Garrett Skidder steering problem

[treetech]

The old Garrett Skidder I am fixing up has pretty sloppy steering. I checked the back pin (easy to get at) and it was OK so i headed to the front. After lifting the floor (welded on) I discovered that the cylinder was fine but the mount hole has become egg shaped. 1 inch to 1-1/4 inch. I am thinking that I can expand the hole to 1-1/4 with the torch and clean it up with a file or die grinder and insert a steel bushing 1" ID and 1-1/4 OD and weld it in place. lots of work with plenty of room for error. Does anybody have any suggestions?

[oldseabee]

If you can get at it with a drill tack weld a piece of 1/8 X 3/4 bar stock across the hole, find where the center of the hole should be and center punch the center in the strip, then get a metal hole saw. use the bar stock as a guide for the bit in the hole saw, use lots of cutting oil and go down as far as you can go. if the hole saw is too short to go all the way through, you will have a nice guide to cut out the rest and then put your bushing in.

[treetech]

Thanks oldseabee! Thats an excellent idea. I knew somebody on here would know how to handle this. The amount of knowledge on this forum is amazing and the members are always willing to help!

[lumberjack48]

I would get some hard surface rod, and build it back up, easy fix.

[bushmechanic]

You could also get a die grinder and open up the hole to a larger pin size or you can fill in the hole with welding and then fix the hole to origional size with the die grinder.Another fix is to get a machine shop to make a weldment for you and then torch the hole and then put the weldment in and weld it into place thereby making a new hole for your pin.

[treetech]

lumberjack48 and bushmechanic: I was wondering if that would work but I was scared I would overdo it and then wouldn't be able to drill it out. Also it's in a kind of an awkward spot. What's a weldment?

[oldseabee]

I think that what he was talking about a weldment is to go to a shop and get a square piece of steel the same thickness as the plate that the cylinder pins to and bore the right size hole in it or an oversize hole to accept a bushing, Cut out a square the same size to remove the old hole and then weld the new piece in place. That way you would have a brand new hole for your cylinder to pin to. You would have to get a good solid weld and be carefull to have a good fit and not to get the replacement too hot or you will distort the hole and have a hard time getting the pin in.

[John Woodworth]

That uses a self centering bushing with a 1" pin, I will post the bushing number tomorrow, it's available through most better parts stores or bearing suppply.

[treetech]

Thanks for the information guys. I am going to be "on the road" today but will get back tonight.

[John Woodworth]

The bearing size depends on the size of the skidder, they are made by Torrington and are a self centering bushing also called a Ball Bushing, the number I have here 15SF24 fits the 21 with a 2" pin, The 15 I believe uses a 1.5 pin and the 10 a 1" pin, I went through this on my 10, made oilite bronze bushings and steel and ended up building up the holes to hold the Torrington Bearing.

[treetech]

Sometimes you just get lucky! I decided to go with the hard surface welding rod idea. When I started to weld I discovered that someone had previously inserted a bushing. All I had to do was tap out the old one and put in a new one. No drilling or welding. Woo Hoo!

[redlaker1]

I am probably going to be looking at the same task when I pull my garrett in for the big restoration.
hopefully mine has a bushing as well.  not sure about the status of the cylinder either.

I want to get everything back to spec  tight as possible so I dont have to do it again.

really looking forward to getting this new project on the go,  getting close to having my garage finished   and this is the first project through the door