WD clutch and brake pedals sleeved and installed

Well I finally got my pedals sleeved and my new clutch/brake shaft installed in the WD today. Had a machine shop bore the pedals out and put bronze bushings in, and ordered a replacement clutch/brake shaft and had them ream the bushings to fit.

Old vs. New shafts:

For the clutch and the right brake, I took a 90 degree grease zerk and cut the top off and used it as a method to center-drill the bushing to take grease and put a new zerk in.

Took me three tries to put everything together today. You have to remember to insert the rod that goes between the clutch pedal and the part that goes up by the side of the tractor into the pedal BEFORE it goes on the shaft (whoops). Got it shimmed up pretty snug but everything moves freely and is tight.

I also had them go ahead and sleeve the hand clutch, but I didn't replace the pin as I wasn't wanting to dig in that far.

I also ordered a replacement jam nut off of ebay (got an entire left brake piece that screws onto the shaft and some shims, actually), but I did manage to salvage this one I split the nut on. I found a part that goes for a Kinze planter that works perfectly as a jam nut. Just the uppermost course of threads was damaged, and they're gone now.

 Great upgrade on your WD work! It will feel like a new tractor each time you get on it. I think your about ready to tackle a complete refurb, clean and paint on one of these old girls. Most of the rest will be a will in park after getting the brake rod repair completed!

Ok maybe a complete brake job, might be the toughest??:)

Thanks for the good pictures too! Always good following your work. So now those parts are good for another 70 years or so. Probably more because they wont get the work that your family did with them. Looking forward to the next project too.

Regards,

 Chris

Ok, I gotta ask...

is that a valve stem assembly ina  grease cartridge in the 3rd picture ???

IBWD MIke wrote: Nice work!

Thanks!

Sugarmaker wrote: GG,  Great upgrade on your WD work! It will feel like a new tractor each time you get on it. I think your about ready to tackle a complete refurb, clean and paint on one of these old girls. Most of the rest will be a will in park after getting the brake rod repair completed! Ok maybe a complete brake job, might be the toughest??:) Thanks for the good pictures too! Always good following your work. So now those parts are good for another 70 years or so. Probably more because they wont get the work that your family did with them. Looking forward to the next project too. Regards,  Chris

Thanks Chris! I think you're right, it's about time to get this first tractor back into nicer condition. Fortunately this tractor already had the brakes redone before it came into my possession, but my other WD... It needs a brake job and maybe a clutch job. Ooof! I definitely hope this pedal repair outlasts me, but it is crazy how weird it is to drive it with the pedals being so tight. I'm consciously waiting for the pedal to move sideways like old times, so I've been pretty ginger on it so far haha.

My plan for next fall is to check the front hubs and bearings on the other WD, and then I have a new brake/clutch pedal for it and will have the same machine shop sleeve those pedals (they're a bit worse than this WD was, for sure). Costs a little bit of money, but I don't have the proper tools to do the sleeving myself (but I saved a bit of money doing my own grease zerk work).

Did my 1953 WD45 too a couple years ago. Same wear and floppy pedals. All new brass bushings in everything. Added a grease zerk or 2 also. Re-used the original shaft after some sanding-wasn't aware at that time that new ones were available. Did the same for hand clutch shaft. I was quite impressed with the selection of products from McMaster-Carr too. Quite sure I'll be using them again.