Took the mower gearbox off the Bolens 1455 mower deck the other day and now have it on my workbench. Am still trying to figure out how to open it up. My small engine guy said to start at the bottom, but the bottom is the rotating pulley, held on by a large bolt. So somehow I have to keep that pulley from moving so I can remove the bolt. Once I get into it, will replace whatever gaskets and seals I encounter.
Also put a hold-down on the 1455 battery so there will be no more sparks flying from contact with the hood.
Bought a tap for 1/2" diameter, NC-20 threads so I could clean out the threads on the 1455 hubs. The wheel weight bolts did not want to go back in the other night because the threads were clogged. I cleaned them out and they should be good to go now.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Photos of Bolens 1455 with mower deck
Here's some photos of the Bolens 1455 with its mower deck today, after yesterday's blow-out of the mower gearbox:
I took the mower deck off this afternoon, with the help of two guys who were at my place doing some landscaping work, so I now have the gearbox accessible. Next is taking the gearbox off the deck and then starting to take it apart to determine what blew out, although I probably will replace all gaskets and seals just in case. This mower does promise to do a good job no matter how tall the weeds. And the rail-mower itself will be using a 12hp version of this engine to power only the mower deck so it should be equally powerful. But we have to take care of the gearbox seal and gasket issue so we do not face blown seals or gaskets more than once.
I took the mower deck off this afternoon, with the help of two guys who were at my place doing some landscaping work, so I now have the gearbox accessible. Next is taking the gearbox off the deck and then starting to take it apart to determine what blew out, although I probably will replace all gaskets and seals just in case. This mower does promise to do a good job no matter how tall the weeds. And the rail-mower itself will be using a 12hp version of this engine to power only the mower deck so it should be equally powerful. But we have to take care of the gearbox seal and gasket issue so we do not face blown seals or gaskets more than once.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Bringing Bolens 1455 Tractor Up
Today my small engine guy and his brother came over to help me get the Bolens 1455 garden tractor running. This is the tractor I would like to use to mow grass and weeds at the Llano wye and along the Cap Metro ROW. We put the parking pawl bushing back on and filled it up with hydraulic fluid. Added some gasoline and oil and then turned it over. Took a couple of tries but the engine caught and was running well. So I backed it out of the shed, gave it a turn around and brought it back to attach the mower deck I bought from Oregon and had shipped down. It took a while before we got it mounted, but then the rear wheels were rubbing against the wheels on the deck. We had to jack up the rear end and switch the rear wheels around on the hub to bring them in several inches. We got them put back on and finalized all the connections (including no-seize on the PTO-mower driveshaft). Then we brought the tractor over to the driveway, turned it on and engaged the PTO.
Well, the mower got going and it sounded impressive. We ran it for several minutes and then disengaged the PTO. We were talking about the test when suddenly sparks started coming from the front of the engine. I had forgotten to reinstall the battery tiedown and the battery moved far enough for the positive terminal to contact the hood. Not good, but it appears no permanent damage.
When we moved the tractor off the driveway, there were some puddles on it. We looked under the tractor with a flashlight and it was full of gear oil slung out from the mower gearbox. It appears the pressure of operation, probably after many years of disuse, caused the gaskets and/or oil seals on the gearbox to fail.
This has implications for the rail-mower, since the identical mower gearbox on its deck probably has just as old gaskets and seals, as does the spare gearbox I have in the garage. I think we are going to need to go into all of them, replace the gaskets and seals, and hopefully that will prevent further problems.
One more item to get done, sooner rather than later. Frank Glatzl and I are planning another work session on Saturday, Nov. 19. He is going to come out and try to get the mower deck mounted to the rail-mower trailer. Naturally it would be good that the potential mower gearbox problem is taken care of by then. Always something, eh? But the good thing is, we are finding out about possible problems before they strike, allowing us to keep to our proposed schedule of testing the rail-mower on the next Llano branch work session on Saturday, Dec. 9, up in Kingsland.
Well, the mower got going and it sounded impressive. We ran it for several minutes and then disengaged the PTO. We were talking about the test when suddenly sparks started coming from the front of the engine. I had forgotten to reinstall the battery tiedown and the battery moved far enough for the positive terminal to contact the hood. Not good, but it appears no permanent damage.
When we moved the tractor off the driveway, there were some puddles on it. We looked under the tractor with a flashlight and it was full of gear oil slung out from the mower gearbox. It appears the pressure of operation, probably after many years of disuse, caused the gaskets and/or oil seals on the gearbox to fail.
