 2K with a brush.
10p more spent on the paint brush would have saved the need to give the paint a haircut but it will have to do.
Radiator on and it isn't leaking like a sieve so thats a plus.
The dents on the cooling fins is where the headlights hit the radiatior during the "incident".
I painted the nose cone in Fordson Imperial Blue and the grills in what I hope is the correct orange.
I left the badge as is, because it's cracked and I can't be bothered any more.
I ended up painting it by torch light so I was happy enough with how it turned out.
The new headlights came painted in a colour closer to Ford Tractor Blue.
When it's all together it looks all right from the front
But not brilliant from anywhere else.
At least the shut lines are not awful, but the bonnet needs a "little" work. (as does everything else.)
Still I think it's OK considering what I started with.
I've a bit left over that came in a bag of bits with the nose cone,
I think it's to steady the radiator but I can't see where it fits.
Any ideas?
@brewdexta ?
Gave the front cover and the water pump a quick rattle with a needle gun then a coat of epoxy and 2K with a brush.
10p more spent on the paint brush would have saved the need to give the paint a haircut but it will have to do.
Radiator on and it isn't leaking like a sieve so thats a plus.
The dents on the cooling fins is where the headlights hit the radiatior during the "incident".
I painted the nose cone in Fordson Imperial Blue and the grills in what I hope is the correct orange.
I left the badge as is, because it's cracked and I can't be bothered any more.
I ended up painting it by torch light so I was happy enough with how it turned out.
The new headlights came painted in a colour closer to Ford Tractor Blue.
When it's all together it looks all right from the front
But not brilliant from anywhere else.
At least the shut lines are not awful, but the bonnet needs a "little" work. (as does everything else.)
Still I think it's OK considering what I started with.
I've a bit left over that came in a bag of bits with the nose cone,
I think it's to steady the radiator but I can't see where it fits.
Any ideas?
@brewdexta ?
Parm
Respect The Sound System
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brewdexta
The biggest tool in the box
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When I first looked on my phone I thought it was one of the brackets at the top of the nose cone that bolts to the thermostat housing. You can see them on this vide.
But now looking on a PC it doesn't look familiar. looking at the parts manual its either part 7 or 8, one for each side. However what it bolts to is a mystery to me, I didn't get a fan shroud and I'm pretty sure I didn't get any of these brackets.
I've looked through my pics of other peoples tractors and couldn't find any examples. However on this video, it suggests that these brackets connect the radiator to those top brackets that hold the nose cone on.
Does that help? I will have to make some brackets for mine when I get around to it.....
When I started this restoration I also had this little monster in the workshop
She went to high school for the first time last Thursday, and I now have her raking out cow pats in the field for extra pocket money
Cheers
Andy
But now looking on a PC it doesn't look familiar. looking at the parts manual its either part 7 or 8, one for each side. However what it bolts to is a mystery to me, I didn't get a fan shroud and I'm pretty sure I didn't get any of these brackets.
I've looked through my pics of other peoples tractors and couldn't find any examples. However on this video, it suggests that these brackets connect the radiator to those top brackets that hold the nose cone on.
Does that help? I will have to make some brackets for mine when I get around to it.....
When I started this restoration I also had this little monster in the workshop
She went to high school for the first time last Thursday, and I now have her raking out cow pats in the field for extra pocket money
Cheers
Andy
Last edited:
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The two little brackets steady the radiator against the inside of the nose cone.
Rannsachair
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Great bit of work, amazed at what you have achieved from a nosecone i would have binned.
Dcal
Member
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Thanks all and thanks @brewdexta and @Welderpaul for the telling me where the bracket go.
They were bent / straightened the wrong way (probably by me) so didn't fit anywhere.
I wouldn’t have thought they fitted under the nosecone bracket without Bredexta's video and the LH side one does.
I only have one bracket so will need to make another, the radiator is offset and the spacing look different but the manual seems to show they are similar.
They are certainly needed to stop the rad moving and the fan hitting the cowl.
Another favour, anyone know how the battery is secured?
It came tied down with a bit of blue rope and I'm almost certain that isn’t OE.
They were bent / straightened the wrong way (probably by me) so didn't fit anywhere.
I wouldn’t have thought they fitted under the nosecone bracket without Bredexta's video and the LH side one does.
I only have one bracket so will need to make another, the radiator is offset and the spacing look different but the manual seems to show they are similar.
They are certainly needed to stop the rad moving and the fan hitting the cowl.
Another favour, anyone know how the battery is secured?
It came tied down with a bit of blue rope and I'm almost certain that isn’t OE.
slim_boy_fat
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The bracket bolts to the inside of the nose cone. On my photo it fixes where the bolt and spring washer is screwed in.
The other end is trapped between the rad and the cowl. I've had it all fittted up then taken apart for painting so i know it all goes together.
My battery was secured with soil and a mouse nest. It should be secured with a clamp. Google image search will show you what you need to know.
The other end is trapped between the rad and the cowl. I've had it all fittted up then taken apart for painting so i know it all goes together.
My battery was secured with soil and a mouse nest. It should be secured with a clamp. Google image search will show you what you need to know.
