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542 Cab Forward Restoration
- Thread starter GMoose
- Start date
Exquisite workmanship and a great write-up. As I read through your trials and tribulations I felt your pain and I genuinely empathize what what you endured. I admire your tenacity and perseverance in overcoming the obstacles. Very impressive!
I've long thought Weatherby's Thiokol restoration set the standard for excellence. If he sees this thread, I'll bet he would be smiling and nodding his head approvingly at your awesome workmanship and dedication to originality.
I've long thought Weatherby's Thiokol restoration set the standard for excellence. If he sees this thread, I'll bet he would be smiling and nodding his head approvingly at your awesome workmanship and dedication to originality.
excellent technical article, with extremely useful information, you made the impossible, look doable, well done, very high standard of work and better yet, of explaining how you did it, great read!
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Here is the bell housing modification I made. If you look close you can see where I took a die grinder to the interior surface of the housing and removed a small amount of material to allow the flywheel and bell housing to be installed after the engine is assembled. The grinding is not pretty, but it is adequate.
Here is the completed engine. Note that I wanted it to be painted the original Jeep/Keiser color, which the engine was when I pulled it. The original color was an almond color, but I was not able to find this color in high temperature engine paint. So I ordered high temperature white and beige paint (spray cans), sprayed them into the cup of my spray gun at a ratio of 10 parts white to 1 part beige, mixed it up and sprayed it. Turned out good in my opinion, I am happy with the end result.
A couple other details: Block was bored .010 over (this was the only size where I could find a complete set of new (NOS) pistons and rings). Head was completely rebuild, machined, with new valves, springs, guides, seals. Original crank was slightly out of tolerance so used the spare engine crank which was in tolerance (polished it up). Problem with these cranks is they have the Tuffriding process after machining and it wears very well. So if you have to grind and go undersize at all you then have to reapply the Tuffriding process. Still available it appears but more expense. The other problem is these cranks wear very well so whenever someone rebuilt an engine they only had to replace with std size bearings, therefore 50 years later for a short production engine, there are very few std size bearings available, but undersized are available. Just some more FYI for anyone out there crazy enough to rebuild one of these engines.
A couple other details: Block was bored .010 over (this was the only size where I could find a complete set of new (NOS) pistons and rings). Head was completely rebuild, machined, with new valves, springs, guides, seals. Original crank was slightly out of tolerance so used the spare engine crank which was in tolerance (polished it up). Problem with these cranks is they have the Tuffriding process after machining and it wears very well. So if you have to grind and go undersize at all you then have to reapply the Tuffriding process. Still available it appears but more expense. The other problem is these cranks wear very well so whenever someone rebuilt an engine they only had to replace with std size bearings, therefore 50 years later for a short production engine, there are very few std size bearings available, but undersized are available. Just some more FYI for anyone out there crazy enough to rebuild one of these engines.
Attachments
Tucker frame on a rotisserie. I wished I had done this a couple years ago when I was rebuilding the frame, but I finally realized that I needed a way to rotate the frame to allow easier access and work positions. So I grabbed a bunch of scrap metal and a day later I had the Rotisserie.
This summer I also tore the tracks apart. Much work is needed here.
As you can see I had many of the plastic rollers, they are total junk. Maybe they would work to get you out of the woods in an emergency, but not a single one of the dozens I have lasted (they are junk).
The little rollers are all in good reusable condition.
Several of the link plates are junk.
I will have to do some work on the grousers, still some thinking to do on these. I also have four more pontoons worth of tracks to disassemble, I may be able to salvage some usable parts from those, however they are generally in very very poor condition.
I was able to purchase several hundred new side plates for the links. Also have on order 256 (248 + 8 spares) 1" rollers, new, of a new design. The new rollers are greaseable and rebuildable. As you can see in the photo, my rollers vary from total junk to so-so condition. The new rollers are currently being manufactured, I believe I am the first customer ordering a full set, this is the first production run. Sounds like 3/4" rollers will also be available by the end of the year. Sounds like you can buy them from either the designer or Tucker.
Here is the designer I am buying from:
Jesse Cook of Alpine Cat Tours in Oregon.
Website: https://www.alpinecattours.com
Email: jesse@alpinecattours.com
BTW I really got tired of straightening and pulling cotter pins.
As you can see I had many of the plastic rollers, they are total junk. Maybe they would work to get you out of the woods in an emergency, but not a single one of the dozens I have lasted (they are junk).
The little rollers are all in good reusable condition.
Several of the link plates are junk.
