[Complete] Mightyraze's Kal-El [2018 Build-Off Entry]

I have it pretty much worked out now.  I just need to bolt it back together and I am going to fab up a new front bumper.  It was good, but I was not happy with the "basket" around the grille.  The new one I have designed up will eliminate that basket for the shocks.  I chose this tractor because I like the looks of it... I hate covering it all up!

As for the steering slop, it was due to the universal I replaced the rag joint with.  Also, the plastic bushings in the gears was worn down.  I was going to make a sort of steering brace but that would only take out a little slop.  

My biggest issue right now would be to find some 4 inch angle to fab up the new sub-structure for the suspension which will no longer be straight up and down. Also for the bumper. I may be able to get away with 3 inch which is easy to find.

Well between speedymetals, online metals, and mcmaster carr I'm sure you can find something

The Lowes here near my house has a good supply of metals and they keep it in stock.  Lots of farmers around that use it.  One good thing about being in a farming area out here.  Way better than the TSC.  The TSC metals also seem to be thinner and melt easy on welding. Oh, one more thing added to that geometry thing.  I realized my panhard bar was in the wrong.  It was not centered well.  I'm sure that messed with some flexing.

Hope you can fix Kal EL til the build off ends.

(I have some problems with my MTD too, trying to finish it, and 1 hour before I want to call it done, something breaks, or makes problems.)

Man I hate that.... In my case a few weeks ago was... I worked all day just to realize my thoughts all day was wrong and I had to tear it all back apart.

This time it's working well.  I have the monolink attached again, I just don't have the front side attached yet.

This will probably be the last pic between now and finish.

Little welding practice.  I started off worrying about heat penetration, then working with the molten puddle and such... still learning and getting the feel for things.  This is my latest playing around!

Those are good looking welds.  Stick right? how's the heat penetration on the backside?

Getting some discoloration on the back side.  This was 1/8th  steel.  Yes stick.

Discoloration on the back side is good, shows how deep the puddle was and the color matters. Should be blue, not black. Black would be a cooler temp with not enough of penetration.

Excellent, most of them are blue/grey.  Don't see any black ones.  I already had started polishing up the original set.  Now the trick for me is to be more consistent each time.

Blue/grey is a good color on the back side. Yup, the speed is the hardest part on stick, well for me anyways. I lean the rod backwards of the direction I'm going to push the puddle back to get the ripples needed (laying dimes) It's hard for me because you need to have the tip that is welding to do tiny circles while the rod is getting shorter. Need alot of amps to, just to start the weld or the rod gets stuck on the part and shorts out the welder. The parts you did in the pic, what was the amps at? I would thing you would need at least about 100 amps for that, for a clean easy start and good penetration.

wow big reset, but I can relate..you have plenty of time!

I'm figuring that I need this done by Halloween.  That give me somewhere in NOV to shoot a video and dealing with all the busyness that comes with NOV.  I figure I have 48 days free to get it done.  Then on top of that, we have had so much rain as of late.  Where I was going to film my video is under 10 feet of water and will more than likely be underwater for the next few months so I will have to film at a new location.  

All new parts are created and painted.  Redo some wiring tomorrow and hopefully Kal will be ready to ride again!



I just need to figure out my nilight... or maybe put the second on too.

Little teaser for now...  Long story short... Kal is riding again!  Steering is much better now!



HAHA....

Looking nice! You must be saving the best stuff for last.

Sweet!

Crazy_Carl wrote:

Looking nice! You must be saving the best stuff for last.

Not as cool as your front bumper.  It's nice!

Sweet nighttime picture!

Some minor tweaks, I fixed it where I can remove the hood and grill now without removing my new front end mounts and extension.  That was quite a pain as I put my exhaust on last after rebuilding the front.  The criss-cross pipes go on MUCH easier with the new front end.  Last tweak before 100% is to hopefully create some kind of resonator for my exhausts to deepen the tone a little more.

Hoping to have pix and maybe final video this upcoming month!

DONE!

I'll have the video up hopefully soon (we are expecting another flooding rain this weekend) to complete RULES of the build.

Plan is to do some recording then, I do have a backup location planned, but riding there isn't quite exciting.  I do have some time to record, but I will need some edit time too. 

So, outside of changing out the front, I went ahead and moved to my backup engine.  Even though it is 3 HP less than the 18 HP I was going for, it seemed like it had 5 more HP.  Very snappy and a lot more powerful.

New profile pic looks awesome Mighty. Did I miss you putting new shocks on Kal? I don't recall pics but those new ones look sweet!

Yeah she looks fantastic. I have a feeling there's something new with the front axle that you're not showing us Mighty, I'm not gonna rack my brain trying to figure it out though.

Dave.MTD wrote:

New profile pic looks awesome Mighty.  Did I miss you putting new shocks on Kal?  I don't recall pics but those new ones look sweet!

Good eye.  LOL  That didn't take long.  Since the beans have been somewhat spilled.

Yeah the whole front was changed out.

Before...

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After...

AllisKidD21 wrote:

Yeah she looks fantastic. I have a feeling there's something new with the front axle that you're not showing us Mighty, I'm not gonna rack my brain trying to figure it out though.

Up till today, @AllisKidD21, was the only one with the full update.  No more rack ing brains and getting o-pinions LOL

Changed made:  

• New front frame
  
• new monolink rebuild
  
• new bumper
  
• added 2nd NiLight
  
• new shocks
  
• exited exhaust out in front of tires.
  
• changed engines
  
• new rack-n-pinion steering
  
• ammo box trunk on the rear rack
  
• horn
  
• Dual USB 2.1 amp charging port