What have you done to your Branson today?

[ericm979]

Just yesterday I found out why one of my SSQA levers was hard to operate. There's a spring with a rod inside it to guide it. The spring compresses when you open or close the lever, it's what provides the over center feel as you're moving the lever. The rod needed some spray lube where it slides through a block. This description probably does not make sense but it might if you watch the mechanism as you move the lever.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

The pins are sticking where they are supposed to slide through the block and protrude through the bottom and latch the attachment. I first had issues with this over the winter, but chalked it up to ice getting in there. Hitting the block and pin area with a propane torch for a few minutes had it working fine, so I wasn't too concerned.

But now that it's warm enough to not have ice, something else is the culprit. I may have to disassemble them and clean them out and polish the pins. I can see slight surface rust on the upper part of the pins. They were sticking pretty hard in their travel, and I was playing with them without a front attachment on.

I don't really want to just grease them up, I'll never keep them clean if I do.

 

[YanmarFever]

I spray ours with a dry lubricant (teflon) if they get dirt in them its hard to get out if you spray oil on them.

 

[K5lwq]

I just found my first issue with my 4815C. The roof assembly is cracking on the lower right hand corner at the front of the tractor. I don’t remember hitting anything and do not see any evidence that it was hit.

I am thinking about taking the roof off and trying to patch it from the inside but not sure if I could get to the crack or not. I am thinking about using epoxy and milled fiberglass to make the repairs. There is two cracks in the area that I will need to drill the ends to keep it from spreading.

Wonder what the likelihood of epoxy adhering to the plastic? Anyone have a better idea?

Edit: Scratch fixing it from the inside. The gap is only about 1/2 inch and at the top so no way to prepare it from in there. Also found another crack around the blind nut up front.

The roof was in a bind on this corner as if it had to be pulled over to get the bolt started. I also think this bolt was over torqued when the light bar was installed.

At this point I am going to price a new roof and go from there. I could attempt a patch from the outside but most likely will not hold.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

K5,

Oh man that stinks. I would think you could repair from the outside? Maybe also take all 4 corner bolts off to relieve stress on roof? I think if you can get the stress out of it that the repair would hold.

Tractor Time with Tim recently did a series of videos doing a similar repair.

Can those lower sections be taken off separately? I haven't looked at mine that closely to tell.

I'm guessing you would not care for the "Replace Cab" option ($).

 

[K5lwq]

K5,

Oh man that stinks. I would think you could repair from the outside? Maybe also take all 4 corner bolts off to relieve stress on roof? I think if you can get the stress out of it that the repair would hold.

Tractor Time with Tim recently did a series of videos doing a similar repair.

Can those lower sections be taken off separately? I haven't looked at mine that closely to tell.

I'm guessing you would not care for the "Replace Cab" option ($).

Well if that is the worst thing that happens to it not that bad of a deal. It is a one piece deal. The entire roof is what would need to be replaced.

The front corner bolts hold the light bar so they have to be installed. When I put it back on I got all the bolts started and just wiggled the roof a bit and it fell into place. Now I can push the crack almost all the way closed where before it would not move.

I think you are correct that I may not like the replacement cost but I will price it and go from there. If it is too high I probably will try an outside repair. Being it is around the blind nut it will be hard for the repair to hold I am afraid.

 

[ning]

Just yesterday I found out why one of my SSQA levers was hard to operate. There's a spring with a rod inside it to guide it. The spring compresses when you open or close the lever, it's what provides the over center feel as you're moving the lever. The rod needed some spray lube where it slides through a block. This description probably does not make sense but it might if you watch the mechanism as you move the lever.

I think there's not a lot of clearance where that rod goes through the block and there's always dirt and crud going down there with the rod. At first I thought there was some tension thing and messed with the nuts for the springs but that's obviously (hindsight) not it; now I occasionally just shoot a bunch of silicone spray while cycling the levers (basically flushing that zone) and they're good to go for another few weeks.

 

[herm0016]

I just found my first issue with my 4815C. The roof assembly is cracking on the lower right hand corner at the front of the tractor. I don’t remember hitting anything and do not see any evidence that it was hit.

I am thinking about taking the roof off and trying to patch it from the inside but not sure if I could get to the crack or not. I am thinking about using epoxy and milled fiberglass to make the repairs. There is two cracks in the area that I will need to drill the ends to keep it from spreading.

Wonder what the likelihood of epoxy adhering to the plastic? Anyone have a better idea?

It looks like sheet mold compound or similar, you should be able to plastic weld it. You may call around to anyone who makes plastic tanks around you and they will have some expertise in this area. sounds like you should be able to reinstall without the stress of the misalignment?

 

[K5lwq]

It looks like sheet mold compound or similar, you should be able to plastic weld it. You may call around to anyone who makes plastic tanks around you and they will have some expertise in this area. sounds like you should be able to reinstall without the stress of the misalignment?

Yes I can install it without the stress. I also am looking at a better way to mount the light bar so that weight is not on that bolt. I have thought about trying to plastic weld and likely will do that.

 

[Zork]

I just found my first issue with my 4815C. The roof assembly is cracking on the lower right hand corner at the front of the tractor. I don’t remember hitting anything and do not see any evidence that it was hit.

I am thinking about taking the roof off and trying to patch it from the inside but not sure if I could get to the crack or not. I am thinking about using epoxy and milled fiberglass to make the repairs. There is two cracks in the area that I will need to drill the ends to keep it from spreading.

Wonder what the likelihood of epoxy adhering to the plastic? Anyone have a better idea?

View attachment 798323

Edit: Scratch fixing it from the inside. The gap is only about 1/2 inch and at the top so no way to prepare it from in there. Also found another crack around the blind nut up front.

The roof was in a bind on this corner as if it had to be pulled over to get the bolt started. I also think this bolt was over torqued when the light bar was installed.

At this point I am going to price a new roof and go from there. I could attempt a patch from the outside but most likely will not hold.

View attachment 798326

My front grill fell victim to a few limbs that broke off several of the horizontal rails. I used the plastic welding rods from Harbor Frieght and a soldering iron. It's not pretty but it is not in a prominent location. I think the matching application tool may have made a prettier job but I wasn't willing to wait.