I've been hitting it pretty hard for about a month on this thing. I'd say that's a pretty fast turnaround for where we're at. The next step will be to sit down with my notebook and make up a really comprehensive list of what's to be done. That'll be lots of measuring for small parts like linkage bushings, etc. My "shop" is our unheated one car polebarn/garage, so fine detail work and paint is out of the question for now. Temps here in NW Wisconsin are hovering around 10 degrees average. I think most days it's actually colder in the garage than outside. My wife has a nice heated studio here and has graciously offered to make a hole so I can detail and paint the raw steel bits before they dissolve under the weight of all the salt and gack we've been running it through.
My last big job for the build part is to add 2 inches to the front of the track carriers. That won't be hard, but it requires some time to do. I'd say about a day. Then I need to make the final version of the axle shafts for all 4 idlers. Rather than solid 1" bar, I'm using 1" thick-wall tubing. Then I put another length of smaller thick-wall tubing inside that. Finally, I'll run a 1/2" bolt through the center of that with big washers and a castle nut. I want to be able to control tension on the flange bearings to prevent the track carriers from splaying out over time. I also have 1" collars to weld to the sides of the front idler sprockets to add some strength at the track adjusters. Should keep everything in alignment a little better.
That sounds like a lot, but actually all of it happens at the front idler area so I can disassemble once, do the work, then put it back together. I'll need to disassemble and re-gasket and seal the transmission as well as do all the trunion linkage bushing repair but will do that when I take it apart to paint. There are also a bunch of welds in the subframe that need to be finished but I can't weld standing on my head anymore. I'll do all that welding and gusseting when I take it back apart for paint.
I have most of the dash and controls reworked and the lights and things are all hooked up. When I take the thing apart, I'll do the final detailing of wire harness runs and tidy it all up with harness clamps. I replaced the Amp meter with an led voltmeter and it immediately pooped the bed. I replaced that with a Bosch 2" voltmeter and so far, that's been holding it's own. Amp gauges, IMHO are useless. They only tell you if they're charging, not battery condition.
Down the road:
Assuming all of that gets sorted out, I want to add some hydraulics. My family is voting for some sort of scoop and move tech. The wife is big into gardening and beekeeping so she wants to be able to move dirt, compost and her bee boxes around. To that end I've been thinking I'll add a hydraulic pump. The hard part is where to put it. Anyone have any experience with adding a pump drive to the transmission "output shaft"? I could hunt up a 149 hydro unit but doubt that would run multiple cylinders so a separate pump is pretty much going to be mandatory. Thoughts?
