Kawasaki Mule rebuild!

[Harley Jim]

Yanmars, no worries Brother. Its all good conversation. Ill keep going with the Mule, y'all keep going!

 

[Harley Jim]

I started preparing the plastic to go back on the Mule, it is rough and going to take some time.

This model is my least favorite of all of them, because of the front end. The headlights look like an afterthought!

Someone started fiberglassing the backside of the dash, Im sure they were trying to stabilize it.

I have been trying to identify a couple of switches, Im not sure, is this the brake light switch? Anyone know?

Im pretty sure this is the headlight switch, I need to sort a bunch of cut wires and hook up some temporary lights to get this sorted out.

 

[EddieWalker]

I have a switch like that on mine for they hydraulics dump bed. My light switch is a push button. My Mule is a 2011 model year.

 

[grsthegreat]

On my 2012, the light switch is a push button. Not much help there. How do you fix scratches and damage in the plastic body?

 

[Harley Jim]

I think I finally figured it out! The first one is the brake light switch, I found a decent pic in a parts catalog, the second one almost has to be the headlight switch.

Im thinking that I will add this to the dash, so that will eliminate any old wiring and the old switches, the headlight wires are missing anyway so I think this will be the solution.

 

[Harley Jim]

GRS, Im not quite sure how I will handle the plastic.
I have some headlights that I would like to use but they will require some cutting and plastic welding and I have never tried that before.
The small scratches should sand out ok the cracks will require stabilization.

I bought this from Amazon, it embeds a wire in the plastic, Ill place the wires in the cracks and figure it out from there.

 

[sandman2234]

I bought a used, cracked fender for an F350 to play with trying to patch it using a plastic welder. I didn't have much luck at it. Same truck, had it painted and the bodyman said he could weld the crack up. He tried, and I finally took a fender off a spare bed I had to put on the truck. He couldn't get it to weld either!
Point being, before you start cutting holes for headlights, make sure that you can weld them up!
David from jax

 

[jjeff]

I think I finally figured it out! The first one is the brake light switch, I found a decent pic in a parts catalog, the second one almost has to be the headlight switch.
View attachment 4482777

Im thinking that I will add this to the dash, so that will eliminate any old wiring and the old switches, the headlight wires are missing anyway so I think this will be the solution.

Definitely first switch/ button is what they call a micro brake light switch I've replaced a few on what my state considers vintage snowmobiles (25 yrs or older). Can get after market on eBay etc 1/4 price of oem in my case. They corrode so I use dielectric grease liberally on them. I enjoy bringing, fixing, tinkering , with older things back to usable condition I like to think some of my tinkering on old stuff is better than OEM .

 

[Harley Jim]

Sandman, I agree 100%, I have been researching the plastic, looks like my plastic is hdpe and the other hood is abs, so that isn't going to work. I need to get some hdpe and see if I can make a repair!

jjeff, thanks for verifying that, I thought it looked like one I had seen on the back of a motercycle once. Ill check amazon for one, this one is seized!

 

[Harley Jim]

Got sidetracked again, trying to help the bil get his shop closed in.

 

[yanmars]

You are a busy man

 

[EddieWalker]

Is there a second story to that building? Seems odd to not have a taller door with all that wall space there.

 

[Harley Jim]

There will be a four post lift inside the overhead door.

There is a loft above half of it. Inside the room will be a trophy shop. This tall bay will be for 50 years of memorabilia.

And his show car. It will live on the lift, he is looking for a Nova to live under it.

 

[Harley Jim]

I finally found a video on marketplace of a 550 for sale. I screenshot the dash, so now I finally know what it was supposed to look like! Kind of sparce looking! I still think Ill order the switch panel from Amazon.

 

[EddieWalker]

That's going to be a really nice shop!!!

 

[Harley Jim]

I finally got over the covid enough to get outside today. So I got the battery box cover finished! Its funny that the factory didnt make one, but back then it was a utility vehicle not a luxury ride like they are now.

First I modified my original CAD design, Cardboard Aided Design!
I added 2" to the bottom of the box.

I cut out a piece of metal, then!

I got busy and forgot to take more pics.

But anyway, after some trimming, bending and a little hammering, this is how it looks.

I welded some nuts on the inside.

Then I made some bolt tabs and welded them to the mule.

I had some stainless steel button head screws. I had to trim them down, they were 1¼" long, I cut them to about ¾".

now you can see why I added two inches to the bottom of the cover, it now lines up with the frame rail better.

I keep a smoker in my shop, so I got to make part of supper today! Lol.

 

[grsthegreat]

On my 2012 mule, battery is under seat. No box needed

 

[grsthegreat]

You have way more dedication to complete a project than i seem to have. I need to fab up a simple steel cover to replace the POC plastic access cover that Kioti uses on the floor of my cab tractor over transmission. Ice cracked this cover 2 times since owning tractor. I was all ready to make a steel one, but lazied out and ordered a new one from Kioti. Only $17, but its the idea, as it should be steel.

 

[Harley Jim]

I get pretty serious! This is a 2000 JD LT133, it had that lousy plastic hood, it broke three times, so I tossed it and built this hood myself. It came off of a 1955 Massey Ferguson TO35, I chopped and channeled it to fit, its almost half scale from stock. I built the hood about 10 years ago, Im going to repaint the tractor with Ferguson colors and badge it as a John Ferguson! I can't help it.

 

[Harley Jim]

Thats what it is supposed to look like!