1542 conversion to a 1543 supersized project

[olympicorange]

…………. finished the ''temp.'' fuel tank perch,.. lines, fittings, etc.,... had a fuel housing weep ,... installed & connected misc., sending units. drained coolant ; to plumb up the cab , shut-offs , sending units, …. started routing wires/harness,.. … ever had a ''pipe wrench'' fitting , in a tight spot, … one trick you can do is to weld a nut , centerline, to use a socket. nothing wrong with saving your knuckles, time, patience.... especially when you're mocking up components,....

 

[olympicorange]

so a curiosity has been killing me about the box behind the passenger door on the side of the cab, whats that about?! cab ventilation?

……… hey ''N'' ,..... so, yes …. a cab ''vent'' fan assy. haven't really paid much attention to it,.. it wasn't working ,.. so not sure if it ''draws in '' or ''out'' …. it may work, wasn't hooked up. if I run out of projects,....lol … ive only seen a few with it ,... anyone know more...… thx ...

 

[olympicorange]

……. hmmmm, … duplicated ,.... that's a new one ,......

 

[olympicorange]

…. from the other day,... stretching the tracks...

 

[olympicorange]

…. and …., well I had a video ,.. but not sure how to upload it ,.. I don't you-tube, etc….

 

[DAVENET]

Looks like someone pulled the plug on your lake! Very much like here- bare.

 

[olympicorange]

Looks like someone pulled the plug on your lake! Very much like here- bare.

…….. yes, … just when we get a base,.. it rains. got a storm coming this weekend... fingers crossed. we're 8 inches below the norm this winter … not good for the water table,...

 

[loggah]

Bruce, you going to find a seat low enough so you fit in the cab??

 

[olympicorange]

Bruce, you going to find a seat low enough so you fit in the cab??

……. hello Don, … LOL,.... well, the one that was in it ,... definitely going to rework the seat mounts …. was thinking about raising the roof,...seen a few with the lifted roof. wasn't planning on putting this cab back on,.. just didn't have enough time to re-cab. this summers project. hey?? … is this like ..'' the kettle & pot ''thing....HA HA … (i'm the little guy, don't forget)…..

 

[Track Addict]

Sno is on the way for you for some testing finally!

That 2 by seat isn't all that bad. Ran the 442 for a bit like that just don't fall out.

 

[olympicorange]

Sno is on the way for you for some testing finally!

That 2 by seat isn't all that bad. Ran the 442 for a bit like that just don't fall out.

…………. tucker lake ''rose up'' about 3-4 inches ystrdy…. not quite enough to get the jetski out. but enough for tracks... well, for most people , the ''2 by seat'' is sufficient,... but Don & I will never fit in the same cab...lol. hence why it'll get an enlarged ''sedan/bus'' body this summer. as for falling out...'' like a wheeler'' don't let your feet ''dangle'' , those tracks snag me , sitting still, just walking by... wooooo

 

[olympicorange]

…. tucker Lake ….

 

[olympicorange]

Bruce, you going to find a seat low enough so you fit in the cab??

……. ended up with 2'' of headroom.... may have to push the firewall out for legroom also,....lol

 

[loggah]

These tuckers just ain't made for adults !!!!: My 422 is a little tight.

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Yes

The sharp edges are great for snagging pants.

Get out the grinder with a soft pad and spend an afternoon rounding over the sharpies.

I still bear the scars on a leg from hopping out of the groomer years ago and not only ripping my pant leg, but taking off hide too.

 

[olympicorange]

…… great pic DON,....

 

[olympicorange]

…. tucker Lake ….

…………… Gained 5 inches to the level of the Lake,... low side of the prediction ,... started with rain, and changed over,..

 

[DAVENET]

Sleet & freezing rain down here. Locked you hard enough Saturday that my kid went on skating on the turf football field! And after an inch last night back to straight rain this morning. Sucky winter.

 

[olympicorange]

Sno is on the way for you for some testing finally!

That 2 by seat isn't all that bad. Ran the 442 for a bit like that just don't fall out.

