Trying to confuse, gather information, and learn all at the same time, as usual! For those following, you can pick up on page 2.

 Regards,

 Chris

Thanks for the information on the Gleaner engine differences compared to the WD. Would be just another toy in the big sandbox!  The additional HP might be desired, but I am having problems getting it to the ground on the current tractors. This might be a dedicated tractor for competition, as the one I just completed it pretty much stock. May try to look at the tractor in next few weeks? As is, it still would need some changes. Could be a new tractor project to either get me in more trouble or keep me out of some, depending on your view point!

If something happens I will get some pictures up too.

Regards,

 Chris

Yes that is a concern. We have the biggest tires allowed on the WD and the 45 that we pull 14.9-28. Of course we are competing against lots of tractors with 38 inch rubber. That is for the antique classes 3500, 4000 and 4500 lb. But the Farm stock events which are getting more popular, don't seem to have the tire restrictions so there could be a opportunity for increased tire size. Of course every one else is doing the same. Just a game of catch up and then see how your machine does. 

This may need to be moved into the Pulling Section if we get much more detailed about this pulling stuff?

Regards,

 Chris

Carl(NWWI) wrote: I’ve done 38” rubber, WD pistons in a gleaner block, bigger carb, pulling cam and open rpm and I still can’t win. Idk if the tractors I pull against are more built then what everyone else pulls against or what. I’ve never understood the hype of the gleaner engine in the WD’s, Unless my cam isn’t done correctly but sure doesn’t perform like everyone says they do.

The WD/WD45 hitch set up just doesn't doesn't work too well for pulling a weight transfer sled.The Oliver and Cockshutt tractors have the advantage in that regard plus they are easier to upgrade the HP.

I have seen similar things in the pulls. Neighbor has a WD tractor that he bought and it was "set up" for pulling and had been pulled years ago. Has a few items removed so that he can move 150 lbs of weight around. He is in the 3500 lb class. He wins or places consistently. No idea what was done to the engine or drive line. (still has hand clutch) He has the old style Firestone tires with full tread. That engine has plenty of power. 

My grandson with his old bone stock WD is usually close to him. sometimes beats him on the right track conditions. We seen a BIG improvement in Nics tractor when we went to the Crop Max 14.9-28 rears when pulling on a wet track. His is a old worn WD engine that still runs good. On a power track you can see the difference in the two tractors at the end of the pull. 

I think Dr Allis summarized it very well. Track conditions, tire type, and weight balancing, are probably the first things to consider. Track conditions you dont have much control over. But sometimes you can pick a spot on the track and get a little more distance/ traction.

Weight balancing seems to be somewhat of a art. I am pretty new to that part of the game. I see other tractors that are real front end light. 

Some tractors seem to do well even if the front wheels are off the ground most of pull.

I know this changes the hitch height retaliative to the sled too. 

Is there a magic balancing combo for the old WD's? 

We usually get beat by some red tractors, or maybe a Oliver.

As you can see I have way more questions than answers. 

Typing it in here and making it happen on the track are worlds apart! 

Hoping we can gain a little bit to make these old Allis tractors move up a little in the classes. 

I will try to share items that I learn and maybe it will help others. 

The good news we (our small pulling group of orange tractor owners) are, having fun, learning about the game,  getting more competitive.

Keep in mind I don't have a tractor specifically for this hobby yet! Have just been skirting around the edges with some old Allis tractors I drug home.

Regards,

 Chris

If you want to pull that size AC I'd get a WC, 9 out of 10 times I've seen a WC in the Same class

as a WD/WD45 the WC was ahead of them.Plus a WC will go into the 3000 lb class.

 Thanks for the suggestion on the WC puller option. I have heard that they are lighter, and I could see that being an advantage too. Do you see the unstyled or the styled versions.

I know some of them have hand brakes and I know nothing about them, except that looks like you need to grow a third arm!

We dont see a lot of WC's pull around here all summer. Maybe 1 or 2 of them.

This thread may not get a lot of traction being outside of the pulling forum? But up to this point the tone has been acceptable to me! Some times  these threads get more competitive than actual pulling. If that happens I am done talking about this WD topic. 

Its only a big boy game which can get out of hand.

If this thread needs to move there I understand.

I do appreciate the positive comments! 

Regards,

Chris

WC had 24 and 28 inch wheels,also 36" was an option.I pulled a WC for quite awhile with a set of Farmall 36" rear spoke wheels and a WD45 engine.Pulled 2nd gear in the 3000 lb class not much else in that class to stay with it,in the 3500 there was good competition.

It was NOT going to out pull Paul Barnsley's CA(LOL).Of course the footnote is every where is different and rules are also different so the first thing I suggest doing is get a copy of the rules from the places you plan on pulling at.That'll determine a lot of what tractor you might want to put in what class. We had a lot of fun at antique pulls win,lose or draw.

Well I dont know about the hype of the WD/Gleaner combo either. Sounds like your not very satisfied with it at the present time. Makes me wonder about the text below!:)

Folks,

Folks,

This is the potential new project, if everything goes right. Forgot to ask if the wheels are loaded?

Regards,

 Chris

That's the plan. In reviewing the pictures the tractor looks just a little better than what I normally bring home. The fenders are not in shreds, grill shell is intact, hood has wrinkles around exhaust, front wheels look intact and the front tires don't look too bad and are holding air! That's a plus. Rear rims look to have some rust staining. Tires are Firestone Field and Road, 13.6-28, some wear but not worn out. ( would have been nice if they were 14.9's! ) has lights and all the normal stuff. Has a pair of snap coupler latches that look like they need spring work. Also has the snap coupler bell.

Engine is a Gleaner type with some orange parts from a WD45 or WD engine in the distributor and governor area. No clue about flywheel change or clutch or the water pump or lower crank pulley rework? Cant really tell about the air cleaner or the carb yet. So that will be a surprise. 

Owner says it runs. How well? That will have to be determined. Then there is the lack of brakes as the owner describes. All pretty much normal old WD stuff.

I would like to do a compression test on this one. I don't have a compression test gage. and good recommendations. Not a tool I would use often.

Thank for checking in on me!

Regards,

 Chris

Chris, compression test gauges are not that expensive. For the amount of these things you have/work on, you should have one. They will reveal a lot! My propane engine varied from 175 to 190 psi. When I tore it down the low cylinder was scored. The engine ran good, though it started very hard.

Hope you get her home, time for a new project thread!

 Thanks I will do a little research on the various engine compression testers. Yes I have enough units to try it out on.  

Will try to keep up with posting if anything changes on the old WD-G "sticky-situation".

Regards,

 Chris

Competitions involve many variables.  In any sort of competition, the ONE item that determines wholly the success of a competetor, is EXPERIENCE.

Champion bicyclist Eddie Merckx, when asked what the secret to being a successful competetive cyclist, his answer was:

"Ride lots".

