YanmarUS restore (my 186D)

[rockyridgefarm]

I have a Yanmar 186D which I have been restoring, while I use it. By it's three digit model number, you can twll it is not a Gray. I have been surprised by ho differant the grays seem to the "legal" units, I had figured it was just stickers...

Anyway, what I thought I'd do is post the various things I've done with the tricks I've found and my blunders. (I am a DataComm guy, who finds peaxe keeping the little machine going) This unit was originally sold by my father in laws IH dealership. he also has a YM and is a great resource for me...

Here is a summery of what I have done, I will elaborate later, feel free to add your own comments.

Rebuilt front propeller shaft due to damage from missing shroud. Replaced shroud and bushings.

Rebuilt generator, replaced bearings

replaced radiator hoses

replaced brake shoes, honed drums
(replaced brake linkage due to over eager mechanic, under willing link) Paid $275 for new shoes OUCH, anybody buying my cores?

Replaced steering box (gears just busted) I think this funded my parts guys summer vacation. Well, family calues are important!

Bought new keys. Especially when in a hurry: never remove the key until the tractor is parked, there is about 4 million squre feet in my yard for a key to hide in...

replaced front tires, repainted wheels

repainted rear wheels, and fenders

replaced headlight switch, removed remains of turn signal switch, repainted console

replaced headlights, with auto driving lights (at $18 a set, far cheaper, now to see how it works) they fit almost perfectly

routine stuff, change oil, HyTran etc

repainted hood

Quring harness repairs


OK I will fill in more on these and whatever

 

[roger_scotty]

Mike, that's a great post. What a lot of work you've had to do. Did it get used unusually hard or are you just having fun restoring it? Did you get the workshop manuals from Yanmar? The 186/187 manuals are really worth the money. Especially for the tutorial sections.
Something doesn't ring right on the brake shoes. I've heard that US Yanmar has had an outrageous core charge on brake shoes for a long time. Because of that, I've had no luck keeping my old ones. Also, the price you paid seems way too high. !! Oh, dumb me!.....that could be the cost if you don't want to turn in the old shoes. Is that correct
I always liked the 186D, it had a real short wheelbase and a sewing machine type of motor. Very quiet and smooth and handy. Yanmar later lengthened the wheelbase on the 187.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

It really wasn;t that beat up. The biggest mistake a former owner made was removing the shroud from the front propeller shaft. This allowed weeds to wrap around it and drove them into the front differential's seals. I broke the steering box all by myself. You should never run your front wheel into a fence post in road gear. I am hypermyopic (read=blind) which sometimes gets a little annoying. But it is better than being stupid, I guess...

I just want to take care of it. I am not trying to make a show toy, either, just keep it taken care of.

I was never offered a core return on my old shoes. I hope to get my old ones reshoed and sell them, or would sell them as is.

I think the biggest problem with the brakes was the drums buildup ruined the shoes. I had tried to service them by leaving the wheels on, but from advice here, removed them and did a much better job. I honed the drums on the tractor by running the engine with the tractor on blocks and using fine grit sand paper. It seemed to do a good job. I noticed that the brake assemblies could be mounted in reverse (switching left and right sides) that would greatly reduce their effectiveness.

I love my 186D. I am in the market for another tractor, something new with a FEL, but in response to countless requests, I am keeping the 186D. My wife and daughters love using it as much as I do and it is perfect to get around our very hilly, tree covered place. We do a lot of mowing with it as it gently sips its diesel fuel.

I do not have the shop manuals, just the owners manual. It is Fantastic, so I imagine the others would be great.

I am doing this thread to share my insights as well as pick up tips. Thanks for yours, I will look into those manuals.

 

[roger_scotty]

Has anyone found a place that will rebond brake linings? There used to be one in Denver that would do it to any brake shoe for about a twenty dollar bill. Some sort of hot glue is what it looked like.

The Yanmar brake drums do tend to corrode. The problem seems to be that water gets into them. I think it is condensation because the vent hole is too small and easily plugged. I drill mine out and put in a quarter inch piece of copper tubing for a vent. Put a screen on the end to keep out the bugs. If the drums are pitted, I've found it necessary to turn deep enough to get all the pits out and then brake shoes will last indefinitely. Any less than that and the pits fill up with shoe material which rips chunks out of the existing brake shoes. Brakes become very jerky and and wear quickly from that point. The cure for that is to dissassemble, lathe drums, and put it back together using the old shoes but often new springs.


I didn't know about the possibility of reversing the brake backing plates on the YM186. I don't think that would happen on mine because the lever is not completely centered and you would notice it when you found that the brake actuating rod apparently grew or shrunk overnight.

Regarding the shop and parts manuals, they are expensive, though good. In my library I have two for the YM186, one is a provisional issue manual and is 306 pages. The other is the regular shop manual: loose leaf in the red plastic binder and that is the one that you would want. I don't think it is sold in the binders any longer..probably just soft cover but it will have the various sections delineated with chapters within. I'd say that it is a horse race whether JD or Yanmar ever printed the best shop manuals. JD for their full size ag tractors. The ones JD printed for their compact tractors are definitely not in the running.

I'd keep the 186D, too. Friendly little tractor. And just as good as cash in the bank as far as value goes.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

I was about to post a local rebuilder, but calling them returns "We're sorry you've reached a number that has been disconnected..."

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Here are a few more things that I have done...

Replaced lots of bailing wire hairpins

Replaced battery

I got a chance at trying my replacement headlights. They worked well! They project out very far and still light up the ground right in front and to the sides. I kept my factory lights and can always put them back.

I am going to try pumping in my own tire ballast. I have access to lots of nontoxic antifreeze. My tires are the tube type. I think I can set up a pump that will hook up, by connecting a tire inflator hose to a pond pump or windshield washer pump. I know brine is heavier, but this will be good enough for me....

 

[rockyridgefarm]

When I replaced my steering box, I ordered the replacement from Yanmar. It was very high, but what could iI do? I later learned that Homestead Tractor rebuilds them and could at least have had mine rebuilt, and they probably had a rebuild in stock.

My friends ford compact has a vw steering box, with tie rods from a buick.

 

[JeffRey30747]

I have done the steering ball nut assy replacement, repainting and the brake shoe replacement on my 186D. The hood still needs repainting and the engine will need rings and sleeves sometime in the future (still pulls well but blows oil out the crankcase vent). The previous owner fabbed up a heavy duty guard for the front propeller shaft that may need some modification when I add a loader. My brake shoes were only about $44 each (X 4 total) with no core charge so they were a little cheaper than what you have quoted. I had to get another key at the JD dealer as mine just disappeared one day. Its a great little tractor, I'm sure you will be happy with yours.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

You can just pretend that your pic is mine, too. I just painted the hood, but mine looked just like that, last week. I got new decals and emblems with mine at purchase and will put those on this weekend. I guess i'd better post a pic, too

I can't figure out what's differant about your shifter. I can't see the column mount one and my range shifter seems to be set back farther. Is yours hydrstatic?

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Well, this shaking out a few more 186D owners...

One of the things I have been especially pleased /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif about is my engines ability to start in cold weather. We have had some pretty cold snaps, but nothing that the glow plugs, and the compression release couldn't beat.