First step was to break down the machine then clean all the grass clippings from all those hard to reach areas. Since it is retired from grass duties, I might as well do a deep cleaning. Most of this would have needed to come off anyhow or by stripping it down a bit further it just makes the job easier. I did bypass a safety or two in order to be able to move the machine under power but I won't talk about that further. I know the risks and they are all temporary solutions while under maintenance.

Here is a picture of the parking brake. I have removed the cotter pin and washer that secures the black plastic part to the linkage. What is odd is I really don't see any slop here. The orange part is tight against the black plastic. The screw does work itself out every few months. I don't think I am missing any parts from when it fell apart on me this winter but I don't understand where the slop is coming from.

 

While breaking down the machine I discovered an issue that needs to be addressed. The dreaded rust...

I have never been much of a fan of how they have the plasticy/rubbery foot mats. They clip into square holes on the foot pan. My concern is that dirt works its way under there and now that is rubbing up against the paint. Eventually it will wear through and expose bare metal. Also water gets under the foot mats and then will sit on the now exposed bare metal and rust. You can see that happening here. I have caught it early but for those that have these machines, I would keep an eye on this area.

So now I am debating on the fix.

Initial thoughts. Straight forward sand blast. If any rust is deeper than just surface weld and grind any issues. From poking at it I think it is just surface. Coat with rust converter prime and paint.

Now here is my question. What about other options? I was thinking about it this morning and was kicking around the idea of ditching the foot mats and either doing a roll on bed liner or I would imagine it can't be that expensive to go get the foot areas Rino Lined or one of those other name brand bed liner companies. Either way I need to address the rust first. I would mark off where it rests on the frame and the mounting points. I would just do the foot areas not up the middle where the decal is for the cut height adjustment stuff. Then have them hit the foot areas top and bottom with the stuff. I think if I did that I wouldn't have to worry about it ever rusting. Maybe this is overkill though.

 

sennister,

Looks like you are into a major cleaning and your unit will be getting a good once over while it is dismantled.

I have a X728, just a newer version of your unit and although I have had to lubricate my parking brake linkage due to stiff engaging and disengaging, I haven't had to tear it apart.

You might get an idea of any parts that may be missing by checking the exploded diagram on the jd parts website.

By the way how do you like your ctc loader?

 

Yeah, I normally would blow it off from time to time to get grass clippings and leaves out of it but I was shocked at how much was packed up in the frame. Between being up in cross members and stuck between hoses and wire looms there was a lot of crap I got out of there. I also lifted the fuel tank (it was on empty) so I could clean under it.

Good tip on the diagram. I left that part out. I did check that before when it came apart on me this past winter. I really didn't see anything that I was missing. There isn't much to it. There is the black plastic which attaches to the linkage and that has a post that goes through the dash. Then the orange plastic handle is of course on the outside of the dash. They fully seat up. There isn't debris keeping them from fully seating. But they don't mate very tight. So the handle flops around a lot more than I what I recall. There are wear marks on the dash. I would imagine that the orange and black plastic parts also would show wear compared to new. Maybe I will just replace both and call it good. The slop isn't probably hurting anything and it functions. It is more than the screw keeps coming off and then the handle comes off in your hand. Of course both times had been when I was trying to release the parking brake so that means the machine is stuck where it is.

As far as the CTC.

First I will start with how do I like a FEL (ignoring the brand). I LOVE having a FEL. My father has an old Case 644 or 646 (I don't remember the model) FEL tractor. He also has a 317 (bought it new when I was a kid) as well as now a 322 and 318. I have used the old Case around his house enough to know that I wanted a FEL. They just are really handy.

I couple years ago it was time to get a FEL. Before that I would just borrow one of my neighbor's bobcats and still have access to them if I really need to do heavy FEL work. I tried to find a 45 series and there just were not many out there. I knew about the CTC so we went that route. There are some people here that don't like them. That is fine. For what I do it does the job. Well it does now. When I first mounted it, I noticed that it really couldn't lift much of anything. Probably a good thing as I didn't have ballast at the time either. Since then I have added washer fluid to the rear tires and I have a 3pt hitch/HF Quick Hitch/Heavy Hitch with 6 JD Suitcase Weights. What I had to do in order to boost the lifting ability was to shim the Implement Pressure Relief. There are lots of information out there on this. There is risk to it but from what research I did, I found that the Tuff Torq K92 Transaxle used on the X585 is rated to handle up to 1500PSI on the Imp Pressure Relief. This transaxel is used on other tractors besides John Deere and those manufacturers sometimes run higher pressures. I think JD kind of limits them because these tractors are not that heavy and you could get into trouble lifting too much as well as it would make them more capable so less justification to buy a bigger machine. Just my thoughts there. I went from about 875PSI to 1175PSI.

