John Deere L130 Flexible use

Krawler86 wrote:

Brianator mentioned also adding grease fittings towards the ends of the axle tubes.  I wasnt sure if that was to help the oil not seep, or just to lubricate the outer area of the axles.

Right on both counts! Although oil seepage in your case isn't as much of a concern as your MST has proper oil seals it just seems like a good idea to have a little extra wear protection on the ends of the axles tubes, I think it's safe to assume this rig won't be lady driven on Sundays! Lol.

Man you're really trucking along! Nice work and I like how you've lowered the seat! I'd definitely reinforce the front spindles if I were you, I've done it and don't regret it, probably would've bent them by now if I hadn't!

fbisurveilancevan wrote:

Yes but no, i just jumped out of bed so excuse me for not going into detail too much.

That Toyota oil filter has a pressure relief valve while the Kohler doesn't if I recall correctly.

I think pretty much all oil filters have a bypass valve for when pressure gets too high.  If the element gets plugged up, it lets oil pass so the engine isnt starved under those circumstances.  The valve i was talking about in this toyota filter is an anti drainback valve.  It is a kind of check valve that keeps the filter full so when the engine starts, it doesnt have to fill before you get pressure in the oiling system.  This helps alot with the toyotas i work on, specifically in my pickup, i get oil pressure about 5 seconds faster than if i run non oem.  Also when i change the filter, non oem filters come off empty, whereas the toyota filters are always completely full.  Im going to open the JD filter eventually to see whats in it, but from looking down the inlet, it looks pretty simple like a carquest / napa / generic.

Cool that you're a mechanic, what do you work on?

Brianator wrote:

Man you're really trucking along! Nice work and I like how you've lowered the seat! I'd definitely reinforce the front spindles if I were you, I've done it and don't regret it, probably would've bent them by now if I hadn't!

Thankyou, i appreciate that.  Im pretty sold on this idea, especially since you have had good luck with it.  What do you think about strengthening the steering arms as well?  Do you think its necessary?

I have a small update for today.  I didnt get a full lunch break at work, just multiple small ones, so i didnt get into anything substantial.  I cleaned up a few parts and started prettying up things.  I dont like working on dirty stuff, and i like even less building with dirty parts.

Cleaned up the fuel pump, the carburetor and the air cleaner housing.  Plus i painted the air cleaner housing red for extra power.  Everything fast has red parts.  I wanted black, i just couldnt find it.  The housing was starting to rust a bit, the paint is to keep that in check.  When i had the carb out, i removed the little solenoid valve in the bottom and removed the needle before putting it back so i could delete the wiring for it as well.





On my last little break, i cleaned up the valve covers and checked the status of the gaskets.  The gaskets are nice and soft still with no hints of leaks.  What i found behind the covers was extremely surprising.  The rockers and heads look almost brand new!  With how black the oil was when i drained it and the general neglect lawn equipment seems to get, i was expecting some buildup and or deposits.  At the very least, a gold / brown color, but no, super clean.  Very happy.


Then i cleaned up the covers and the PCV filter.  Im going to move the PCV filter to somewhere else to clean up the front of the engine in an aesthetic sense, i think the little catch can / filter is ugly.

[quote="Krawler86"]

fbisurveilancevan wrote:

I think pretty much all oil filters have a bypass valve for when pressure gets too high.  If the element gets plugged up, it lets oil pass so the engine isnt starved under those circumstances.  The valve i was talking about in this toyota filter is an anti drainback valve.  It is a kind of check valve that keeps the filter full so when the engine starts, it doesnt have to fill before you get pressure in the oiling system.  This helps alot with the toyotas i work on, specifically in my pickup, i get oil pressure about 5 seconds faster than if i run non oem.  Also when i change the filter, non oem filters come off empty, whereas the toyota filters are always completely full.  Im going to open the JD filter eventually to see whats in it, but from looking down the inlet, it looks pretty simple like a carquest / napa / generic.

