Shop Time w/T.W. Friends. Where is your wallet…..poll

sure, 9:00 is somewhat feasible. but 6:00? i'm usually shutting the truck off from work and getting in the house at that point! i've still got pet duties, dinner, and mental wind-down time to deal with!

 

Friday night my niece got into a car accident in Minneapolis. She doesn't have numbers back from her insurance but I'd be dumbfounded if the car isn't a complete write off.

Short of bumps, bruises and pain from the seat belts, everyone is fine, which is the important part.

Unfortunately, because of how stupid used vehicle pricing was a few years ago, she owes about as much as the vehicle is worth so financially she'll likely just break even.

 

Looks about as bad as mine (total), youre right - it’s 100% about the occupants. Wishing them a speedy recovery. Make sure to itemize your “improvements”. Your policy will have a limit on them, but it’s extra dollars you spent that comes back undepreciated.

 

the project for this weekend, rewire the tractor. at least phase 1. the previous owner, my cousin, did some questionable things with duct tape, solid-core house wiring, and wire nuts.

the main key battery power connector now required jiggling to get things to work because he yanked and cranked on the connector so hard, it broke the wire-holding tabs out . also, something he did melted a bunch of wires together. not enough to short out, but enough that a bunch of individual wires are now 'multi-conductor' wires. the whole harness was also coated in 40 years of oil changes and lawn debris. not fun to work on at all.

so it got a new key switch, key switch harness, and wiring throughout. i also took some liberties with the factory schematic having useless things like a seat switch and accessory clutch switches. i considered taking out the starter clutch switch, for some fun with starter motors, but decided against it given the nephew's idea of fun isn't that far off from my own, but i'd need to repair it either way...

this is the part of the internet that i absolutely LOVE. someone somewhere uploaded the complete wiring diagram for a 40 year old lawn tractor that was built before the internet ever existed.


the biggest problem for me and my late-night shenanigans was that the headlight output from the alternator somehow went bad(knowing my cousin, i have my suspicions he 'tool timed' it for more power/better lights, and blew it up). so the they got re-wired to use battery power for the headlight circuit instead of the alternators 2nd output. which also makes that note at the bottom of the schematic useless.



i tried a new green paint. still not happy with it, need to try some others.

the 1st added switch will be for some future rear flood lights.
the 2nd added switch will be for a winch solenoid output.



phase 2 will be coming-- relocate the exhaust to underneath the tractor.

then phase 3/4 will be to add a front trailer hitch, and a winch in the space opened up from the factory muffler...

 

I was going to offer to help, until I realized you’re more than capable of a proper rewire/look. I absolutely love the oil drain extension. I honestly don’t know why they don’t have a common piece, given we all almost immediately do this. Modern efficiencies are always good upgrades. Relays might also be a thought.

 

@six5crèéd and crew

 

Glad Fargo's neice and crew are alright, that looks like it coulda been real bad....

I'll just leave this here....

 

On his way to set a land speed record, I'm sure. Just not clear if he has enough exhaust tips...

 

+5HP

 

I’m glad everyone was okay. Even if they break even, the fact they walked away is what’s important.

 

Those roof fins though... it's like they're copying a Subaru. I have those goofy things on mine

 

May be you have a purse as alternative

 

evo did it first

 

I had one of those fly up behind me and try and race me. Like no way my dude

 

It’s amazing that it can be restored after all the abuses, more over, the parts for the restoration are still readily available.
I am bias when comes to the good ole American made versus the trash from far away.

 

Looks pretty bad, glad everyone is okay.