As I've done more work on the WD45 with help from folks here on the AC discussion group, I'm becoming more and more serious about restoring it as a working tractor. It's a '54 WD45 with a narrow front end and a 3-point conversion. For mowing the pasture, pulling a manure spreader, and hopefully in the future, running a post hole digger and tiller, it's just right for us. The nose piece (whatever it's called) and the grille have some damage I'd like to repair. There are some dents in the metal and holes in the wire mesh of the grille. I'm pretty good at metalworking (one of my only mechanical skills up to now) but I can't figure out how to get the grille and sheet metal assembly off the tractor. The hood is off. I don't really want to remove the radiator if I can avoid it, but I do need to replace the wire mesh grille on both sides, and reshape the sheet metal. The repair manual I purchased for the tractor says "the method or radiator removal is self evident upon examining the radiator"...uh, not to me! Is there a way to get the sheet metal and grille off without removing the radiator? Also, there is a leak at the lower radiator hose right where it connects to the water pump. Is there a way to replace that hose without removing the water pump? Again the repair manual says the best method to renew the hose is to remove the pump. It doesn't look like a big deal to remove the pump, but once again I'm hoping not to disturb anything I don't have to disturb. My local Agco dealer has got Persian Orange spray paint in cans. Is that a suitable way to paint a tractor that will just be used around our small farm (not in parades) and still have it look pretty good? There's no budget for sending parts off to be done - it'll be me and the grinding wheel and a wire wheel for the drill to get the surfaces ready to paint. Well that's enough questions for now - heaven knows that the more I work on it the more questions I come up with. I'm excited about working on the tractor but still seem to run into dead ends, like trying to get the sheet metal and grille off the front of the tractor. Any advice or insights on restoring a working tractor would be very helpful. vic
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