MT160D

[Capricious]

Now I'm going to have to go look at one of mine but I think you can take the right rear tire off to gain access to that bolt. One possible solution is to weld a larger nut to the head of the bolt. The heat from the weld will also help free the bolt. A buddy of mine over in Fulton could get that thing out for sure.

With the tire off, and a very very long bit, I can probably drill it out, but there's no room to swing a hammer for a center punch, and without center-punching the thing, I doubt I could keep a long bit centered on it, and i certainly don't want to "waller-out" that hole.

I have considered welding a piece of steel to the head and trying to turn it, but i figured I would probably just twist off the head.

I just may have to drop it off at a shop and have them remove the bolt, and re-thread if necessary. There just isn't much room to deal with the thing. The lower bolt would be much easier to deal with.

I may just change the fluid and run it as-is. The lift appears to operate fine, but I have yet to try it under a load.

 

[Capricious]

Filter bowl, & the nut that retains it, on the way courtesy of Valley Power.

 

[skylarkguy]

You need something like this to center punch without a hammer...Automatic center punch spring loaded alloy steel 5 - $13.00 : Steadfast Cycles, Specializing in Vintage British Motorcycle parts and accessories

 

[Capricious]

You need something like this to center punch without a hammer...Automatic center punch spring loaded alloy steel 5 - $13.00 : Steadfast Cycles, Specializing in Vintage British Motorcycle parts and accessories

That would probably do it. I have some time before the fuel filter items arrive, and i don't want to run the thing anymore without a filter, so that gives me some time to mull this stuck-bolt issue over. Might put the tractor up on jackstands in the garage over the weekend and see just what i can do. I really hate to 'button it up" without cleaning that strainer, as i know it hasn't been cleaned for years, if ever.

 

[Capricious]

Backed the tractor into the garage, put it up on jackstands & removed the right rear wheel:

Photos shows the lower of the (2) bolts that secures the hydr. screen/filter:




Upper bolt is covered by rear of running board:




Cutting-away the rear of the running board with a cut-off wheel on 4 inch grinder. Note piece of running board on handle of grinder:



Ground a slot in the mangled head of the bolt, and then used an impact tool (hammer kind, not air) with an extension to try to back out the bolt. Did not work. Top of jackstand visible was used as a rest to steady the grinder while cutting the slot



I then cut/ground the head of the bolt completely off, ground it flush with the flange of the filter and then center punched with a 6 inch long punch:



Began drilling out the bolt. I believe it is an 8 mm bolt, so I drilled with increasingly larger bits until just under 1/4 inch, which left a little of the bolt still in place:


Started tapping threads with a 1/4 & 20 tap. Not enough room for a tap wrench, so used a small adjustable wrench. I had already removed the other bolt and measured the length, as these are blind holes, so i knew how deep to drill and tap:



STUPID STUPID STUPID. Did not clean out the chips enough and broke-off the tap. But upon measuring the depth of the hole I decided that i had enough usable depth. Off to the hardware store to get a new 8 MM bolt and lock washer for the lower hole, and a 1/4 bolt and 8 MM lock washer for the upper hole (since I left a bit of the old bolt in place, the over size lock washer allows the bolt head to tighten down on the filter flange rather than on the remains of the old bolt)


New bolts in place:



I have not yet tried to remove the filter. I still need to get the hydraulic oil and also a new gasket for the filter. Hope to deal with the fluid & filter later this week.

 

[skylarkguy]

Before putting in fresh fluid you might consider this thread http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/oil-fuel-lubricants/219565-whats-up-gear-oil.html?highlight= in particular post 3 with the recipe to clean out the sump with diesel, alcohol, transmission fluid. It works really well to get rid of water and crud...I think you will be happier if you first clean out as much of the old stuff as possible.

 

[Capricious]

Before putting in fresh fluid you might consider this thread http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/oil-fuel-lubricants/219565-whats-up-gear-oil.html?highlight= in particular post 3 with the recipe to clean out the sump with diesel, alcohol, transmission fluid. It works really well to get rid of water and crud...I think you will be happier if you first clean out as much of the old stuff as possible.

Thank you for the link.

You are 100% correct in that I would like to clean out the sump. I am going to have to "mull-over" the home-brew flushing mixture, however. I really don't like introducing foreign substances into systems. I considered trying to flush the crankcase but then decided on several oil changes instead (changed the oil for the third time, today).

I picked up 5 gals of hydr. oil today. I might plan on picking up another 5 gals and just change it again after a very short period.

I have noted another thread on this very useful board, where someone's hydr. filter came out in pieces, but he was able to repair it with fine metal mesh.

 

[techwrtr2]

Are there any hydraulic system flush products as there are engine flush?

 

[Capricious]

Are there any hydraulic system flush products as there are engine flush?

I am not aware of any. The only hydraulic system "cleaning" that I am aware of is manual cleaning; i.e. take everything apart, clean it & reassemble

 

[Capricious]

Another question: As I understand it, this tractor has "position control." In other words, the lever for raising the 3-point is manully placed at a certain position in it's arc of travel, and the hitch will automatically be maintained in a coresponding position in its arc of travel, even if the hydr. system tries to 'leak down' a bit.

When using a rotary cutter, should I have "limit chains" that control how far the front of the cutter drops, and should the position control lever be placed in the full-down position so that there is no vertical load on the 3 point hitch? Or, should I set the level with the position control, and allow the hydraulics to maintain the level of the front of the cutter? The chains sound like a better idea to me, but I have never operated one of these things.

Hope to go look at a used rotary cutter this evening, assuming it is not already sold.