Before

After

Some of those other color machines are running up in the 1200 psi range so I figured I am still being safe and stayed away from the 1500 psi max. Also I wanted some safety buffer as my gauge was a cheap one and I am not sure how accurate it is.

Boosting the PSI made a HUGE difference. The FEL went from one that would struggle to lift a bucket of dry leaves to now a bucket of black dirt or rock no problem. You really need ballast now as the front axle isn't rated to this much weight. I would say from a capability range, it will do pretty much anything that my father's Case can do plus I have power steering and 4wd which he doesn't have.

That is the good. Now for the bad. Not all of this is CTC related. Some just FEL in general.

When I was at my parents this never occurred to me. He had the 317, 322 and now 318 for mowing. The Case was for FEL work and that was it. I have a ditch to mow and the FEL (CTC/JD 45 or any other option) raises the center of gravity. I have tipped my tractor mowing the ditch and was lucky in the bucket was low (empty of course) so it caught me. I cam really close to rolling it over and we have no ROPS. Also all the options out there add a couple feet to the front of the machine so cutting around trees is more of an issue. With the CTC and I as far as I know the JD 45, you can't drop just the bucket and leave the FEL arms on like you can with a 1 Series on up. Because of this I really don't like mowing with the FEL on the machine. I can't speak for how the JD 45 attaches but the CTC is kind of tricky to get lined up. Where I would store it isn't 100% level and that makes things worse and you really need to park it up against a building or when you try and mount it you are going to be chasing it all over the place as it slides across the ground. Then the mounting pins which are a big bolt with pin welded on the end are tricky to line up. You have to get off the machine and run the lift arms up and down a bit to get it just right to where you screw it in. You don't need any tools but it still will take a good 10 minutes unless you get really lucky.

Because of this what I found is that all too often I had something heavy to move and I would stop and thing. Hey I should use the FEL but then do I want to screw around for at least 15 minutes to put on the FEL and then take it off because I need to mow later this afternoon. Or do I just move this thing by hand. More often than not I would say the heck with it and move it by hand.

As I have mentioned here before I was looking to replace or do something with the X585 this winter I was at 1050hrs on it and mow about 3 acres. There were the issues I mentioned above. However there really are not the FEL options with the X-Series now and that was a requirement. So that meant I would be looking at a 1 Series. Nothing wrong with a 1 Series but I sat down and looked at my options. While I could trade in my X585 and the attachments that wouldn't fit. I was looking at a big price tag. While the FEL is easier to take on and off I wasn't gaining much. In terms of capability (FEL work) the CTC does what I need and I have access to bigger equipment than even what a 1 Series can do should I need it. Actually, I don't think I have borrowed the Bobcat since shimming the IMP Pressure Relief. One of my requirements also was leaf collection for the fall. I didn't like the 3 bag bagger that the 1 Series had and I didn't want to do a 3rd party option. I wanted it all JD so I could finance it together. That got me looking at doing a 900 series ZTrak so I could get the dump from seat collection system. It cuts my grass a lot faster than what the X585 did saving me a lot of time and it means I could retire the X585 from mowing which is where the vast majority of my hours comes from. Once the Z950R is paid off I might look at a new dedicated FEL/snow machine like a 1 Series or whatever they have at the time. For now though my setup works great.

 

Thanks for the posting, for the age it's looking pretty good. Just wondering how many hrs.?

When the daughters FIL had his x585 his break handle would slide very easy, compared to my 1025r. Have to figure 12 yrs versus 2 yrs of use.

Blowing out the radiator from engine toward the seat. You mentioned general maintenance , and guessing hdy fluid and filter if it hadn't been changed in the past 200hrs.

 

As for hours. I didn't look when I tore it apart. I think about 1070. I know when I bought the Z950R this past January it was at 1050. I have used it more for FEL work now that it is dedicated to that. Also had some plowing from Jan on. As well as I still use it to run the dethatcher, sprayer and fertilizer spreader.

Yeah mine isn't binding or hanging up. It just flops around where the other one for cruise is what the brake used be be like. It feels like the screw is loose when it is tight.

