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Frantic is usually a good word when fire extinguishers are involved... reminds me of the moron at my old job who thought it would be cute to scratch a striker over a gallon WD40 can of ID red brake wash while another guy was filling it from a 55 gallon drum. 17 extinguishers later we saved the shop, if my tools had not been in there I would have just cut and run, but I love my tools... pandemonium is another word that comes to mind.
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DESTRUCTION is just a couple of vowels down the street from DISTRACTION -
Coop told me that the right side hydro will have to come off and be torn down to see what is going on internally. I went to do that and, well, I could not lift a wrench to work on it, sorry guys, but I've just had my last free time ruined by this thing. I have no more to give it, no more. I'm to the point that I no longer care for it, all the happy thoughts for it have LONG been gone, all the great expectations weathered away by a process that beat me down and brought me to an absolute hatred of this machine. I could not go into my shop all weekend because I would have done everything in my power to destroy that nightmare. I instead began to toss all associated parts into it. All pics have been deleted from the pc, all reciepts are in the trash and will be picked up at the end of the road this afternoon, as far as I know at this moment NO related parts, bolts, scrap, drawing, diagram or receipt, no piece nor so much as a skectch remains in my shop. That way I no longer can ever figure how much this disaster has cost me physically, financially, but most of all mentally.
This is it's (as far as I'm concerned) final resting place until I decide how it will meet it's demise036.jpg
This is it's condition 035.jpg
I was able to get it moved(surprisingly) with no damage. Hell, it's like it WANTED to get out of my shop. Damned glad of it! If ever any of you are interested, well, I don't know how you'll reach me... I'm beat, and done here.
Brushcutter... outDESTRUCTION is just a couple of vowels down the street from DISTRACTIONComment
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Wow, poor man, beaten down by a machine, sure hate that it happened. If anybody needs to get hold of Brushcutter, let me know and I'll get him for you. He seems really down with this machine. If anybody has desires for a Cushman Marsh model Trackster, this one is nearly restored.Comment
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I realized a couple of things last night. First and most important is that the original purchase and delivery have been omitted from my figures so this build is officially over 10k. As it stands I'm in a situation where
A: I can't expect that there is another person on earth FOOL enough to pay ANYWHERE near 10K for this pos and therefore I'm stuck with it.
B: I refuse to loose the amount of cash I would have to loose for one of you to buy it as is.
C: I accept that I have absolutely no choice but to finish the damned thing............................................. ............................................someda y
D: When I finish it, it's rebuild cost will STILL far EXCEED it's sale value. that's funny right there.
E: I'll have an very expensive aatv that I'm scared to drive into a mudhole in the driveway for fear of it breaking and me having to work on it.
F: I'll have to get over the above because somebody will have to hammer it down into a condition EQUAL to the price people will pay for it so it can be sold.
I take great pleasure in the thought of a good ol F: what about you?DESTRUCTION is just a couple of vowels down the street from DISTRACTIONComment
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Just step away from it for awhile, get over the frustration that it has caused you. It is a good machine, you've basically taken an old worn out AATV and restored it to better than new. $10000 isn't terriable considering what you now have. You could have done it cheaper, but you spent the money to do it right. Have you priced a new TerraTrac? ...$36K+..., so your investment seems good. My motto has always been," You can't put a price on your fun, if you do, it stops being fun", (I just finished building an $8000 R/C helicopter, that supports that theory
)... Finish it, I guarantee you'll have fun with it and you'll want to get it dirty, maybe not tomorrow, but after you've gotten over the frustration.
CoopComment
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if I told you what I invested in making my max IV what it is today and that's not including my man hours it would make most people sick1996 MAX IV ,KUBOTA DIESEL
MAX II 30HP BandoleroComment
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Gregg...I sent you a PM with this info, but I'll post it here also, might help somebody else...
I was getting my Trackster ready for my hunting trip last night and my left side hydro wouldn't work. It acted like it had lost its prime. It has done this before, but usually clears up after the engine runs for 10-30 seconds. Last night it didn't prime for 10 minutes, and only after I held the joystick full forward left side, right side in neutral. Sounds very much like your problem. Here is what I found.
If you haven't already, go here and download the manual:
On page 23, find item #27, that is your Charge Relief valve cone. I took mine out and found a small piece of dirt under it, cleaned it, put it back together and the hydro now works fine. If that valve doesn't seat, the charge pump doesn't prime, and the rest of the hydro won't prime either. I'm betting you have dirt, stuck valve, or broken spring in yours. Worth a try, pretty easy to get to and check. Let me know how you make out...
CoopComment
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I hope is the ticket, Brushcutter is sooooo close to completing this machine. I was hoping to see it in operation this winter.Comment
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I hate to say it, but I had to chuckle on reading some of it. All I can say is been there, done that, bought the T-shirt. About all you can do is walk away before you pour gasoline on it and toss a lit flare. I've had many rigs, race Jeeps, sand rails, you name it. All are money pits. I still have two boats, and both are holes in the water you throw money into.
I rebuilt one boat that was a problem child like your Trackster. I'd put on a new carb, take it out, and it'd still run like crap. I came "this close" to having an "accident" such as "forgetting" to put the plugs in, then finding an 80 foot deep hole to have it sink. I finally resolved it, and still have it, although I ended up just dropping a new engine in it.
