Hi All. I'm putting up this post to both get help with some ongoing/new question and issues as well as document what I've done in the past for my tractor restoration. I'll be editing this post to update/add a general overview of what all I did. I'll add additional pictures as able.
Equipment: 1978 B7100DT with B204 front dozer attachment.
Repairs/Updates:
- Radiator filler neck replacement - de-soldered old neck and replaced with similar but not perfect fit neck. Needed to add a spacer to make it work
- Temp gauge - soldered on threaded brass fitting to radiator and cut new hole in instrument panel to fit.
- Hour meter relay - added small relay to only trigger meter counting when engine is running.
- Digital Tachometer - added a digital tach but I don't like it. Thin hard drive magnet installed on flywheel. Works but tach needs to be turned on/off which is a pain.
- Bypass block for hydraulic connection - used while dozer hydraulics are not installed.
- Kubota Winker switch - used for controlling turn signals which I don't have yet
Ongoing/Future work:
- Rear mounting fixture to hang storage, cup holder, and rear lights.
- Quick disconnect hydraulics and modern controls for front and back of tractor.
- Alternator upgrade.
Questions:
1. Alternator update - looking to see if anyone knows of an on-line vendor where I can get genuine Denso alternator that fits this application.
2. Analog tachometer update - Trying to find a combo tach/hr meter from a later model B7100 HST or B7200. Part number is 67401-55312. Any good places to find reasonably priced salvage parts? Picture below.
Restoration techniques: (I looted the Orange Tractor Talks site heavily for help during the restoration)
Rust removal:
For the most part I used a combination of wire wheels and acid bath dip. A key point to consider when doing acid bath is that you have to neutralize the acid immediately after rinsing off the acid. If you don't do this step the residual acid will continue eating away at the metal and it will rust away very quickly. The acid dips also helped strip away much of the old paint. A pressure washer is works well to rip off old paint following the acid dip. Some of the acid dips took a few days to complete but keep in mid the acid eats away all exposed metal so if you leave it too long your parts will melt away or leave you with all sorts of pitting or detached metal. I used muriatic acid (pool acid that fumes when you open the lid).
Equipment: 1978 B7100DT with B204 front dozer attachment.
Repairs/Updates:
- Radiator filler neck replacement - de-soldered old neck and replaced with similar but not perfect fit neck. Needed to add a spacer to make it work
- Temp gauge - soldered on threaded brass fitting to radiator and cut new hole in instrument panel to fit.
- Hour meter relay - added small relay to only trigger meter counting when engine is running.
- Digital Tachometer - added a digital tach but I don't like it. Thin hard drive magnet installed on flywheel. Works but tach needs to be turned on/off which is a pain.
- Bypass block for hydraulic connection - used while dozer hydraulics are not installed.
- Kubota Winker switch - used for controlling turn signals which I don't have yet
Ongoing/Future work:
- Rear mounting fixture to hang storage, cup holder, and rear lights.
- Quick disconnect hydraulics and modern controls for front and back of tractor.
- Alternator upgrade.
Questions:
1. Alternator update - looking to see if anyone knows of an on-line vendor where I can get genuine Denso alternator that fits this application.
2. Analog tachometer update - Trying to find a combo tach/hr meter from a later model B7100 HST or B7200. Part number is 67401-55312. Any good places to find reasonably priced salvage parts? Picture below.
Restoration techniques: (I looted the Orange Tractor Talks site heavily for help during the restoration)
Rust removal:
For the most part I used a combination of wire wheels and acid bath dip. A key point to consider when doing acid bath is that you have to neutralize the acid immediately after rinsing off the acid. If you don't do this step the residual acid will continue eating away at the metal and it will rust away very quickly. The acid dips also helped strip away much of the old paint. A pressure washer is works well to rip off old paint following the acid dip. Some of the acid dips took a few days to complete but keep in mid the acid eats away all exposed metal so if you leave it too long your parts will melt away or leave you with all sorts of pitting or detached metal. I used muriatic acid (pool acid that fumes when you open the lid).
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