BB's 986 spruce up thread

[B.B.]

Tire/wheel is now spaced like the other one and I took the tractor for a spin to get up to temp and so I could re tighten the clamp bolts after driving and stoping etc.   The hydraulic oil cooler is now leaking lol so I'll have to see about ordering a new one.  

 

 

 

 

[B.B.]

Thinking I'll touch up the red on the doors and fenders.  Still have to paint the front weights too as some of them are pretty rough.   

Forgot to mention that I got new lower light covers and new hood bolts (both kinds) from redrunrite.   Will get an oil cooler ordered.   It's lol no more after I saw the price of them

 

[B.B.]

Oil cooler came in and is now installed.  Angle grinder wire brushed the front weights and painted them.   I have 10 weights total but I only have 4 that are the same the rest are pairs and all slightly different.  Needless to say all 10 don't fit right nor do they all look right so I think I'll stick with these 6.   The middle ones are not IH but are very similar.   These are the smaller 70lb weights but they sure feel like the 100s.... Must be getting older???? 

 

It rained here today but maybe it didn't rain enough that I can't hook this to the 10ft bush hog tomorrow and try it out.  

[B.B.]

Mowed the corn stalks this morning with my 10' bush hog. The tractor performed really well.   Felt like a kid inside the cab with the AC on low

 

Then I decided it was time to change out the blades that I bought 2 years ago.   I think good advice is when it's time to change bush hog blades trade it in for a new one lol 

 

That's Sandy one of the "barn" cats on the tire. 

Also burnt a brush pile today

[Hudco]

nice when you can start putting it to work isnt it

[B.B.]

7 hours ago, Hudco said:

nice when you can start putting it to work isnt it

It felt great for sure.   Looking out a freshly painted hood that has the hood ornament at the end with the AC on made me think this must of been kind of what it felt like to drive one when it was brand new.  

I had driven a 986 when I was a kid about 33ish years ago.   I got that same feeling yesterday!  "Wow this is a cool tractor" lol 

[B.B.]

Went to use the tractor some this spring and ac would work a while and quit.  I did a lot of reading and come to realize that I didn't know the insulating the bulb on the expansion valve was important so this morning I sat out to do that.    I noticed some of the fittings had some oil residue while I was in there which makes me think they leak just a little.   

 

I insulated the bulb real well and then started bush jogging and just when I thought I had it fixed red light on and no ac. 

 

I put another can of freon in it and it seems to be working just fine....   Ugh I spent all that money on all new AC stuff and may still have to add a can of freon every year.  

 

[iowaboy1965]

2 hours ago, B.B. said:

noticed some of the fittings had some oil residue while I was in there which makes me think they leak just a little.   

Yup.

[B.B.]

31 minutes ago, iowaboy1965 said:

Yup.

Any way to fix that?   They are tight and they were new all but that metal elbow and the pressure switch is new. 

[iowaboy1965]

1 hour ago, B.B. said:

Any way to fix that?   They are tight and they were new all but that metal elbow and the pressure switch is new. 

Well I assume the connection has in o ring in it? I've never worked on a tractor ac but in the automotive world it would mean open it up and replace the oring. But it's been a long time since I was current on those either. There should be some way to seal it up. Hopefully somebody with more experience on these will chime in. Being new you would think it would seal. 🤷‍♂️

[snoshoe]

Best I can remember those are just flare fittings. As long as clean and not cracked. Should seal by just tightening. I have a time or two made gaskets by flaring appropriate size copper tube. Then cutting just flare off and inserting between tube and fitting as gasket.

[B.B.]

Flare fittings but I think any tractor I do from here on out will get swapped over to orings by buying the newer style lines etc.   

 

 

[Dan Robinson]

We always use a dab of pag oil on the flares before tightening. Along with orings, when using oring lines. 

Did you use tar wrap around the expansion valve and lines in the cab? That is needed also.

[B.B.]

21 hours ago, Dan Robinson said:

We always use a dab of pag oil on the flares before tightening. Along with orings, when using oring lines. 

Did you use tar wrap around the expansion valve and lines in the cab? That is needed also.

I only insulated around the bulb on the expansion valve this time around.   I used some foam tape stuff from home Depot.  I didn't know tar wrap was a thing.    

 

I said right up front I didn't know what I was doing

[B.B.]

986 wasn't charging.   New alternator new pulley and new belts tonight took care of the issue 

 

If you buy a new alternator just go ahead and get the pulleys too.   I ruined the old pulley trying to get them off the old alternator.    I also fully understand now why most tractors don't have that belt guard on there anymore either.  

[B.B.]

I'll give ya a couple sneak peak pics too.   

 

I'm going to pull the seat to rebuild the top plate of the range transmission.   I got a kit from AI a couple weeks ago.    So I figured while I had the seat out...

 

 

Might need your help on that top plate and the park pawl etc as I've not ever been in one.  

[Cool1566]

Love a burgundy interior

[Drysleeves]

[B.B.]

Got after it early this morning pulling seat and floor pans and then pressure washing everything in and under the cab.   I'm letting it dry now while I make a trash run.    

 

Getting that seat and seat suspension out whooped me...    I ain't 25 no more and yes I unbolted it from the floor hump lol 

 

 

[Drysleeves]

I have to marvel at how the Hinsdale boys managed to shoehorn what was obviously intended for and later used on a longer chassis onto the 66 Series platform.
 

And it’s still working 50 years later. 

[B.B.]

So I bought this range shift kit from AI intending to pull the range cover and install the kit as the tractor didn't seem to "click" into high range.   It hadn't popped out but just didn't feel right.    

 

I disconnected the high low shifter and the transmission clicks in just fine and real solidly but I was at the end of travel for high range on the hand shifter.    I moved from the outer hole to the inner hole and adjusted the short link so the shifter centers like it should.   Obviously someone before me had already put the same kit in as the top lever is exactly the same as what I have in the kit and isn't factory.    Feel like I dodged a big bullet as I've been dreading pulling that cover.   

Now I'm going to clean up my mess and see about installing that back piece of foam.  

[B.B.]

Back together.   That seat whooped my tail....  

 

I think the easy way for the seat would be remove the back window and use a loader with the pallet forks to get the seat up and into the window?? 

[Alan Dinan]

4 hours ago, B.B. said:

Back together.   That seat whooped my tail....  

 

I think the easy way for the seat would be remove the back window and use a loader with the pallet forks to get the seat up and into the window?? 

I think that’s how I took the seat out of the 36 when I replaced it. But didn’t take the window off the tractor. I just opened it all the way 

[Drysleeves]

4 hours ago, Alan Dinan said:

I think that’s how I took the seat out of the 36 when I replaced it. But didn’t take the window off the tractor. I just opened it all the way 

Yep out the wide open back window.

[B.B.]

I definitely took it out and back in through the rear window.  Man handling the thing over the 3pt and up through the window is the worst part.    I had the window "wide open" as far as the notches go on the latches but perhaps you mean to disconnect the latches and open it up even further? 

 

Somewhere I read to remove the steering wheel and top shaft and I can see where working in the cab that would really help.   I loosened the height adjustment nut thinking maybe the wheel and shaft would just pull out but it didn't seem to want too.