Another Lil Truck disaster, but I am back

[patb069]

Well, after almost 4 years I was able to afford another 6x6. Feels good to be back. Missed the hobby, the stories and the good people on the site.
So, Friday I went to Ma. and picked up a Lil Truck. Man this thing is rough, but the price wasnt too bad. It has the Granite State in it and the lower tub looks like someone took a green poly bottom and that had a side exhaust and slapped it In there. There is a huge crac that runs around the right side of the machine that was patched (with rivets) Guess I am going to try my hand at poly welding. Seat is shot, bearings look tired, wiring is a mess , tires are shot, engine runs, but is on its last legs, and it has a Granite State in it.....BUT at least I am back in the hobby.
Does Anyone out there have any frames or parts for sale or ideas on this thing? i am basically starting from scratch. Thanks and glad to see all the familiar names are still here.

[gus marrone]

I have the exact machine if you need info. I have the same trans and some extra parts but I'm looking to put a t-20 in it , if you look at the frame you can see where it has the factory slots for the t-20. good luck, Gus

[jpswift1]

Welcome back, Pat! It's great to see you again. Is that the one that was on Craigslist along with the first generation Attex? I know 6X6World member Jerseybigfoot did a Granite State to T-20 conversion in his green Superchief. He might be able to give you some pointers. It looks like you've got an excellent starting point though. Welcome back to 6X6World and welcome to the 'Lil Truck club. I picked one up in the Spring and I love it. These are great machines! Here's a before and after pic. It actually didn't need too much work, just some cleaning, bearings, sprocket, chain, and some maintenance.

[patb069]

Hi Jeff! Great to hear from you. Yes, I got this machine through the craigslist ad. i bought it from site member Mike Lind (Mad Mike). He had sold the racer looking 300d prior to my call. Your lil truck looks awesome. I hope to get mine to that point eventually. At closer inspection it appears both body haves on mine are original lil truck. Just a whopper of a crack, but I have a hot air welder so I will see what I can do with it. That Granite State scares me. Lots of moving parts. All repairs seem to be manageable though. I'll post pics as I make progress. Hope to catch up with you soon.

[patb069]

Thank you for the info Gus. That Granite state has alot of hydraulic parts that look complicated. I will definitely enlist your wisdom and expertise. Thank you again for the offer. I'll be in touch.

[jerseybigfoot]

Message - Amphibious ATV Pictures

[patb069]

Thanks for the pics Jersey. Doesn't look extremely complicated. The problem I have is that there are valves on the front of the transmission that appear to connect to hoses. These are separate from the hydraulic looking hoses that connect to the lateral mechanisms. Any idea what is supposed to go there or where they connect to? Any info would be appreciated.

[jpswift1]

Well Pat, I'd highly recommend swapping in a T-20. The GT-1 and GT-2 transmissions were very bad transmissions and I (and many others) believe that this is pretty much what put Attex out of business. I believe these transmissions were designed by Ontario Gear and Drive (ODG), the company that makes Argo, and they're a very bad design that will break and leave you high and dry at any time.......most likely the worst possible time. I think it would save you many, many headaches if you just got a T-20 and swapped it in. Sorry I couldn't be much help with the GT transmission questions and I apologize for being the bearer of bad news.

[patb069]

Liil truck Progress

Ok, so my 6 year old and I have been diligently working on the Lil truck. Here are some pics of the progess. Machine has been degreased, scrubbed, and power washed. The gas tank was removed, flushed and remounted with all new lines and filters. The carb was removed and cleaned, the oil changed so now the engine is running much better. Now for the bad, the crack in the tub is much worse than I initially thought, and is going to involve a significant amount of HDPE welding, probably with bridging gaps with wire mesh.
A few questions for the masters:
1) Does anyone know what the hose connections on the front of the Granite State connect to? (see Pic)
2) Does anyone know where to get the boots for the plungers on the transmission? (See Pic)
3) What size bearings do I need ,and where can I get them outside of going to R.C. ( I should know this, but it has been quite a while)
4) Did attex really set up the frame like this around the Granite State? It looks like such a cheap hatchet job.
5) Does anyone have a spare 3 bolt axle flange that they are willing to sell? I have one that is completely aced, and really dont want to get it from R.C.
Thanks for any and all help. Ill post more as Alex and I move forward.

[sshirk]

I am far from an expert but just did the same thing you are doing. I have an attex lil truck with the same transmission, my transmission was not working so i took it apart, fixed some seals and replaced some o rings and now it works. The hoses that connect to the mastercyclinder push on a plunger inside that release the clutch and apply to the brake. The top 2 that are not hooked to anything are an air bleeder. The clutch plates on both side of my transmission have a little wear and i am having trouble finding anything close.

Good luck

[jpswift1]

Pat, it looks like you've made quite a bit of progress..............nice work! I can't help you out with anything for the GT series transmission that you have, but I can help you with the bearings. Give the guys at Buffalo Bearings a call. They're great folks to deal with and they deal with many, many 6X6World members. Tell them you're from 6X6World and they'll take good care of you. Their number is (716) 874-1720. For outer bearings you'll need ones that are 52mm outside diameter and tell them they're the ones that fit into the two piece stamped steel bearing flanges and the inside diameter is 1" and they have a triple lip seal and for that you can let them know you need the ones with the code "R3". Hope this helps.

[patb069]

Thank you for the info guys. I really appreciate it. Jeff, can I stuff 23's under this machine? Was just wondering because I don't have the exhaust to contend with.

[jpswift1]

Glad to help, Pat. And yes, 23's will fit. I've seen 23x10.50x12 garden tractor tires and wheels on an Attex. It probably rides very rough with those kind of tires on it though.

[Don]

Nice to have you back, Pat. I'm not at all familiar with the GT transmission other than the terrible stories I've heard, but it would be good to see somebody make one actually work. It seems like ODG would have a leg up on the design of an amphib transmission so I've always wondered why it was (by reputation) so bad.

Anyway, nice machine- good luck with it!

[patb069]

So last night a miracle happened in Levittown Long Island. I was working on my machine in the garage at about 11pm. After pulling my engine to get better access to the axle bolts my Lil truck came ALIVE!!! As i started trying to pull the axle bolts, It looked me straight in the face and growled "Now I am going to kick you in the balls!!!".........and then it did.