L-Bolt for FEL

[Rockon75]

One of my L-bolts is stripped badly. I'll assume the previous owner let it get loose and it beat itself silly. This is the bolt that hold the FEL on the front end to the "saddle". Should I go through the process of cutting the welded nut off the back side of the saddle, welding on a new nut, and replacing the L-bolt with OEM, or can I just drop a 7/16" bolt through all of it and run a washer, lock washer and nut up to the backside of the currently welded nut? I was thinking about looking for a piece of M14 1.25 all thread, cutting it appropriately, bending in a 90, welding a nut to it instead of buying an L-bolt, but it may not be economical. Any advice?
Thx

 

[Kennyd4110]

My opinion, you'll never regret fixing it correctly the first time.

 

[D2Cat]

You mentioned cutting and welding. If you have those skills and tools why not get a metric bolt of the correct size and thread. Then cut off the threaded end of both the new bolt and the old and weld the new to the old?

To make a good weld on a round shaft grind the two opposing ends back (in this case about 1/2") on half of the diameter. Set the two parts up in a vise and weld all the way around the offset.

 

[Rockon75]

D2cat - gr8 idea. Only the bottom inch or inch and a half engages the nut, so your idea should work great. I'll cut it about 3 inches up and weld on a new section.

 

[D2Cat]

Just don't cut them and weld them straight across. Get the length you want with the old and new laying up to each other. Then grind a flat spot on the side of each piece (1/2") and match that up to weld. You'll get much more engagement.

Wish I could explain it better or draw a picture but.....

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Get a tap and chase the nut to clean it up.

 

[Rockon75]

Threads of the nut have been chased with a tap. Thx wolfman. D2cat - still a bit confused on
how to grind. R u saying flatten two sides and weld across or chamfer the two side pieces and weld shut?

 

[D2Cat]

Maybe I can get this sketch to you.

Grind down to about center line of each part (half way through it). It's not critical just easier. Lay the two parts together in a piece of angle iron, or your vice to keep it were you want it. Use a straight edge to confirm it is straight after a tack or two before you weld it all the way around. If you chamfer the edges you'll even have more surface to weld to, and get a better weld.

I sketched this, took a picture and up loaded it. It says, "Bob in the sink". So I figured I better show what the label was.

 

[Rockon75]

Pictures are worth a thousand words. I totally get it now. I thank you for your effort. I have a grinding wheel and bench grinders and welding clamps to hold the pieces down. Should not be a problem.

 

[ShaunRH]

I'm not sure cats weld very well but I guess with it in a sink you could try... I think a bath would be a better use for that setup.

Grind small bevels on those cut lines so when put together it leaves a void like a "V" shape. Then weld. You'll get better penetration and more fill material helping to bond the base metals. Don't make it too deep, you need about as much base metal as weld fill when you are done. You'll have to grind it back round after that but like D2Cat shows, it will be solid.

 

[Rockon75]

Will do. Thx all!

 

[coachgeo]

Course it might be just easier to fill the old nut with weld while still on the tractor. drill it out. tap in new threads to match what ever bolt your going to use.

another option is drill out nut? and do Helicoil or one of the newer versions of a helicoil said to be better.

 

[MagKarl]

When I butt weld two cylinders together I bevel both ends to nearly a point, then weld all around and dress back to original diameter. Same as you'd do with proper prep for any butt weld. Gets 100% fusion and fill this way. Laying the pieces in a piece of angle iron helps keep them coaxial.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Just get the original bolt, P/N 70760-57170
http://www.colemanequip.com/Parts_Detail.asp?partID=661793

 

[Rockon75]

Well, there is that option as well wolfman, thx. I thought kubota would want at least 50 bucks for that specialized bolt that was bent 90 and had a skinny nut welded to it.

 

[Rockon75]

Well, I figured I owed you all a follow-up. I no longer have the "no-tool" removal option for the FEL saddle. I.e. the L-bolts. The fastest, cheapest, and most convenient was replacing the stripped L-bolts with new bolts and washers. Facing the front of the tractor, the nut that is welded to the back side of the saddle was chased with a tap. Likewise on the right, but I found that nut stripped. I cut the spot-welds off the saddle and used a chisel to knock the old nut loose. Then I ground the saddle flat and bought a new nut.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Works, just throw a wrench of the right size in the tool box and it won't ever be an issue!