• Please be sure to read the rules and adhere to them. Some banned members have complained that they are not spammers. But they spammed us. Some even tried to redirect our members to other forums. Duh. Be smart. Read the rules and adhere to them and we will all get along just fine. Cheers. :beer: Link to the rules: https://www.forumsforums.com/threads/forum-rules-info.2974/

j5 advice

lorner

lorner

Member
not sure if this thread is in the right place, but here goes. looking at purchasing a bombardier j5 and have a few questions. well, a lot of questions, but will start with a few. is there any known weak spots on the j5 that I should check into? did they come with hydraulics, or was that all added on to them by the owners? was there some model years better then others? planning on using it in the bush to help keep trapline trails open. is the machine strong enough to be used to push some willows over with a blade? any advice would be great! thx
 
Welcome to the forum, and your search for a J5. Doing a search will turn up lots of past projects and answers on these great machines.
Lots of mods can happen to these 50 year old machines , so hydraulics, blades and winches can all be had. I would avoid a small wheel bearing machine as they are the first ones , the axles are delicate , unless the price was right. Great machines, but showing their age, so be prepared to get your hands dirty to keep them going.
Regards J5 Bombardier:hammer:
 
Welcome to the forum.
J5s are tough they’ll go over trees never mind willows.theres lots of them around
And in all kinds of conditions. Make sure you have someone go with you that knows what to look for so you don’t end up with a money pit
Have you considered a sw48 there narrow and also made to go through lots of crap
Have fun
 
J5 Bombardier said:
Welcome to the forum, and your search for a J5. Doing a search will turn up lots of past projects and answers on these great machines.
Lots of mods can happen to these 50 year old machines , so hydraulics, blades and winches can all be had. I would avoid a small wheel bearing machine as they are the first ones , the axles are delicate , unless the price was right. Great machines, but showing their age, so be prepared to get your hands dirty to keep them going.
Regards J5 Bombardier:hammer:
Click to expand...

is there a way to identify a "small wheel bearing machine" from say a larger wheel bearing machine without tearing it apart? asking this for when I get to take a look at a j5 that may be for sale. and how do I identify the year of the machine? did they come with hydraulics from factory?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
snowcatt said:
Welcome to the forum.
J5s are tough they’ll go over trees never mind willows.theres lots of them around
And in all kinds of conditions. Make sure you have someone go with you that knows what to look for so you don’t end up with a money pit
Have you considered a sw48 there narrow and also made to go through lots of crap
Have fun
Click to expand...
I have considered a sw48, but was told that they can be more tippy on uneven terrain, so I was thinking of steering clear of them.
 
Do a search on this forum for Bombardier J5 1959 , you will see the axle size difference. Year of the machine, possibly a tag on the driver's backrest, but probably long gone. Factory hyd usually a small pump to run a blade, but can't say I have seen one myself, usually end up putting one on. Either way there are tons of J5 threads on this forum that cover pretty well everything.
J5 Bombardier
 
lorner said:
I have considered a sw48, but was told that they can be more tippy on uneven terrain, so I was thinking of steering clear of them.
Click to expand...

That's good info to steer clear of small axle J5's. They are older and have a light duty tub. I also agree with staying away from SW48's. Narrower track/Tippy and I heard the tub bottom is very thick to add weight for ground pressure/traction for snow plowing. You don't need any of that in the woods. J5's are built for what you plan to do. Great machines and very simple and dependable. It's worth paying for one in good shape if you find one. The cost of parts really adds up quick buying from Prinoth or private used parts dealers. Better to buy 2ea J5"s if you think you need lots of parts. The J5 you want has the 3" wheel hubs
not the smaller 1.5 or 2" wheel hubs, look at the photos you can tell easy. Also look at the walking beams, if someone didn t maintain the bearings they get wallowed out. Check the suspensions links, They get wallowed out. Look at the tub bottom, you can tell what kind of life it has lived by how beat up or rock damage it's seen. shake the driveshaft and look for excessive movement of the transmission shaft. Do a compression check. Check the steering, good/bad/noise?.
And the track condition is huge! It's not a minor job replacing the track belting. When buying a 50+ year old peice of equipment plan on taking it all apart and go through everything. then you know what you got. Search my thread for photos of all this "Alaska J5 restoration" by IMP. Good Luck! and post photos!! Small axle J5 top photo, large axle bottom photo
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0049.jpg
    IMG_0049.jpg
    77.3 KB · Views: 393
  • 20180119_145419.jpg
    20180119_145419.jpg
    141.1 KB · Views: 382
ok, so I bought one. are these manual track tighteners? have to pull the tracks to replace a few wheels. I see I have a lot to learn. also, looking for a manual for a j5. thx!
 

