Bringing Moby back to life...hopefully

[fesser]

I bought a very abused Hustler awhile back. Sat outside at some duck club for as long as anyone could remember. No known history as to condition or the reason why it was left to rot. When I posted a picture in the Intro area of this site Amphibious Drew commented that it was the whitest Hustler he had ever scene. My daughters like to name all our vehicles. Drews' comment inspired the name Moby Six for the Hustler. I know nothing about these machines other than what I have learned on this site. My goal is to try to get it functional by late July, 2013. We go to an annual three day party on the Russian River and I can't think of a better place to have the Hustler. Here is what I am starting with.

[Twizted1]

Does it have a fiberglass upper?

[amphibious drew]

Does it have a fiberglass upper?

Nope. I am going to say its a very Sun faded hdpe body. Use a heat gun on the body. I think low setting would be best but slowly go back and forth over it and the Brown should come back. You may need to switch to high heat, just keep it moving and be careful not to melt it my touching the heat gun to the body or letting it sit in one spot for to long. I am glad I could inspire your machines name. It's always nice to get a mention in a thread.

[fesser]

Here's what it looked like last night when it finally made it into the barn. The rust soup in the bottom of the tub is especially nice. Next stop, pop the upper shell off. I am sure the rusty fasteners will be easy to work with.

[fesser]

Not fiberglass for sure. HDPE with some cracks.

Now if I can only figure out how to post new pictures without the old one reattaching. Tried unchecking the box on the picture when I added the new ones but there it is.

[hydromike]

Heck, that actually doesn't look too bad! The top's really faded, but from the shots of the tub's inside, I think you've got a fantastic starting point. It looks relatively unmolested.

Heat only goes so far with advanced UV damage on HDPE, but if you combine the heat with a good dose of WD-40 and a dish washing scrub pad, it'll help a bit more. Don't use anything too abrasive that'll scratch the plastic. A lot of times, it seems that the most simple of problems can make someone turn one of these machines out to pasture. I wonder if it has a broken shift collar pin on the diamond shifter. 'Wouldn't be surprised.

[George]

"Moby 6" I like it!

[jpswift1]

That looks like a Hustler 950. A bulletproof Kohler K341 and T-20 transmission make for a great drivetrain. As Mike said, it looks like you have an excellent starting point to a great machine there. To get the color back in the HDPE body, check these links out:

http://www.6x6world.com/forums/content/252-remove-oxidation-hdpe-body.html

http://www.6x6world.com/forums/content/266-heatgun-body-repair-oxidation.html

[fesser]

Gents, thanks for your comments, observations and information. I have much to learn. Took the upper body off. Tried different methods to work with completely rusted hardware. Ended up deciding it was easiest to just break off each fastener. Seeing it with no lid makes the job seem quite a bit bigger. I am crossing my fingers that the trans and the engine aren't toast.

[jpswift1]

We're more than happy to help! On the plus side, it looks complete and not hacked up. I really think you have a great starting point here. Put some Marvel Mystery Oil down the cylinder (you may need to unbolt the head) and let it sit for a couple days. This way you can also inspect the valves and cylinder. Those Kohlers are bulletproof engines, and VERY heavy. Since the rear seat was in place it probably helped shield the T-20 from the elements so there's a chance water might have not worked its way in. The only way to tell is to open it up though. I hope everything looks good. Keep us updated and keep up the good work!

[wmsthree]

Hey, that's exactly what my 950 looks like right now!

[fesser]

I hope you are right. I'm going to pick up a case of penetrating oil in the morning and start soaking everything associated with the axles. Then I think I will work at getting the head exposed and removed to see what that looks like. Haven't had time to read the T20 manual yet. Frank

[fesser]

Well, I think the honymoon is over. Sprayed PB Blaster on every fastener I could find including the lug nuts and hub area. Did it every day for over a week. Impact wrench had to work to get the lug nuts off. Can't budge the wheels at all. Tried beating the rim with a hammer, heating the center of the wheel with a torch and using every odd kind of puller I could find. They are still on there. Removed the muffler cover. TYhat only required snapping two out of three fasteners. I know I am never going to get the sprockets to move on the axles based on everything else I've encountered. Are all the sprockets still available anywhere? I am sure I am going to have to cut some of them. Ugh.

[JoeMeg]

Don't give up yet,lol. Let the wheels soak longer. They'll come off. As for the sprocket tubes,they don't look too bad in the pic. Mine looked worse yet came off quite easily. If push comes to shove,you should only have to cut the axles which are eaiser to replace than sprocket tubes.

Joe.

[jpswift1]

You can get sprockets from Buffalo Bearing. Pretty much any size, tooth count, etc can be picked up from them. Then just weld them to some DOM tubing and you have all new sprockets/sprocket tubes. Give them a call and tell them you're with 6X6World and they'll take good care of you. (716) 874-1720.