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Bombardier Bombi Restoration

Bobcatbob

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
Yeah! Fixed wiring from distributor, fired right up. Now I have a carburetor issue.....dumping fuel into the intake at idle (blew black smoke, fouled plugs). I took the carb off and checked the float, float valve, diaphragm....all good.

What’s a good carburetor replacement for the Ford Industrial 98ci on the Bombi?

Thank you

Bob
 

Bobcatbob

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
Thank you to Boggie! He set me up with a new carb.....and got her running! Few twists of the distributor, timing is close to spot on.

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Here’s a video of the engine running.....the “shimmy” you here is the engine stand on tire skates.

n5wVIC5.mp4


Having fun!
 

Bobcatbob

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
Finally got back to the Bombi (on vacation this week). I’ll post pictures soon, but ran into a weird problem:

The drive axle covers are not bolting down flush....gap about a 1/16” on both sides. Prior to me, the driver side hub cover holes had been opened up to a 7/16 thread (passenger side is 3/8”), I’m thinking they stripped a few trying to pull down the axle covers. I noticed also they had about an 1/8” Rubber gasket material on both sides ....likely do to the gap.

Is this normal? Am I missing something? (I mentioned the gasket material to Boggie, should be none there)

Thank you

Bob
 

snowcatt

Member
Are the axles the same on both ends seems to me one end is different and the axle will go in farther .but i could be wrong .i would make a plate and put it between the cap and the hub
 

MNoutdoors RIP

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
Finally got back to the Bombi (on vacation this week). I’ll post pictures soon, but ran into a weird problem:

The drive axle covers are not bolting down flush....gap about a 1/16” on both sides. Prior to me, the driver side hub cover holes had been opened up to a 7/16 thread (passenger side is 3/8”), I’m thinking they stripped a few trying to pull down the axle covers. I noticed also they had about an 1/8” Rubber gasket material on both sides ....likely do to the gap.

Is this normal? Am I missing something? (I mentioned the gasket material to Boggie, should be none there)

Thank you

Bob


Picture Bob?
 

Bobcatbob

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
I was doing it wrong (thanks Boggie and Snowcatt). I was attempting to put the axles and cap back together (assuming the sprocket slips over it), but after looking at disassembly pictures last night, it’s sprocket, rim, then cap (the rims are 1/8” thick....explains why I had a gap when trying to bolt on the caps).

Came out nice, love the red sprockets (thanks Boggie!)

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Here’s a picture of the sprocket rim with a rubber seal......didn’t make any sense, Boggie verified not suppose to be there, prior owner must of overfilled the differential and tried to stop the fluid from coming out the caps.

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Got the engine installed......had to “spread” the frame a smidge to get the mounting bolts to drop into the mounts (the new rubber mounts put the geometry just outside of where the bolts would clear the oval slots on the frame). Note the port a power.

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Having fun!

Bob
 
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Snowy Rivers

Well-known member
Looking great Bob....

It is always helpful (NOT) when previous owners/mechanics leave you things that are just a tad bit outta whack...."The sprocket and axle thing"

I can relate to the porta power....
When I trimmed all the extra brackets off my 2100 to do my thing...the top of the tub tipped in about 1/4" ....

I grabbed the 2 ton jack and cut a 4x4 post to gitterdone

BRUTE FORCE IS AT TIMES NEEDED....When used with care it is certainly handy...

I like the sexy RED sprockets....

Looking great.....
 

Bobcatbob

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
Got the wheels on (replaced races and bearings), installed the drive shaft (did it twice, forgot belt for differential pump and emergency brake rotor) and differential pump. I polished the axles and checked against the bearing ID to make sure there was no interfearance prior to slipping the wheels on (learned from doing the SW48, didn’t want to repeat that process).

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Having fun!
 

J5 Bombardier

Well-known member
Excellant work Bobcatbob, as per usual. I like the look of those new tires , keep the pics coming.
Regards J5 Bombardier:hammer:
 

Bobcatbob

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
Got the brake, clutch and accelerator linkages/cables back on....engine is mostly complete (will likely swap out the points for an electronic igniter)....now on to the tracks! I ran into an issue when inspecting the drive handles/bars....the mounting block had a crack, so used a 7018 rod and added a bead (and the handle bar had been welded in the past). The bar was also bent (I bent it back as far as I could without a mandrel). It’s coming together!