I'll start by noting that I am not a 'competition tractor puller'.  I don't pull sleds often.  I pull trees, vehicles, an occasional building... large rocks.  I rarely get 'good track' conditions, I don't have luxury of putting it on a dyno, running special tires, or adjusting weight... and I've had some bad pulls, and I've had some good ones... and I've broken parts, and had engine problems.  I've also spent WAY too much time and money working on machines, but there's a bunch of other guys here that I'm certain will admit to doing much worse.  I've committed even worse sin... I've been the enabler of guys who spent more time and money... and for some strange reason, I feel guilty, but not bad, about being participle to their substantial investment in what potentially becomes a very, very expensive hobby, in both money, time, and of course... social impact.   I'm not without experience in other competition circumstances... I fortunately avoided competition bass fishing, and narrowly escaped becoming 'professional' in cycling and music.  The fortunate result, is that I can still enjoy these things as avocational.

There are many factors involved in any competition, and tractor pulling is one of them.  First and foremost of ANY competition, is the RULES.  It doesn't matter what you do, if you don't know the rules, and you aren't absolutely pushing every limit of every edge of every rule in the book, you won't win.  Why?  Because those who compete against you, and beat you, ARE.

For example, let's say your rulebook says that 'farm stock' means that any parts you use, need to be OEM parts... so you're using OEM parts.  The guy you're running against, beats you every time.  If you take apart your engine, you find factory stock parts for that tractor.  Take apart HIS, and you find that he's got connecting rods that are significantly longer, came from a totally different engine.  Yep, but they're 'factory stock'.  The RULES didn't SAY that they had to come from the SAME MODEL...  but using the longer rod, with a stock piston, increased his compression ratio by 2 whole points, and now his 34hp engine is at 9:1...

Understanding PHYSICS is extremely important.  I can't begin to count how many guys argue with me, convinced that running a smaller-diameter drive tire will yield 'more pulling power'...  when fifteen minutes at a county fair track will demonstrate otherwise... and when I point them to the Wismer-Luth white paper on agricutural traction prediction, they refuse to take time to even SKIM it, and the myriad of similar studies that followed.  Robert and Harold's work on traction prediction was all based on empirical data... thousands of tests, repeated over and over, to determine what factors generated the greatest amount of effective drawbar pull, and unlike what happens at a competition tractor pull, Robert and Harold PUBLISHED it, put it right out in the open... and their deconstruction of the mechanical process of tractive efort development proves very clearly how the tire diameter, cross section, driven, and undriven tire load and size affect the developed drawbar pull.  Then, they went one step further, and identified how SLIP RATE and additional horsepower related to increase in drawbar force... meaning, once the tire is spinning, how much more horsepower input (increased slip) yields a given amount of addition drawbar force.  With that data, you can enter in all the variables for your tractor, your setup, and your horsepower, and you WILL get a very accurate prediction of what your tractor's limits of drawbar force WILL BE... and if you're not meeting it, you can be certain that something you've plugged in, ain't being met.

As for the Gleaner engine, I think people misunderstand the horsepower numbers.  There may be subtile differences between the tractor, combine, and power unit versions of any engine, but the biggest difference, is in how they're 'set up' for particular service. The tractor engine has a wide-range variable governor... it will govern from just above idle, to some high-idle limit.  The combine engine is NOT set up that way.  It is either at low idle, or high idle, or working load.  it is NOT intended to govern at say... half-speed... because it is set up specifically for a machine who's input speeds NEED to fall in a certain window in order to operate properly.  Take into account that horsepower ratings of a tractor come in several different flavors, and the combine, or any power-unit application, are TOTALLY different, it's clearly a function of comparing apples, to oranges, to my dirty socks.  DrAllis is right in that the advertised number, and under some dyno circumstance may show an additional 6hp, it doesn't mean anything at a track.

For better understanding of why, consider a G226 power unit driving a 40kw AC generator.  The governor has ONE operating speed...  1800rpm... driving a 4-pole generator, that yields 60hz.  The governor is set to run at 1850rpm (that's 62hz) at 'high idle' (meaning, full speed, no load) and when under absolute max full load, the governor is at WFO at 1785rpm (59.5hz).  IF the generator is producing the full 40kw at WFO@1785rpm, you could substantiate that the engine is developing 53.64 flywheel horsepower, or 157.82 ft-lbs at the flywheel...

Do the same for the same engine, running a 30kw 1200rpm (3 pole) generator:  62hz is 1240rpm high idle, and 1190rpm at full load/WFO...  that comes out to 40.23hp at 1190rpm for 177.55 ft-lbs at the flywheel...

WHICH ENGINE is more powerful?  Answer is... neither...  AND... the calculations above, are all wrong, because at NO LOAD, it takes a certain amount of engine horsepower JUST TO RUN.  It requires power to spin the cooling fan, even when the engine isn't hot.  It requires power to pump oil through the engine... and it requires power to develop enough excitation energy to generate and regulate electricity.

Now let's say the G226 develops 166ft-lbs at 1800rpm, for 57hp.  We yank this engine, work it over, and find out that when we spin it up to say... 4100rpm, it develops  79 ft-lbs, for total of 62hp...

Does the fact that it's output of 62hp @ 4100rpm for 79 ft-lbs is a more competetive result than 57hp at 1800rpm for 155 ft-lbs?   Not necessarily.  You'd need the added drag of lower gearing in order to put that 4100rpm in proper accordance with ground speed... in the end, your wheel horsepower (due to added parasitic losses of gearing, windage, etc) come out LESS.

The difference, is in how they're set up, and how they're rated.  Nobody with a brain would buy a generator based on engine FLYWHEEL HORSEPOWER, and you certainly wouldn't get good performance running that generator engine's governor (or carbeuration, or ignition advance, or camshaft, intake, and exhaust) on a tractor.

Rarely recognized fact- when an engine is set up for a generator, it is set up so that peak torque occurs AT 60hz, and falls off INCREDIBLY at 62hz.  Why?  Because it helps make the engine both reactive (to load change) and stable AT the same time.  If an engine can't breathe outside it's governed range, it WON'T go there.

So keep that all in mind when comparing engines.

 Would be nice if my pea brain could wrap around a fourth of your information! Yikes! I was hoping to just get something with a little bit of improvement and test on it a little!:)

Thanks for the information! Probably one of the most thought out and through responses.

Now to figure out how to try and use your data in the future. IIRC I didnt do well in physics! 

Looks like I have a lot to learn about some of the Allis engines and there set up variables.

 Not sure how far I will or can go. Again its time and money we are spending. I learned a lot on just working on the last WD45 and taking most of it apart and putting it back together. (With a lot of good help and suggestions for Allis Forum folks!)

