So, the tractor project is on!!

[Lanse]

Yeeeeeeeehaw!!

I told a very good (and mechanically-inclined) friend of mine about my home-made tractor idea, and he thought it was awesome... And then he told me today he found a beater GMC Sierra for $200 and bought it for me, haha. Figured if I didnt want it, he'd just scrap it and make a hundred or so for himself. Really cool of him...

Anyway, here's what I know:

1) Its DESTROYED. It belongs to guy number 1, who was friends/acquaintances/relatives with guy number 2. Guy #2 decides he doesn't like guy #1 and takes it out on the truck. Smashed windows, took a hammer to the body, cut the upholstery, things like that. Hasn't been run since, so we're going to cut the fuel lines and drain the oil and everything else just to be on the safe side. Also, the entire body is getting scrapped, but to be fair, we probably would have had to do that anyway.

2) It burns oil, lots of oil. It needs rings, but my buddy said he's done other 305 small blocks, and they're not bad at all. Its a whopping $149 for a ring and gasket kit online.

3) Its a 1989-1991 model, and has a clean title, but thats about all I know about it.

And for $200, I can't really complain. One can get a rough but running Ford farm truck around here for $600, and anything GM starts at $750-$900 or so. Worst case scenario is I scrap it and make money. I mean, sure its rough but it has everything i need for this project. Engine, transmission, rear axle, and front end. I couldnt care less how rusty/damaged the body is.

Anyway, I've found my beater donor truck for the tractor project.

The worst part is... Its a (dundundun) AUTOMATIC.

That almost scared me away from the whole deal, lol. But, people say the best way to slow a truck down for tractor duty, is to simply put a second transmission behind the first, which sounds like the way go go here.

Instead of having a 25 speed tractor (two five speeds), I'll end up with 5 ranges, and a gas petal... So to speak, I guess. Atleast if my figuring is right.

I'm gonna have to find a random used manual transmission around here somehow, thats gonna be fun.

So, my questions...

1) How exactly does one "join" two transmissions together? I'm picturing some kind of a belt setup here, but I'm unsure.

2) How would I rig up any kind of a hydraulic setup off this thing? I'm hydraulically clueless, to be perfectly honest. Someone said something about getting an additional power-steering pump, and running off that.

Im undecided if I want to make a smaller three point hitch, or build some kind of front blade attachment. Possibly a front end loader.

For anyone that didnt see my thread on homemade tractors a week or three ago... This is something that I've decided to build for the heck of it. I'll make a custom frame, custom sheet metal, etc and hope to have a useable (if strange) creation that should be an awesome project and something thats good to have, when it's all said and done. It's a winter project.

Thanks for your time, everyone. Y'all are gonna get plenty of videos out of this
 

[DiyDave]

Save the driveshaft, off your automatic, cut it off a couple of inches behind the front U-joint. When You find the right tranny, be sure to get a good measurement of the input shaft, and buy a U-joint that fits the input shaft, and make up a solid shaft (extension not necessarily needed, If both trannies are bolted secure).
 

[Mike M]

Oh NO !! Lanse and a tractor project in the same sentence !

Scrap it now while you are ahead !!!!! You did get a real deal on it.
 

[Lanse]

How hard would it be to run some kind of hydraulic setup off a transfer case? Its got me wondering...
 

[Husker44A]

Lanse. 4x4 or 2x4 ? Automatic tranny I read. Find a chevy 4spd from a early 80s or late 70s two wheel drive chevy pickup. These trannys have a cover that can be removed and install your hydraulic pump to. Make a x-member for chevy tranny install chevy tranny behind the auto. You'll have to shorten the rear driveshaft tho. Not hard to do. But you'll have to make a driveshaft for the manual to auto tranny. Like the old Dodge 4x4 had with there divorced transfer cases. Should be simple enough.
 

[504]

P/S pumps work fine, running off the transmission will stop the live power thing,but I do think running off the transfer case will give live power.
 

[DENNIS MIN]

Yep, many moons ago, 2 brothers and I had a similar idea.

 

[notjustair]

I bought a tractor where they had added hydraulics for a lift. They used the unit from a grain truck. It worked pretty slick as those have good capacity and a built in reservoir. It could be mounted with a belt or use an electric motor to turn it I suppose.
 

[red.green]

Like diydave said cut the existing drive shaft after the universal and use a matching spline to fit the front of the second trans then install a universal joint. Or find, fit, or weld a yoke on the front of the second trans and connect with a universal joint, this will also allow for a small amount of misalignment between trans 1 and trans 2. My dad chose the later on a home built tractor many years ago, and it never broke. Look at an older four wheel drive with a separate transfer case this will give you a good idea of how it’s done.

You never stated if truck is 2 or 4 wheel, keep in mind that if you add a trans to a 4 wheel drive you will be moving the transfer case back reducing the rear drive shaft and stretching the front one. You could also change axels to lower ratios thereby reducing speed and increasing torque.
 

[Stick welding]

I'm more interested in how it's going at the Hobart school? You haven't said boo about it since you started stick welding. Give us an update please.
 

[scotc]

The real problem with running a manual behind an auto is that if you miss a shift on the manual, you"ll have to kill the engine to get it back in gear. And to use the hydraulics without moving you"d have to shift it to neutral and put the auto back in gear. And what happens when you go to reverse with the auto? Your hydraulic pump turns backwards.

I"m sure you could fab up a mount for an engine-driven hydraulic pump to go where the A/C compressor is or something.

A 3 pt isn"t going to work real well if the rear is suspended. Jeep found that out when they tried selling plows after WW2.
 

[mkirsch]

The manual would be AFTER the automatic, right?

Automatic bolted to engine, manual bolted to automatic.

The automatic's hydraulic pump will always turn the right way.

Missing a shift wouldn't be an issue if the manual is synchronized.