Found MkI carrier

[alleramilitaria]

i love it when the track flops down, it gets the adrenelen running knowing its gonna hurt if you dont jump back fast enough
dave d

[Ralph Volkert]

Well this weekend was spent freeing up rusted bolts. Most went "easily: enough. I have a couple of cotter pins that are giving me a bit of trouble to remove but It is early yet.

HELP!!! Is there ANY trick in removeing the 3 bolts on the track tensioner at the front of the carrier? The track is off. I have been using a 3/4" drive bar on a 1 5/16" socket with a big ass pipe on the end. I have used penetrating fluid, heat, and a bigger pipe! I had to stop because something was going to snap! (my @#*& temper probably)!

One thing I have learned so far...I need much bigger wrenches than what I had in my tool box to date!

[alleramilitaria]

i have done it 2 ways....
1 scor the nuts and chisel the nut in half without damaging the threads on the bolt. then replace the bolt. you can make a cage bolt with a pice of stock and a grinder.

2 cut the darn thing off with a angle grinder and make a new bolt with the base of the old one.

i would not even think of useing the old nuts again.
also if you have a MK I carrier just remember that some parts out there from MK II will NOT fit on your carrier. keep that in mind when you are out there buying parts.
removing the bolts is going to be the fun part.
dave

[Jordan Baker]

Charlie Fitton recommends heating the nuts 3 times. Each time heat until cherry red and let cool. I have yet to try it but he swears by it and said they came right off. I wouldn't recommend cutting them off unless you have NOS ones to replace with. One thing I learned with the UC resto is don't cut off original stuff unless you have a replacement at hand. The stuff is hard to find.

[alleramilitaria]

i agree with that statement but like the break links that i had remade some items on carriers are just too stressed out. of the 12 or so front bolts i have removed about 4 or 5 have snapped clean off, and i would not want that to happen coming off a trailer or going into a ditch.

on the break links of the 8 used ones i have inspected 4 of them were cracked and had to be replaced. lots of people tont think about them till they break and you can only make left or right turns.

dave

[rob love]

If you have access to a oxy acetylene torch, heat the nuts to very warm/almost red and then spin them off with the impact gun. The nut will heat and soften while the stud will remain hard. Works 99.9% of the time.

If you don't have access to these two tools, then, as Dave suggests, sharpen a large chisel and split the nut. Even just making a good chisel mark in them may spread them just enough to loosen them.

[Ralph Volkert]

Well The tracks on both sides are now off. I just have to roll them up and get them in the garage. Working on the tracks is something I think I will work on in the fall/winter.

I was surprised considering how long this machine has sat, exposed to the elements the only part of the track s that weren't flexible was the part wrapped around the rear drive wheels and the front driven wheels!

The tension adjusters even came off...finally. I didnt have a 3/4 inch drive impact gun or an oxy/acetylene torch. (I have to watch what I spend now! The wife is starting to give me the evil eye when ever I start making up a list of things I need to get!)

I do have a oxy/MAPPS gas torch and it was able to heat the nuts to the point of Just trying to turn red. That and a power bar with a pipe extension took off the nuts with out too much trouble at all. One nut took 3 tries at heating it up but it finally came off!

The carrier is starting to look pretty bare now! On the outside at least! Soon I will be able to start gutting the inside....I hope.

It is pretty satisfying once things start coming coming along!

Oh yeah my carrier still has the asbestos heat shield on the rear. It seems in fairly good shape and should come off with out any trouble. Is it worth reusing or should it just be disposed of? If not put back on should some other sort of heat shield be installed? Or does anyone even worry about the heat from the mufflers?