Ohh and it gets worse!

It seems, when you fix and finish one project another pops up!! Got a few things done on the little Fergie and I thought Id take a look and the minor (got significantly worse that ive got it running) leak under the rear end... I figures a seal of some sort..
Went out this AM and found it puked all its guts out over night. It seems years of past use with previous owners took its toll. I took the draw bar off and found this dandy crack on the front side of where the draw bar attaches.

 

Nasty ! and it probably gets even worse still . The cast iron the rear is made from is different to most , it is not cast steel but it welds very easily unlike normal cast It is called Spheroidal Graphite Iron, or Nodular Iron, which is sometimes also called Malleable Cast Iron. . Something to do with the cross linking of molecules . A decent V groove once the oil has been drained should allow it to weld up nicely .
 
You are not the only 1 to have this problem. I remember seeing quite a few of them at uncle Franks junk yard with the same problem. I was told back then It was very hard to weld as it seems like you can never get all the oil cleaned out of the crack to get a good weld.
 
"it welds very easily unlike normal cast"

Well, at least that's some good news! Didn't know that...

So what causes the break? Too long bolts? Freezing? Excess shock load?
 
Yep. Hours of boiling the oil out and away to prepare for minutes of welding... and then as Charles said, finding the right rod for the job is another few hours of telephone and on line research... I use Inconel for unknown country like this... oh, ya need alotta luck, and you aren't allowed to ever break it again!
 
It is probably the sudden change in thickness at that point
which causes a weakness. Something like a notch effect.
Jerking the drawbar will eventually fatigue it. I suppose
you could say a more properly balanced design would have the bolts
fail first. You would want the cheapest part to fail
first, unless you built in planned-obsolescence. Engineers
are getting better at that. One thing you wouldn't
want is a habit of the drawbar coming loose and having
a run-away load.
Planned obsolescence
 

Hey guys, well what I feel the cause of the break was the other guys (grandpa and uncle) raising and lowering the lift arms over the years.. The draw bar mounted right at the break where you see the 2 threaded holes. But the draw bar was also supported with the lift arm draw bar (if that makes any sense) So, up and down, up and down moving trailers or equipment just put a lot of torqe on that rear housing.. Its the only explanation I can come up with. Ill post a pic later of the draw bar how it was mounted so its more clear. I confuse my self half the time.

There was also a 55 gallon drum filled with gravel as a counter weight for the loader bucket. Im sure that took its toll as well..

Now theres a couple gurus around here, one a old timey farmer the other a professional "classic" tractor mechanic restorer... They both say just slab a few beads of 6011 or 7018 welding rod about 130 amps. "thatll sealer up'!!! :/ Ive done a lot of stick welding in my day, not much on cast... Seems 7018 may be the best choice out of 2 bad choices...
 
It looks like a candidate for Lok-n-Stitch. I cracked my rear end housing about 5 years ago and used this system to repair it. Still works fine, and you can't even see the repair. Hope this helps.
Lok N Stitch
 
Should you decide to change it out I have one in NJ. Best to stay local on heavy items shipping would kill a
deal.

Kirk
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top