This has implications for the rail-mower, since the identical mower gearbox on its deck probably has just as old gaskets and seals, as does the spare gearbox I have in the garage. I think we are going to need to go into all of them, replace the gaskets and seals, and hopefully that will prevent further problems.
One more item to get done, sooner rather than later. Frank Glatzl and I are planning another work session on Saturday, Nov. 19. He is going to come out and try to get the mower deck mounted to the rail-mower trailer. Naturally it would be good that the potential mower gearbox problem is taken care of by then. Always something, eh? But the good thing is, we are finding out about possible problems before they strike, allowing us to keep to our proposed schedule of testing the rail-mower on the next Llano branch work session on Saturday, Dec. 9, up in Kingsland.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Bought some hydraulic fluid
I took advantage of a trip through Marble Falls today for a work session at Kingsland, TX, to stop by the Marble Falls Tractor Supply Company store to look for some tractor hydraulic fluid I had seen on their website. Don Duff, a former Bolens dealer who now lives in North Carolina with his son Peter, told me in a conversation about my Bolens 1455 garden tractor that I should use hydraulic fluid created for hydrostatic transmissions, like the one on the 1455. He specifically mentioned the Traveller brand at TSC as the one they use. I didn't remember seeing it at my local TSC so I went by the Marble Falls one and bought a two gallon jug. I dropped into our TSC later today for something else and checked the shelves, and of course they had it. But I am glad to have the fluid he recommended since he and Pete have a reputation as experts on the Eaton transmissions used in the Bolens tractors. When I asked him about whether it would be necessary to purge the transmission after refilling it, he emphatically said "no", that there is no need to do so. That sounds good to me. The name of the hydraulic fluid is "Universal Tractor Trans/Hydraulic Fluid" by Traveller and it cost
$ 18.99 for two gallons before tax.
Also today I received a used steering wheel for my Bolens 1455 and a "hood stop assembly" (a glorified sort of hinge) for the hood on the Bolens 1250 rail-mower. My 1455 steering wheel right now has three really deep cracks so I could see it is going to break after just a bit more use. So I found a used Bolens 1250 steering wheel on ebay and won an auction for it. Fortunately it does not have any cracks and seems to be in good condition, other than cosmetic wear and tear, which doesn't bother me. The hinge for what used to be the Bolens 1250 will be used once I have cleaned up and gotten the hood into shape to be installed on the rail-mower. I won it in an ebay auction from the same seller and he shipped it with the steering wheel.
$ 18.99 for two gallons before tax.
Also today I received a used steering wheel for my Bolens 1455 and a "hood stop assembly" (a glorified sort of hinge) for the hood on the Bolens 1250 rail-mower. My 1455 steering wheel right now has three really deep cracks so I could see it is going to break after just a bit more use. So I found a used Bolens 1250 steering wheel on ebay and won an auction for it. Fortunately it does not have any cracks and seems to be in good condition, other than cosmetic wear and tear, which doesn't bother me. The hinge for what used to be the Bolens 1250 will be used once I have cleaned up and gotten the hood into shape to be installed on the rail-mower. I won it in an ebay auction from the same seller and he shipped it with the steering wheel.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Continuing to Work on Rail-Mower Hood
Last evening I was waiting for my small-engine guy to come over to install a throttle cable on my Sears Craftsman lawn tractor. While waiting I cut a piece of aluminum in half to use as a support for the shaped support I created earlier this week (see previous posts). Then I drilled holes in all three pieces with which to attach them to the hood. So that is out of the way.
My small-engine guy came and got the Sears tractor back into operation. I asked him to look at my sandblaster since it isn't running and I'd like to use it to clean the rust off the hood. He took the hose off the bottom ball valve and found pieces of rock and of a drill bit that were impeding the flow of sand. He also found the hose was blocked and cleaned it out. The sandblaster began to operate and he took some of the paint off the hood but the flow was pretty intermittent. He recommended that I take the bottom ball valve off and clean it out. I am also going to buy another ball valve to replace one on the top of the sandblaster that has a stripped post. At least I know what I need to do now. Perhaps I can get the hood cleaned up on Sunday.