I also have enabled many friends to spend gobs of money on making maple syrup. A very simple process that grows/ morphs, out of control resulting in large expensive stainless steel items to process maple syrup faster than you did last year. When that happens then I advise them they need more maple trees and the cycle starts again.  And it can be competitive also. County fairs judge your maple syrup and products against other competitors. As mentioned Rules are very important. You have to be doing a lot of things right to score a blue ribbon during judging. Often a local well equipped sugar house can have equipment ranging from $5000 to $150,000. 

Regards,

 Chris

Chris, you're not the only guy I know that's got sappy distractions...  about ten years ago, I published a method to convert three-phase welders to single, and one of the first guys to do it was a maple producer towards Syracuse... and he did it to more than one machine, because he had to have one set up for stainless, the other for plain, and I believe he converted one for aluminum, so he could make all his maple production equipment.

His system was really cool... he had a network of plumbing coming from his taps, down the hill, under the highway, to his processing house, and some huge semi-trailer retention tanks... it was awesome.

Main thing to realize, guys, is that there's no 'magic bullet', and an engine is only what it's 'set up to be'... the numbers you read, are only relative to the circumstance under which they're written.  I've got a P30 step-van that I use for hauling my band's stage equipment.  Originally had a 6.2, the fleet was changed to Cummins 4BT, and when decommissioned, a buddy of mine bought it for the 4BT for a Jeep.  He didn't need the engine right away, so I drove the truck with the oil-burner for about three years 'till I'd acquired and built up the replacement powerplant... I pulled the diesel and sent it back to my buddy.

The 4bt was rated 114hp, and yielded about 290ft-lbs at 1600 or so, driving a TH475 3-speed, final 1:1.  Governed at 2600, with the truck's 4.56 gears, weighing loaded right at 10,000lbs, would jump to 30mph in about 10 seconds... and it'd take another 15 to get to 54mph, at which time, the injection pump hit governed limit.  It managed about 13mpg... but it was a long, slow ride from Davenport to Des Moines.

The engine I swapped in, was a 1976 Buick 455 rescued from a farmhouse sedan that was on a one-way trip to the demolition derby arena.  While it isn't a diesel, and was NOT the highest output of the BBB's history, it isn't weak.  The factory versions showed up in the 360+hp range, my '76 was rated in the post-emmissions period for something like 150hp... but it whomps out incredible torque (almost twice the Cummins) and will spin nicely at 4000+rpm all day... and it weighs almost 500lbs less than the Cummins driveline... which was very important to me, because the truck is loaded to it's GVW limit... that extra 500lbs is much welcomed 'breathing room'.  Oh, and the heater works in the wintertime.

The whatever-150ish hp rating means nothing... actually, the 114hp Cummins rating meant nothing either.  Karl Keikhaefer put it best when he said something to the effect of 'horsepower and torque don't mean a thing, if the engine won't run at the speed you need it.'.  What he was referring to directly, was an outboard motor... when you hit the throttle of a boat, it takes substantial torque to get a planing hull up on top of the water... but once up, the drag drops substantially.  It then requires the engine to spin faster, and faster, as the boat speeds up.  As the hull develops more lift, it climbs up, one chine at a time, and each time, hydrodynamic drag drops... but as speed increases, WIND drag increases...  and if the engine's torque curve drops off at a given point, then all the horsepower numbers are irrelevant- the boat will not go any faster.

Such was the case in my band truck- the diesel was goverend to 2600.  If I would've put an overdrive on it, the drag from the overdrive gear, combined with wind drag (breadbox aerodynamics) would have gotten me nowhere, because there simply wasn't enough torque to make up for the static losses at that power point.

Finding an engine that created equivalent or greater torque from idle up to 2600, but having no governed limit, was the key... and the 'wheezy' emmissions-rated Buick now throws it right to 75mph with drama-less authority (and a S#!T ton less noise).

The combine engine will do just fine, as long as you put the tractor governor on it.  I doubt they changed the manifold or camshaft.  Flywheel, starter, mebbie some other parts that may/may not work due to minor changes... but I'm certain there's nothing magic about the combine and power unit engines that automatically give you 6hp for free.  Slap a Moroso sticker on it, and polish the valve cover for the same effect.

As for learning pulling, the simple facts are best:

 

Know the rule book well. 

Observe what other guys are doing.  They're doing it for a reason.

If you ask, Mebbie they'll tell you why... but don't expect it to be truthful...

Make your tractor as light as you can, SO you can compete in multiple classes

  AND...

So you can put the weight WHERE you want it, WHEN you want it there.

The laws of physics ALWAYS supercede the laws of man. 

Punishment for even the slightest violation of the laws of nature, often result in very swift capital punishment, without a trial or jury.  Expect things to go wrong, so plan on it, and keep everyone safe. 

Have someone else hold AND DRINK your beer, so that when you do something really stupid, you can't blame it on any alcohol, unless it was in the fuel tank.

And remember:

The only replacement for cubic inches, is cubic money.  Competition, especially in powersports, is like war-  it's economic...

So if it's something you enjoy doing on a low budget, find happiness in competing only against YOURSELF.  You and the machine, against the track and the sled.  Regardless of how THEY see it, always see the guys that go ahead and behind you, are along side you, competing against the track and the sled TOO.

Brief update: Currently on track for tractor viewing October 6th. Will try to remember to take some pictures. The wife is not too keen on another project! I don't really blame her! I think she is catching on to my "projects" and how they use some of our resources, and morph into these juygunjious episodes of me whining and sniveling about tractor stuff! It will be OK. Whats the worst that could happen? You can fill in the blanks!:)

I kind of like Dave's approach that pulling against yourself and continuous improvement are some of the only things we have control of. 

At this time I dont have any plans. One step at a time. Get it home will be the first thing. 

Short term goal after that would be to try to pull the WD in the antique pull on October 12th. Not sure If I will do much to it prior to the last pull of the season?

 It might become the snow plow tractor for the winter?

 Here is another shot of the WD. Seems to have most of the original equipment still attached, which for me is a new concept!:

Current owner did say the brakes are real sketchy. One side may work a little. That should help when if get down to the loading part!

Regards,

 Chris

 Coming up on the road trip this weekend to visit family and hope to look at this WD tractor. Will be my first longer distance haul with the wife, the F250 and the fifth wheel trailer. Should be a interesting adventure! Thoughts of the Beverly Hillbillys comes to mind!:)

Kind of looking forward to seeing this old WD up close. Plans have not solidified for the future of this tractor. if we do bring it home? So I may be asking a bunch of questions.

Regards,

 Chris

Thanks! I will see if I can find another picture of the WD unit! 

It comes with a brush hog that I have no clue how I am going to load that on the trailer? Also has a three point hitch of some type which I have not viewed. So it should be like Christmas in October!

The brush hog and three point system could be turned into funds for the project.

Having the latches for the lift arms is a bonus also, in good shape these are worth $50 each too. They may need new springs??

Had to get a Allis picture stuck in here too! I pulled the decals off the WD45 on the hood. I did not get them on straight and they had a pucker in them. I called Maple Hunter and they have a new set in the mail! Talk about service! Awesome! I will try to do a better job this time or keep doing it till I get it right!

