I put quotes around the word "fix" because it's not really something that is broken, but is more of a visual enhancement on the tractor. You see, when International Harvester came up with the goofy Model 1000 one-arm loader, they had to come up with a way to move the right front headlight out of the way of the loader lift cylinder and arm. They made a nifty bracket that moved the headlight in and up. Problem is, they only moved the right headlight, so the left headlight sits lower than the right one and it makes the tractor look even goofier than it normally does with its offset engine and one-arm loader. I think now would be an appropriate time to use the word cockeyed...
International had to move the light up and in or else it would be smashed by the loader cylinder, seen below.
This next photo below shows the left light is mounted on a straight 5/8" bar. I need to make a bracket similar to the one above so both headlights are in the same horizontal plane.
There's a set screw and lock nut clamping the left-side bar/bracket into the front casting. I don't know if this bar has ever been removed, as it seems rusted solid in place. Nothing a little penetrating oil and pipe wrench can't handle, right? Nope. I had to resort to heat and a lot of gentle (and not so gentle) persuasion to get the bar freed up.
Success! And I didn't break anything.
I bent a piece of flat bar in roughly the same configuration as the original piece.
Here it is welded up. I then slapped a coat of yellow paint on it.
Prior to paint.
After paint.
And they even work. Amazing. One thing though, the bulbs seem to be a little off kilter with the world, so I should look into straightening them.
No comments:
Post a Comment