5280Beltfed

Very interesting conversions, thanks for posting

I’m planning to rebuild a couple sets of tracks this winter. I purchased several hundred feet of 4” wide new 1/2” thick 3 ply conveyor belting. I’m not sure where you are located but I have extra material to spare. Some of it will need to be trimmed to narrow it for the outside bands. The gentleman I purchased my weasel from had a machinist make an injection mold for road pads and can get them made up if you need some I can supply the contact info. I plan on adding a double thick conveyor for the wheel contact area and a single outside and inside belt. Hopefully that will suffice? I’m not sure if I’ll use elevator bolts or pronged t nuts or a mixture of both to secure everything yet. I’m currently drilling a long piece of 1/2” thick steel flat stock for my hole template.

Love it! I’d totally do that too instead of sealant. When I sold my resto-mod pickup the buyer asked if there were any special parts needed for the conversion. I said no not really🤪

I used a big three jaw puller on the pulley, then pulled that retainer clip. Move to the press and place a large socket to clear the bearing/shaft on the front of pump while still supporting the casting. I use a small 1/4” socket to press the shaft/bearing thru the impeller into the big socket until it’s free and the shaft bearing combo will be almost out. Easy on the three jaw I’ve broken and bent pulleys on other vehicles in the past. Just an FYI if you have a large bearing separator big enough that the bolt holes clear the pulley I’d use that instead of the three jaw. I noticed on my weasel pumps that the clearances of the impeller to housing had run-out. I corrected it by chucking the housing in the lathe and truing it. I didn’t have the manual at the time so I set the clearance to .013” and everything seems to be ok 😂 and still haven’t checked to see what it should be at so look it up! Are you replacing the bearing shaft combo? It corrodes where the brass seal touches the shaft and that’s why they start leaking out the weep hole thru the bearing I use the impeller kit and a new bearing/shaft combo when rebuilding

It could be a multitude of any one issues causing no spark. Mine was an arcing distributor to coil wire touching the speedo. Drove me nuts. After sitting so long it would be wise to torch the carbon on plugs, new wires, cap, clean adjust points, and a coil. Advanced auto had a hellfire coil on sale that throws a mean spark😉. the setting you hear the pump run would be my best guess on the switch question. edit: don’t forget the rotor! I like the top yours came with btw.

I like your project! Looks really clean. You probably already know this but I’d recommend hardened valve seats being installed because of today’s fuel. I’ve heard the number 6 exhaust on these get roached out from cooling issues?

Used up my 3M fine line tape yesterday. I’m going to do the non factory hard top next. I’m on the Palmer divide and winds here are brutal so until I find a canvas top on she goes!

An electric motor shop should be able to help with the starter. I would pull it and make sure it in fact doesn’t spin, add oil to the oiler bench test motor and solenoid to find out what’s wrong. Pls crusty motors I like to douse with electrical contact cleaner, crank, and repeat a few times. My spare spins under power but need solenoid work for example. I labeled it so years from now my CRS doesn’t get the best of me.

-3 this morning after a snowfall. Didn’t go in high range, video was in low range third.

I can finally sleep at night😀. Drives perfectly straight and turns way better on the inside track. Need to get some paint on it before winter.

Nice project! I talked to Russ a few weeks ago and still has weasels. Looks like he is selling the tank: http://www.mvcconline.org/mvccCat4_resources for sale Russ Sherman.html

Looks very nice! I’ve been struggling with MIG over existing welds. I switched to fluxcore and it went better. Are you making all the repair panels or having them made? Pictures of your shop equipment would be nice if you’re making stuff. Mine is a fix as it breaks weasel but someday I might need to take it further. Thanks

I haven’t read they your entire thread yet but soon will. What a big project! I was in the collision industry about 20 years ago and at that time we used many panel bonding products. Norton speed grip, Lord Fusor products etc. Today I’m sure it’s heavily used. We used it mostly for sectioning panels, limited on any structure panels like rear body panels. Instead of pulling the rear glass out to change a quarter we always sectioned. The glue was good for the section splice/overlap as it doesn’t distort like welding. Shiny metal will not bond as good as sand blasted metal. The tighter you can get the bond the better. On a rear body panel we would use a vice clamp every possible square inch and still tack welded where we could. We liked glue for patches as you didn’t need to remove interiors because of fire threats of welding. I remember darting across the shop to push a car on fire outside to save the shop once. Slow burn from welding. If you cannot reach a spot with vice grips, self tapping sheet screws to force a bond. The longer the cure the better but we used 5 minute all the time for patches. I’ve seen a couple bad glue jobs from other shops totally pop off. That’s why we welded in spots!

T24 1470 is the actual motor installed in hull 3165. Not sure it really matters, the other I mentioned is a spare. Thanks!

Nice find, the track shown seems to be in good shape.

Yeah it’s nice. The stuff I buy doesn’t want you adding anything to the paint but it lays down very dry and the gun tip clogs. I add thinner and it sprays nice but has a semi-gloss finish because of additive. I’d rather have the paint not look like sandpaper.

Started pulling and removed the bent support tube. Still need to pull forward .0625 but will use a spreader porta-power as it’s just spring movement prior to welding. That side was back a little over 2”. Had to torch the bent tube out and that wasn’t fun because I couldn’t safely remove the flanges due to bent tube and 75+ years of corrosion. Not sure if I should bother trying to remove the flanges as the gasket is surely burnt away. See how the re-install goes... Here pics of my poor mans frame machine and rear servo hydraulics on the tractor pulling the frame. I should mention that you do not want to stand near or behind a chain when pulling and I drape a rubber mat over the pulling chain to stop it from going thru the cab if it breaks. I used a cheater bar to do initial pull just so I didn’t work the chain too hard. Then small pulls while lightly hammering the kink out. Fish plate over a weak area so I didn’t accidentally tear it apart.

Looks ok to me. Is this Omni considered a single stage PPG color or is it a base coat? I’m not used to PPG having mixed DuPont Chroma system, matrix, and sherwin williams products in the past. It’s hard to beat the g503 gallon paint for $50 vs sherwin auto ss paint for $600 a gallon set up. Quality is night and day though and I commend your choice.

Wow thank you for your research! This hull has several insulation clips throughout as well as the pioneer tool brackets spot welded on. Drivers toe board has insulation intact. See pics. The tow hook, in my best forensic analysis, was completely ripped out of the hull when abused at one point. The support bracket or hat channel if you will was pulled outward and as you can see in the photos heavily repaired/replaced. Judging by the poor welds and misaligned metal this was done thru the hatch. Normally in a collision the unitized structure folds inward, not outward like here. Thanks I look forward to more information! PS the pioneer tool straps will be attached correctly when painted

Would this be the likely white camouflage painted on the hull or just the regular white paint used inside tanks etc? I don’t believe this inside panel has seen the light of day in a while. Does anyone know if the insulation is of asbestos construct? I’ll treat it as so. Just removing bondo and crappy body work so I can pull the right side forward at the torsion bar. Relieving the frame rails of sheet steel structure makes it go a little easier. Torsion bar is bent but luckily I had an nos spare in the lot. Like how bubba welded that center brace? Geeez! Thanks

In the TMs these tools are said to be stored on vehicle, but where?

Can anyone direct me to a source of parts so I can complete this track tension gage tool? Or, if anyone has one I could make the rest from measurements. I would need number of coils, wire diameter, OAL, and inside diameter. Photos on grid paper would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! P.S. If others need that part let me know I can make a few.

Are these Weasel parts? If not I’d like to figure out what they belong to so they can find a home. Thanks