Thanks for checking in on me!

Regards,

 Chris

 Well the wife and I made the 300 mile trip to Columbus Oh this weekend to visit our daughter and her family. This old WD was very close by in Delaware Oh, so we swung by and took a look!

Yep Just as the wife and I expected from the pictures. A crusty old WD (Straight stick) with a gray Gleaner engine stuffed into it. Words were exchanged with the owner, the tractor was "tested on" a little and the deal was done! Cheryl was so tickled!

Here she is with the tractor:

Thought I had more pictures? 

Carb side, I did not get the carb number yet. Many things to check out. Just got home.

The two other items that came with it were not very special: A homemade 3 point, not even sure how you might use it?:

and a very rusty pull type brush hog: Loaded up this morning, for the trip back to NWPA.

Many things to look at. During the test drive I was able to run through all the gears and that seemed Ok. Visual check on some of the clearance issues with this type of heart transplant checked out ok. More details later on that too. Tractor started good with no smoke. Oil looked clean but black. All the tires are good. Wished the rears were 14.9-28's but not! But they are good Firestone Field and road units in 13.6-28 size! So I have a new toy that followed us home! The Powerstroke and gooseneck never complained a bit at 70 mph. 

Haven't even unloaded it! Pooped out! Will provide some updates as we learn more about this old tractor and its power plant. 

First impression is that the tractor seems fairly tight in some areas like good snap on the hand clutch. Brakes need looked at: weak.  Will get some pictures of details.

 I have to tell a story about the hand clutch: I got on and took it for a ride. Said the hand clutch had good snap and the owner said that was the hand brake! asked him what he meant and he said he thought it was a hand brake? I said did you ever use it? He said no, it always had plenty of power to brush hog any thing he did. I told him it was a hand clutch to give it live power. He never knew! We can all learn a thing or two some days!

Regards,

 Chris

 I agree the rubber is in pretty good shape on this old WD. All the other ones I brought home had either front or rear rubber issues. I looked at the pictures of it pretty hard before I went. Those tires (front and rear) are about the same value as the entire rest of the tractor! 

I do see a seal/ oil leak in the right rear final drive shaft. Pretty common. Not easy to fix, but I have done a couple of them so I know the drill. 

One of the first things will be to review the coolant status. Couldn't see any in the rad. Got some brown liquid at the block drain. We are heading towards colder weather and I don't want any problems in that area.

 Regards,

 Chris

Just a shot as we were heading towards Cleveland with the WD.

Regards,

 Chris

 Rain let up and the weather has turned much cooler. Started to check out the old WD.

Started to get some of the information and numbers.

- Serial number on the rear end: WD116571

- Number stamped on the left side of the block: 17-66326-Z

- Brass data plate on the carb: TSX-464 with 54 under it.

- trans cover casting code: 200931

- front tires: 5.50-16 60%

- Rear tires Firestone Field and Road 13.6-28 80%

- 9 spring pressure plate 

- looks like newer throw out bearing.

- battery is a 12 volt negitive ground.

- still has a generator that may not be working?

- sheetmetal:

  fenders : couple small tears no visible holes fairly straight

 Hood and grill pretty good some damage to the grill shroud, dents

- radiator may have a leak in the bottom area?

- greased and lubed all the fittings.

- Brake springs broken, need new ones. Not sure about the pads yet?

- oil in the air cleaner is black. 

- filter mesh doesnt look too bad.

- I believe it is a 45 air box.

some pictures:

Not sure on the governor? Seems a little loosey goosey??

clearance between steering and oil lines looks ok

fender: Hand clutch has like new snap. Would be nice if it was a 3 plate in there too!

batttree

tool box has weight reduction/ drain/ vent

hood:

The lower cover is missing at front of the bell housing. I can see the rear main area its dry. Also the front crank seal are seams dry too. 

So far I haven't found any major problems. Hope to get the brush hog and tractor off the trailer this afternoon.

Thanks for checking in on me! Hope things are good in Orange land!

Regards,

 Chris

Spent the afternoon working on this new to me WD tractor.

The seat pan had rusted out in the center. Welded in a washer and also a carriage bolt to secure it to the seat bar.  Base of the seat bar needs a new bushing at some point.

The front pivot point of the governor rod was very worn. welded this back up and hand worked it.

Checked the coil and it was the type that needed a ballast resistor. So off to NAPA for some supplies. New 12 volt coil,  7 qts of 10W40 oil and a NAPA #1515 Gold oil filter. 

I found that the spring under the tank on the throttle was missing. Stole a spring off my other WD for testing. The rod from the govenor to the carb needed adjusted by bending it into a Z shape to shorten about .25 inches.  Those linkage changes allowed the throttle response to be much more correct!

Changed the oil and filter after a short warm up. Also the oil in the air filter cup had a bunch of debris in the bottom, and was pretty thick. It needed cleaned out!

Freed up the brake lock Blaster and some gentle taps back and fourth.

Removed the draw bar from the snap coupler and tested the spring pressure on the hook. Seemed good and strong!

Changed one of the quadrant slides. I had saved some of the better used ones, from the last tractor. Just making it more functional. 

Doesn't look like the generator is functioning at all. So I may change that to a alternator and up grade the dash.  

Checked the sediment bowl and when I had cleaned and reinstalled the glass, the gas was coming out of the tank very slowly. Took off the sediment bowl assembly and found the entrance to be plugged almost solid with debris and rust. Cleaned and re-installed.

Regards,

 Chris

Well it sure does go, boom / pop, when you back off the throttle quick! Scares the crap out of the dog! I dont think my 17 does that at all?

Had to put it to work hauling fire wood today. Its starting to get settled in to the new home too.

 Also Thanks to Brenda at Sandy Lake, I did find that is a 1952 model, so 67 years young, same age as me! Need to run down there in the morning to get the misc items I need for the brakes and compensating spring. Also seen that there are no wheel stops. Might pick up a couple of those too.

The throw out bearing was growling even after I put a couple pumps of grease in to it. I consulted Don (MO) and he suggested trying a little more grease. Yes that did the trick! Thanks Don!

I should have checked the timing while I had the cover off! Probably not far off, as it starts good and it sure idles down nice! Need to check WOT rpm at some point. 

How do you increase/ adjust engine RPM if you want to? 

Regards,

 Chris

Yes they need to earn their keep and surprisingly this tractor has a lot of things in good working order.

I stopped by Sandy lake today and picked up brake springs, compensate spring, sediment bowl screen and gasket, WD front seat support pivot bushings, gasket for the PTO delete, gasket for the hydraulic pump delete option, 4 wheel locks and the shield for under the bell housing. ( the delete options may have to be done at a later date?) I would like to pull in the 3500 + 50 lb class, So I may need to put it on a diet?

Was good to browse through their used parts inventory too. They have a lot of good used parts. Always a good event.

