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SW48 questions.

kendallt

New member
Hi!, new guy, been a member for a year, but first post.
I have an early 70s sw48. I've had it for 10 years, but for 9 of those it was at a friends house where he used it just as a plow and was able to baby it along. Now that I've changed jobs and no longer out of state for 10 months/year I have it at home and want to use it for skidding logs out so want to get it ready to work hard.

My to do list so far:
I need to swap a brake band, which I have,
locate at least one drive sprocket which I can't seem to find or even get a price on.
rebuild the B&B carb, currently only runs at half choke, so think the main's plugged.
Change clutch

Any way to find a service manual for this, recommended fluids etc?
Any recommended parts suppliers?

Thanks!
 

pixie

Well-known member
SUPER Site Supporter
Welcome to this forum !

Check out 'Minnesota Outdoors' for parts.
A search on this forum might find a manual.

Where are you ?
Treadwell in NY state rebuilds carbs very well.
 

rcc

Member
Welcome to the world of Bombardier, I think you will find this work all fairly simple but time consuming and some hard work.
The BB carb is very simple and you could do this yourself. Kits are available and not expensive.
With the drive sprocket MN Outdoors can fix you up, the main work is in getting the track off, fairly simple but can be a bit of work to say the least.
Clutch will need to pull the engine / trany apart so be sure it needs replaced and not just adjusted... there is an adjustment on the clutch linkage I would look at first.
I can email you a parts manual for the J5 which is basically the same as a SW, J5 is 64" wide and the SW 48"other than that the parts are mostly the same.
Brake bands should not be to hard unless all the bearings are pitted due to water in the diff housing, or someone didn't ram it into rocks denting in the front tub.
Once you get the track off to do the sprocket you will want to pull all the suspension and check all the bearing in there and the spring and links condition.
 

IMP

Member
Site Supporter
Carburator wasn't hard to rebuild. I bought the kit here.

http://www.vintagepowerwagons.com

Get your sprocket from Brad at Mn outdoors

Brad Rakauskas Minnesota Outdoors 218-828-7876 www.mn-outdoors.com

Just buy your bearings local. If you don't find a manual I have the differental manual that shows the brake bands. Send me your email if you want it
 

kendallt

New member
Thanks all.
The track on the bad sprocket side is spliced, overlapped and bolted by I think three cleats, so should be easy enough to remove. It's shorter than the other side, which is one piece, very little room to get to the tensioner with a grease gun. I measured it out, and it's shorter than the other side but not 3 cleats shorter, so think it was a replacement instead of just cut/spliced.
I've played with the clutch adjustment some, but the best I can get is maybe 2 inches pedal travel between disengaged and fully engaged, very hard to feather it in
The band, not sure if it's just an adjustment or worn, right side works well with comfortable pressure, left side almost needs two hands to turn, with more travel before you feel it tighten up.

Thanks again!
 

akimp

New member
Minnesota outdoors is the best place to buy sprockets and the cheapest. My sprockets do not show any were after 50 miles through rocky terrain and swamp. They also can re-line your brake bands or provide new ones. My J5 is doing the same thing with the brake bands. Right side turns good and is adjusted less. Left side takes two hands and a foot on the dash to turn. I noticed once the oil is hot it gets worse and was told the brake bands are glazed and need resurfacing.
 

IMP

Member
Site Supporter
My J5 steering is good. Equal, normal tension on either brake makes the machine turn about the same. I'm very careful to always "pump" my turns. By that I mean pull, hold, release, about a second or two duration. I've heard or read somewhere by doing this you allow oil inbetween the pad and drum to keep that friction point cool while braking. It also seems to release some of the twisting strain in the tracks during the turn. This is probably not so true in snow but on dry ground I believe its helps. I bet pads get glazed by getting too hot, but I really don't know for sure I've never had the problem, just trying to avoid one.
 

kendallt

New member
I've been using it to pull logs out of the woods, it does a very good job at it!
It seems that the left brake is improving with use, now it takes noticeably more pressure to turn, but easily managed with one hand. Still plan on opening it up for inspection. But, comfortable waiting till snow's gone.
Pulled the plow, that's a heavy beast, but with it off, the sw is a lot more nimble in the woods!
 

rcc

Member
Hope you have change the oil in the differential, very easy only takes 15 - 20 min then you are back on the trails. Put in any John Deere or Cat spec hydraulic oil for use with wet brakes 30 weight is good. you will find the steering will be much better. This is a must do every year to keep out moisture etc...
 

detectivedrew

New member
"Hope you have change the oil in the differential, very easy only takes 15 - 20 min then you are back on the trails. Put in any John Deere or Cat spec hydraulic oil for use with wet brakes 30 weight is good. you will find the steering will be much better. This is a must do every year to keep out moisture etc…"

I knew if I looked long enough I'd find info about the SW-48. A few questions including the differential oil change:

1) Mine is a mid-seventies (just purchased). It sat for a year and I think the seller did not want to deal with a few issues. The diff oil is yellow and slimy (water). Where is the drain plug? I have a plow on it and I hope I can work around the plow frame.

2) Steering- I was told the SW-48 does NOT steer like a dozer, it needs to be moving to steer. Is this correct? It was hell steering left or right on my dry driveway. I was told it will take time to get used to- When I was on dirt it was much easier.

3) If I push one steering handle (incorrect term but you get it) forward and the other back there is about 15 to 25 inches of space between the two, is this normal?

4) My engine is a Ford inline 6 (250 CI). The tranny is 4 speed and reverse. What tranny is this? I was told the it can't be driven like a car (clutch and go as you are moving; each gear must be chosen then the clutch let out. Can I build up enough compression to get it rolling in 4th gear? It sounds like my old Case tractor. Each gear must be chosen at a standstill.

5) There is a part, which I need, that is no longer manufactured (as per Prinoth, in 2004). If you are sitting in the seat, there is a rod that holds the parking brake frame and clutch frame. There is a bracket, on the left and right of the rod that holds the rod in place. The bracket on the right broke so there is no clutch leverage. Prior to taking the floor up I could barely get the machine to engage. Should I weld the bracket or have a shop make a new bracket? It is piece # 16 of the shop parts manual.


Thank you in advance for anyone who takes the time to answer my questions.
 
J5 are 60" wide w/17" track, sw's come in 3 widths: SW48=48", SW54=54", SW64=64" all with 14.5" wide track. JW series from the early 70s used a 13" track and crosslinks for these are no longer available. i owned sw54 which i was told when i bought it it was a J5. Kijiji Quebec site has several used parts suppliers, good luck!
 
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