We also figured out some issues with the Bolens 1455 tractor with front-end loader. We determined that it did not need 1" ID O- and Quad-rings on the parking pawl bushing. I had found a 1" O-ring on it and replaced it with 1" Quad-ring and O-rings, as the parts diagram appeared to call for. Turns out the Quad and O-rings were supposed to be mounted on the pawl itself, rather than on the bushing. I also ordered and received a new bushing. The new one should be a big improvement over the old, which had scratches inside it that allowed the hydraulic oil to leak out.
The next issue was whether to replace the sealing washer on the bushing. We decided to hold off adding hydraulic fluid at that time (also because we didn't have the right size socket to tighten it up anyway). Today I looked for a new one and the closest I could find to the Bolens 1719869 sealing washer called for was a BPP 6001-12 parallel British Dowdy seal. Even found a company in Houston that sells them. But I called an Eaton transmission expert in NC, Don Duff, and he said as long as the original sealing washer is not deeply scratched or damaged it should be fine to put back on. At least now I know what to look for if I need another. The BPP 6001-12 is .968" ID and the Bolens one is 1" ID so am not sure it would fit but I suspect it would.
Mr. Duff did recommend taking the hydraulic lines off the transmission and the hydraulic cylinder to ensure all of the old fluid is drained out. He also recommended using Traveller hydro gear oil, made for hydrostatic transmissions, available from Tractor Supply. These were helpful suggestions and I will probably follow them to make sure that 1455 runs properly.
He also mentioned that he thinks he has a set of Wisconsin YQ-16 points for the Bolens 1250 we have mounted on the motorcar trailer. I am going to call him back on Monday since Frank Glatzl has strongly recommended that I pick up a set as replacements for when the current points wear out.
All in all, these are helpful developments bringing us closer toward our goal of getting all our equipment up and running.
My small-engine guy came and got the Sears tractor back into operation. I asked him to look at my sandblaster since it isn't running and I'd like to use it to clean the rust off the hood. He took the hose off the bottom ball valve and found pieces of rock and of a drill bit that were impeding the flow of sand. He also found the hose was blocked and cleaned it out. The sandblaster began to operate and he took some of the paint off the hood but the flow was pretty intermittent. He recommended that I take the bottom ball valve off and clean it out. I am also going to buy another ball valve to replace one on the top of the sandblaster that has a stripped post. At least I know what I need to do now. Perhaps I can get the hood cleaned up on Sunday.
We also figured out some issues with the Bolens 1455 tractor with front-end loader. We determined that it did not need 1" ID O- and Quad-rings on the parking pawl bushing. I had found a 1" O-ring on it and replaced it with 1" Quad-ring and O-rings, as the parts diagram appeared to call for. Turns out the Quad and O-rings were supposed to be mounted on the pawl itself, rather than on the bushing. I also ordered and received a new bushing. The new one should be a big improvement over the old, which had scratches inside it that allowed the hydraulic oil to leak out.
The next issue was whether to replace the sealing washer on the bushing. We decided to hold off adding hydraulic fluid at that time (also because we didn't have the right size socket to tighten it up anyway). Today I looked for a new one and the closest I could find to the Bolens 1719869 sealing washer called for was a BPP 6001-12 parallel British Dowdy seal. Even found a company in Houston that sells them. But I called an Eaton transmission expert in NC, Don Duff, and he said as long as the original sealing washer is not deeply scratched or damaged it should be fine to put back on. At least now I know what to look for if I need another. The BPP 6001-12 is .968" ID and the Bolens one is 1" ID so am not sure it would fit but I suspect it would.
Mr. Duff did recommend taking the hydraulic lines off the transmission and the hydraulic cylinder to ensure all of the old fluid is drained out. He also recommended using Traveller hydro gear oil, made for hydrostatic transmissions, available from Tractor Supply. These were helpful suggestions and I will probably follow them to make sure that 1455 runs properly.
He also mentioned that he thinks he has a set of Wisconsin YQ-16 points for the Bolens 1250 we have mounted on the motorcar trailer. I am going to call him back on Monday since Frank Glatzl has strongly recommended that I pick up a set as replacements for when the current points wear out.