Cool that you're a mechanic, what do you work on?

Lawnmowers and tractors mainly and mostly John Deere Ferris and snapper but lately also Yanmar and corvus utvs on a daily basis

The filter that ends with 424 as used by Kohler does have a bypass valve, it was early but I'll give the full rundown

specs should be

32 Micron, 8 to 15 psi relief pressure , flow resistance 2 psi at 3 gpm
I have seen some aftermarket go as low as 7.
To be honest Fram's replacement even claims theirs is 7 to 11 ish
And Kohler's replacements state around 8 to 11.

The Toyota filter is rated a little higher at 14/15

When we dropped Deere as our dealership over Yanmar we started looking at exactly this because we wanted to find a decent replacement.
Our oil filter supplier instead hooked us up with a lower pressure filter from Donaldson as we don't have temps under 50f

Krawler86 wrote:

Thankyou, i appreciate that.  Im pretty sold on this idea, especially since you have had good luck with it.  What do you think about strengthening the steering arms as well?  Do you think its necessary?

Depends on just how rough you plan to be with it and how they're built/designed to begin with, really I don't think it can hurt to reinforce  just about anything on our rigs!

Unless you have mods that I've missed I saw a spelling mistake and had a good chuckle over it but in the end I fixed it for you!

I'm glad you liked it. Carbonator was intentional silliness.

fbisurveilancevan wrote:

specs should be

32 Micron, 8 to 15 psi relief pressure , flow resistance 2 psi at 3 gpm
I have seen some aftermarket go as low as 7.
To be honest Fram's replacement even claims theirs is 7 to 11 ish
And Kohler's replacements state around 8 to 11.

The Toyota filter is rated a little higher at 14/15

This is very cool information.  Wheres the source?  Id love to look up some other filters and pick one that id like for this application.  I think the flow resistance would be the more important spec over the relief pressure.  I also want to verify the spec you posted for the toyota filter.  Relief valve opening at 14-15psi doesnt seem right with the normal oil pressure numbers of the engines those filters are for.


I also have a small update for today. I cleaned up the console to get an idea of how much i want to cut off it to lower it. Im leaning on 4-5in out of the center so i can still run the plastic upper dash. I like the looks of it, and i want to retain as much stock styling as possible.



I think im going to raise the seat up a little from where i had it before. I wont be very comfortable with it all the way down unless i lower the foot trays below the bottom of the frame, which is ground clearance im not willing to give up. I like how low the hood is, and with the console cut down so the plastic dash is about level with the hood line, i think it will have a cool low look. It will also give me plenty of room for fuel under the seat if i choose to put it there, or tool / spare part storage as well.


Once i get the dash level set, and the hood mounted, il trim up the hood or channel it if needed to retain the right proportions and look.

I salvaged an old brake master cylinder from a project at work.  The bore is fairly large, so im not sure il be able to use it for the hydraulic hand brake i want.  Its a single circuit master for drum brakes.  The only reason i kept it is because i havent actually measured it yet and its fully manual, so maybe it wont be quite as large as a boosted master from the same application.  I also dont have a caliper yet either, so until i have that, i wont actually know the ideal master bore, so i may as well save the free maybe useful parts.


I also started cleaning the T7512 for gear oil conversion and inspection.  Im pretty sure this is what il use for this project.  I might play with some other transaxle ideas i have with one of the 206s, but il probably give the other away or something.  After reading about bent 3/4in axles, i want to do at least 1in.  Im considering 1 1/4, but il have to bore out and broach some of my axle accessories, and im not sure that time spent would be worth the gain.  1in axles seem pretty stout and if i build my own supports and mounts for the axle bearings, i should have very little unsupported length between the bearings and the wheel center.  



Im really looking forward to assembling this trans tomorrow morning.  I feel like there could be some areas i might be able to make operate smoother with some minor tweaks, and also i just love gearboxes.  