I will have to do some work on the grousers, still some thinking to do on these. I also have four more pontoons worth of tracks to disassemble, I may be able to salvage some usable parts from those, however they are generally in very very poor condition.
I was able to purchase several hundred new side plates for the links. Also have on order 256 (248 + 8 spares) 1" rollers, new, of a new design. The new rollers are greaseable and rebuildable. As you can see in the photo, my rollers vary from total junk to so-so condition. The new rollers are currently being manufactured, I believe I am the first customer ordering a full set, this is the first production run. Sounds like 3/4" rollers will also be available by the end of the year. Sounds like you can buy them from either the designer or Tucker.
Here is the designer I am buying from:
Jesse Cook of Alpine Cat Tours in Oregon.
Website: https://www.alpinecattours.com
Email: jesse@alpinecattours.com
BTW I really got tired of straightening and pulling cotter pins.
Brakes:
One of the "ears" that hangs down next to the brake disk that the brake calipers bolts to had been changed out at one time and was the wrong thickness and not lined up with the disk properly. So, I made a new ear, installed the transfer case, aligned everything, and welded on the new ear. This should help the brakes from wearing incorrectly.
One of the "ears" that hangs down next to the brake disk that the brake calipers bolts to had been changed out at one time and was the wrong thickness and not lined up with the disk properly. So, I made a new ear, installed the transfer case, aligned everything, and welded on the new ear. This should help the brakes from wearing incorrectly.
Ram attachment points:
The hydraulic ram attachment points on the frame had become out of round. I had to ream the holes using a 7.13 degree (1.5" per foot) taper reamer until they were round again. I then had custom sleeves made for the new size of holes. Remember the cab forward has "crab" steer and uses two rams and attachment points, one front, one rear.
Front:
Rear:
Sleeves:
The hydraulic ram attachment points on the frame had become out of round. I had to ream the holes using a 7.13 degree (1.5" per foot) taper reamer until they were round again. I then had custom sleeves made for the new size of holes. Remember the cab forward has "crab" steer and uses two rams and attachment points, one front, one rear.
Front:
Rear:
Sleeves:
Next up:
New and repaired floor, skirt, and shell.
Most of the skirt was gone from the original frame, the floor was in poor condition, and the shell had about 1000 extra holes in it, some rips, dents (some from some kids BB gun years ago), etc. So a completely new skirt was built. Then a completely new floor was built. Then some new shell but mostly repair was completed. This was probably 5 or 6 weeks of work, just finished yesterday.
On the floor I doubled up the plates where one puts their feet. This should help to keep them from bending as the originals had.
I still have to modify two of the skirt plates on the right side of the frame once the engine is in and after the exhaust pipe is run. The exhaust pipe has to exit the internal frame, come out for a couple feet, then go back inside. Until I have the pipe installed I do not know how these two plates will end up. But at this point they are fabricated as if no pipe was to be there.
Frame is now stripped and ready for blasting and painting, FINALLY.
Skirt:
New and repaired floor, skirt, and shell.
Most of the skirt was gone from the original frame, the floor was in poor condition, and the shell had about 1000 extra holes in it, some rips, dents (some from some kids BB gun years ago), etc. So a completely new skirt was built. Then a completely new floor was built. Then some new shell but mostly repair was completed. This was probably 5 or 6 weeks of work, just finished yesterday.
On the floor I doubled up the plates where one puts their feet. This should help to keep them from bending as the originals had.
I still have to modify two of the skirt plates on the right side of the frame once the engine is in and after the exhaust pipe is run. The exhaust pipe has to exit the internal frame, come out for a couple feet, then go back inside. Until I have the pipe installed I do not know how these two plates will end up. But at this point they are fabricated as if no pipe was to be there.
Frame is now stripped and ready for blasting and painting, FINALLY.
Skirt:
The shell:
At some point in this cats life someone replaced the clutch. To do this they cut the back of the cab and folded it up out of the way and then cut the frame. I repaired the frame with new square tube, but the cab was a different story. Instead of trying to weld repair the long cuts and try to flatten the rippled panel I just cut out the bad section and made a removable panel as can be seen in this photo.
At some point in this cats life someone replaced the clutch. To do this they cut the back of the cab and folded it up out of the way and then cut the frame. I repaired the frame with new square tube, but the cab was a different story. Instead of trying to weld repair the long cuts and try to flatten the rippled panel I just cut out the bad section and made a removable panel as can be seen in this photo.
Thanks for the update. It was a great binge read!