I forgot to mention, I picked up a new hdy filter this spring with the dealer had a sale as well as the home maint kit. So that and the fluid will get changed.

I did clean out the radiator. There is the radiator as well as a oil cooler. I separated them and used my shop vac to clean out all the big chunks then used the garden hose to clean all the fins. Not high pressure water just rinsing the dust and dirt from them.

 

Thanks for the picture of the stripped machine. I just bought an x485 and now can see what it looks like stripped down without tearing mine apart!

For your gauge issue, try and determine which wire(s) going to the gauge cluster is/are ground wires. Make sure those terminal(s) are clean and tight. Then put dielectric grease on the terminal(s)

I would look for any external ground connections (tech manual would be useful now, I do not have one yet) and if you find any, clean them and make sure they are tight when reinstalled.

I do think it is a ground issue with your gauge cluster.

No ideas on the park brake, sorry these are still too new to me.

 

Glad I could help.. I have had mine stripped down this far a few times now and really isn't that hard. Really the tricky part is getting the dash off (steering wheel all the way in the up position helps) and getting the bolt out that secures the left grab handle near the fuel filler neck. That bold has a bracket on it which secures the rear fenders to the machine. I didn't plan on taking that part off but pretty much needed to in order to easily get the foot rest area off after I discovered the rust issues. In taking off the fender I discovered that my seat didn't want to move forward/back anymore. So that got added to the list of items to address.

I already started on the dash. I didn't post pics yet but I have been hitting all connectors with CRC QD Contact Cleaner to get all the old dielectric grease out and will reapply that when I get to reassembly phase.

As for the ground I have already identified the wires. There is a service bulletin for early X585 machines which addresses a bad ground in the cluster and the fix is to bond a new ground wire to the existing. So I will do that. My bigger concern is that this may not be the issue. I don't think I can get a pic of it and I at this point I need to look at it closer. However when I was using the contact cleaner on the connector most of the connectors cleaned up really well. Though the ground still looks pretty dark. I hit it a few times with the CC and then air but I may have some corrosion in that connector. This is the on the main wiring harness. Not sure if I can replace that contact. Maybe I can get in there with a dental pick and try and clean it a bit without opening it up too much to loose a connection. It is the female side. I also opened up the dash as I have read of others that had a soldier joint break on the dash side. When I cleaned it up and inspected everything it looks good. I think I will reflow the soldier on those points anyhow as long as I have it apart.

I do have the Technical Service Manual for the X585. As I said I have been pretty much this deep in the machine a couple times now.

 

sennister,

Thanks for your comments on the CTC loader.

I actually just sold a JD 445 with a model 40 loader when I purchased the X728.

I had the 445 shimmed to 1150 psi and made a huge difference as you have mentioned. I started with 950 psi and after shimming I could handle just about anything I wanted within reason. The rear tires were loaded and each had a 50 lb. cast wheel weight with eight 42 lb. suitcase weights hanging off the back.

I never mowed with the loader on for the same reasons and issues you mentioned and whenever I was working with the loader I removed the deck to avoid possible damage to the deck from moving over rough terrain.

I am currently looking for a model 45 FEL for the X728 but am experiencing the same limited number available as you had, so I have looked at the CTC as an alternative option.

The 40 loader on the 445 was a breeze to attached and remove and from what I understand the 45 FEL is very similar, where you don't have to leave the seat other than to connect and disconnect the hydraulic hoses.

I noticed the CT used a pin type attachment and I wondered how difficult it would be get things lined up but I think you have answered that.

Thanks again and good luck with the refresh.

 

I went out to the shop and took a couple pics to kind of show you.

Here is the "pin" it is a bolt on each side. They took the bolt and put it in a lathe to clear off the threads on the bottom inch or so. Then they weld a nut to the frame to act like the threads and a bit of round bar to the top of the bolt so you don't need a wrench. I ended up taking a grinder or file (I don't recall which) to put more of a point on the end of the "pin" so it will find the hole a bit easier on the tractor.

This is the hole that the pin goes into. Not the saddle but the hole in the middle of the pic. When you run the lift arms it will raise the part with the "pins" and you need to get them lined up with that hole. However you can't see that while sitting on the tractor. As I said I usually get off and stand on the side and operate the hydraulics while watching for the pin to line up with the hole and then run the pins in.

 

My old L108 floor pan rusted out around them square holes also. Ended up selling it seeing it had some other wear issues after 10 years.