 I did get a short draw bar hitch rigged up yesterday with "D" ring. Set it at 17 inches from the ground per our rules. So not sure how much more I will get done to this tractor prior to Saturdays pull?

I also picked up a marine switch for the ignition and a marine toggle for the lights both of these items may go on my wide WD if this WD-E becomes a dedicated fun tractor.

Regards,

 Chris

 Busy getting ready for the local tractor pull this Saturday in Sagertown PA. All are welcome. Weigh in starts at 9:00 ish and pull will start around noon ish. 

The WD went on a weight reduction plan today:

Removed the Hydraulic pump system,

Did a PTO delete.

New gasket made and used a cover from the old parts WD carcass.

Rock shaft is laying in the pile.

Step is off but I may need to add something to make it a little easier to climb on and off!

 Hydraulic cylinders / hoses and brackets off.

I flushed cooling system and added 50-50 mix of universal antifreeze.

new filter screen and gasket on sediment bowl

cleaned out the brake compartments, yikes what a mess!

Put on the new springs and adjusted the stop bolts  and then set the brake adjuster nut. Have lots of brake now! Must be some shoes in there somewhere?:)

Removed the front seat pivot assembly. and replaced the two new bushings! No more seat wobble!

Removed the battree box to get the steel hyd line off. 

While in there I removed the hand clutch cover and found as expected the two plate WD clutch.

Camo-ed the gray engine block to look more like the rest of the crust. A mix of Krylon PO#1 and Rustoleum black.

Made it inside to work on some items.

Tooks the WD45 down to the show grounds and Matt was firing up the 1800's Steam engine for a test of the new system.

Also I aksed Nic if I could use his wheels for the weekend. He removed and delivered them. So I guess I better try the 14-9's!

Hope things are good in Orange land!

Regards,

 Chris

Yes this gray engine stuck out like a sore thumb. I saw this done on some new fenders on a patina tractor. It was brown and rusty looking just like the rest of the original tractor. Haven't got it out in the sun to see what it looks like?

Will work on the hydraulic pump delete plate today. Change some tries, work on some weight brackets too. 

 I think this is going quickly towards a dedicated pulling toy! May have to move this to the pulling section??

Thanks for checking in on me! Hope things are VERY good in orange land!

Regards,

 Chris 

 Busy with the WD today trying to get it checked over and somewhat prepared for the pulls tomorrow. Lots of moves I will sleep good tonight. This has been a fun week working on it. and at this point I believe I am wrapping up the changes to the tractor.

I found some 1/4 inch plate and burnt out the delete cover for the Hydraulic pump.

I knew I bought those gaskets for a reason. They made great templates!

cork gasket:

cover in place:

Sorry for the glare: I had a broken wheel bolt. Drilled through the broken stud then used a easy out and some blue tip wrench heating, plus blaster, plus air impact wrench to finally break it free.

Cleaned up the exterior of the finals a little and installed Nic's wheels.

I added my weight cross bar at the drawbar, and added 180 lbs (12 @ 15 lb each)

Also added the weight brackets in front of the rear wheels and will bring 4 of the 100 lb suit case weights. Hope to pull in the 3500, 3750 and 4000 class.

Took it for a spin and it seemed to miss a little.

 

So I stopped at NAPA and picked up a tune up kit for a d17 series IV, Plus a set of Belden wires. The dirty plug was what I found a set of Autolite short plugs #437. I replaced with a set of #64 long reach plugs.

 Tune up complete, wires, plugs, cap, rotor, points and condenser:

 

I should check the timing, if I get ambitious in the morning.

Regards,

 Chris

Update on the WD. I pulled in 3500, 3750 and 4000 lb classes. Was beat by a strong WC with a combine engine in the first two. (I think I my have outpulled my neighbor with his strong WD in the first two but not sure where I placed?) But I did receive a trophy for first in the 4000 lb class! I didn't get any actual pulling pictures. I was too busy helping, hooking, running the sled, announceing, pulling or grooming the track. 

Not bad for its first pulling adventure for the WD:)

 I pulled in second gear several times and it did not seem to mid at all! 

We had a rainy cold drizzle to start the day, dried out and was sunny but cool for the rest of the day. Beauty and the Beast!

One of the many Allis' pulling today a CA. We had about 80 hooks. Not bad for a cool fall day.

Thanks for checking on me.

Regards,

 Chris

Darn leg cramps got me up!

 A couple shots of me on some tractors owned by my friend Matt in Lake city PA.

This Case VAC reminds me that I first learned to drive on one of these!

Me at the wheel:

Matts John Deere H, I had to drive! Very awkward! Darn hand clutch!

4:00 today we got the last tractor home:

Maybe I need more/bigger trailer?

Getting a idea about weight brackets on the rear of the WD. 

Changed the wheels back on the WD. Will start to shop for electrical and alternator upgrades.

Thanks for checking on me! Tomorrow we have the two grand daughters and the two great grandsons! Should be real interesting!

Regards,

 Chris

 Picked up a Denso alternator from local tractor parts dealer. It is a one wire. Going to try that. I know it adds weight, but I like to have the battery charging. Have new key switch and volt meter to rebuild the dash of the WD.

Also stopped by Sandy Lake and returned some parts and bought a new Allis flame hat. 

I have started on a custom bracket for the alternator. Will change to a larger pulley, if I can find one in the vast warehouse! Will get some pictures tomorrow.

Hope things are good in Orange land!

 Regards,

 Chris

I've been thinking about the trailer length thing myself as I need to buy one. I feel like ideally one would be able to fit 2 WDs on, right? I also can't imagine not having a deckover but that's just me.

 I know most of this thread is directly related to antique tractor pulling. And I know a lot of us dont go there or dont start stripping and ripping tractors apart to get into this hobby! I am Ok with both original tractors and modifications to enhance them for strictly pulling although I am VERY new to the pulling thing and have only been skirting around the edges of it fo maybe the past 5 years. This is the first tractor that I have attempted to modify for just competition. I have been watching a lot of tractors, taking some notes and this happened to be set up with a lot of the things already in place, Like the stronger Z code engine. Its a bug that bites just like a lot of other old man hobby things. 

That could be why a lot of folks may view this thread but not have much input. And Thats OK too! They are not pulling and or don't like to see tractors become specialized competitive type units??

Since I have had practice taking apart 4 of these machines I am pretty familiar with the components and moves to make. 

One thing is my goal is to not damage the tractor in any way that it cannot be put back to original condition. 

But since it had the Gleaner engine when I bought it I guess it had already been modified in a way that was close to how a person might make one into a more competitive machine and still stay loosely within the Allis guidelines.  Ok maybe slightly outside the guidelines!:) It was not set up for pulling. it was a tractor used for brush hogging pastures.

On the trailer. A deck over to haul two WD's would be real nice.  Then I would haul more tractors and spend more money!:) But I do like my little one tractor car hauler too. Its small, low to the ground makes it easy to load and climb on and off of easy too.  I have a good sized tool box and a Warn winch.