The only unfortunate thing about this transmission is the output.  Its a very coarse 9 spline shaft with basically zero support as far as # 40 chain sprockets go from what i can tell.  I found a steel shaft coupler though, and with the sprocket i bought, im hoping i can combine the two.  

Has anyone had a reverse chain fail and break stuff?  I could see it being real bad, but the chain looks pretty robust and i dont think it would break unless something else failed like the bearing surface in the reverse gear or the chain was worn out and let go.  I want reverse, so maybe il just leave it and either have success or learn why not to leave it the hard way.

So this pro-gear is a replacement for a peerless 700.  Be interesting how it will hold up.

Yeah, hopefully well, but testing and abuse will tell. I cleaned it all up and it's ready to go back together at lunch today. This is also a picture test to see if changing some phone settings will let me post pictures from my phone. Hopefully this works.

Ive been having a ton of fun playing with this gearbox.  I ended up rearranging the thrust shims to even up the endplay on the shafts.  Out of the box, one shaft was a little snug, and the other was on the looser side.  I moved the shims around and got them both much more even with eachother.  The input shaft has .009 endplay, and the output has .013.  I left the larger clearance on the output since i think it will run warmer than the input.  Theres much more sliding friction on the output, plus the load of the chain sprocket.  




I also salvaged the shift arm from one of my 206s that fits the 7512.  Theres a little bit of play on the square drive, its not much but i dont like it.  I will use this arm for a temporary shifter to figure out how long i need it to be, and what shape, then make a new arm with those dimensions and hole placements and file a new square that fits nice and tight.  I need to figure out a good arm length that will allow fairly fast and crisp shifting, but not need too much force.  This transmission shifts well but requires a pretty decent amount of force.  Feels like almost double compared to the 206.  I like that as it will be hard to knock it in or out of gear on accident.  Also if i decide i dont like it later, the detent spring is quite stiff so that would be easy to customize.



I received my 9 spline coupler today, its very promising.  I can cut it in half and make 2 hubs with it for the two sprockets i ordered.  10 and 13 teeth.  Both will need to be bored out a little, and the coupler halves will need to be turned down a little for a weak press fit, then will be welded together and drilled for set screws.  I will probably run the 10 tooth so i can run as small a rear sprocket as possible for maximum ground clearance, but having the 13 will be an easy way to speed up a little if im out somewhere and need a touch more speed.

Tomorrow im going to start on the transmission mount and get an idea of where i want to put it.  Most likely it will be between my legs, fairly far back to keep ground clearance up.  That will also make the final drive chain short and keep it up and out of the way as well.

I painted the transmission black on a whim, kinda like it. Might strip it off and go with something sillier like orange or pink or polka dots.

I counted all the gear teeth in the gearbox today and charted out some possible ratios. If I run 1:1 with main belt and 3:1 with the final chain, 4000rpm will net me 36mph with the turf tires I currently have. I don't think I want it to be quite that fast so I'll reduce one of the drives. More reduction with the chain will take stress off the trans but will lose me ground clearance. More reduction on the belt will reduce the rpm and increase stress inside the transmission. Not sure which scenario I dislike more.

I also got my coupler and sprocket. I'll bore the sprocket and turn down the coupler, then weld them. It's a 13t, I also have a 10 that I would rather run for a smaller axle sprocket, but I'm not sure it will work. Bored out, there's not much left, even with the coupler being turned down pretty thin too. I'm going to try it, but it will probably warp or just be weak.

I mounted the tires on my new wheels. I really like the look.


I also picked up a 1in keyed axle with threaded ends for really cheap. Its way too wide to use the threaded ends, but il just cut off what i dont need. Probably something like 4-6in per side. This is the aprox width im shooting for.


I did more cleaning and painting on the frame.