All in all, these are helpful developments bringing us closer toward our goal of getting all our equipment up and running.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Work on the Bolens 1250 Hood
Yesterday I decided to spend some time figuring out how to permanently attach the Bolens 1250 hood to the tractor body. The hood is really rusty but could be cleaned up reasonably well, primed and painted. However, the front part where the hinge used to be has entirely rotted off so we need to develop a new point of attachment for a hinge. Here's two photos of the hood as it is:
I spent some time considering possible solutions and going out to my pile of scrap metal (in the dark, with a flashlight) to bring back pieces that might work. After deliberating I decided that a piece of the old motorcar trailer frame would work just right. It's a piece of aluminum C-channel. So I cut a piece 21 inches wide and then cut off one of the sides of the "C", leaving this piece:
By then it was 10:30 pm or so so I had to call it a night. But tonight I returned to the job and shaped the piece so it would fit inside the front of the hood. Will have to support it with two pieces of scrap aluminum to reach the proper height, but I think it's going to work fine. I will bolt it to the hood on one side and then run a piece of 1 inch wide conveyor belting along it so I can bolt it into the other side as well. I had been planning to bend two "ears" to bolt to the side edges but found out that aluminum 1/4 inch thick breaks, rather than bending. So on to plan B. Here's a photo of the shaped support inside the rusty hood:
Of course the hood needs to be sandblasted, primed and painted before we get to that point but at least the conceptual work and the support itself are done. I will need to attach an 11.75" continuous hinge to the surface at the top and then to the bolt holes on the tractor body. That will allow the hood to be raised and lowered while attached to the body. I also just bid dols 4.99 for a hood support assembly for a Bolens 1250 on ebay and won it so should be getting that in the next several days. Hopefully that will be one of the last parts needed for this project.
I spent some time considering possible solutions and going out to my pile of scrap metal (in the dark, with a flashlight) to bring back pieces that might work. After deliberating I decided that a piece of the old motorcar trailer frame would work just right. It's a piece of aluminum C-channel. So I cut a piece 21 inches wide and then cut off one of the sides of the "C", leaving this piece:
By then it was 10:30 pm or so so I had to call it a night. But tonight I returned to the job and shaped the piece so it would fit inside the front of the hood. Will have to support it with two pieces of scrap aluminum to reach the proper height, but I think it's going to work fine. I will bolt it to the hood on one side and then run a piece of 1 inch wide conveyor belting along it so I can bolt it into the other side as well. I had been planning to bend two "ears" to bolt to the side edges but found out that aluminum 1/4 inch thick breaks, rather than bending. So on to plan B. Here's a photo of the shaped support inside the rusty hood:
Of course the hood needs to be sandblasted, primed and painted before we get to that point but at least the conceptual work and the support itself are done. I will need to attach an 11.75" continuous hinge to the surface at the top and then to the bolt holes on the tractor body. That will allow the hood to be raised and lowered while attached to the body. I also just bid dols 4.99 for a hood support assembly for a Bolens 1250 on ebay and won it so should be getting that in the next several days. Hopefully that will be one of the last parts needed for this project.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Additional Followup Work
This morning I drilled out holes in the front bumper attached to the Bolens 1250 tractor body so I could bolt down the body to the front of the motorcar trailer (the bumper sits on the cross-member we added in front). I actually had tried to use four different 5/16" drill bits but none of them worked until I found a cobalt bit, which is used for "tough metals." Well, it was tough enough and cut right through. So the tractor body is now officially part of the trailer. Here's a photo of the bolts holding the front bumper down to the trailer:
Also cleaned up the mower deck driveshaft and some old Bolens clevis pins with a wirewheel in preparation for priming and painting them tomorrow.
After I finish painting the driveshaft, I plan to mount it on the 1250 mower deck so it is ready for mounting onto the rail-mower itself. We can't mount the deck until Frank Glatzl finishes the link that will raise and lower it. Plus he has the carb for some adjustments. Once he is ready we will install those two items and then see about mounting and operating the deck. If it works, it will be ready for a field test, either at Llano or Kingsland. I am also going to take a closer look at the hood and see what I can do to replace the hinge that rotted off. Might need to fabricate something out of aluminum to connect to the new hinge.
Also cleaned up the mower deck driveshaft and some old Bolens clevis pins with a wirewheel in preparation for priming and painting them tomorrow.
After I finish painting the driveshaft, I plan to mount it on the 1250 mower deck so it is ready for mounting onto the rail-mower itself. We can't mount the deck until Frank Glatzl finishes the link that will raise and lower it. Plus he has the carb for some adjustments. Once he is ready we will install those two items and then see about mounting and operating the deck. If it works, it will be ready for a field test, either at Llano or Kingsland. I am also going to take a closer look at the hood and see what I can do to replace the hinge that rotted off. Might need to fabricate something out of aluminum to connect to the new hinge.
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