Diary of a Fat Man ... and his tractor

[thunderheart]

Ok so you know it is time to seriously consider salads when you break your tractor by standing on it. Well actually hoppin' off of it, but same thing. I had been doing a couple of chores to get ready for my first real task with the 3110 I bought last month. That is mowing a couple of acres of overgrown garden area at my new place. I replaced some more fuel line (from tank to filter) and installed an overrun clutch. Jumped on the tractor and ran the 4 ft Howse I bought live to make sure everything was working as expected and it was best I could tell. So I started to jump off and go put up my grease gun etc and as I did I kinda sprang off the left foot board. I heard a popping sound as I did so and felt the footboard go a little "mushy". When I looked at it I saw that the standoff that is cast into the transmission housing that supports the front of the foot-board had broken. Huge bummer.

I didn't disassemble it yet to get all the details, but I don't think that should have happened even with my big collard green eatin' butt up there. It only broke about 1/8" deep and about 1/2 way around the hole that the bolt goes into. That standoff is easily 1 1/2" deep. Maybe 2". If it was drilled and tapped to that depth and a bolt of sufficient depth to bottom out in it were used, then it should have held all 300 lbs of me easy. At least I would think.

Anyway I always thought that the way the foot-board was supported was pretty flimsy. But I thought any problems would occur where the foot-board attached to the fender with deformation of the sheet metal or similar. However, I guess the fender attachment being so flimsy allowed the other side to flex and that is what caused it to crack.

Any observations or suggestions for repairing the problem? I have an idea for a bracket that would transfer most of the load to the rear axle housing. But I would like to repair the broken standoff as well if possible.

Thanks,

Dallas

 

[clemsonfor]

I dont remember what they look like? Is it a bolt throught the casting or is it a part of the casting that broke off?

 

[thunderheart]

It is actually a part of the casting that broke. About 1/8th of an inch at the lip of the standoff that the bolt holding the foot-board screws into. It is right up near where the clutch pedal runs under the foot-board. I suppose the bolt may have sheared off too but it is of a fairly large diameter and looks like high tensile and new. The whole thing is sloppy loose right there so the bolt has to be short or broken. Otherwise the unbroken portion of the casing would still hold it. I'll go out and disassemble it in a few minutes and take pictures.

Dallas

 

[Car Doc]

Ouch that hurts but I bet it can be welded decently by the right guy.

I have a similar machine and my foot boards are also held on at the rear fender on the outboard edge of the foot board adding a lot of strength so I am wondering if you didn't have enough bolts in place or they were loose allowing the movement?

I am in the 230-240 range and I dont even start to flex my step or my foot boards fwtw.

 

[careyo63]

I doubt it's like our 2000's And the 2500 seemed to be built very well. Welding on it may be hard to do. Not very many 300 Lbs. Japanese men around that I ever seen. A Sumo Wrestler maybe? But I would think it would be highly unlikely for one to have a Rice Patty or on a Yanmar

 

[California]

My guess is the tractor was 'reconditioned' using a bolt that was shorter than the original.

I would tap the hole full depth, put in a stud and set it with red (permanent) threadlock, then attach the footboard with a nut over that stud.

If you're a perfectionist (I'm not) then get a skilled welder to weld a bead between the stud and the transmission casting. But I doubt this is needed.

Now its good for another 30 years.

 

[chriswheeler]

But your 3110 is allot like my YM3000, and I did the same thing. Threads go deep enough into the casting in a blind hole. Center punch the center of the stub left in the casting, drill a hole about half inch deep about half the size of the bolt, and use a proper size EZ out to remove the stub. There will be enough threads to install a new bolt with no welding. Just make sure the replacement bolt goes at least half inch deep into the threads and it won't happen again. Easy to fix,
Chris

 

[joe swanson]

I think you have gotten a lot of good advice as to how to correct the problem. I have a 336D and am a little larger than yourself. I have had no such problems. Howver, as was mentioned my step are also supported by the fender. They are very sturdy. I think your experience was a fluke and not a known flaw with the machine.

 

[thunderheart]

My guess is the tractor was 'reconditioned' using a bolt that was shorter than the original.

I would tap the hole full depth, put in a stud and set it with red (permanent) threadlock, then attach the footboard with a nut over that stud.

If you're a perfectionist (I'm not) then get a skilled welder to weld a bead between the stud and the transmission casting. But I doubt this is needed.

Now its good for another 30 years.

Yep Cali that is what I was thinking. One of our little Indochinese friends probably went to the bin with the proper sized bolts and found it empty. Looked right next to it where the shorter ones where and said: "What the heck, it's Friday". As for being a perfectionist I have been accused of that before and one of my BNLs was a professional welder in the LA oil patch. Sure he could put a bead on it for me.

But your 3110 is allot like my YM3000, and I did the same thing. Threads go deep enough into the casting in a blind hole. Center punch the center of the stub left in the casting, drill a hole about half inch deep about half the size of the bolt, and use a proper size EZ out to remove the stub. There will be enough threads to install a new bolt with no welding. Just make sure the replacement bolt goes at least half inch deep into the threads and it won't happen again. Easy to fix,
Chris

Thanks Chris. I figured that hole was tapped much deeper than where it broke. I didn't get a chance to disassemble today as I have a bit of an Indian Summer cold. Need to get on it tomorrow though.

Dallas

 

[chriswheeler]

Remember to also make sure and check that the 2 bolts on the outside of the step are attached to the fender and tight. Two on the transmission to the step, 2 to the fender.
Chris