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Seriously thinking of giving up the snowcat and buying a pair of snowshoes

Have to agree with Don. They know how to plug the analyzer into the computer port but have no clue what checking the smell and color of an exhaust will tell you. They don't even know how to check for spark and fuel to start finding a problem.
 
I would agree with Don as well. 20 years ago I worked my way through college as an automotive tech and would have been fired if I sent something out the door with this level of workmanship. Now, I sit behind a desk an manage network engineers. I don't have the time or equipment to do this myself which is why I looked for a professional shop. That being said, I am finding loose nuts on the hubs where they fixed the brakes, air duct wasn't screwed down after they put in the master cylinder and has a hole rubbed in it from the variator. I understand that this snowcat is over 40 years old and granted may have some quirks and most likely will be expensive to fix/maintain.

Don't get me started on the trailer I bought from them. Hooked it up to my truck and started to pull out of the garage and the trailer brakes were locked. Two guys came out and insisted they wired it correctly. We stood outside in 7 degree weather looking at each other blankly for several minutes until I suggested that they should fix the wiring in which the response was. "I will have to ask my boss". Two hours later I finally left with the brakes at least working and running lights.

Considering all this. I want to give them a chance to explain their side. I have drafted a letter of my concerns and after the 5th draft (removed most of the swearing) my wife is editing the final. If I miscommunicated my instructions then I will live with that. However, from the emails exchanges I have and the $$$ we paid I believe the level of service should have been higher.

I am grateful for the advice on these forums and hopefully, I can get the tracks fixed. I noticed the washer is missing that sits infront of the nut on the LR track adjustment. Nut is digging into the stop plate and I can't adjust the tracks at this point. RR washer is there. I will have to remove the tracks to put a washer on the adjustment screw. Just a few things from a large list of easily fixable but overlooked items.
 
Look at it this way....

If Peterson Equiptment didn't have the expertise on hand, then why did they take on the job??

If you don't know how, why risk your reputation with this job? Good dealers won't.

Money..

Regards, Kirk
 
utahwilson said:
I would agree with Don as well. 20 years ago I worked my way through college as an automotive tech and would have been fired if I sent something out the door with this level of workmanship. Now, I sit behind a desk an manage network engineers. I don't have the time or equipment to do this myself which is why I looked for a professional shop. That being said, I am finding loose nuts on the hubs where they fixed the brakes, air duct wasn't screwed down after they put in the master cylinder and has a hole rubbed in it from the variator. I understand that this snowcat is over 40 years old and granted may have some quirks and most likely will be expensive to fix/maintain.

Don't get me started on the trailer I bought from them. Hooked it up to my truck and started to pull out of the garage and the trailer brakes were locked. Two guys came out and insisted they wired it correctly. We stood outside in 7 degree weather looking at each other blankly for several minutes until I suggested that they should fix the wiring in which the response was. "I will have to ask my boss". Two hours later I finally left with the brakes at least working and running lights.

Considering all this. I want to give them a chance to explain their side. I have drafted a letter of my concerns and after the 5th draft (removed most of the swearing) my wife is editing the final. If I miscommunicated my instructions then I will live with that. However, from the emails exchanges I have and the $$$ we paid I believe the level of service should have been higher.

I am grateful for the advice on these forums and hopefully, I can get the tracks fixed. I noticed the washer is missing that sits infront of the nut on the LR track adjustment. Nut is digging into the stop plate and I can't adjust the tracks at this point. RR washer is there. I will have to remove the tracks to put a washer on the adjustment screw. Just a few things from a large list of easily fixable but overlooked items.
Click to expand...
Gee Wilson i thaught folks from utah don't. the missionarys that come over for dinner they never use any bad language but they love my jokes about our comander in chief.
 
300 H and H said:
Look at it this way....

If Peterson Equiptment didn't have the expertise on hand, then why did they take on the job??

If you don't know how, why risk your reputation with this job? Good dealers won't.

Money..

Regards, Kirk
Click to expand...
Good point Kirk you know as well as i do you hire people on and some times all you have to go on is a resume' also with all the new labor laws you can't realy ask the former employers about their preformance other than can they get to work and how long did they work for you.
 
as for fixing the wring i have wired hundreds of trailers and never took me 2 hours to do one from scratch the code is pretty simple to remember
 
that missing angle that holds the end is a long piece that runs under my shieve. I am not sure it is setup that way on yours. Just welding a bracket to hold it may not be the way to go. can you find the missing part? What do you think,Don?
Look at my posted picture of it.
Jim
 
DSC00345.jpg
 
the angle is welded to the bar that runs under the shiv it's just a mater of fabing up a new bracket and welding it back in to place. on the 3 spare varriators i have that bracket has been field welded ( a nice way of saying bird terd wellding) back on 2 busted where mine did as there are just 2 spot welds holding it together and one wher wilsons did. it may not hurt to swing a magnet around the pan a bit you may get lucky and find it. all the repairs i have seen they always get into the shaft which makes it unremovable . thats why i took care to repair mine right you could make one with an end mill out of a piece of angle than cut it to fit and weld it on the back side of the rail with a wire feeder.
 
dds said:
the angle is welded to the bar that runs under the shiv it's just a mater of fabing up a new bracket and welding it back in to place. on the 3 spare varriators i have that bracket has been field welded ( a nice way of saying bird terd wellding) back on 2 busted where mine did as there are just 2 spot welds holding it together and one wher wilsons did. it may not hurt to swing a magnet around the pan a bit you may get lucky and find it. all the repairs i have seen they always get into the shaft which makes it unremovable . thats why i took care to repair mine right you could make one with an end mill out of a piece of angle than cut it to fit and weld it on the back side of the rail with a wire feeder.
Click to expand...