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Having fun!
 

Snowy Rivers

Well-known member
Great fun piecing these old cats back together....

I have thought many times "If only this old cat could tell the entire story"

How was this or that broken? what caused the big ugly dent or scrape???

Who worked on what, and when, and why were things repaired the way they were.....

These old machines are literally a time capsule.....sadly it's usually impossible to unlock all the answers to the myriad of questions.

Cat is looking good......


Yes I do believe we are having fun.

Nobody in their right mind would undertake the work we do on our machines if we were not having fun doing it.

All the busted knuckles, cuts, scrapes and sore HOOOOOMAN PARTS the morning after the night before......Gotta be fun....

Sometimes I go to bed happy as a clam just because I was able to get a few very tough to get to bolts loose and not have them break off.....

Making a plan on how to get something lifted or apart and in the end it all comes together and works.....

Yes indeed we are having fun..

It's not the destination we seek at times, but instead the journey......


Keep up the great work....


AND HAVE AS MUCH FUN AS YOU CAN :thumbup:
 

Bobcatbob

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
Started on the track(s) this weekend, removed all the hardware and grousers .....63 grousers per track. Wire brushed then light sandblasted the hardware (mainly to get in the pocket), acetoned then sprayed on a coating of phosphoric acid (will let sit for a week). Found about 1/2 of the hardware was bent, so used a hydraulic press to straighten out.

I could use a couple “ice breaker” cleats that attach to the grousers, will reach out to Boggie to see if he has a few lying around. I’m considering replacing the 5/16 carriage bolts on the grousers, though after attempting to remove one, it was corroded into the aluminum.....got it out, but was a challenge! Anyone replace them? (there are 300+ per track).

Having fun!

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JimVT

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
one thing i had to do is add a water trap air filter to the front gear case vent. i just use the cheap deposable ones from the auto paint store. the kind you add to your air line when painting. my gear oil was milky color until i did that. it could be from the area i live in. it rains all winter.
 

Bobcatbob

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
Thanks Jim. I put a can of desiccant on the SW48 differential breather tube, works like a charm. I’ll try to do the same with the Bombi differential case....great minds think alike!

Bob
 

Bobcatbob

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
Boggie was able to hook me up with a full set of new cleats for both tracks! Is there anything he doesn’t have? Seriously, I’m impressed!

Also, the method to remove the corroded in carriage bolts: place a pipe over the bolt threads, pound down on the grouser (will use a dead blow to avoid damage).....then make a pattern to install the new bolts to align with the track. Considering it’s over 600+ carriage bolts, this will save a days + work. Thank you Boggie, MNOutdoors!
 

Bobcatbob

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
After refurbishing the hardware, tracks are going back together! I must say, this was a lot more than I planned on, but felt it had to be done right! After prepping the hardware with phosphoric acid (which makes sure any rust I didn’t get off is converted to an inert layer of ferric phosphate), I sprayed two coats of Rustoleum V7400 paint mixed with Magic Hardener. I’ve found the Rustoleum paint and hardener combo to be extremely resilient to the elements.

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I replaced the carriage bolts in the grousers.....and boy that was a trick getting the old corroded bolts out! Luckily, Brad at MNoutdoors clued me in on using a 5/16” diameter pipe in a V block to get them out (along with a 5lb dead blow).

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And....he has grousers! (Needed a few for cracked replacements)

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Having fun!

Bob
 

Bobcatbob

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
Looking great.

I can only imagine that the bolts were stuck really good in the aluminum grousers.....

About 1/2 were corroded , the other 1/2 were packed in with dirt. My dead blow hammer looks like shredded cheese...lol!

It’s a great workout (I still have another track to go).

Bob
 

BearGap

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
Very nice work!!! I like the simple wheel guide configuration. I wonder if it could be adapted to fit 1450s?
 