Regards,

 Chris

 Rainy weather pushed me inside to tinker with the new WD this afternoon. I pulled the plugs and they had some oil and black on them. Since I have not even touched the carb I may have some issues there too?

 I did pull the cover off the bottom of the bell housing and proceed to roll the engine over and find the 4 hash marks on the flywheel. Marked all four with soapstone loosened the distributor and checked the timing at WOT. It was very close to where the distributor was set so, I only had to move it maybe 1/16 of a inch. Was glad I had gotten that checked out.

I pulled off the generator and worked on fabricating the base bracket for the small Denso alternator. I used a old generator bracket with a extension on the front end to support the 1 inch wide alternator pivot. Upper adjusting bracket will just get a spacer added. The fan belt is not in very good shape (cracks) but may last another 10 years? Will evaluate replacing that tomorrow. 

Regards,

 Chris

 I think trailers are kind of like garages, never big enough. I see several guys that have gone to semi trucks to haul their several pullers at one time. We need some pictures!

Friend of mine just bought a new 10,000 lb gooseneck, pierced frame, deck over, that is 20 ft and a beaver tail. Very nice trailer! I could haul the WD's with that!

I just got done reading some old posts in the pulling forum. I realized I am just playing around the edges of this sand pile! So many guys have forgot more than I will ever know. I don't want this to to become something that consumes me and my resources and or time. At this point I am still learning and the antique pulls are still fun to go to. I don't plan to progress in this sport to another  more competitive level. If I am not having fun,  I am out of here! Fun to me does not mean winning. I think I really enjoy the build portion of these projects way more than the end results. Am I weird or what? Don't answer that!

Regards,

 Chris  

Even a old tractor needs some attention to make it a little more reliable. So the electrical upgrades were in order. I lived with tractors that were not maintained and would not start for so many years on the farm that one of my pet peeves is to get the charging system functioning and have the tractor start when I want.

As expected the old wiring was brittle, the generator was not charging, and the dash was in unknown condition. 

Pulled the Gen and built a custom bracket from two WD gen brackets to mount the Denso alternator. Basically added additional bracket 1 inch away from the old one. Cut the end off the bracket that wasn't being used just to sanitize the mount a little!  Was way less work to mount this small alternator than a larger GM type unit! I like it! What I like is that the original bracket base has the step for Allis swoop sheet metal! I love those details!

The right thing to do would have been to drain the rad again, remove the bottom hose, replace the old cracked fan belt, resize the alternator pulley and correct the top bracket to tighten the alt. 

I did none of that!

 Found some old bolts to attach the alternator and bracket to the tractor, cobbled up a spacer from junk on the work bench, and we are good to go! Oh yea re-tapped the threaded hole in the top adjuster of the Denso unit! It was some kind of odd thread size. Could have been those metric trolls? We can't have that on a old WD! Ran a 5/16 tap through there and found a bolt in the vast warehouse with patina in place snugged the old belt, and tightened it down! Belt alignment was to spec!

Ran new wire for every thing except the coil which looked decent. I will try this as a one wire alt ,if it preforms Ok I will leave it. I would like it to charge at low idle on start up. and not have to exicite the alt with a wire / diode if posible.

The dash before, (the switch for charging may have been good)? Fuse was blown:

Welded up the hole in upper left, partial welded the hole for the light switch. Yes I have a light fetish too. I may not put them on right now but will run the new wires up under the tank. Sometimes we are at pulls into the night and lights are a plus:

Also added my spray paint "PO/rust" patina on the shiny ground surfaces. 

Components to upgrade the dash:  Marine grade (which means they were made under water in China) Light toggle, New key switch, and NAPA volt meter.

Total cost of this electrical upgrade maybe $160, tractor starting when it is supposed to priceless!

Hope things are good in Orange land! I need to be prepping for winter! Brain is stuck in fix old tractor mode! I know Don(MO) is getting tired of me calling him!:) He has been a big help on some of the details!

Regards,

 Chris

My great-grandpa had a Jubilee with that attachment, but the tractor was long gone before I was born, unfortunately. 

Creston,

Yes this little Ford Jubilee had this feature added sometime in its life. I do not have the mfg name of the clutch unit. I have talked to several others that have or have seen these. It is a hydraulic clutch that when the handle is pulled back stops the froward motion of the tractor but allows the PTO cot continue running. Push the handle forward and the tractor goes forward. Makes a great unit for running the 951 Ford brush hog. Or any live PTO requirements like baling a large wind row of hay! The clutch being hydraulic feels nothing like a WD series tractor. It is a little sluggish and soft feeling, but it works well. I have been told this can be a $1500 or up, feature on these tractors.

There is a valve that is manually rotated near your left heal that turns this unit on or off. Which is what happened the other day when a operator bumped the valve and it acted like it had no clutch. It was stuck in a non function position. 

Regards,

 Chris

I believe it could easily be worth that much. You don't find many of them around. 

If the link works, it should start the video at 20:05, and shows it used. You may have seen this production by Ford, but it's still a good film I think. 

http://youtu.be/-8PS03-k50w?t=1205" rel="nofollow - http://youtu.be/-8PS03-k50w?t=1205

 Thanks for posting the Ford link. I am still learning. It was my understanding that this was not a Ford option. But I could be wrong too? One thing is that in the film, the handle is bent at a 90 to the vertical portion. Mine is not bent, pretty much vertical to the top. Now this feature could be a safety issue if you went to get off and caught your coat on the handle the tractor could move and run over you!

Back on the electrical s for the WD:

I buttoned it up tonight, just need new bulbs for the headlights. All looks good, even the "PO/rust" look fits in pretty good. Its charging at low rpm and seems like its going to be OK with out the exciter wire. Didnt check with meter yet. The Denso fits the WD like a glove!

The dash complete:

Running, lights on.

Regards,

 Chris

 I had taken this picture of two of the tractors in our Allis group! Can you tell which is the Firestone and which is the look alike?

Regards,

 Chris

Hey the rain stopped!

 I need to get some things done to prepare for winter weather. 

But instead I will probably keep playing with the old WD. I want to do some weight reduction in the area of the snap coupler. Also to tighten up the entire hitch. Not sure what others have done? I do see a WC pulling tractor that has a bent flat bar that comes up into the same area. Doesnt looks stock, as I assume the WC had a pin hitch like a early WD? Anyway, it will probably be some type of custom drawbar when done. Will try to take some pictures along the way. After that alteration I hope to be getting close to making 3500 lb weight with my butt in the seat. Have been debating about removing the hand clutch but I am so sued to them, it would be like missing a arm! Going to keep  the 2 plate clutch it if possible. 

Is there any way short of pulling the enge to lube the pilot bearing? I dont think so but thougth I would get others opinions? I get a grinding dry noise when letting out the foot clutch, much louder under load. 