Heard that POR15 coating is good for sealing surface rust. It's not UV stable so you need to top coat it if exposed to sunlight. If the metal looks thin after cleaning I'd top coat it with spray on bed liner.
You can check with some local bed liner dealers to see what they recommend to cover the rust.

 

Sennister,

Welcome back on your return to GTT..........

I can tell you with a very high degree of certainty that the rust on your tractors foot boards is NOT from summer dirt collecting under the rubber mats or moisture under the rubber mats in the warm months. The rust is 100% attributable to the winter work and getting even a minimal amount of snow melt on your boots and tracking it on the tractor.

How do i know this with a high degree of certainty? I have had the same Model 455 tractor for 19 years. I bought it brand new with nearly every attachment which was available. I have used it for snow removal for at least 15 of those 19 years. Three years ago I added a salt spreader to the back of my tractor as I plow about a dozen driveways in our neighborhood and a couple are more than a 10 degree grade from the street.

It so happens that the drive with the steep incline is on a curve in our private roads. The owner of this home is now in their elderly years (north of 80) and falling is a very big concern. So I began salting their driveway after I plowed it. I also salt the roadway where they have to turn to enter their drive and where they walk to get the mail. When I was done at 5am, I always would walk their newspaper from the newspaper box at the street up the driveway and place it so they can reach the paper without stepping out of their house. I didn't want to risk them falling. I also take their trash container out all winter to and from the street and even most of the year as walking that down the hill could result in a fall and I don't want to see them injured at their ages.

I made it a point to walk the driveway AFTER salting because I fell myself on the icy incline and broke my collarbone a couple of years ago. I fell so hard that the collarbone flexed so far it broke. It actually came through the skin. Yes, it was very painful and remains a major problem to this day after two surgeries on that issue. I wish I had taken a photo of the bone sticking out of my shoulder near the shoulder joint, but I was a little distracted with the severe pain and agony from the injury. When my wife saw the injury when I took my shirt off (she had to help me) she almost threw up on the spot. Of the dozen orthopedic surgeries I have had, that was one of the most painful.

I never told the homeowners as I didn't want them to feel responsible or even upset about the issue. They would have insisted on paying the medical bills plus it would have upset them. I just dealt with the medical bills on my own. After all, that's what I pay $2,600 PER MONTH for health insurance for.......Being self employed does have a few downsides.

Incidentally, my wife fell directly cross the road this past winter on the same curve and incline where I fell and she broke her arm in 3 places and she also fractured 4 ribs when she landed on her elbow against her side. Let's just say this curve / hill area is wicked nasty slippery in the winter and since we walk everyday, rain, snow or shine, that is how she fell this past winter. It did interrupt our walking for the first time in several years other than the days I missed while I was in the hospital. She wears those traction chains on her boots but left them off the day she fell. I guess that was a bad decision.

But in just the two years of tracking the salt from my boots to the footrests, I ruined the footrests to the point that I bought a new footrest assembly and completely replaced it before the beginning of this season. My rust damage was significantly worse then yours in the photos. My rust had holes, I still have the old foot rest assembly and should take a photo of it for you to see.

This year, they discontinued their newspaper delivery and read it online so I no longer tracked the salt onto my foot rests because I didn't walk the driveway after salting it. Guess what? I checked the foot boards a few weeks ago and they look just like new. So the salt from ONE DRIVEWAY HILL over two years ate the foot boards up. 18 years of mowing and debris and dirt and 2,600 hours of use did virtually no damage to them.

If I think of it when I am in my barn, I will take a picture and post it. You will be surprised how severe the damage was. Incidentally, I looked at my records and I plowed their driveway 36 times that season as we had a heavy winter. You could track salt from near the roadway or if you use any yourself, you are very likely to get it on the foot rests. It also lands on the foot rests when it is sloppy and the front wheels are throwing it when driving down the road. From the damage I see in your photo's, I wouldn't be surprised it is was only a couple of incidents of getting salt on those feet rests which caused the rust you have. It lays against the inner edge of the rubber foot rest traction liner and works it's way under and the damage begins.

So, in response to your repairs, I would keep the rubber mats off and sandblast the footrests and use that textured coating in a can which is for coating items which you will walk on. Without texture, you will fall on your rear getting on or off the tractor if it is just shiny metal. But having the rubber inserts off will make it easy to either rinse down or wipe off the footrest when you are done with your snow work. It doesn't take much salt to do damage. I mean seriously, how much could boots track on the footrest in two winters to result in the complete destruction of my foot panels?

