Tallbald's L185 "Orange Crush" project fix-up

[Tallbald]

I've been asked to combine several threads I started detailing my vintage L185 fix-up into one, since I have so many questions and want to share so many things. I'm not an experienced restoration fella, having only once, back after my Dad died in 1978, done an off frame restoration of his 1972 Jeep Commando. I bought my old Kubota L185 tractor used from a doctor I worked with in an emergency room in 2005. With a factory contract Woods belly mower included, "Orange Crush" cost me $750 and a turned wood and steel sculpture I had on the market in a Nashville, TN art gallery. With a small ten acre tract and a newly built home, there was a lot of mowing and grading to be done and my small Kubota was just fine. Fast forward several years. The farm and house were lost to hard economic times, and from 2008 to just a week or so ago, Orange Crush has been kept maintained and lightly used on my father in law's 8 acre tract next county over. Now living in a modest suburban neighborhood, my tractor has returned home to me for fix-up. Only a few mechanical things have so far been identified as needing repair, and with help and advise from here and other resources, I hope to return Orange Crush to fine shape.
Moderators please do as you like and combine my previous project postings into this single thread method you requested for my project tractor. Thanks to everyone for the insightful help offered to me folks. Some suggested things I expect not to be able to do because of physical and financial restraints. I'm not restoring fo resale, but rather for fun and sentimental reasons. I hope one day one of my adult children will nee Orange Crush for a tract of their own and that she will outlast me.
Don. Bowling Green, KY USA

 

[Tallbald]

Yesterday I managed to remove the two rear fenders from my tractor and, with the heat gun method suggested in a sticky here on the forum, removed the cracked faded and scratched decals. Rust was found in corners and seams that I wasn't able to see before fender removal. I will use sandpaper and a wire brush to remove the corrosion everywhere I can reach but that still leaves numerous inside corners with flakes and bubbled paint. I'm considering buying a cheap Harbor Freight handheld sandblast gun to use with my 20 gallon compressor to reach the corners like those shown below. For $20 or so and the price of several bags of blasting sand a small gun might save a huge amount of time and trouble as one did for me back in 1980 working on Dad's jeep frame. Suggestions as to a different approach appreciated. Oh. You will see below too a photo of where all my work is having to be done. It's our small 1 car detached garage/shop. I can paint outside on a warm dry day but this is the area I'm limited to, to be out of the weather. Thanks for looking. Don

 

[85Hokie]

Don,

glad to have ya here......but, but .....you gotsta show some more pictures!!!!!

 

[Tallbald]

85Hokie thanks for reading this thread. I have numerous posts going back to last fall about my tractor, with a fair number of photographs. The other day I received a private message from North Idaho Wolfman asking me to only use one thread for my tractor postings and questions. NIW said all my earlier posts would be moved to the new thread (I hope photographs too). I'm not familiar with this approach for a Q and A forum, but that's what I was told to do. I hope that posting in this one thread under one heading still leads to resourcing the answers and help I need from start to eventual finish in fixing up my L185. It may well be a year or more long project for me as I'm in it by myself except for lifting, bending and such. Thanks once more. In the meantime, all the previous pictures of my tractor, a couple small issues I've found and how I fixed or am dealing with them are in the forum under my Tallbald forum name.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

TB,

You might try a rust "converter" on those hard to reach spots. It chemically stops the rust and allows you to get down to the bare metal. About $15 to 20 a gallon at WallyMart but that should do your entire machine.

Maybe hit it with a wire wheel chucked in your drill. Harbor Freight has some great cheap wire wheel attachments in a set for like $3 on sale. A couple sets would probably do you whole machine. (HINT: When using cheap wire wheels remember to put very little pressure on the wheel. That way it "bites" better and lasts longer.)

If you have a Dremel type tool, you can get smaller wire bits for the tiniest of areas.

Looks like minor rust but well worth the clean-up effort. Oh, and as a friend who is into car paint told me, use white or light grey primer under your orange.

Keep the pictures coming.

Ray

 

[Tooljunkie]

I used a small sandblaster many times. I used a cardboard box and taped a piece of glass over one hole,cut another for my arm to go in and one on bottom where i blast. I hold blaster and prop box where i want to blast and have at it. Most of sand ends up in box and not in my shorts.

My small blaster has baking soda in it now, for carburetors and brass parts.

 

[Daren Todd]

Tallbald, just got a chance to look at the seat I have. It's a direct bolt up for your. But, looking closely at the bottom, it's starting to develop the same cracks as yours. At the moment it's right on the edge of the welds.

