Naked 430

[BravoXray]

Yesterday I took a look at the seat suspension off the 430. It's gotten progressively looser over the years, until now it's just plain sloppy. The seat will move side to side a couple of inches, and rock back and forth three of four inches. Looking at the pivot points, all the bushings were worn out, and a couple of the bushings were worn completely through and the shafts were wearing into the tubes holding the bushings. Of course, it was welded together. So, I fired up the grinder with a cutoff disk and ground through a couple of the shafts that had enough side clearance so as not to grind up the tubes or the mounts. Then I ground the welds that held the pins in the mounts flush and was able to drive the stubs out with a BFH and a punch. The two other shafts didn't give me enough room get in and cut them with out buggering up the tubes and mounts, so I ground those welds down flat and was able to drive the pins out.
In addition, the piece at the front of the top part of the mount where the tension adjusting bolt goes through was broken loose on both sides and twisted from the force exerted to tension the rather stout springs used in the suspension. Some hammering, twisting and bending got it back close to the proper position, and I MIG welded it up so it's usable again.
Some searching on the web led me to this company, who makes complete suspension units and pin and bushing sets to repair them,
Seat Suspension Bushings & Rods for John Deere 318 322 332 4
I'm not sure whether I'm going to get one of the kits, or drill the holes in the brackets out and weld in 1/2" pins, as the tubes for the bushings are very close to 1/2" ID. That would give a lot more bearing surface, be it steel on steel, than the 3/8" pins and bronze bushings. Either way, I'm also going to add grease zerks so they can be lubricated. I'm sure that no more than I use the 430, the 1/2" pins would last a long time, especially with proper lubrication.
While I'm at it, I think I'm going to replace the seat with a more comfortable seat like I put on my Kubota BX2230 a while back. After I bought the one for the BX, Rural King had an online sale on the same seat that sold in the store for $200, for $50, SHIPPED. I immediately ordered one just in case I needed one for some other project. I just have to make sure it will fit inside the cab that goes on the 430.

Also, I had noticed that sometimes when I filled the fuel tank all the way up, I would see a little leakage coming off the font of the fuel tank under the seat pan. The fuel line fittings for the supply and return lines press into rubber grommets pushed into holes in the top of the plastic fuel tank. With the seat pan off, I could see that fuel was seeping out around both of the grommets and running down the front of the tank. I bought two of the grommets and pulled both fuel fittings out to replace them. The return line fitting has two wires, one going into it that goes to a low fuel switch that hangs down into the tank. The other one goes to the fitting itself. The wire to the sensor could be slid in and out of the fitting quite easily, so I knew it would let fuel leak by it, so after I put the new grommet in and pushed the fitting into it, I cleaned it thoroughly and sealed it up with some RTV.
The supply line fitting apparently is supposed to have a short tube with a pickup screen extending into the tank, but it was broken off, so I drained the tank and fished it out. I put on a new piece of tubing and the screen and installed it into the tank. So, I shouldn't have a fuel leakage in the future.

 

[Kish318420]

I don't know if RTV is diesel/gas resistant/proof, let me know if it works, my fittings were covered and the fuel still leaked out, change the grommets and cleaned up the fittings and top of tank and it still leaks diesel fuel.

 

[BravoXray]

Yeah, it's a pretty bad design to put them below the fuel level when the tank is full.

 

[BravoXray]

So I decided to modify the seat suspension and replace the 3/8" pins with some cold rolled 1/2" bar stock. I enlarged the holes in the base rails and in the seat mount to 1/2" with a step drill, and ran a 1/2" cobalt drill bit through the tube in the links. After I cut the new pins to length and removed the mill scale, they still didn't fit the tubes freely. They measured pretty close to ,500", so I ran a big rat tail file that just happened to be 1/2" in diameter at the largest point through the tubes using a drill I chucked to the small end. That removed the rest of the rust and scale inside the tubes, and now the pins fit properly with just a couple of thousandths of clearance.
I decided to add grease zerks to each tube so they can be lubed, so I drilled and tapped each one 1/4"-28 to take the zerks. Since the tube walls are only about .080" thick, when the zerks are screwed in tight they hit the pins. Hmmmm. So I marked each pin with a Sharpie through the zerk hole, then turned each one down about .050" in that area with my lathe. Now I can assemble the pins to the links and then install the zerks. Problem solved.
I had to trim the length of the two lower pins so they will fit between the mounting rails when the suspension is compressed, but I have everything assembled and it looks like it will work just fine. So, tomorrow I'll weld everything up and it should be nice and solid and function properly.
Now, I have to decide what to do about the seat, keep the old one or install the new comfortable one.

Hmmm, decisions, decisions.

 

[Kish318420]

So before you put the seat pan and seat back on, are you planning a fuel tank leak test following your repair?

 

[BravoXray]

So before you put the seat pan and seat back on, are you planning a fuel tank leak test following your repair?

I filled it up to the bottom of the filler neck, so the grommets are a couple of inches below the level of the fuel, and I see no leakage so far. You can see that in picture #5 in post #11.

 

[Kish318420]

I filled it up to the bottom of the filler neck, so the grommets are a couple of inches below the level of the fuel, and I see no leakage so far. You can see that in picture #5 in post #11.

Great! you give me hope as I attempt a 2nd repair of mine in the future!

 

[BravoXray]

I got the seat pan, side panels and grille back from the powder coater today. They look really good.
On the side panels, I put the foam strips that seal around the sides of the radiator on them, then installed the panels.

I installed the new spring clips I made that go at the bottom of the sides of the grille and snap into the slots in the side panels. Then I pop riveted the clips at the top of the grille that slide over the hood support plate in place, then installed the Diesel and running deer emblems. I also put some UHDP tape on the bottom of the grille where it sets on the front of the frame, so it doesn't wear the paint off of either surface and start it rusting like it did before. The grille slid into place just like it should, and will stay in place since now the retainer clips are on it.

I installed all the warning and info decals on the seat pan, including the non-slip tread pieces where your feet rest. I had forgotten to blast and paint the tail light retainer pieces, so I blasted them and painted them with Eastwood black frame paint. I left them to dry, and will put the tail lights in tomorrow, and have a friend help me set the pan back in place on the tractor.
I'm going to put the original seat back on, but do some measuring to see of the new high back seat I have will fit. It looks like maybe the front of the seat will set too far forward, as it's seat is five or six inches longer than the original JD seat, and I can't move it back due to hitting the rear wall of the cab when it's reinstalled. The rear wall slants in four inches or so to clear the fuel tank filler, but after looking at it, I might be able to cut it out and move it out to be flush with the rest of the back of the cab, and then put in a door to get to the fuel filler. We'll have to see about that.

I have to check with a friend that's painting the hood to see if he's got it done yet, as he's had it for a couple of weeks.

Once I get the tractor all assembled, I'm going to have to do some cleaning, blasting and painting on some of the cab components that are getting pretty rusty.

I'm also going to have to come up with some material to put between the cab mounts and the seat pan so as to not damage the new powder coating. Some strips of a rubber truck mudflap might work, I have a couple of those laying around.

At least it looks like I'll have it ready by the time we get any appreciable snow fall here. Weather looks pretty good for the next couple of weeks.

 

[Kish318420]

Looking very nice! Excellent Restoration

 

[BravoXray]

Thanks, like most mechanical things, it just take time, money and perseverance.

Yeah, when I get it done, I won't want to take it out and get it dirty.
Maybe we'll only have nice dry, fluffy snow this winter.