Need help from a farmer, farm equipment mechanic, etc.

[lspencer534]

I have a New Holland 3930 tractor, 3 cylinder diesel, 55 HP. I bought it in 1993 and have had very little trouble with it. However, it's time to paint the hood sections. It's easy enough in principle, but the muffler goes trough the hood, and unless I get the muffler off, the hood doesn't come off.

It's obviously corrosion where the muffler joins the exhaust pipe; penetrating oil is pretty useless since it has to travel uphill. Do you know of any tricks to separate the two?

Or should I just unbolt the exhaust manifold from the exhaust tail pipe pipe and pull off the hood with the muffler and tail pipe attached to the hood? Thanks!

[69camfrk]

It might be easier just to cut the muffler off the pipe leaving the manifold, and air chisel the remaining muffler pipe assembly off (obviously not the part attached to the manifold). I can't imagine the muffler/exhaust assembly would cost that much. I bet it has pretty much welded itself together with rust. Just my .02, but I'm not staring at it either.

[lspencer534]

Originally Posted by 69camfrk

It might be easier just to cut the muffler off the pipe leaving the manifold, and air chisel the remaining muffler pipe assembly off (obviously not the part attached to the manifold). I can't imagine the muffler/exhaust assembly would cost that much. I bet it has pretty much welded itself together with rust. Just my .02, but I'm not staring at it either.

I'm tending to go with what you said. FYI, the muffler has a pipe that is a wee bit larger than the exhaust pipe it sits on and mounts to. A muffler clamp tightens the connection.

[69camfrk]

Originally Posted by lspencer534

I'm tending to go with what you said. FYI, the muffler has a pipe that is a wee bit larger than the exhaust pipe it sits on and mounts to. A muffler clamp tightens the connection.

I'm really familiar with the set up, thus my suggestion. By the time you wrestle with it, it will probably be torn up anyway, and just leave you more pissed off. I would take a sawzall to it in a minute. A careful application of an air chisel to the remaining muffler pipe at the connection would probably take care of it.

[lspencer534]

Originally Posted by 69camfrk

I'm really familiar with the set up, thus my suggestion. By the time you wrestle with it, it will probably be torn up anyway, and just leave you more pissed off. I would take a sawzall to it in a minute. A careful application of an air chisel to the remaining muffler pipe at the connection would probably take care of it.

It's a done job! Thanks!

[Bill]

The hood must be mounted with a hinge to the body of the tractor, by the firewall. Is there a pin you can remove? How does it disconnect? When you disconnect that, you should be able to lift the hood up and over the vertical exhaust pipe. Failing that, what are you afraid of? forcing the nuts that hold the muffler on and sheering the studs? If you do, it's inconvenient, but you could always remove the broken studs with an ease out, then install new studs and nuts.

[markids77]

If you haven't already ruined your muffler get a couple large plastic dropcloths and a couple rolls of masking tape. Drape the plastic over and around the areas you don't want to paint; taping it firmly in place. Sand, prime and paint with the hood still on the machine and save the cost of a new muffler to spend on Gin.

[lspencer534]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

The hood must be mounted with a hinge to the body of the tractor, by the firewall. Is there a pin you can remove? How does it disconnect? When you disconnect that, you should be able to lift the hood up and over the vertical exhaust pipe. Failing that, what are you afraid of? forcing the nuts that hold the muffler on and sheering the studs? If you do, it's inconvenient, but you could always remove the broken studs with an ease out, then install new studs and nuts.

The hood does have a hinge, but it's between the 2 halves of the hood, running lengthwise. The hood is held in place to the tractor with 4-7/16" bolts. There is no other way to remove the hood other than removing the muffler; the hole through the hood for the muffler is large enough for the pipe on the end of the muffler but not for the body of the muffler. The hole in the hoods needs to be about 2" larger to get the body of the muffler through the hood.

[69camfrk]

Originally Posted by lspencer534

It's a done job! Thanks!

Did it work as advertised?

[lspencer534]

Originally Posted by 69camfrk

Did it work as advertised?

The hood is safely in my workshop, and the tractor is in the barn! Yes, it worked like a charm; I used a grinder with a steel cutting blade. The blade was wide enough to cut through the exhaust pipe in one pass. Thanks!

[Bill]

Originally Posted by lspencer534

The hood is safely in my workshop, and the tractor is in the barn! Yes, it worked like a charm; I used a grinder with a steel cutting blade. The blade was wide enough to cut through the exhaust pipe in one pass. Thanks!

Pics of injuries?

[lspencer534]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

Pics of injuries?

I thought about injures when I got out the grinder, but miracle of miracles, I'm injury-free!

[JRD77VET]

Originally Posted by lspencer534

I thought about injures when I got out the grinder, but miracle of miracles, I'm injury-free!

maybe a leather welding apron would be a good investment while you use grinders

Advanced search on ebay
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw...g=200&_fosrp=1

Tillman makes an affordable quality leather apron. Although it would still hurt if the wheel exploded or if the grinder kicked back, the leather will most likely reduce serious injury.

I have this one myself ( actually two, one at work and one at home)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/TILLMAN-384...ty!18092!US!-1

if you want a slightly shorter apron, here's a 42" ( great price )
https://www.ebay.com/itm/TILLMAN-384...sAAOSwPHZcoTtG

[69camfrk]

Originally Posted by lspencer534

The hood is safely in my workshop, and the tractor is in the barn! Yes, it worked like a charm; I used a grinder with a steel cutting blade. The blade was wide enough to cut through the exhaust pipe in one pass. Thanks!

Make sure to post some pics of completed job!

[lspencer534]

Originally Posted by 69camfrk

Make sure to post some pics of completed job!

Will do!