Attachments

  • 45398364_208818413220473_6017613940383547392_n.jpg
    45398364_208818413220473_6017613940383547392_n.jpg
    109.8 KB · Views: 215
  • 45412400_1023399587840489_9219886189857734656_n.jpg
    45412400_1023399587840489_9219886189857734656_n.jpg
    70.7 KB · Views: 213
also, what info does the vin show?
 

Attachments

  • 45368834_261305621397752_130919102922358784_n.jpg
    45368834_261305621397752_130919102922358784_n.jpg
    79.3 KB · Views: 210
Well it’s a 1972 (somewhere I have all the build sheets )
You pump grease in the track adjusters to expand remove the grease zerk to collapse
 
This is who bought it, sold with a T-6 log trailer
 

Attachments

  • ACDA725E-BB15-4279-A77D-33055BCCF460.jpg
    ACDA725E-BB15-4279-A77D-33055BCCF460.jpg
    69.3 KB · Views: 207
I modified a socket to fit the zerk for removing grease that was kept in my tool box. it had a pointed extension on the socket that worked pretty good.
 
lorner said:
so I bet I should have removed the zerks before I blocked the machine up off the ground, right?
Click to expand...

No, you can take them off after it’s up,normally they are so stiff and rusty that
They barely move with the zerk out.

You can remove the nut on the end, and after you get it to collapse a couple of inches,remove the complete track adjusting cylinder from the machine for disassembly or cleaning. It’s a good idea to replace the zerks from time to time with the highest quality you can find. So they don’t bleed down under pressure

You can push the ball in on the zerk if you think there is a lot of pressure before removing. (Flat end of round solid rod say 1/4)

Note, if you want to disassemble the cylinder after removal, for cleaning or inspection, just pump some more grease into it.
 
MNoutdoors said:
No, you can take them off after it’s up,normally they are so stiff and rusty that
They barely move with the zerk out.

You can remove the nut on the end, and after you get it to collapse a couple of inches,remove the complete track adjusting cylinder from the machine for disassembly or cleaning. It’s a good idea to replace the zerks from time to time with the highest quality you can find. So they don’t bleed down under pressure

You can push the ball in on the zerk if you think there is a lot of pressure before removing. (Flat end of round solid rod say 1/4)

Note, if you want to disassemble the cylinder after removal, for cleaning or inspection, just pump some more grease into it.
Click to expand...

to remove the nut, will I have to hold the cylinder firm, or will it only turn so far on its own before the nut starts loosening off?
 
yes it has a load on. I will be removing all of the overhead boom stuff, as I don't have a use for it. bought this to use on my traplease to help keep the trails open, so I think the front blade will be handy. this machine runs like a top, except now, all of the sudden, it quit starting. just a "click". starter doesn't seem to be engaging. tried to bypass the solenoid, and same thing. funny, cause it always fired right up. so, I guess the starter will have to come out before anything else gets looked at.
 
Yes , a blade is handy , I use mine to clear the skid way and when skidding the extra front weight helps. When not doing that it comes off, less weight and drag on the front.
J5 Bombardier :hammer:
 
lorner said:
yes it has a load on. I will be removing all of the overhead boom stuff, as I don't have a use for it. bought this to use on my traplease to help keep the trails open, so I think the front blade will be handy. this machine runs like a top, except now, all of the sudden, it quit starting. just a "click". starter doesn't seem to be engaging. tried to bypass the solenoid, and same thing. funny, cause it always fired right up. so, I guess the starter will have to come out before anything else gets looked at.
Click to expand...

had a little progress this weekend. began to loosen starter bolts, and noticed suddenly that the engine fan moved slightly. took a chance and retightened starter bolts, hit the key, and bam, the starter worked! must have been locked against the ring gear. lucky me!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top