………… made the maiden voyage to the end of ''Tucker Lake '' ,... got a good foot down there ,... of a mixed base. 3-6'' possible for 2mrw. so anyone need a place to test their cat, or bring the kids, snowmobiles, sleds, tubing , got 50 acres to test on ….. T/A, D/N, etc. ,..... maybe a new venue,....

 

[olympicorange]

….. so , before the ''maiden'' test.... installed the old floorboards ( in an attempt to keep as much snow as possible from coming up thru the cab),... had to ''modify'' to fit the new adaptions in cab floor areas. considering the last conversion job ( manual to 727 swap @ ski mountain)…. I couldn't hurt them any worse. and , also due that the cab will be coming off again ( soon, considering the time of year & the way our winter is going so far ...uggh)...

 

[loggah]

Bruce, It seem old Tuckers are like old harleys, everyone has to modify them to their tastes!!! The only thing is there aren't many aftermarket parts for Tuckers !!!!

 

[olympicorange]

Don, yes seems to be the way with a good percentage. and appears that it's catching on to the two track enthusiasts as well lol, yeah only the inexpensive /smaller items are avail. thru parts stores , or recycle yards, etc.. … the critical drivetrain items are ''tightly'' controlled by ''T'' corp. thus making old/nos/used tucker parts scarce & more pricey by the day...….

 

[olympicorange]

….. sunny day makes for snapshots....

 

[1boringguy]

OO,

Hard to tell exactly from the pics, but did you use a muffler of some sort or just straight pipe out the back? How's it sound?

 

[olympicorange]

…. yes, the turbo is the muffler,.. 3'' drag pipes from the header elbow , thru the flexpipe ,... 10 ft. stick to the tail ,.... sounds like a ''hummin' Cummins '' up front ,... and a cross of a Model A & a Shovelhead ,.... out the shotgun,…

 

[olympicorange]

……. just alittle ''dry'' N.E. humor …..

 

[olympicorange]

……. got alittle time in before the big race ,... mounted /routed the p/b lever assy. & cable,... welded up the cracks on the rear main frame,.. mocking up some temporary mounts for the toolbox & rear seats,...then it all comes out again,..

 

[1boringguy]

…. yes, the turbo is the muffler,.. 3'' drag pipes from the header elbow , thru the flexpipe ,... 10 ft. stick to the tail ,.... sounds like a ''hummin' Cummins '' up front ,... and a cross of a Model A & a Shovelhead ,.... out the shotgun,…

Somewhere between, 'load pipes save lives', and 'if it's to loud, you're to old'?

Sometimes with the right size and amount of pipe the resonance turns out pretty sweet.

 

[olympicorange]

………... yes, sounds like a cross between an AG tractor, and a skidder,.....

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Nice pix,,

Reading the part about welding up the cracked rear frame.

It's sad that builders do not bolt more stuff together.....bolted parts allow a bit of flex and give to the frame assemblies and overall LESS cracking.

An old phrase from my racing days..."IF IT AIN'T MOVING...SOMETHINGS BREAKING"

Most all truck frames, trailer frames etc are either bolted, riveted and some are now using huckbolts.

I went through a nightmare of cracks on a 1995 Sturdyweld Transfer dump trailer.

That sucker was a never ending crack issue.

Finally we cut the cross members loose that were always cracked and added flanges and bolted them back in. Never had another issue.

I was looking at the frame on the Packmaster and was very surprised not to find cracks.....


Many times adding materials to fix an area that keeps cracking results in the stress vectoring elsewhere and breaking.....


Ages ago ships were always hot riveted together, and then during WWII the liberty ships were being welded....they had a lot of cracking and failure issues...

Welded frames are an easy fast solution to construction....but many times, depending on the engineering they will crack.....simply because they can't move a bit.

Another trick to stopping cracking is to stress relieve the assembly.....but in the case of a snowcat frame, it would be very hard and expensive to get the frame into an oven and heat it up to relief temperatures.

Fun stuff chasing cracks..


Your cat is looking nice..