Also need to test on the new Denso alternator some more! And get the head lights working.

Will think about taking the carb off and checking it out too in the future. Or at least makinf sure the jets are functioning.

Current muffler is toast. Debating the tubular pilling style or just put on a std one.  I had a good one around here and may have tossed it! Dang Reminder to me, should not through good stuff away!

Hope things are good in Orange land!

Regards,

 Chris

Rhoadesy 65,

 I see a lot of those 100 HP plus tractors out there with the pipes! Thanks for the tip. Heck If I would have known that, I would have put one on some of my other tractors too! Someone mentioned they had to put a baffle in their straight pipe?

Thanks for checking on me.

I did look at the lights again this morning. Did some electrical testing as the 12 volt bulbs looked ok. Yep the grounds needed shined up. I made some cork gaskets for between the glass and the reflector. Had not tried this before but it worked better than the OEM type seal gaskets! Way easier, as the cork gasket does not move around like the rubber ones.

one of the rings holding the lens in place is just about rusted through. Perfect!

I am actually finding some enjoyment searching out or using the rusty bolts and components!  

Wiring cleaned/ freshened up a bit:

I believe the old WD (parts tractor) has a pin hitch, but no drawbar. Not sure its worth swapping them?  Except by swaping them I could keep this snap coupler together as a unit. Which makes sense to store it in the vast warehouse for decades. And I can take the large draft spring and it components out of the parts tractor and set them aside. Just need the weldment to attach a custom drawbar to, and to pull from. Now to figure out how to get it up in the air to remove it! Humm! Sounds like a plan.

Hope you folks are using this thread to get you to nod off quicker at night or for a mid day nap! 

Regards,

 Chris

Played hooky, and yes worked on the old WD most of the day again.

The hitch was next on the list. Didnt complete it but made a good run at it! 

The donor WD released the snap coupler bracket after I jacked it up off the ground. 

This picture is a little rough like the rest of my life: Yea not pretty under there!

The pulling WD with the drawbar in the approximate new position.

Removed the SC from the WD puller. Nice to keep this as a unit too:

The donor hitch got stripped and some lighting holes added. This thing gave me big ones for several hours. The cross pin was froze in the yoke portion. I had to melt the forging or what every that is to get to the pin and torch it off on both sides. This rivaled taking out WD brake pins! Glad I was working on parts that were not ever going back on a tractor.

What I finally ended up with for a hitch bracket. I believe I removed 15 lbs or maybe more. Never found the old bathroom scales to check some of the weights.

Revised bracket installed on the WD-Z:

Also decided to install a old mans step to get in the seat a little easier. A piece that did not get thrown away in the junk: Burned a hole for the bolt. Looks like it will work like factory!

Next will be to make a 1/2 inch plate to wrap around the 1" cross pin in the new hitch and bolt to the draw bar.I think this is going to work Ok. Rasing the hitch point a little seems like the right move to make. The SC just seems a little low. Sorry AC engineers!

Regards,

 Chris

http://www.allis01.com/fossto/44WC/ac-wc4.html" rel="nofollow - http://www.allis01.com/fossto/44WC/ac-wc4.html

Thanks! Tom did such a nice job of documenting his builds! I give you a crappy picture under a crusty old WD in the weeds! Yes the hitches are quite different. Mine is now a custom hitch cross between the WD45 SC and the WD pin hitch. I want it solid not flopping around like the SC. And I think pointed slightly upward slant towards the front pedestal looks like a good angle for the hitch. Time will tell. Hope I didn't take too much out with the lightening holes?

Regards,

 Chris

 Well the saga continues: Thanks for checking on me. 

I have seen some pulling tractors that dont resemble the original tractor much when done. My goal is to not wash this WD and have it look fairly close to a stock tractor from the grandstands. 

I completed the draw bar front attachment out of scraps laying in the garage and the vast warehouse.

The loop around the pin is a coulter support off a Allis plow. I added a 1/4 inch strap over the end for strength. The 1 inch wide thin metal part behind the pin is just spacer to keep the front of the draw bar centered in the hitch.

Bolted the loop to the drawbar in two places.

Installed draw bar:

The drawbar is almost level, I thought it would be up a little more in the front.

Regards,

 Chris

 I need a little electrical help. The Denso alternator came as it was supposed to be a 1 wire and not need a exicter wire. Well the supplier did not know much more than me and at low rpms it does not charge hardly at all. At higher rpms its doing good at 14.6 volts. I want to figure out which terminal is the right one for the exciter wire. There are two spade posts 90 degrees to one another. I could make the wire and try each one But I did not want to damage the electrical system by plugging in to the wrong terminal.

Tractor was not starting well. Had NAPA load test the Battree and it was putting out about 1/3 of the CCA's. So a new Battree came home too.

this was at idle:

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Tried googling it several times, but there are too many variations. I have put the exciter wire on other GM type alternators. I know how to put the diode in the exciter line to prevent feed back.

I am not a electrical guy!

Hope things are good.

Regards,

 Chris

 Thanks! That shows the "light" in the system, which I am not going to use, but I put a diode in the line. 

I will try to hook up to the terminal #1 post on the alternator. Whats the worst that could happen!:)

Not sure what the "Switched Live" means on the wire connected to #2 terminal?? 

I know on the GM type alternators the third wire would be a short one and go right on the same #3 terminal. Maybe that whats its trying to say?? 

Not sure whats happening inside that fusebox??:) 

If you hear a big boom up north you will know what happened!

Regards,

 Chris 

Yes the type of the terminals on the Denso is the one in the upper left. I found a plug on line that looks like the right one and it has a larger red and smaller yellow wire coming out of it. 

On a GM type alternator the yellow wire would be for the exciter wire and the red wire would go right on the Battery "B" post of the alternator.

Regards,

 Chris

Info on here, the internet and talked to my local expert on the Denso alternators and he said the exciter wire going from the ignition switch to the IG terminal on the Alternator may or may not help to excite the alt at low RPM. I will try it. If it doesn't work I will just live with increasing rpm to get it to charge. The "L" terminal for a light doesn't not need to be used in this application.

 Well I believe I put the diode in the right way and added the wire from the IG terminal to the ACC. When I fired the WD tractor up, it did not make a difference in the charge rate till I increased the rpm. So we will live with it. Also checked some of the other tractors and they are doing almost the same thing low charge rate at lower rpm too! Guess I thought they were charging more sooner??

Some photos from this nice fall day:

Cooper on the 45:

Cooper on the WD, we had to stop and pick up his hat that blew off during the tractor ride:

Off color tractor. This is Cheryl on her grandmothers Massey Hydro 8 hp, with our great grandson in the cart:

Line up of WD series tractors:

I am working on fabricating a front weight bracket for my small weights. They are 15 lbs each and slide on a square 1-1/2 inch tube. Thinking of hanging this off the front two bolts of the cover plate on the pedestal. Have to do some research on the rules as to how far out the weights can extend? I was only going out about a foot beyond the front end. Want it to be easy to remove also.

