Progress on the AW supper 300

[Grader4me]

What would it look like if you painted the hydraulic hoses black as well? I am looking at the one on the lift piston. It's just that with all the fresh paint these lines stick out like a sore thumb. I used to paint these lines on a couple of graders that I used to run...made them look real good.

 

[Dwan Hall]

Back when I was in the service we painted our jump boots with a rubber based paint. if I could find it again I would try it. eather that or I will have to find a way to clean the old yelow paint off or replace them. I know I can scrape it off but I am not sure how much damage to the hose I will cause.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

You might be changing those hoses pretty soon if they are old the only thing that I could think off that would work to make them look black would be liquid electrical tape its pliable and it comes in black but it might be too expensive.

I do agree the hoses do stick out you can always just try paint them with a flat black paint and spray it on so its thin coats. I don't know if I would want to try scrape the old paint off.

As for the old 4/71 does it run I can't remember reading if you said it does or not. Cheapest option would be rebuild the 4/71 or try find a 6/71 if it will fit. I'am surprised they used a 4/71 in that grader how does it compare in size to a 740 Champion ?

 

[Dwan Hall]

The 4/71 runs great. Smokes a little if let idle for 1/2 hour or so. Some of that could be the 3 year old fuel. I have been offered a new 4/71 still in the crate for cheep. I may take it for a spare. If I was to change out the motor it would be to something newer and a lot quieter.
The hoses look ok for now or atleast till I get the machine running. I can clean them up enough so as to not notice the yellow on them. I am still going to look for that rubber paint we used on our jump boots though. There is no bad weather checking and none leak or seep yet. I will look into changing them out when I make a float system for the blade.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

It could be the breather boxes are loaded up with oil which is common when you idle a Jimmy allot. You also should be running a high detergent oil Esso makes one especially for the 2 strokes.

A John Deere 6 cylinder would probably work pretty good they are about 6.8 litre in displacement the turboed version puts out about 200hp. Second option would be a 466 International.

Your lucky the machine doesn't have a 53 series man those are even louder than a 71. A 3-53 or 4-53 are loud screamers. You put a turbo on a detroit it quietens them down a little.

The old 740 Champions could be heard for miles with the old 6/71 pegged the newer 740s have L-10 or M-11 Cummins so much quieter.

If you are going to keep the original engine got to paint it factory Alpine green a old detroit has to be green or its not a green leaker. The 92s were painted silver and dubbed the silver series.

 

[Dwan Hall]

Took a little time off today to work on my logo. There is no place large enough on the machine to put my normal size one so I had to cut one out that was a little smaller.

 

[Grader4me]

I really don't think that you will have the heart to work that little honey when you finish. My god you must have a lot of patience. Can't wait to see the finished product.

 

[Dwan Hall]

The hoses cleaned up real nice today. They will be just fine. I scraped some of the paint off then sanded them a little just to cut into the paint, then washed them down with brake cleaner and treated them with some rubber treatment to replace what the brake clean took away.

I also installed a new muffler which was 4' long. and 8" in dia. the old one was only 1' long and 8" in dia. You wouldn't beleave the differance it made. I like the sound it makes now. Also cleaned up some wireing up front and replaced the old round headlights with a set of Myer plow lights with turn signels built in. I have to take them back off and paint the mounts but I think they look nice.

I realy got pissed at myself today because I took 3 of the plexaglass windows out and had safty glass made for them. Turns out the plexaglass was the wrong size so now the glass ones are also. Just a little short and at a price of $200 I will have to make them work. It is not like me not to doubble check things before I do things like that.
I want to replace the knobs on the control levers but I am not sure ware one might find new ones. Billard balls are to big otherwise I would try them.

If you look close you can see I have put a small piece of rubber between the pipe and the holddown. I did this on my bobcats about 20 years ago and reduced the chafing to none so I thought I would do it here also.

 

[Dwan Hall]

I am on a different computer and don't have the same picture editing software so I have to post these 1 at a time.

 

[Dwan Hall]

This one is the one with the lights.