As you recall I previously rebuilt the transfer case (a few pages back). Well when I had to bolt it into the frame to set the position of the brake ear, a few posts back, I found that the threaded holes the attachment bolts go into were very very sloppy. So heli-coils to the rescue. Bad thing is I had to spit the case because the bolt holes go clear into the case and are open on the inside. I could not figure an easy way to recover all the chips and insert tang without splitting the case. I sure wished I would have looked at this before I rebuilt the unit, oh well.
The inserts (1/2-13) I used were the longer ones (1" long) as opposed to the standard ones (3/4" long) that come with the kit. I also used permanent locktite to help seal the insert threads to the case. Since this is open to the internal case I wanted to do what I could to minimize the oil seepage out of these threads. I will also use some thread sealant on the bolt threads when I install the case into the frame for the last time.
I also made sure all four heli-coil insert tangs came out and were accounted for, I sure would have hated for one to still be in the case during use and get into a bearing or a gear, that would destroy parts.
Anyway it is all repaired and back together, ready for paint.
The inserts (1/2-13) I used were the longer ones (1" long) as opposed to the standard ones (3/4" long) that come with the kit. I also used permanent locktite to help seal the insert threads to the case. Since this is open to the internal case I wanted to do what I could to minimize the oil seepage out of these threads. I will also use some thread sealant on the bolt threads when I install the case into the frame for the last time.
I also made sure all four heli-coil insert tangs came out and were accounted for, I sure would have hated for one to still be in the case during use and get into a bearing or a gear, that would destroy parts.
Anyway it is all repaired and back together, ready for paint.
Well I did work on the world's largest nuclear test reactor for almost 34 years, maybe that explains it.
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
Read your posts on the engine....and the"Tufftrided" crankshaft.
The process is a salt bath....Relative low temperature process that surface hardens the bearing journals.
Back in the days we raced drag boats....we would grind cranks on a regular basis.....but then ship them to the heat treat shop and have the shaft re-treated (Niriding on the steel shafts)
Tufftriding is similar to Nitriding...in as much as the process hardens the surface.
This is not a coating, but rather just a treatment of the metal....
Even grinding and polishing on a low performance engine will be fine......The Tufftriding was a way to add a lot of time to the clock on these engines. It also acts as a stress relieving process to help prevent cracking
We ran many Big Block Chevy's in standard form without treating. (Forged steel cranks (Nitriding used on the steel shafts)
The Tufftriding was/is done on cast iron (Nodular iron) to add a bit of extra wear prevention......
Project is looking great...
The process is a salt bath....Relative low temperature process that surface hardens the bearing journals.
Back in the days we raced drag boats....we would grind cranks on a regular basis.....but then ship them to the heat treat shop and have the shaft re-treated (Niriding on the steel shafts)
Tufftriding is similar to Nitriding...in as much as the process hardens the surface.
This is not a coating, but rather just a treatment of the metal....
Even grinding and polishing on a low performance engine will be fine......The Tufftriding was a way to add a lot of time to the clock on these engines. It also acts as a stress relieving process to help prevent cracking
We ran many Big Block Chevy's in standard form without treating. (Forged steel cranks (Nitriding used on the steel shafts)
The Tufftriding was/is done on cast iron (Nodular iron) to add a bit of extra wear prevention......
Project is looking great...
Snowy Rivers
Well-known member
olympicorange
Active member
nice work ,.. my man ,...
While at the Alpine Cat Jamboree in Joseph Oregon I picked up the new 1" rollers I purchased from Jesse (tucker on the forum). I will be putting these to the test next year, I think they will work fine. They are a new design and there are over 800 (including mine) out there to be tested. I purchased 256 total, 248 for the tracks and 8 spares.
These are rebuildable, greasable, hardened, nitrided, and prayed over. These are way better than the ones I took off the tracks.
Here (in the crate) is what they are replacing:
These are rebuildable, greasable, hardened, nitrided, and prayed over. These are way better than the ones I took off the tracks.
Here (in the crate) is what they are replacing:
EBR-1? I was just there in June and wanted to take the family on the tour but they were closed and the Federal Marshal that was guarding the two display reactors in the parking lot was not to chatty…even though I was the only person he had seen all day…
I worked at the ATR (Advanced Test Reactor), still operating. I worked out at the site for nearly 34 years and still have not been to the EBR-1 reactor. Sad but true.
I have the 8 ft long ramps I use when I load the kitten in the back of my truck. They should work.Looks like a great idea... a small boom crane to load/unload the Kitten?