My thinking on steering has evolved quite a bit since my last update. I was originally planning on running direct steering with handlebars, but after talking to some friends and thinking back on my past experience trying to wheel a 2wd quad around on rocky trails, ive decided to go back to stock steering. It will be slower, so drifting and sliding will take more wheel skills, but off road i will be way less likely to smash a thumb or get stuck somewhere that i cant steer. The gear drive steering is in pretty rough shape, so i ordered a new sector gear and bushings. I also ordered a new shaft because mine is a little bit bent. I went with ketchup and mustard for the steering links.


The wheel adaptors i have are 4 on 4in, and the wheels are 4 on 110mm. I think theres enough room on the flanges to just drill the new pattern, but i think im going to add some strengthening ribs to the flange as well when i start modifying them.

Tomorrow morning im going to finish up the steering rebuild and see about putting the front axle back in. I have new spindles, wheel bearings and bushings for it. Its exciting nearing the time of putting parts back on and being done with the stripping and cleaning phase.

Stock steering will probably turn sharper. Looks good.

I cleaned up the threaded holes for the steering plate. Also a handfull of other threaded bits that i may or may not use.



You cant have rusty crusty hardware going into nice clean threads.


I cut off the flanges that the stock transaxle mounts to and drilled some new holes to mount my bearings. The red is what i need to grind out for axle shaft clearance.


Im going to use two bearings per side sandwiching the frame.


For some extra strength, im adding this plate i made from some 16 gauge scrap. This will sandwich in with the frame and add strength to the whole setup in the rear. I will weld it in once i get the axle in and aligned. Pretty simple stuff, but hopefully strong enough. I will probably add some gusset plates in as well somewhere for more lateral strength. I dont want to bend the frame sides if i slide into something.

I burned in the bearing supports.

For the bearing fasteners i used some Toyota transfer case bolts that I had stashed from many rebuilds. Washers make up the gap on the topside. I love the transfer case bolts, they're fine thread, m10x1.25 I think. Strong and lots of clamping force.

This has been such a fun project. I've learned a ton so far and have so much more to learn and refine. I think this is going to be a fun thing once I'm finally done, but honestly I'm way more into it for the project than the end result. I hope someone here learns something or enjoys it. Not many people seem interested, but that's fine. Getting replies and recognition is far behind the importance of having the project on record for myself in the future.

I'm keepin up with your build I just don't want to chatter too much in your thread! Honestly there's not a whole lot of active posters here and I've felt the same way as you at one time but got over it and carried on! Lol

I think you're doing a great job so far and like where this is going!

[adm]Don't let the amount of people not posting get you.  That can be a good thing sometimes.  Like @Brianator says, it keeps the clutter down.  Boy does it go off track sometimes.  For such a fresh topic, you are already close to 700 Views![/adm]

And maybe you are teaching us something?



I will mention.  I liked the grease port pointed backwards in your prior post instead of down in the latest.  I figured it would easier access and protect it from ground debris?  Then again, you will probably take it off and on a few more times before finished.

MightyRaze wrote:

I will mention.  I liked the grease port pointed backwards in your prior post instead of down in the latest.  I figured it would easier access and protect it from ground debris?  Then again, you will probably take it off and on a few more times before finished.

I'm glad people are looking at it, I didn't know that views were tallied, that's cool.  I'm glad people are seeing it, the lack of replies is fine, i just assumed no one was looking at it.  

On the grease port, I haven't yet decided the orientation, they just happened to be indexed how they were in the pictures by chance since they're symmetrical.  I'm leaning on pointing straight up or backwards.  Backwards would be the easiest for maintenance.

I cut my axle down by just over 5in per side.  Overall is down to 32 3/4in now.  I could've gone shorter since this still leaves about 5 in protruding from the wheel hub.  I think having axle visible in the wheel looks cool and will allow me flexibility in width and wheel offset in the future if needed.



This is the approximate width I'm going for, before I cut the axle.  Final will be determined later.