I should be specific that I don't use salt, but rather it is the snow melt which won't harm concrete and is also safe for pets feet. It takes about 1/4th the amount of this snow melt to accomplish the results of 4 x as much rock salt. But it ate the snot out of the foot rests.........

Hopefully I will think to post a picture in the next couple of days.

 

Sennister,

I can tell you with a very high degree of certainty that the rust on your tractors foot boards is NOT from summer dirt collecting under the rubber mats or moisture under the rubber mats in the warm months. The rust is 100% attributable to the winter work and getting even a minimal amount of snow melt on your boots and tracking it on the tractor.

So, in response to your repairs, I would keep the rubber mats off and sandblast the footrests and use that textured coating in a can which is for coating items which you will walk on. Without texture, you will fall on your rear getting on or off the tractor if it is just shiny metal. But having the rubber inserts off will make it easy to either rinse down or wipe off the footrest when you are done with your snow work. It doesn't take much salt to do damage. I mean seriously, how much could boots track on the footrest in two winters to result in the complete destruction of my foot panels?

It is possible that it is the winter work. I live in a rural area. They don't salt our road because we live on a gravel road. However the car and truck does bring salt and snow from the roads we drive on. I only wear my boots walking to and from the shop but I do put snow melt on the sidewalk as they get icy. So it is possible that this is the source. So with that theory I will still face this issue.

I agree that I don't want to just paint it and leave the plastic foot rests off. The only way I will leave them off is if I went with a bed liner option. Not sure if that would be Rhino Liner, Line-X or the spray can stuff. OR do I just get implement paint. We have a farm supply store near us that sells quarts of it in John Deere Green. I could lay it on thick with a roller and then put the rubber mats back on and simply inspect it every year. I can pop off the covers without removing anything else. That is what I did this time to get the dirt out from under the mats and I discovered the rust.

Either way the first stages of the fix will be the same. Sandblast, inspect for any cracks or penetrations that may need welding. Then rust converter to harden anything that may have been missed in the sandblasting. Prime followed by paint. At that time I can look at maybe another coat of that traction paint. I think I have seen that at the farm supply place. I have seen it somewhere. Or look bed liners. Maybe I will say the heck with it and just go with the mats again just because it will be easier to inspect and repair if/when it happens again.

I do know that these pans are pretty common item to rust out. That is why I was looking at it. I have been keeping an eye out for this.

 

Don't forget about tracking salt on the tractor every time you have to get off to fill the hopper. You are almost guaranteed to drag some slop on the footrest unless you never get off the tractor.

The shed I useto keep my tractor in was located next to another trailer. The check collectors that live in it mulched all the fall leaf cover instead of cleaning it up. And they get a lot of leaves. The biggest trees in the park are around her trailer Even after piling them up for them three times and telling them not to they still did it. (I was the park manager) That mess was like brown cement! Got all over my boots, shed & new tractor. It was caked on my footrest & tires.
Then they call my boss complaining about the mess I made! Just from having to access my tractor every time I had to salt or do snow removal.

 

Here is what snow melt can do to the Floor Pan / Foot rest

As I mentioned last night, I would post photo's of the damage done to the foot rest on my tractor after two seasons of using a salt spreader on the back of my tractor and tracking the salt onto the foot rests. Turns it into junk in a hurry. The area rusted has contours and isn't merely flat so repairing it correctly becomes more difficult. In many areas, the rust had eaten through the entire footrest surface.

I was able to find a like new foot rest from a used Deere parts seller who buys and dismantles tractors and was able to buy it for $40, and it even included the deck height adjustment knob assembly, so now I have a spare deck height knob.

 

As I mentioned last night, I would post photo's of the damage done to the foot rest on my tractor after two seasons of using a salt spreader on the back of my tractor and tracking the salt onto the foot rests. Turns it into junk in a hurry. The area rusted has contours and isn't merely flat so repairing it correctly becomes more difficult. In many areas, the rust had eaten through the entire footrest surface.

I was able to find a like new foot rest from a used Deere parts seller who buys and dismantles tractors and was able to buy it for $40, and it even included the deck height adjustment knob assembly, so now I have a spare deck height knob.

