Light progress on some projects.

Today I am going to introduce everyone to my newest project my soon to be diesel Bolens Estate Keeper.  I have always loved the articulated Bolens tractors but on the mid sized I have found the Wisconsin 10hp motor to be a problem child.  After using it and working on it for twice as long as I ran it I decided it was time for a change. 

Here is the tractor in question!  It needs tires when I get it up and running but it will be getting some AG style tractor tires.  I had to remove the hood to start the removal process. 

Here we are with the engine removed and the hood off.  Everything came off well but at this point I could see that going back together is turning out to be slightly more difficult.  I am not planning on welding to the frame or cutting anything that shouldn't be so I can if I decide to put the tractor back to original.   

Here are the two motors next to each other and it is a bit hard to tell from this angle but it is considerably larger.  It took some creative welding but I built a motor mount that brings the engine up so it is above the transmission where the old engine went in between the rear tire and transmission case. 

It sits up there really high and I still haven't decided how to make the hood fit.

So far everything is going well except for the hood of course and the main pulley off the motor. I have had that problem before where the motor shaft is smaller than the inside diameter of the pulley and needs a 1/8" bushing custom made by my grandfather because nobody else has them.  I have the measurements for the belts and will get those Monday but cant get them on until we have the main pulley on.  Once the tractor is drivable I am going to put the new tires on but I refuse to put new tires on a non running tractor.  As this progresses I will keep everything updated.

 

Speaking of updates I have been playing with the Quadractor some lately. 

I haven't really dared to go in the woods much with it but I ventured out a bi and cut a tree down and hauled it out like it wasn't there. Once on the drive way I am able to put it into high gear and tone the throttle back and it clips right along log in tow. 

The picture does not do justice but those are some decent sized logs that I hauled up to the house. 

After 3 trips in the woods winching and dropping the wood I decided that the current winch just would not do.  Today I finally replaced the winch with a 2500lb wireless winch. The old winch you had to lean back and twist on the winch body to raise and lower the cable.  The new winch is so much nicer and to add extra to it the winch break works and doesn't spool itself out when pulling logs.

that's all for today but as soon as things progress I will post.