Regards,

 Chris

 Your welcome on the pictures! Just my way of spreading the orange thing around too! 

Yes not letting the smoke out of the wires is a good thing! I took my time for a change and did some research and with MD's help, I didnt burn anything up! 

That CA "Willow" is still under the tree a couple miles from me! Poor old girl. Those are the ones that need attention. It has not had any love for years! If the owner gave it to me the cost would be to much! He should pay me to take it? My guess if he gave me $2500, I might just barely break even, bringing it back to working order! It could be a unit that got into the 2500 lb weight class (maybe)?? Havent done much research on that yet. Dang it MD! Why did you have to bring that old CA up! :) Now there is another project that will "loom up" in front of me, on a cold snowy day!

Regards,

 Chris

MD that D17 looks fantastic! I get the hint loud and clear. My 17 would be a good candidate for a refurb clean and paint too. That would allow it to look good for many years! 

I need to start to seriously work on a shop! I have the design. A "T" shaped shop and storage area. Just need to get he ambition and the funds!

 Thanks! I can put 150 lbs on the front. I dont have a clue what I really need. I know on a sticky power track the front end may get a little light, might try 4 weights or 60 lbs? out front. I made it to add the extras. 

I want to redesign my rear weight brackets to get the weight just in back of the axle. At least that's the plan. Also will start looking for suitcase weights lighter than these 100 lb green ones! I'm getting to old for that much lifting! The old back starts to groan.

Worked on my maple syrup evaporator refurbishment this afternoon. More design and fab work, using steel and stainless steel. cutting, grinding, fitting, and welding. 

Regards,

 Chris

No your right, if the tractor slams down hard it might break or bend something too. Its the second bounce in there that might do this design in?? Reinforcement is a good idea. Will think about that a little.

Regards,

 Chris

Working on the Maple evaporator rebuild I ran out of stainless welding wire. 

So moved back to the WD-Z to noodle out some rear weight brackets. I am working from steel scraps that I should, but dont throw away, so i have only my time in it so far. 

With a clean slate on the back of the tractor I can design and build as I want.  Trying to keep the brackets light, so maybe they dont have to be removed for the 3500 lb class? Decided to make new brackets vs using the set I had made for in front of the rear wheels. That way if I felt real foxy and had more weights, I could hang some in front of the rear tires too (mid tractor)!

So the design follows the same theme as the mid tractor brackets. Square 1 inch tubing. Now this may not work well if I ever get some weights with a vertical slot!

Here I have the 100 lb weight in position on the right rear bracket: The angle that is held with the clamp will get welded or bolted to the brackets, and will have the feature to bolt the weights together. Three weights can go on each side. 600 lbs total on the back of the tractor is possible. No clue as to what that will do when pulling? 

Couple things I did different than my neighbors WD puller: I made these brackets lower to the ground, and left room for the step in between with no obstructions. Should be safer getting on and off. The narrower than standard step design is done just need to do the build. Step will be at almost the same height as the factory one, so should feel comfortable.

Here is the left side bracket, yes a little thin but has gussets to improve the strength. 

Here is my neighbors weight bar on the back of his WD puller. Pretty simple angle iron supporting 75 lb weights with slots, works good for him. Also his shortened step with non slip:

Trying to get some of this stuff done so that maybe next spring I will be more ready to go.

Regards,

 Chris

 Rear weight brackets are roughed out and step is in place.

Strengthening gusset top view:

Extension on step weldment also allows a bolt to go through these green weights to secure them.

A good half a foot step, this is bolted to the weight brackets:

Think I may have got this pretty well under control for weight behind the rear axle.

I have 6 of the 100 lb weights and 165 lbs of the small weights. Will keep my eyes open for some additional weights to have approx 1000 lbs available to add. 

Or since the WD45 is at 4000 lb I can put the mid brackets on that tractor plus 500 lbs and go in the 4500 class. 

The WD-Z could go in the 3500, 3750 and 4000 lb? That's probably enough to play with for a while. 

We also have some pulls that are stock weights and no weight brackets, so the WD45 is set for that and the WD-Z could be in a 3500 class, if I take the weight brackets/step off the rear. 

Thanks for checking on me!

Regards,

 Chris

 Thanks! Since I got my welding hood refurbished I can actually see to weld again! Thought I was going blind! I do enjoy making something out of nothing! Marketing these, Probably not!:) 

I also modified and attached a cross bar (tube) for my small 15 lb weights to slip on. I can put 14 on the back in line with the bottom of the guide. So thats 210 lbs and very easy to add or remove. Those would be about all I need to get in the 3750 lb class. Just not too many of those around. Most competitions jump in 500 or 1000 lb classes. They dont want to pull all day!

The patina was applied by moon light, and looked great the darker it got this evening!

Regards,

 Chris

 I found (online) a set of 10-28 stamped 8 bolt rims, with some very old Firestone tires on them. Not right around the corner but within a reasonable 200 mile round trip distance. Seller wants $150 apiece for the rims and tires. Not interested in the tires, they may have a little value to someone?

Was thinking these might make some lighter weight rims than the current spin out Allis rims? Would eliminate the eccentrics, bolts, deep dished center, and the rails.  Possibly widen to 14 inch for adding some new tires next year?

Any thoughts on weight savings? Maybe 20 lb less per side?? Would be another project and additional expense. 

The current 13.6-28 Firestone Field and Road on the WD-Z are in great shape and the current rims are not rusted out. So they have some value too! 

Just feel I will need to get to the 14.9-28's at some point. (I have not tried the 13.6-28 pulling) The Crop Max tires would be the tire of choice. Unless I could find good used unobtainable older Firestone Field and Roads in 14.9-28!

Maybe I should just go on a diet along with the tractor!

Regards,

 Chris

 Thought about these rims and my guess is they may be 8 inch wide rims. Here is a picture:

Not sure what they are off off? pattern and center look right without putting a tape on them.

They have the right look to them! 

Regards,

 Chris

Thanks! 

One of the things that I did not look at was the addition of "sand pads" or wheelie bars. I do have a rough design but I forgot to make room for them so that will be another project. I would like to have that insurance available at some point. My new rear weight brackets are in the wrong place for the frame for the sand pads to be mounted to the tractor.:(

I ordered 4 more 16 lb weights (burn outs) to make 16 total. That will give me lots of flexibility moving weights around next year. No action on rims today have to think about those for a while.

Today added a vertical up restraint on the front weight bar, Used the hand crank as the attachment with spring hitch pin. This was a possiblie issue if the tractor came done hard and bounced the weights.

Neighbors have started harvesting corn, Tractor photo op:

New used muffler comming from Grandson Nic. He took it off his puller and added one of those 50 HP straight pipes. I am going to black it out for this old tractor. Should fit in just right with the look too!

Regards,

 Chris

Regards,

 Chris