Bobcatbob

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
Very nice work!!! I like the simple wheel guide configuration. I wonder if it could be adapted to fit 1450s?

Thank you. I’m sure it could, though the Bombi is a pretty light machine. I noticed a few grousers that had cracks/tears in the aluminum (likely from use on hard surfaces, hit a log or boulder, etc). Does the 1450 use a similar hardware set up on the tracks? If so, Boggie will have a solution (he always does).

Bob
 

Snowy Rivers

Well-known member
About 1/2 were corroded , the other 1/2 were packed in with dirt. My dead blow hammer looks like shredded cheese...lol!

It’s a great workout (I still have another track to go).

Bob

Take the grousers and dump them suckers in a tank, can or ???? and soak them well in diesel fuel.

The diesel will loosen up all the crud and make extraction loads easier....
Stop off at Harbor freight and get a fresh dead blow hammer :hammer::hammer::hammer: :thumbup:
 

BearGap

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
Very nice how they combined the backing plates with the wheel guides. I just went through a similar deep dive on my 1450 tracks. I made steel grousers but the wheel guides are impossible to find and very expensive to make. I’d like to see if a similar setup might work for 1450 owners. I think I’d have to get a serious head injury to ever want to do it again...
Very nice work Bob.
 

Bobcatbob

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
Working on track #2, found a bunch of grousers that were corroded around the ice breaking cleats. Reached out to MNOutdoors (Boggie), sent me 6 brand spanking new grousers. They’re beefier, more material....definitely an upgrade from stock grousers. AND.....he owns the die that extrudes these! (Talk about customer commitment!).

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Wasn’t able to get a lot of “hobby” time this past weekend.....working on an F250 v10 engine with the infamous “ticking noise”. Replacing the roller followers....and if you’ve done a timing job on a truck, your legs turn to jello....lol.

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Having fun!

Bob
 

J5 Bombardier

Well-known member
Wow , small world, just finished getting my young lads 2002 F350 ready for a safety check. Replaced the starter last night , broke the head off the bottom bolt, wasn't long getting some heat on the rest of them .
I've been pricing a Cal van 38 900 insert kit for the spark plugs on the 2 valve triton, pricey, but there is no way I'm going change plugs with out it. They can't be as bad as a 3 valve triton, that's no fun.
Some Times Engineers Need To Be Beaten !
J5 Bombardier
 

Snowy Rivers

Well-known member
"Some Times Engineers Need To Be Beaten !
J5 Bombardier"

YES.....GOT THAT STRAIGHT

Every engineer should have to crawl into the dirty coverall's and bloody their knuckles for 6 months wrenching on other abortions before they ever get to put a pen to paper or mess with the CAD/CAM

Ya often wonder WHY such gawd awful designs get turned loose.......

My rule of thumb.....make things as easy as possible to work on with as few special tools and bastard locations to stuff things in as is humanly possible.

"K.I.S.S"

Always top down designs


YOU GOTTA RIP OFF EVERYTHING ON TOP TO GET AT WHAT NEEDS WORK...

Or wait for it to rot off :th_lmao:
 

Bobcatbob

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
As a degreed engineer, I completely agree. Getting to the back cylinders, laying on top of the engine with arms stretched out....who designed this?

I actually got my 1st job out of college because I knew how to read blueprints, read a 0-1 mic in 10ths (analog), knew basic machining......they could care less that I took fluid dynamics and thermodynamics to earn a degree. Practical engineering and people skills got me hired.

Having fun!
 

Bobcatbob

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
J5......I’ve read horror stories about the 2 valve 5.4 blowing out spark plugs. Worse, breaking off parts into the cylinder from busted plugs. Helicoil best way to go....and FREQUENT oil changes. I’m considering going to 5w-30 vs recommended 5w-20 to help with the lubrication issues these engines have on the passenger side rear cylinders. I noticed the new roller cams have a redesigned lubrication port to increase pressure from the lash adjusters (get oil directed to the lobes vs splash)....didn’t see a bulletin or recall, just a defect they corrected on the fly for those dealing with the infamous “tick”.

Bob
 
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