I will give it a shoot. Thanks
 
you should find a competent welder to weld it up as it will get twisted pretty hard and you will only be able to weld from the back.
 
DD and JimVT, it is that time of year when the first snow flakes are starting to fall and I starting thinking about fixing the snowcat. Looking at the pictures you guys supplied of the piece that is missing from my linkage. I have a couple questions.
1. The pin that is in the cylinder. I am assuming it flows freely in/out of the L shaped piece?
2. The L shaped piece is welded to the support arm below and not the cylinder?
3. Anyone have this L shape piece that they would be wiling to part with?

Thanks
 
I have a couple but it's part of a larger part, and mine have all been butchered up with bird turd welding. your best bet would be to find a fabrication shop take the rig in with our pics, I bet they could fab up the missing piece and weld it into place for a hundred bucks or less.
 
the pin floats in the pivot piece that is falling off in the picture it should be bolted at the other side. it will also float in the hole of the missing part, if you were to weld it it will work fine but you could never disassemble it. hope that helps got to run to a meeting. call me later if you have questions 907 304 1383
 
Here are some more pictures of how that bracket should look when it is intact. Note the extra tubular strut between ST-7020 frame and the bolt on the bell housing. You should be able to repair the broken ST-7020, but that will require removing it which will involve a complete removal of your variator topend...
The next to the last picture is a detail of the welded-on ear on part ST-7020 Frame. The last picture shows where ST-7020 fits in (#24 on the diagram).
 

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that's cool I have never seen that strut it should add some rigidity to the piece although all the broken pieces. i have seen have just been the ear and and they all appear to be welded on one side only not both sides like yours.
 
I believe I only found those braces on later model Snow Masters and Trac Master, not on any of the early series. Also, as noted in the 26 post on Variators, that little bolt that holds the pin to the "C" Casting (ST26) has to be a Grade 8 or Grade 9. In these pictures it's the one with the castle nut and the cotter pin.
 
Don,

Hopefully, you have the answers. I am building the bracket that connects to the cylinder linkage and have a few questions.
1. Is the Bracket welded to the cylinder or just the support arm below?
2. Do you by chance know the diameter of the hole in the bracket for the piston to run through?
3.Any idea what size grease nipple screws into the cylinder?

Any info is greatly appreciated.. thanks
 

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I take it that shaft that holds the spring in place shouldn't be bent like that. :sad: starting to grasp the work involved to get this fixed now. Hopefully, I can heat it and bend it straight once I get it all taken apart.
 

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don't worry Wilson I would feel ok about hitting it with some heat from oxy acetylene get it cherry and bend it back should be ok then
 
Thanks. I got it apart. Was not that bad a task. I have someone lined up to fabricate the part here in a couple weeks. Hopefully, by EOM I will have this in snow. Cannot tell very well from everyones pictures they posted, does the cylinder butt up against the section of the shaft with the bolt through it? And then you put the bracket in place? Looking at the previous weld and taking in account of the thickness of the bracket it would appear where it is now in the picture would be about right.
 

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Good news! Finally got the left side track back together. Peterson didn't bother to put in inner spring on the front axle assembly. I was able to find a suitable inner spring at Granger and a few ours with grinder, I was able to get both springs on and it seems to be working very well. This week I will work with a local welder and get the bracket welded on for the steering linkage. If things work out I should be out in the snow either next weekend or the following.
 
Put the snowcat all back together and took her for a couple runs around the yard. :w00t2: She turns L/R just fine now. Here is a picture of the bracket I welded up. I was a little concerned the belt would rub up against it, but after hard turns left and right and straight runs I did not see any rubbing. Anyone know what size grease nipple screws into the cylinder. I tried a couple from the variator, but they appeared to be too big. Thanks for everyones help. At this point I need to replace the rear tires, I believe they are or close to original as they say Sweden on the side of them. Grease her up and see if we can get onto some snow before it all melts. Another storm approaching from the north tonight.
 

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utahwilson said:
Anyone know what size grease nipple screws into the cylinder. I tried a couple from the variator, but they appeared to be too big.:brows:
Click to expand...

It looks like you will need to drill and tap the hole for the grease zerk. Use a #3 drill and a 1/4-28 bottoming tap. Don't drill too deep and nick the shaft. Be sure to blow all the drill and tap chips out before installing the zerk.

I had to do this exact same thing on one of my older variators that didn't have a zerk there.
 
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