 

[Countryboy]

Dwan, if you go to an auto parts store, look at the after market automotive shifter knobs. Most are made to be universal and come with threaded inserts of different sizes and thread types. I put a Hurst shifter in my Chevy and the knob I got had 12 different inserts. There were many different style knobs also.
If you want to go the billard ball route, just find one of those minature kids pool tables. The balls are about half the size of the regular ones.

 

[Grader4me]

The way you did up the hoses was a good idea. I used to just spray them with black paint. Makes a big difference doesn't it? The rubber between the holddowns and the pipe is a good idea as well. On the old 77 Champion that I used to run I had a lot of problems with those steel lines. They would even chafe through on the bottom where they layed on the frame. Or course they moved around a lot due to the rocky roads that I had to scrape.
I would replace them with the rubber hoses when they would start leaking. Eventually they were all replaced with the hoses.
Headlights look good. Shouldn't have much of a problem to find some knobs. Countryboy had some good ideas.

 

[jmac]

Dawn, really looks great! I wish I could do that to my equipment. Just don't have a big enough shop to put it in. Would be nice for the winter to have a nice big shop, heated of course to spend a couple of months on each one. I spent so much on equipment in the last few years that buying a piece of land, putting a building on it with a well, septic etc just is not in budget, but some day. It is going to be a shame to get your new grader all dirty.

 

[Dwan Hall]

Thanks all for the encouragement. I have a long way to go before it will get any mud on it.

 

[Squizzy246B]

Excellent work Dwan...keep the pic's coming...keep going like that and I'm going to have to send over a Hart Parr

 

[Dwan Hall]

The hoses and lift rams came out ok. I still have to replace a seal in one of them. also have to paint the uper part of the main frame. Didn't do much again today.

 

[Jeff D.]

You must have been saving pics for awhile, because you say it's going slow, yet there's alot of work that's been done between the different photo's. In one it looks like the cab is black and the windows are in. Either that or you're not as slow a worker as you think.:wink2

Regardless, it looks really good. You really have something there too be proud of Dwan!!:thumbsup

I was going to ask, does it have a generator or an alternator on it now? With your other improvements ditching an old gererator could be another improvement, if it wasn't done already.

 

[Dwan Hall]

It has a 140 amp alt. on it. and yes some of the work has already been done but not near enough to show it all yet. I figure I am still about 1 month from a place ware I can take a brake till summer. I want to get the rest of the painting, wireing, lights, strobes, and interior done yet this year. I still have some machanical work to do like a few seals and I do want to go through the transfer case as the oil in it is milky. I have not made up my mind weather to change out the back window and make it non opening or try to make something work to keep it as an opening window. It does not get very hot here and the motor does put out a little noise so I am leaning to a solid window in the back. I do have to finish painting the interior, insulating it and building an insterment panel. I also want to install 2 different heaters. one on the floor to keep my feet warm and the other on the top to defrost the windows. both with seperate controls.
I still need to install the lights to the rear, work lights and stop/tail/strobe lights. I plan on making light boxes for thoes. And I still have to figure out a system for the blade to float. I still need end bits on the blade also.
See I still have a long way to go.

 

[Jeff D.]

I still have to figure out a system for the blade to float.

Here's one idea. It's a mechanical 4 port switch and 4 T's added to the 4 lines going to your cylinders. It could be plumbed as close to the actual valve as needed, but would need to be accessable from inside the cab. Possibly a rod, etc. to push/pull the control, and have it mounted underneith the cab.

When pushed in, the system would operate as per normal. When pulled out the lines are connected together. Fluid can flow in any direction needed, freely. Blade would float, and moving the standard control valves would do nothing (fluid would just bypass)until pushed back in.

Heres the valve: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_36718_36718&issearch=2070

I used this valve on a tractor once to use one control valve to operate two cylinders independantly. It worked well, but was plumbed in a different manner than yours would need to be.

Or you could use two seperate electricaly activated switches could work too, with the 4 T's added in a similair fashion. I couldn't find any of those switches where I looked though.

 

[Dwan Hall]

I like the idea of 2 seperate valves operated by electric switches. lets me float eather side seperatly. I would like to mount the valves someware around the cylinders with a on-off-momintery switch to each.
I never though of the way you have here but that would work fine if I can't find what I want.

Thanks.