I made a quick alignment tool to get my modified steering arms tacked into place.  The spindles I got were a bit different than the stock ones unfortunately.  The tie rods were slightly too long and I had excessive toe out.  I was thinking of shortening them, but then I moved the axle forward to the front side of the axle pocket.  A little more wheelbase will be nice for stability, it's now at 50.5in.  after that, the tie rods were too short.  The geometry of the new ones was not quite the same as stock so I came up with some little steering arm extensions that will fix the geometry and add a little more leverage for better of road steering.  It also reduced the steering angle a bit, since I don't need to turn the inside wheel almost sideways.  


This is the alignment tool.  It's a tie rod from an fj40 land cruiser with two 123 blocks taped to the ends.  This let me clamp the spindles inline with each other so I can center the steering gear and tack the arm extensions in place.  


I used a washer under the inside edge of the 123 blocks to add some toe in as well.


Tacked up the arm extensions.  


Overall I'm happy with the steering now.  I'm glad I can use the stock tie rods and steering gear for ease of maintenance and replacement and will have good leverage on the steering for help turning in rocky situations.  Hopefully it doesn't hamper high speed stuff, but this is meant to be a jack of all trades, so compromises are appropriate.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to work on the steering and spindles more. I want to add a gusset to the inside of the 90 degree bend to strengthen the axle so it won't bend if I get some air. I'm also going to measure my toe and finalize the steering arm extensions and weld them up. I will probably add some material to those as well, maybe brace them into the vertical portion of the spindle as well. I want them to be very robust. Then I'll go at them with a grinder to smooth out edges and make them look nice. Man this project is just so fun. I love putting all the effort I want into each little bit and making myself proud of all the different pieces.

Good stuff man thats a creative way to do it and would be pretty accurate I'm betting! I hate to do this to you but... toe in will make the steering "darty" and it will have a tendency to oversteer in the corners if you're going fast, strait up or a touch of toe out would give better handling characteristics. If you could make it adjustable that would be best so you can play with it and really dial it in for want you want, you could even adjust it based on how you feel like ripping it at that time! Lol

Brianator wrote:

toe in will make the steering "darty" If you could make it adjustable that would be best

This is great information, I appreciate that. I'm new to setting up stuff like this. My knowledge comes from my days racing 4x4 short course rc trucks. I ran a little toe in on my race trucks for tight twisty tracks for exactly that reason, darty and responsive. I also used to race in 2wd buggy and I ran toe out on that car. I should've compared the tractor to the 2wd buggy, it's way closer to that than a 4wd truck.

It will be very adjustable though, that is baked into my design, so il be able to set it wherever I want. Since I moved the axle forward and out of the original pocket, I'm planning on making the new pocket wider so that I can have 3 washers on the front and back sides that can be moved around. It should give about 3/4in of total movement front to rear, and 7 discrete adjustment steps. I guess I'll start with zero and go from there. Moving the axle forward 1 washer takes me from the toe in, to zero, I think the range will still be effective.

Not much of an update today, my significant other needed a ride this morning so I only had about 30 min to mess around before work. I welded the steering arms and trimmed then down to final shape. I also added some strength to the bend and painted them. I flipped a coin on which one got yellow, the other red. I don't know which side is which, so I don't yet know if the colors will match or oppose the tie rods. I like stuff like that. I need more colors though so I can get more silliness and color worked into this project. Paint is just expensive and these colors are just the ones that never get used at my work, and so were free.

Dunno about lawn tractors, but I was always taught that toe should be 1/16-1/8 on the big trucks at least. Same is true for a decent amount of other stuff.

@Brianator raises a really good point. Too much toe kills tires and handling both. These tractors come from the factory with basically zero caster, which makes the steering darty and pretty sketchy at speed. Above 15-20 mph factoring the slop in the steering gears it feels like riding a doodlebug.

I think the washer should be ok all in all.

Great build, I'm really enjoying following this one along!

I hear ya with spray paint. Can't find anything, and when I do, they want like 7-8 bucks a can now. Ouch.

I know exactly what you mean about toe in on 4wd RCs, works like a charm and good on you for making a versatile setup! Those spindle gussets look nice, good work!