Tractorhead's Roper Romper [2016 Build-Off Finalist]

Hi Doc, new to this forum, joined yesterday with intent to enter 2016 Build Off embarrassingly late but hey, thought it'd be fun and make me get on with it.  Not sure if I'm in the right section of the website here but I've took a pic of my parts pile with sign. Not sure how to attach pic or where to shove it, maybe this photo bucket malarkey will work? 


Sorry it's two pics but transaxle and engine are trapped at back of shed behind a dead car.
Plan is to replace depressing 8hp Briggs with 10hp Yanmar from that orange pressure washer in pic.  Possibly maybe disc brakes inspired by Mr Modified. Chrysler Voyager discs have same stud pattern as Sears/Roper... Foot throttle pivoting on tube slipped over the rod that supports the footboard. Don't think it's in a good place for brake lever pivot... Just thinking aloud here...

Front bumper about there I reckon. Is there a perfect angle? 45degrees? Weld flat plate that bolts to the handy holes in the axle. Ideally continue underneath to form skid plate over steering rods.  Will need a rear pivot of some sort, easiest would be tuck it up to the steering tube which is on same alignment as axle pivot and zip tie it up, low tech and hopefully not rattle.  I hate rattley bits

Hefty clutch Spring liberated from a washing machine.  Old one was stretched and rusted out.  Fitted the hi-lo lever too.  Progress!

Mystery component for the romper project, made today from car seat adjuster frame, good thickwall tube I knew would come in handy for a project one day  This component makes me chuckle...

Popped the eyes back in

Reluctantly using a taller seat spring cuz the original one has a twist to it, if you can see in the pic? Prefer a lower one but not got

Nice machine. That's not original paint is it? Looks good!

Thanks Mr Modified.  No it's not original paint. It should be red with white hood but was already 'wrong' colours when I got it ~ green with yellow wheels like a John Deere, a bit naff so brown is an upgrade eh.  Plus I had two tins of it on a shelf for years.  Sprayed it myself and some bits have come out real good though I do say so myself.
There's a patch of hood that's still suboptimal even after 3 coats.  Best is where I went back to bare metal.  Live & learn.
I was planning to get 'rust effect' paint off eBay for a solid rust tractor, even the aluminium bits, using dark brown as the ideal undercoat, seemed like a good idea, still does some days, but I am liking the brown now just as it is.  Maybe go rust effect further down the track when the newness has worn off

Before:
After:

Check out the Beautifulness!! Shotblasted. New linings bonded on.  Pressure for a day then more pressure in a bake oven!!  Like new, even got little brass threads in the mix

Got stuck into the exhaust today. Diesel's own muffler box relocated inside the main frame of the tractor. Very tight squeeze!! Had to gain space with lump hammer to clear the clutch Spring

Tube to rear was repurposed trampoline base so strong enough to be a rockslider. Well that's the idea...

So there it is fitted.  Discreet and stealth quiet I'm sure  Time will tell on the sound...
& howd you like the monster towball???

Also today I've invented a great steering improver.  When I got this little Sears Roper the steering was total $h!+ due to the steering wheel and shaft able to drop down too far so not meshing on the quadrant properly. Needed a Spring or spacers to keep the wheel as high as possible and I came up with a one inch length of rubber hose slid tight over the shaft compressed maybe 1/8 inch so constant upward lift to the wheel holding cogs in perfect position    Works great.  Recommend it.

looking good so far. Interesting tow hitch.

