MF 245 wide front swap - an update

JD got me to thinking I needed to post an update. Quite a while back I asked for advice on ways to weld up a front bolster, to put a MF 245 wide front under my MH 101 Jr. My concern was that when I weld up a big assembly, things tend to move around. I got a lot of advice on how to V out my weldments, and how to move back and forth with my welds to counteract the warpage. So, what I did: I marked and drilled mount holes for the 3/4 inch base plate, which mounts to the cast front of the tractor. I was amazed that only two of the 9 holes took a little filing to get them all bolted up. Measure 3 times, drill once (grandpa taught me that). I thought long and hard about getting the two pivot holes with their bushings to stay lined up. I even built a boring bar to line bore them. I purchased a carbide-tipped hole saw in a size that would leave me some material to clean up with the boring bar, but when I got the holes drilled, they were JUST RIGHT, to press fit the bushings into. So I had no options to deal with warpage causing misalignment. At that point I decided that the first welds needed to pull the parts down solid, and stay aligned. My solution was to flatten the mating surfaces to be EXACTLY square to the mount plate, and then I drilled 1 inch holes through the base plate, as weldments. Two holes for each of the massive uprights, centered on their inch and a half mating surfaces. I fitted the two uprights, with the pivot shaft inserted in the bushings, and tacked them in place. I flipped the assembly over, and when I plunge welded them through the holes, onto the base plate, the weld shrinkage pulled them down hard onto the base plate. And the pivot shaft stayed aligned, and turned freely in the bushings. Then I perimeter welded the uprights for added strength, and added a couple of gussets that act as an anchor point at the front of the tractor.

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It's not mounted on the tractor yet, because I need to figure out the full hydraulic steering, but this was a great success, mainly because of your great advice. Thank you, to all of you who lent a hand. steve

Im confused, but thats easily accomplished at my age. I thought you where rebuilding the 101 front axle???

I did both. But looking over that rather flimsy wide front pivot pin on my parts tractor, AND my wife's comment of it being a 'really cute little tractor', I'm going to put the rebuilt back under the parts tractor, and start looking for another F162 Continental to put it back together.

That left me with my loader tractor needing a beefier, wide front yet. I had the axle, which came along with a radiator from the 245. I made the 245 radiator fit the 101, so why not the front axle? Since I had the bolster removed from the parts tractor for the rebuild, I had the perfect time to slap my home-made plate up against the tub and scribe the mount holes on it. From there, it was easy (well, sort of easy)! I think I might be in the running as a newbie MHN. And at least one of mine won't be a frankenstein, unless I put a Chevy V-6 in it instead of the Continental.

I have a wide front axle with spindles in good shape available. my axle would fit 44 or 33 or perhaps 22

Nice work!

Well that sounds good. Great job on that bracket. Thats stuff that Im not capable of doing for sure. Thanks Steve.

Thanks Al. I think with this beefy one off a 245, using my newly built bolster, and the OEM one I rebuilt, I'm set. The hard part now is sourcing an orbital valve that will work for full hydraulic steering, and fit somewhere on the 101 Jr. I already have a 4 gpm live pump mounted on the engine. It currently runs my 3 point, but I'm planning on replumbing the 3 point to my loader hydraulics, and using the small pump for the power steering. steve

Sorry, I make it sound like a piece of cake and I have all the machinery to do a professional job. I have a benchtop drill press, a wood lathe that I fitted with a cross slide, and good 4 jaw chuck, and a hand grinder. And several good welders. And a whole drawer full of files. I've been making due for so long I'm pretty good at hand grinding and filing a surface down to flat and square. And a lot of the time I just get really lucky: like not ending up with wobbly holes for the bushings, using a hole saw to drill them through inch and a half plates. I'm glad I didn't have to use the home made boring bar, because I only had a vague idea how to mount it up and power it. I'm hoping this explanation inspires others to just get after that project they've shoved to the shelf because it seems too daunting, or expensive. No Benjamins were harmed by this project!! steve

Looks like professional grade work! Well done!

Thanks, Steve, and Tom. You guys have offered me excellent advice in the past, and these comments about the quality of work mean a lot to me. Steve

I've replaced one bolster on a non-loader 245 due to it breaking at the rear of the pin. In my OPINION the 245 bolster is a weak link especially with a loader OR abuse. The one you made IS much, much better!! On a positive note, the 245 axle is plenty strong for what you have planned. Nice work!

Nice work, sir.

I was thinking back to that cast bolster that I discarded, and I'm sure you are right - it probably is a weak spot in an otherwise sturdy tractor. The axle, like you say, appears very sturdy, and adjustable. steve