Sounds like you got lucky with finding a spare. I'll bet they are a lot more expensive from JD. Being I don't use a spreader, I imagine this isn't as bad for me. That said, I do put ice melt down mainly on the sidewalk by hand but I would track it onto the tractor. Unless I install heated side walks (not happening) I won't get away from using ice melt. So I am stuck with having to keep an eye on this issue and trying to keep ahead of it. If I didn't notice this now, I imagine in a year or two it would look the same as yours. Though nothing has changed with the snow melt since 2002 when the machine was new. The same sidewalk was treated and it has taken a long time to progress this far.

 

sennister,

Thanks for the pics of the pin attachment on the CTC Fel. It does look like it would be a bit tricky to line things up when compared to how the 45 FEL attaches to the front of the frame.

Zebrafive,

Thanks for the lead on the model 45 in Fort Wayne. It is a bit of a trip for me coming from Ontario and when you figure in the exchange on the Canadian dollar, it gets quite expensive. If it was closer to the border and a bit less money I might consider it though.

 

sennister,

Thanks for the pics of the pin attachment on the CTC Fel. It does look like it would be a bit tricky to line things up when compared to how the 45 FEL attaches to the front of the frame.

Yeah, had they used a spring loaded pin like what John Deere uses on their attachments it would be easier. Well I am not sure how the 45 loader hooks up as I have never used one personally. I am speaking for the other things like how the quick hitch for my blade and blower attach. I don't think these pins need to screw in for safety and because all the load is supported with them. Most of the load is carried by the subframe.

I will say that cosmetically I like the CTC better than the 45 but it is a tool. I just feel the curved arms follow the lines of the hood better and it does't have the posts that stick up. Not sure why John Deere has that on the 45. Mini ROPS? Not sure how much it would help if you flipped an X-Series. I guess maybe it will support it more so it might stop on its side rather than going all the way over. However depending on the situation it may not prevent that. It is the only reason I can think of. The only time mine has gotten tippy on mine was when I was cutting a ditch and the slope was steep enough that I don't think it would have helped.

 

That's the exact kit I was talking about. I have used 2 of those kits, one on the bed of my old '89 Chevy I sold last year, and one on a boat trailer I still have. I've been more than happy with the quality of it, and how easy it was to shoot. For a rougher more textured surface simply hold the gun farther away. It don't come out of the gun very quickly so you don't have to worry about runs like you do with paint. It also dries to the touch in about an hour.

 

That Raptor liner kit sounds like the ticket for the do it your self peeps. Just make sure your air compressor has a water separater on it. They also make small disposable filters/separaters that you install just before the spray gun. Would suggest using both when spraying any type of paint products.

Some peeps have air compressors with automatic lubricant dispensers attached to them. If you do remove it before spraying any type of paint. Don't even use the same air hose if this is the case.

 

Yeah, I have a separator/regulator but will look at a disposable one. While I use air tools. I keep a bottle and give them a few drops of oil manually.

 

This weekend I got some more work done. Sand blasted the foot rest area. It was all surface rust so not a big deal. I treated it after sand blasting, coated with a stop rust primer and then painted. I took the tunnel sticker off and will replace that. This way I painted the entire part rather than just trying to blend it in. I think the sticker is about $20.

Started looking at the electrical stuff a little closer. I think I will be fine the ground connector doesn't appear to have corrosion. I have good continuity to ground but I will add another wire just in case. I took a closer look at the soldier joints under magnification and saw something that looks off. I haven't done it yet but I will reflow the soldier on all the joints. I tried to get some pics of the joint with my cell phone but it is way too small. Even with my Canon DSLR I had a hard time getting a shot but this is the best I could get.

The pin in the middle of these shots is the ground pin.

Again the ground is the middle pin. The one below it in this shot would be Pin 19 and that is showing signs of failure as well. Looking at the schematics. Pin 19 is the power from the light switch that turns on the dash back lights. That is just quickly looking at the schematics if I read them right. Dash lights seemed to be fine. I haven't noticed them cutting out.

It does look like the soldier is cracked. There was another person here that mentioned a cracked soldier joint in the ground on the dash. The good news is that the dash isn't hard to get out and to fix this would be pretty simple with a fine point soldier iron. All the soldier points on this are pretty big so that makes the job easier. It should be repairable rather than forking out 200-300 for a new dash. I forget what they cost.

I will have to post a pic of my "fix" for the parking brake. I did a bit of a beer can mod. We will see how well it works. I will post that later.

