New Holland backhoe causes time to disappear

This entry is part 1 of 9 in the series Backhoe

I thought I’d introduce the latest time sink at casa Blough.  I bought a used New Holland backhoe to use around the house while clearing trees and digging stumps.  I knew it was going to need some work, but it turned into a larger project than I initially thought.  What’s that saying – confidence is the feeling you have before you fully understand the situation.

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Flywheel Modifications

This entry is part 4 of 9 in the series Backhoe

FlywheelIndicateWith the bellhousing finished, it was time to move on to the flywheel.  This 76lb chunk of cast iron needed to be modified to maintain the same setback (bellhousing flange to flywheel face) dimension as the Iveco setup.  The pilot bore needed to be changed to fit the transmission torque converter, and new mounting holes for the flex plate needed to be drilled and counterbored.

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Fabricated Parts & Motor Mounts

This entry is part 5 of 9 in the series Backhoe

SolidWorks 2014 Perkins Fabricated Parts (17.5M)

In addition to the bellhousing, quite a number of other parts needed to be fabricated before the engine was ready to be installed.  The Perkins came without electrics, and the old Iveco starter would not fit the new engine.  A new starter was purchased, but I was able to use the old alternator by fabricating a new mount.

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Engine is Ready

This entry is part 6 of 9 in the series Backhoe

Backhoe modified engine bayThe new engine is ready for installation, and the backhoe engine bay is ready to receive it.  Both of the new front motor mounts are welded in, the old motor mounts have been removed, and new hose managers installed.

Backhoe exhaust startedWhile waiting on the weather to cooperate so I can install the engine, I got started on the new exhaust system.  On a car, this would be called the turbo “down”pipe .  Here, it exits straight up and a 5” cherry-bomb muffler will slip over the end.  Everything is tacked for the moment until I can verify the position once the engine is installed in the backhoe.

New thermostat housing

This entry is part 7 of 9 in the series Backhoe

WaterNeck1With the process of getting the new engine connected, I discovered one item that had been previously overlooked. The stock thermostat housing exited straight up and would have caused the upper radiator hose to interfere with the turbocharger air inlet hose.  Obviously a solution was needed, and that solution turned out to be a custom thermostat housing that exited to the side.

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The Backhoe gets a Claw

This entry is part 9 of 9 in the series Backhoe
My First Rock
My First Rock

Millions of years ago, seeds of Petram immobilem var. murus were planted in New England. Since this is a hardy perennial here in Zones 4 & 5 we are blessed with a bumper crop each and every year.

In order to harvest our yearly crop of P. immobilem (Common name: New England wall stone) , I needed to add a grapple to my backhoe which involved a little reverse engineering for the attachment.

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