Signed by Jim Tucker.
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1975 Tucker 1544 - project and trips
- Thread starter YamaDooPolCat
- Start date
When I removed the nut a bolts attaching the drive sprocket, the bolt heads had this emblem.
Prettier cool.
Prettier cool.
It was nice to see some dry roads yesterday, and today winter is back again.
Finished the last track up to date. I have enough seals to install one track tomorrow. The rest of the seals are not here yet.
I have a short video clip to up load. 27 seconds but it is too big. I’ve seen lots of videos a LOT longer loaded here, so why?
You have to load it to YouTube and then post the link
Oh well. It was just a video of track building.
On a lighter note, always check your nuts because they not be what you thought they were.
I ordered 300 fine thread 5/16 Stovers for my track rebuild, and dumped the nuts into the can with the rest of my fine thread nuts.
The first time I tried to use the nuts they won’t fit! Turns out i now had a can of mixed coarse and fine thread nuts.
You know how you sort them out again?
Yup. One nut at a time.
On a lighter note, always check your nuts because they not be what you thought they were.
I ordered 300 fine thread 5/16 Stovers for my track rebuild, and dumped the nuts into the can with the rest of my fine thread nuts.
The first time I tried to use the nuts they won’t fit! Turns out i now had a can of mixed coarse and fine thread nuts.
You know how you sort them out again?
Yup. One nut at a time.
Attachments
Not much information on how tight to run the tracks. With the track unit off the floor the middle idler wheels are above the metal track guides.
To tight cost horsepower and fuel and high wear. Too loose the track comes off.
Any advice or experience on setting and measuring track tension?
To tight cost horsepower and fuel and high wear. Too loose the track comes off.
Any advice or experience on setting and measuring track tension?
1boringguy
Well-known member
I believe Tucker says inch and a half, idler wheel to grouser measured at center of track when jacked up off the ground. I've been told a little looser is ok as long as you're not slipping the track on the gear.
Okay thank you. That seems about tight enough.
The tracks I took off had the adjuster all the way in, as loose as it could go, and there was maybe 1/2” slack under the middle wheel. Tracks were simply too short before and tight as a drum.
The tracks I took off had the adjuster all the way in, as loose as it could go, and there was maybe 1/2” slack under the middle wheel. Tracks were simply too short before and tight as a drum.
Track Addict
Bronze Member
In Sterling we trust
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
Drive shaft loops or large tube over each end of the drive shaft is not a bad idea...
If you break a u joint or yoke the shaft does not beat itself and the cat to death (OR Leave strange parts sticking through the floor)
The driver shafts can spin at some pretty good RPM.....YESSSSSSS....THEY MAKE A LOT OF NOISE WHEN THEY GET LOOSE
Time for a test run. Took the Tucker to the club cabin, which is 73 Km each way. By time I came back on Friday I put on 160km not trouble free kilometres.
The steering Ram was replaced and the width of the yoke was not wide enough so they had cut an arm off and rewelded the arm not very well. The pin was now too short for both end bolts, so a washer was welded on one end and a bolt through the other end.
The washer welded on the end of the pin came off, the pin then slid out enough to put a little stress on the welded yoke and it broke. No more steering.
This was now 70 kilometres back in the bush.
We have a “man cave” at the clubhouse that has been collecting stuff for years and one of our fellows from New Zealand spotted a clevis. Turns out this treasure fit the rod on the ram perfectly and after carving off a bit with a zip cutter and hacksaw, it was now wide enough to slip right on the Tucker steering post. The old bushing were installed for the narrower pin, and being longer, I could put bolts through each end of the pin. No welding and better than before.
The washer welded on the end of the pin came off, the pin then slid out enough to put a little stress on the welded yoke and it broke. No more steering.
This was now 70 kilometres back in the bush.
We have a “man cave” at the clubhouse that has been collecting stuff for years and one of our fellows from New Zealand spotted a clevis. Turns out this treasure fit the rod on the ram perfectly and after carving off a bit with a zip cutter and hacksaw, it was now wide enough to slip right on the Tucker steering post. The old bushing were installed for the narrower pin, and being longer, I could put bolts through each end of the pin. No welding and better than before.
I had a fuel issue.
I had installed EFI so now I have a pump pulling fuel to keep the carb supplied with 60+ psi which is regulated at the carburetor to 55 psi.
The excess fuel goes back to the fuel tank. Fuel recirculating encourages any debris to start circulating which is then caught in the pre filter. But some debris is too big to get through the gate valve on the tank. It is not a ball valve fitting so the gate is the first place debris hangs up.
I limped the Tucker into camp and had not much fuel left in the tank so now we could pull the gate valve off and take a look.
Could believe that fuel could still get past this plug.
I had installed EFI so now I have a pump pulling fuel to keep the carb supplied with 60+ psi which is regulated at the carburetor to 55 psi.
The excess fuel goes back to the fuel tank. Fuel recirculating encourages any debris to start circulating which is then caught in the pre filter. But some debris is too big to get through the gate valve on the tank. It is not a ball valve fitting so the gate is the first place debris hangs up.