Part of the day was also spent working on the new Z950R. I noticed the left front anti-scalp wheel wasn't turning anymore. I went to pull it but the axle bolt was stuck. I had to cut it off with a sawzall. Axle was and bushing completely bent. Must have caught it on something. Well I needed to go to the dealer and order a new sticker for the tunnel anyhow. The trip just got more spendy. I doubt it will be considered a warranty item.

 

This weekend I got some more work done. Sand blasted the foot rest area. It was all surface rust so not a big deal. I treated it after sand blasting, coated with a stop rust primer and then painted. I took the tunnel sticker off and will replace that. This way I painted the entire part rather than just trying to blend it in. I think the sticker is about $20.

Started looking at the electrical stuff a little closer. I think I will be fine the ground connector doesn't appear to have corrosion. I have good continuity to ground but I will add another wire just in case. I took a closer look at the soldier joints under magnification and saw something that looks off. I haven't done it yet but I will reflow the soldier on all the joints. I tried to get some pics of the joint with my cell phone but it is way too small. Even with my Canon DSLR I had a hard time getting a shot but this is the best I could get.

The pin in the middle of these shots is the ground pin.

Again the ground is the middle pin. The one below it in this shot would be Pin 19 and that is showing signs of failure as well. Looking at the schematics. Pin 19 is the power from the light switch that turns on the dash back lights. That is just quickly looking at the schematics if I read them right. Dash lights seemed to be fine. I haven't noticed them cutting out.

It does look like the soldier is cracked. There was another person here that mentioned a cracked soldier joint in the ground on the dash. The good news is that the dash isn't hard to get out and to fix this would be pretty simple with a fine point soldier iron. All the soldier points on this are pretty big so that makes the job easier. It should be repairable rather than forking out 200-300 for a new dash. I forget what they cost.

I will have to post a pic of my "fix" for the parking brake. I did a bit of a beer can mod. We will see how well it works. I will post that later.

Part of the day was also spent working on the new Z950R. I noticed the left front anti-scalp wheel wasn't turning anymore. I went to pull it but the axle bolt was stuck. I had to cut it off with a sawzall. Axle was and bushing completely bent. Must have caught it on something. Well I needed to go to the dealer and order a new sticker for the tunnel anyhow. The trip just got more spendy. I doubt it will be considered a warranty item.

This weekend I got some more work done. Sand blasted the foot rest area. It was all surface rust so not a big deal. I treated it after sand blasting, coated with a stop rust primer and then painted. I took the tunnel sticker off and will replace that. This way I painted the entire part rather than just trying to blend it in. I think the sticker is about $20.

Started looking at the electrical stuff a little closer. I think I will be fine the ground connector doesn't appear to have corrosion. I have good continuity to ground but I will add another wire just in case. I took a closer look at the soldier joints under magnification and saw something that looks off. I haven't done it yet but I will reflow the soldier on all the joints. I tried to get some pics of the joint with my cell phone but it is way too small. Even with my Canon DSLR I had a hard time getting a shot but this is the best I could get.

The pin in the middle of these shots is the ground pin.

Again the ground is the middle pin. The one below it in this shot would be Pin 19 and that is showing signs of failure as well. Looking at the schematics. Pin 19 is the power from the light switch that turns on the dash back lights. That is just quickly looking at the schematics if I read them right. Dash lights seemed to be fine. I haven't noticed them cutting out.

It does look like the soldier is cracked. There was another person here that mentioned a cracked soldier joint in the ground on the dash. The good news is that the dash isn't hard to get out and to fix this would be pretty simple with a fine point soldier iron. All the soldier points on this are pretty big so that makes the job easier. It should be repairable rather than forking out 200-300 for a new dash. I forget what they cost.

I will have to post a pic of my "fix" for the parking brake. I did a bit of a beer can mod. We will see how well it works. I will post that later.

Part of the day was also spent working on the new Z950R. I noticed the left front anti-scalp wheel wasn't turning anymore. I went to pull it but the axle bolt was stuck. I had to cut it off with a sawzall. Axle was and bushing completely bent. Must have caught it on something. Well I needed to go to the dealer and order a new sticker for the tunnel anyhow. The trip just got more spendy. I doubt it will be considered a warranty item.

Sennister, what a great post! I know it's a few years old, but your explanation and photos made quick work of a problem that we had on our X485. When looking at your photos, though, I thought perhaps the solder joints on the board were a lot bigger than they are in real life! It took some good lighting and a magnifying glass to see the cracks in the solder joints, but sure enough ours had the same issue.
Thanks for taking the time to describe the fix along with the excellent photos.
Ken

 

As I mentioned there was the beer can mod for the parking brake.