As for Tracksters, we had one here at work. We'd use it to access radio sites in winter. Rattlesnake Mountain is the highest treeless mountain in the lower states, and we'd need tracks to get over snow, but towards the top, 80 MPH winds would blow it away leaving exposed half buried basalt rocks. The boss finally got tired of replacing broken bogey wheels, and sold it. It was also hard to get started when cold... which is when it was needed the most. The machines are used around here for spraying mosquitoes in swamps, and with it's aluminum bogey setup, soft ground is it's long suit. They can't take hard ground and rocks like a wheeled machine.
We never had hydraulic problems though, and it sounds like you're having first-run type (after overhaul) problems. It doesn't take much of an air leak or air bubble to mess up a hydraulic system. I have a feeling that once properly primed, she'll be okay. Of course, it may need to sit somewhere covered with a tarp 'til you can look at it again, and I know the feeling."Sand is pavement to a 6x6!"Comment
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I have to add something about fighting fires. What you need is foam from here: Mac the Fire Guy
I have many of his foam units, and they're magic. It's like soap suds, it does NO DAMAGE like dry chems. Foaming something like burning diesel, and it does NOT reignite. Period, when it's out, it STAYS OUT. Halon or dry chem can't do that, and I've come close to losing things to both, but the two fires I've fought with foam made them pretty much non-events.
Every rig I own except the 6x6 has at least one. I'm going to put one on the 6x6 soon, and it's perfect for foam - an enclosed hull full of fuel, oil, and grease. I have a Halon on it now, but that won't keep a grease/oil fire snuffed, it'll relight after the oxygen comes back. The fire stays out only when hot parts cool down.
My motorcoach has a 10 lb. automatic foam unit hanging above the big Cat, and there's four more handhelds here and there within it. I was convinced after watching Mac's demo at an RV rally years ago. Don't be fooled by the can-of-hairspray sized little foam units, they shoot like Hollywood machine guns. (You know, the "burp" guns that carry what must be 5,000 rounds) I swear the little things will shoot foam for 3 solid minutes!
Last edited by Adondo; 11-15-2013, 03:04 PM."Sand is pavement to a 6x6!"Comment
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Thanks for the info guys. I've got a couple of welding projects I've been putting off in the shop right now. Then I'll be building a few deer stands. Although that would seem like an easy fix Coop, I don't think anything is going to happen with the trackster any time soon. The issue I have with an easy fix is that I have zero faith that it would be a permanent fix and I fully believe that if that were to get it going, it would give me enough security to get 300 yards out in a swamp and the easy fix would only be a trap, it would break and then, there I would be, broke down in a swamp, facing a nightmare of a time getting the beast out and back to the truck, and, of course M A D! I do need a break from it and since it is out of there, the shop is being used for other projects. If it happens that I keep it and since I have ZERO faith in the transmission at this point, as crazy as it may seem, what will happen is; the tracks will come off, the drive shaft, motor, motor mount and transmission will all come out and the transmission will go to Craig to be completely rebuilt. I have cut no corners up to this point and I'll be danged if I'm gonna start now er... whenever I feel like fooling with it again. Yes this move alone will cost me more than the cost of a nice used Max IV, but if the thing stays with me, I am not willing to have it break down, simply because I cheaped out on the build. The reason this thing turned out to infuriate me is not so much the cost, but that I have constantly set dates whereupon I thought it would be ready to ride, only to meet with some other problem. You are right Coop, when I first ordered parts 20+ months ago, Craig told me the lowest priced machine he sells is (was) $31,900. If I do go through with this plan, I will have a basically NEW Marsh Model, which they don't build today, for somewhere around $14,000, not too bad, but more than I had planned.
There is the possibility it will sell, but I doubt it. I have contacted a couple of folks who are interested, but not immediately ready to buy. can't say that I blame them...DESTRUCTION is just a couple of vowels down the street from DISTRACTIONComment
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I'm in process of rebuilding one, almost finished with it as well...
Seems like you've done a lot more work thou, considering amount of rust and previous condition it was in... you've done just tremendous amount of work...
Anyways,
Have you had a chance to get the hydrostats to work after all the work? I've gotten stuck on mine - being that it has an air bubble inside, and I'm not able to figure a way to air bleed the system the right way, to get the flow going with the new fluid I've replaced.
In my case, it was all apart mostly, replaced all outer seals, gaskets, o-rings, being that the case - most of the fluids from everywhere was drained during the work. Now that I've got it all assembled (btw it used to run just fine, was drivable prior to me taking it apart).
So - any possible suggestions?
p.s. usually there isnt a financial return on the fact that you restore a machine... but at times - you could find someone who would be very appreciative of work you've put into it... They are unique machines, one of the kind for sure...Comment
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Getting the air out can sometimes be a battle. What I have done with success a couple times is to overfill the system. The system is supposed to hold 7 quarts, try putting 9 quarts in it,jack it up so the tracks are off the ground, run it above idle in neutral, see if it primes. If not, move the tee handle slowly back and forth. Usually after doing this a few times, it will prime. Sometimes it can take awhile. Once it primes, check the oil and if it is to full, use a suction gun and draw the excess out the dipstick hole. Of course before doing all this, make sure all your connections are tight on the cooler and the tubes going to the gearbox housing. I don't know what you are using for oil, I use either International Harvester Hytran oil,( my prefered choice), or Ford Type F automatic transmission fluid.
CoopComment
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wont do any damage to over fill it up to 9qts?
I've got my tracks off at this point, so it would be an easy thing to do.Comment
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It won't cause any damage, you're going to adjust to the correct level after the air is bled out anyway.
CoopComment
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