I limped the Tucker into camp and had not much fuel left in the tank so now we could pull the gate valve off and take a look.
Could believe that fuel could still get past this plug.
Next problem was not so easy, still haven’t figured this out.
The hot ignition key post comes from the battery. And at one point when I had the dash out, it touched and grounded to the dash. The battery wire instantly melted and I thought I was going to lose everything.
So I replaced the melted wires and this time the wire from the battery was sent directly to a 30amp thermal reset breaker, and then to the ignition switch. That way I wouldn’t burn down my Tucker next time the ignition or something grounded or sparked in the dash.
Then, 90 kilometres later, the 30 amp breaker failed open, and every thing stopped.
We figured that out but something must be wrong as this burnt out a 5 pin relay for the electronic ignition, the transmission temperature gauge started acting like an rpm gauge (until it quit at the pinned position), the rpm gauge is stuck at 2200 rpm, the backup cameras quit, the fuel tank gauge doesn’t go past 1/3, and the usb socket doesn’t work anymore.
The only electric gauge iunaffected is the electronic EFI monitor.
That monitor tells me the rpm and the voltage is between 13.5 and 14.2 volts. Sometimes a little higher or lower and is not too rpm sensitive.
Does that mean my electronic voltage regulator is working correctly?
Something sure screwed my Tucker gauge dashboard.
Ideas?????
The hot ignition key post comes from the battery. And at one point when I had the dash out, it touched and grounded to the dash. The battery wire instantly melted and I thought I was going to lose everything.
So I replaced the melted wires and this time the wire from the battery was sent directly to a 30amp thermal reset breaker, and then to the ignition switch. That way I wouldn’t burn down my Tucker next time the ignition or something grounded or sparked in the dash.
Then, 90 kilometres later, the 30 amp breaker failed open, and every thing stopped.
We figured that out but something must be wrong as this burnt out a 5 pin relay for the electronic ignition, the transmission temperature gauge started acting like an rpm gauge (until it quit at the pinned position), the rpm gauge is stuck at 2200 rpm, the backup cameras quit, the fuel tank gauge doesn’t go past 1/3, and the usb socket doesn’t work anymore.
The only electric gauge iunaffected is the electronic EFI monitor.
That monitor tells me the rpm and the voltage is between 13.5 and 14.2 volts. Sometimes a little higher or lower and is not too rpm sensitive.
Does that mean my electronic voltage regulator is working correctly?
Something sure screwed my Tucker gauge dashboard.
Ideas?????
this situation is likely from the wrong belts..... Tuckers of this era had two ( actually three) pitches 5 7/8 and 6 1/8 Pitch are the more common pitches.. owners many times simply buy/bought the wrong belts.
get your build sheet and make sure your sprockets are the correct pitch for the belt spacing and you should be ok. as funny as this is there is more..... the carriers are different between years also, as tucker is awesome that way.
The belts I took off and various spacing. Anywhere from 9" to 5" so the 27 grouser were just attached to the belts with approximate spacing to fit the belts they had.
I bought new belting and and drilled the spacing at 6" and that was before I new I could obtain this Tuckers build sheet. The sheet says Tracks 28" x 3/16" W/375 lacing, 5-7/8" P.C. I thinking the 5-7/8" is the pitch so I drilled the pitch 1/8" too long. It seems to run quiet and not clatter so I thinking close enough. And since I am only running two belts per track the stretch will be minimal.
Track Addict
Bronze Member
Only down side to two belts is if one fails your stuck. 4 belts provides redundancy and you can limp home with a belt failure.
I was looking at the replacement steering ram and wondering whether it was the right size.
The shaft measures 1.25" in diameter. Is that the size Tucker used?
Thanks.
The shaft measures 1.25" in diameter. Is that the size Tucker used?
Thanks.
At the parts store I was told of other peoples experience with the Dodge two wire electronic regulators. The common problem is us builders never take the paint off the firewall or the mounting surface to give these regulator a good ground to dump the power from the alternator, and the result is always fired gauges.
Grooming
Anyone have a measurement of the piston diameter of the steering ram?
Track Addict
Bronze Member
Why not rebuild it? Is it damaged? Has a shop do mine good as new.
Think the throw is 11” or so.
Think the throw is 11” or so.
The ram is not original.
It doesn't leak as it is fairly new looking.
The ram might be the correct diameter of ram, or not.
The ram is from Princess Auto and both ends had to be opened up and welded to fit on the Tucker, which make me suspicious.
It doesn't leak as it is fairly new looking.
The ram might be the correct diameter of ram, or not.
The ram is from Princess Auto and both ends had to be opened up and welded to fit on the Tucker, which make me suspicious.
Quite often in order to turn left I have to back up and jocky back and forth while holding the wheeling wheel over hard in order to get the Tucker pointed in the left direction. Seems like the ram is undersized because it is much easier to turn right as that is the end of the ram with the larger surface area.
this is common for the obvious reason you point out but consider the Horse shoe may be twisted it takes a lot of force to over come the binding created if the saddle or horseshoe is twisted. while the ram is off have a good look at it and the bushings they need to be parallel to swing easily. I am going out to measure a few tuckers steering ram to see if that data helps you.