Now here's where I'm jealous

I noticed in one of your other posts that your tractor has s suspension for your seat.

Mines a solid mount

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tallbald]

Folks thank you for the rust suggestions. I'm not familiar with the rust converter chemicals. I'll look online for additional information. Now if I must go with a small blaster, I believe I can rig up a box for smaller items from a plastic storage bin and acrylic for a window. That would let me, with some adapting, blast small parts like bolt heads in the future and capture the media for possible reuse.
Daren I sure am grateful for your kind seat offer. With my size though (I think I mentioned somewhere I'm 6 feet 5 inches tall and over 300 pounds) I guess for safety and longevity reasons I will seek a new aftermarket seat. Thanks really. Most replacement seats I've seen are already upholstered also. They run from about $205 from the dealer down to around $90 on "the" online auction site.
Has anyone bought a new aftermarket seat for their tractor they could suggest a dealer of? With my proportions I'd regret a seat that wasn't as thick a gauge steel as the factory one, but $200+ is a lot for me. May have no choice but safety is really important. I checked Messick's and may be missing it but don't see a direct L185 replacement seat. Thanks again everyone. Don

 

[Daren Todd]

Don, the direct replacement seat I ordered for mine was $100 plus shipping from colemans. Came upholstered also.

Here's the part number 35110-85015

 

[Tallbald]

Daren that's great. Thanks. Never heard of Coleman's and I'll look them up later this evening.Do they seem about the same thickness as OEM? Either way I doubt I will wear one out. Don
Daren I'll also call them if they are open in the morning. If not, Monday. Don

 

[Daren Todd]

Daren that's great. Thanks. Never heard of Coleman's and I'll look them up later this evening.Do they seem about the same thickness as OEM? Either way I doubt I will wear one out. Don

Yes, seemed to be exactly the same. Here's the link to colemans. I'll snap some pictures of the new one tomorrow.

http://www.colemanequip.com

 

[Tallbald]

Thank you so much. I will see about ordering Monday. Right now I'm afraid to reinstall the old seat because of safety, and I cannot move my tractor out of my small shop without a seat. Don.

 

[Daren Todd]

Here's the promised pictures of the new one. It was a direct oem replacement using the l185 part number. Original part number was replaced by the part number above.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tallbald]

Daren thank you again. I'm using some of the money I received for my grader blade to buy the seat. I waited too late to reach them this morning. I forgot it's Saturday and they closed up shop at noon. Will call them Monday morning.Thanks once more. Don

 

[D2Cat]

Don, let me give you another thought before you order Monday.

I'm 6'4 and 220#. I had an L1500 with a stock metal seat. I had to fold up a throw rug and lay in the seat to keep from pinching my butt!

Based on the information you gave, I do not think you will be comfortable in a stock seat. I'd suggest saving for the right one. You'll be so much happier. Be patient.

I looked on Craig's List in my area and found this. I'm confident you can find something similar in your area. Getting the seat bolted to your brackets is part of the fun of working on tractors....problem solving....keeps you young!!


Look at this post coachgeo just posted. Same seat on his....

http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24260

https://columbiamo.craigslist.org/grd/5518564928.html

 

[Tallbald]

That really looks comfortable. Very comfortable. I'm going to look into some seats that love me as much as I love my tractor. I do wonder if my love handles are narrower than the inner dimension of the armrests though..... I can sit in my wife's cardiologist's office chairs, stand up and bring the chair with me hooked on my muffin top. Good for a few laughs but ......
Don

 

[billrigsby]

Don, the direct replacement seat I ordered for mine was $100 plus shipping from colemans. Came upholstered also.

Here's the part number 35110-85015

WOW, $253 for a L1500 (L175) from Colemans and Messicks

BUT $163 delivered from Cypress (current exchange rate)
https://www.stavros-savva-co-ltd.com.cy/product/kubota-assy-seat-l1500-l2000/

 

[billrigsby]

Curious, what is that bracket for?

 

[Daren Todd]

WOW, $253 for a L1500 (L175) from Colemans and Messicks

BUT $163 delivered from Cypress https://www.stavros-savva-co-ltd.com.cy/product/kubota-assy-seat-l1500-l2000/

View attachment 21647

I would have thought yours and mine had the same seat Mine was 120$ with shipping. Does your seat mounts the same as mine? If it does, I'll check the measurement on the brackets tomorrow.

 

[Daren Todd]

Curious, what is that bracket for?

View attachment 21648

Slow moving vehicle triangle