This is the part (a new one) that connects to the linkage and is on the inside of the dash. A screw passes through the orange handle into the hole in this part. It is hard to get a good photo but on the edges of this there are two small rails in the sides of this part that it slides on. I replaced it because the screw (one of those course thread types that cut threads into plastic) kept working itself loose. Also the small rails were completely worn off. I think this was the source of some of the slow of the handle. The parking brake has to constantly get used everytime you get off as long as the safety is in place which mine are.

So for the beer can mod. The rails on that part actually wore slots into the inside of the dash. I didn't get a photo of this but if you look at the opening above the beer can mod, you can see the slot for the cruise control and the same grooves. These are not nearly as deep because I rarely use the CC. So even though I replaced the part with a new one that now has rails, they won't help much because they would just fall into the grooves. I was debating on how to best fill them and was thinking maybe super glue would be smooth enough but would it be hard enough? Then I thought of taking a bit of aluminum from a beer can and make a shield for the plastic part to slide on. So I applied a bunch of super glue to the inside of the dash, and set a bit of aluminum that I had cut from a can. I set a bit of 2" square tube scrap that I had laying around to hold it while it dried then I use a utility knife to cut the opening.

Not sure if this will help but it filled in the grooves. Maybe it won't hold. Time will tell. It should help shim the two parts to tighten it up. If it doesn't hold I could try some 2 part epoxy.

 

Beer cans are very versatile, great use and should last many years.

I prefer this use to the guy up the road with 3 rusting beer can windmills in his yard. The welded rebar they are formed out of is rusting not the beer cans. The Anheuser-Busch paint is fading a little but the exposed insides are still shines.

 

I figure it is time for an update.... It was so blasted hot last week I didn't do much out there. It was more tolerable this weekend though..

The foot rest area has been cleaned up. Treated with rust converter, primed and painted. The more I think about it, I don't know if I will like all those square holes with the bedliner option so I pained it up really good and put the foot rests back on. I bolted it down yesterday afternoon. I will see how the paint holds up. If it doesn't then I will reconsider.

Still have the rear fenders off as I changed the hydro-static fluid and filter. It takes forever to pout 7 quarts through that little opening. I opened the oil drain but it drains slow so I left that go overnight. Changed the air filters, fuel filter, and spark plugs. I was cleaning the battery terminals/wires and realized that it was vintage 2002. Time for a new one of those so I picked on up and installed it. I ran the new ground wire and spliced it in. The soldier points on the dash were all reflowed and they look much better so the instrument cluster was reassembled. I lubed up the tilt steering wheel mechanism so that works again. My steering wheel spinner could never be tightened all the way. Well my son's bike had a flat so I had a useless inner tube that I hacked a chunk off of to wrap around the steering wheel under the steering spinner. Much more secure. Installed the new black plastic part on the parking linkage. Painted the battery tray area as it was a little rusty as well as the hitch (pin type) area on the back of the machine. Lubed all the grease zerks.

Then got side tracked on my trip to get some supplies at the hardware store. They had a 10% rebate (instant gift card) so I ended up picking up one of those air hose spools that have the ratcheting rewind. It has 50' of 1/2 line. So that meant upgrade the lines going to the compressor and a new regulator/filter. Not to mention a return trip to the store to get the fittings that I didn't have or bought the wrong size of. Oh and we had a storm on Saturday blow through which split a crab apple tree we have near the house in half. Not much left to save but I cut that up. I don't have a FEL though since the 585 is ripped apart still. My neighbor offered up one of his bobcats to haul it to the burn pile.

Still on the list.

Wrap up the oil change
Clean and lube the operator seat mechanism
Double check the fluid level on the hydro-static drive
Reassemble
I think that will be about it

I could have it done by tonight but we will see. Lastnight after I wrapped things up I took a shower and had some updates to apply for work (the paying kind of work). Well of course the updates blew up so then I was fixing the production system all night long. Finally wrapped up at about 5:30am and decided to just get dressed and go into the office. By the time I get home tonight I will have been up for about 36 hrs so not sure I will do much work on the 585. Not tonight anyhow.

I do need to wrap it up to get it out of the shop. The Z950R is coming up on its 100hr service. Just an oil change and lube the zerks so not a big deal.