Bit of garden gate repurposed as a stabiliser between engine and lower grille. Might weld in a bit to join up to the top repair for the hinge that has tapped holes into thick ali. It'll mess up the paint so maybe not. Be super strong though... Hmmmm
& Yes the Diesel engine is now fitted. Joined the exhaust up. Filled it with decent oil (Lucas) but no sign of it starting at all. It's pull start only, no starter
Watched a few Youtubes on fixing Yanmars, bled the fuel line at the injector, started great after that.  
The beast lives!!   Hood fitted too.
Lots of fiddly jobs now rigging dash throttle, foot throttle and Pull To Stop cable.
Need to work out what length belt to get
Transaxle needs oil. I have some proper hypoid gear oil for gearboxes. Is that ok? or the instructions say to use SAE20/50 which is ordinary engine oil isn't it?! In a gearbox!?
Will get some pics tomorrow in daylight

You should make a video of it running and it looks great! BTW I'might stealing your stabilizer idea

I think it's pretty much up to you what oil you want to use. Not going to bother much either way in my opinion. Hypoid oil should be fine if you want to use it. On mine I filled it up with mostly 80-90 gear oil, then topped it off with a couple half empty bottles of other various gear oil viscosities. Mostly I was just trying to prevent or slow seal leaks. When I took mine apart to lock the differential, I just left the old seals in. Probably getting a bit stiff after being in there since 1970. Does your diesel have a place for electric start at all or is it just a pull start only model from the factory. I assumed all those came with both pull start and electric.

mr.modified wrote:

Does your diesel have a place for electric start at all or is it just a pull start only model from the factory. I assumed all those came with both pull start and electric.

I assumed that too, just find a starter and upgrade but Nah under the blanking plate you see no ring gear, completely different.  Pull start only. Keeps it simple and less to go wrong eh.  

Transaxle oil seals? I need those but can't find where to get them. Any tips?

Stabiliser also likely to get involved with cable stops for the throttle/pull stop arrangements. I'm starting to get my head round it.

Will vid the beast running. No steering links or drive belt, wheels are grot but it runs. Yay

craftsmancole wrote:

You should make a video of it running and it looks great!

Thanks man, I was aiming to get a quick vid of the beasty running today but the pesky little garden tractor just refused to play so I've cobbled together a few snippets of build, some footage from yesterday and a bit from today with hood and grille all fitted but lifeless engine, even after bleeding the injector which got it going yesterday  Looks like dismantle and clean the pump bit but after that I am flummoxed

It sounds great too, I like how you just kinda gave up at the end

Here's a snippet of today's adventures in Yanmarland. I am trying not to lose all confidence in small diesels.  It must be something simple but...

Well after several days of frustration  I jiggled a little pin on the end of what must be some sort of governor/shut off thingy under the throttle control and then the engine fired first pull.  If anyone else is bringing a Yanmar or clone out of hibernation you wanna check that pin is freed up

Been waiting for these heim/rose joints to arrive in the post. UNF 1/2" 20tpi reuse the long track rod, make the short one from threaded inserts welded to a tube the right length.

I like to see a good weld simply painted but I made such a pig's ear of it I've had to smooth it off. It was what we call 'pigeon 5h1t'. Looks ok now and no spatter got in to mess up the threads so that's good I still need a left hand thread jam nut. Available on eBay but stupid expensive. Hmmmm

Nice build and jebus that's a whale of a crescent wrench.

rarbaugh07 wrote:

Nice build and jebus that's a whale of a crescent wrench.

Thanks, I'm really enjoying the build and I can only apologise for the unfeasibly large wrench
Meanwhile I've been chopping up vintage bicycle brake levers

to make throttle controls.  Here's what I've done to the dash one which was busted anyway. Hope I've got the length of throw right for correct cable travel

And I've been pressure washing the vileness out of the diesel tank, in fact I've been spending CASH on the tank:
1. new rubber mounts. Old one were split so part of the locating flange bit top centre had worn completely away so a deft weld repaired that.  Fresh red paint dabbed around too.
2. new internal filter is arriving any day now. The old one was choked with black gack. The tank looked like someone had tipped a curry in there plus a few leaves, twigs and seeds.  Hideous mess.
3. New drain tap. Old one had the plastic handle broke off so stuck open.  Chinese replacement is dramatically inferior quality but it'll do the job I'm sure

I'm interested on how you would do the throttle. I've got a 6hp yanmar diesel clone but the only thing that stops me from putting it into a tractor is that throttle cut off thing. Build is coming on though

Coming along nicely. Those 6hp diesels don't come with electric start right? Only the bigger 10hp ones?