TERRA TIGER Restoration thread

[mikni]

This is all great stuff. I have had way too much fun in these old Tigers. I look forward to seeing your progress.

[simpleton7016]

Well, my wife and kids went up north for the weekend, so I had most of Sunday to myself. I learned a very hard lesson: shear pins can look in-tact but still be busted!

I learned the lesson AFTER I replaced the other front axle. After removing the primary drive shaft and jackshaft, I looked at the remaining axle and it looked good. I spun it and the sprocket turned with the axel with no wobble. A peak at the shear pin showed that it was sticking out both side of the sprocket hub just like it should. So I replaced the other axle and put it all back together. I fired her up and had power to all axle's except that one. Sure enough, the shear pin was snapped inside the hub and the sprocket was loose on the axle....but tight enough to spin when I turned the axle by hand.

So basically, I had to take the entire front end out again. That sucked but I am getting real good with these machines!

[mikni]

Hey Simpleton, clear some of your PMs off. Your mailbox is full and I can not reply to you.

[mikni]

It is fun when that pin sheers on the axle hub and you are out on the trails and you see you tire go racing off without you!

[simpleton7016]

PM's cleaned out. Sorry!

[simpleton7016]

Dang, getting ahead of myself. This is Terra Tiger TT 10 serial number 1438. My fiberglasser/painter got me the first Tiger back before my machinist is done with his end! Ergo, I don't have axles and wheels to put under this one. I don't really want to start working on this until I have rubber under it. I have the rubber, but need to locate K-lock rims. I called Recreatives and left two messages, but no one returned the call. Must be vacation or something. Can anyone point me to any other sources for K-locks?

[Mike]

That is beautiful! You have got to be excited just seeing the body looking that good. For the K-locks give RI another call and hit 0 to talk to the operator and ask her for Jay. That sucks that they didn't return your call.

[simpleton7016]

Thanks for the name Mike! I will call him on monday.

[racerone3]

Looking good so far! I have a early 1970's Simplicity 3416H that had a recent engine rebuild, and I just rebuilt the bevel gear box. It has a snow plow, a very wide rear rototiller, and mowing deck and I must say that tractor is built like a tank, and just about as heavy as one too. I hardly ever use it, so it'll be going up for sale too.

i have an early 80's simplicity 7116 and i use it to death. we got 10+ inches of snow here 3 times this winter (unheard of around here) and it plowed 20-30 driveways with each storm. i've tilled about 15 gardens with it this spring... it is the most handy peice of equipment i have. i'd been looking for a carb for it for 3 years when i finally put 2 and 2 together on simpleton7016's username. sent him a pm and had my carb a week later. thanks again, i'm getting pleanty of good use out of it!

[simpleton7016]

You're welcome Brian....I wish the Tillotsons and Wallbro's were as bullet proof as the 16 horse Briggs Carbs!! These pumper carbs are giving me fits!! I talked to that Marty guy about Mikuni conversion kits and he said he had some....but I never heard back from him. Too bad, I would have bought three! Anyway, I will get these guys working eventually.

And yes, dollar for dollar and pound for pound, the 1970's Simplicity's and Allis Chalmers are the best garden tractors ever made. Opinons differ, but that is mine.

[Duke]

It is fun when that pin sheers on the axle hub and you are out on the trails and you see you tire go racing off without you!

I know what that feels like but my tire floated by me

that tiger looks good simpleton7016 that things going to be awesome

[simpleton7016]

I am not sure how this fits, but just wanted to document it for the archives. I have torn apart 7 Terra Tigers now. The hope is to make 3 good ones. I think I will be successful. I found a few minor differences in models that I have not seen documented anywhere. All of them regarding the primary drive shafts. First is a minor machining difference in the hub of the male portion of the steering clutch. See the attached picture. One of the hubs is machined narrower than the other. I have found a couple of these, but the change does not correspond to any of the documented changes/upgrades in the various machines. The only thing I can think of is that these narrower hubs were made in the replacement parts. The one in the picture came off of model number 1438. But I have an earlier model without that narrower hub and several later models without it either. Although #3163 DID have them. I can't make sense out of it, so it they must be replacement parts.

Second....I have rebuilt 6 primary drive shafts now. Two of them are seen in the picture and the one in the front was reportedly rebuilt by Richards Relics. In almost all cases, the pieces were rusted and needed electrolysis to clean them up. However, this primary drive shaft that I took out of serial #1438 was manufactured in stainless steel and rust free. None of the others were stainless steel.

[mikni]

The stainless is a great find. Do you plan on putting that into one of your rebuilds?

[simpleton7016]

No, I will probably sell the stainless steel unit to someone that is restoring to original. I have a stash of rebuilt Primary Drive shafts now.

I just got the second Terra Tiger back from my fiberglasser. One left to get completed. My 6 year old son wanted his to be black, so my we found a flat black marine paint to suit his needs. I am not sure how wise it was to let a six year old pick the color of a toy that he can't drive for at least another five years, but it made him happy. This was the newest of the three Terra Tigers (the one on the far left in the original pictures) and needed the most fibergalss work by far! But again, the guy I am working with really did some excellent work.

[Mike]

I think it was a great idea to let him choose the color. That black looks sinister.