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expeatfarmer

Ransomes ITW

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Getting bored with tracked machines so today I have made a start on the four wheel drive skid steer tractor number 11734 dating from 1957. This machine is ex British Rail Brighton Yard and was used for shunting trucks, it is equipped with a Boughton cable winch driven off the pto and drop down sprag at the rear. First job was to remove the petrol engine which is destined for the skimming tractor. I then towed it down to the workshop and winched it on to the lift ready to refit it's original Drayton diesel engine which has been fitted with an electric start cleverly mounted to drive a flywheel ring gear. Plan is to get it running and mobile for Malvern, I have some new tyres to fit and the drive chains should ideally be replaced as they are very stiff but may recover if I take them off and soak in plus gas and diesel for a day or two. At some point a large girder has been welded across the back as a big bumper, looking at the welding it was fitted by some incontinent sparrows so I have cut it off, fortunately I have its original tow bar. My lift mounted winch worked a treat I towed the ITW down with my mower to the workshop door and then hitched up the winch cable and pulled it straight on to the lift ramp, easy peasy!

 

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Fun and games today, Stormin came to help thank goodness spent most of the day trying to get the four wheels off, the rime are a really neat fit on the hubs and had rusted solid, each wheel had to be heated up with the gas bottles quenched with paintbrush cleaner and then pried off a bit at a time with a 6ft pry bar. We got there in the end I will put some copper slip on when I refit!!! Rebuilt the mag and carb for the skimmer in between .

 

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 Those wheels were a right fight to get off. When we came to split them to take the tyres off, we found the bolts were counter sunk slotted screws, with a very narrow, shallow slot. Daft idea. No way could we hold them. Fortunately two wheels had them welded up. That's what's going to happen to the other two.

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The idea of split rims was that because the tractor is a skid steer, it may pull the tyre off the sealing rim and deflate the tyre (if no inner tube fitted). I don't image a wheel designed for splitting is very easy to remove the tyre the conventional way over the edge if they are welded up? I would cut the bolts and replace with csk hex bolts.

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The idea of split rims was that because the tractor is a skid steer, it may pull the tyre off the sealing rim and deflate the tyre (if no inner tube fitted). I don't image a wheel designed for splitting is very easy to remove the tyre the conventional way over the edge if they are welded up? I would cut the bolts and replace with csk hex bolts.

 

i think the welding up is about the bolts/screws in one side of the wheel

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Reason for split rims is that the wheels are cast and then machined presumably for extra strength and traction weight. I have welded up the screw heads at the back of the wheel to stop the bolts turning when being undone. If I ever need to replace the bolts an end mill would take out the weld. Poor Norman has spent all day splitting two of the wheels which had original tyres so possibly had never been off in 60 years! and rest of the day wire brushing the wheels so I could paint them before we refit new tyres and tubes. As Rhys says the tyres will have a huge side thrust when skid steering and for this reason the tyre beads sit on a very wide sealing face.

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  It's the time factor Rhys. We've just over three weeks to get whatever is going to Malvern running.

  The wheels were in a terrible state. so using a rotary wire wheel to clean them up, was the quicker option. Though a tad dusty.

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One of the handbrakes is seized up soaked it overnight hoping it may ease off with a bit of heat. Hope the paint on the wheels has dried so we can fit the tyres today and rig up the electrics. Fitted a pulley clutch housing to drive a small dynamo but not found one yet.

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