Restoration begins!!!

[Keith-IN(US)]

I am trying to get a start at restoring my TO-20.. I have the tires off for new rims, the calcium has done a number on them overtime.. I tried to remove the fenders the other night, but the two bolts that hold the fender braces to the axle are being a little stuborn.. I have tried soaking them with PB blast, I have tried putting some heat to them and I still cant get them to even budge at all.. Does anyone have any other good ideas I give a shot?? Does anyone have any good restoreation tid-bits, as to what and where to start first??

 

[Mark from the Fort]

As far as the fender bolts, keep soakin'.
I have had luck with large vise-grips at the space equal with the rear axle.
If not, go to the torch, many of the nuts and bolts will need to be replace, and in my opinion, look nicer new.-as well so much easier to work with.
As far as the rest of the process, go to the dollars store and buy LOTS of sandwich and freezer zip loc bags, and a new Sharpie felt tip pen.
I use a couple of sets of horses and some old doors to make tables all around the tractor.
I put EVERYTHING I take off in bags and label them. RIGHT THEN.
A neat, organized, area keeps the mind happy and the enthusiasm/confidence heightened.
There will come times where you are away from the project of days/weeks at a time--with things organized, you don't feel so overwhelmed.
Just my $.02-Mark

 

[Mark from the Fort]

Oops, forgot to add. Take lots of notes, draw pics, take camera pics (especially at farm shows).
Keep asking questions, also, look into some of the other forum on this site: restoration, tool talk, etc. Come paintin' time, the paint forum is very interesting.
Now I'm finished, Whew......Mark

 

[Aaron Ford]

With a pressure washer!!! That was my mistake. I scrubbed and scraped for days before I realized that I should have just pressure washed it. I took the body panels off and washed her again. My MF65 might have similar fender bolt arrangements. I had to turn an angle grinder diagonal and cut the bolt in half. Not fun, but it worked. A 600 dollar aluminum carport would be a good investment. Good luck and keep your eye on the finish. The local scrapper saw me bring it in and said " I'll be by to pick it up when you get bored with it. " That has stuck with me and spurred progress when I was tired of working on it. Gonna paint it soon...

Aaron

 

[Jerry/MT]

You can buy a nut "splitter" at places that sell automotive tools or even at Harbor Freight. It has a hardened threaded bolt with a chisel end and screws into a fitting that goes around the nut. You tighen it on the nut until it splits the nut and then you remove it. Unless you are really careful, a torch can do some damage.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Keith. Those bolts through the fender mounts - I had to cut them in the middle (on my TEA20) and drive them out with a drift, they were so frozen into the axles housing castings! When you reinstall, give a coating of grease inside the casting holes and use anti seize on the threads.

You are bound to have problems with the bolts and nuts around the dash panel, battery rack and possibly the radiator. Give a good soaking first with CRC or WD40 etc.

And before you start, whilst the tractor is complete and mobile, thoroughly wash with detergent and a pressure washer. Another simple lesson I learnt the hard way.

I took maybe 300 digital photos of my restoration. Every part I disassembled, I photographed. Amazing how useful that can be.

 

[Keith-IN(US)]

I will give the torch a shot at cutting the bolts in half and then driving them out.. I already have a nut splitter just in case, I do run into a very stubborn nut.. I want to give you all thanks for all of the good ideas and insight that you have given me.. Hopefully this won"t be as bad as I think it will, I guess we will see.. If so at least I have a good group of fellas that I can ask for guidance.. THANKS again...

 

[johnand cindy]

Use a sawsall to cut off the cap of the bolt between the fender and axle housing.You will remove some metal from both surfaces but not much.Now use a 4.5in. angle grinder and carefully cut the bolt between the holes on the axle housing make 2 cuts about 1 in. apart soak and beat using a 6in.x 1/2 or 5/8 drift and a 3lb. hammer. If you cant get them out center punch the bolt and start to step drill ie. 1/4 3/8 1/2 after each drill beat. Thankfully the steel in these bolts is soft so this goes quickly. Have Fun, John

 

[Lance J.]

Hey Keith, just how thorough of a restoration are you planning? Are you planning an atractive and functional but not totally rebuilt "working" restoration? Or are you planning a concours quality showroom job? Just wondering, you may arrive at the dilemma of whether to tear into a component of the tractor that still has some life left in it and have to ask yourself this. Just my thoughts, good luck and keep us posted!!

 

[Keith-IN(US)]

I am not trying for the all out award winning showroom quality restore at all... It would be nice to do that but that would intell too much money I do believe.. I"m not saying that I am going to do it "cheaply" at all, just trying for the conservative restoration for right now, then maybe in due time try to do a little more to it..But for right now I am just going for a decent restore that I can say that I did all myself and have a nice looking and very useable tractor when completed..

 

[Covert]

WD-40, PB, and all of the pentrating lubes are nice but I have never found a bolt I can not bust off with a tourch. There are many types off gas to buy when propane can't do the job I use Nap gas. If the nut will not break free you can break the bolt with a breaker bar. Heat the nut up to where it just turns red on the outside. This expands the metal. Wait 30 sec's or so and give it a shot.