KAL the Extended Journey.

History - Build-off topic.
https://www.atltf.com/t5620-complete-mightyraze-s-kal-el-2018-build-off-entry

Now to continue...

Visiting with the inlaws today.  My father-in-law was cleaning out his shop today and guess what he found!



Yep, the stock battery covers!

Oh yeah!


My ultimate goal is to make Haspin 2019!

Hmmmm.... the stock cover does not work with the newer battery.  Posts are too tall.

Darn. I assume you can’t flip the battery 180 degrees to put the posts closer to the dash where I assume the cover is higher, or that you’ve already tried that

Yeah, I tried that.  I'll stick with the homemade one I built.   It could potentially be the battery tray that I am using too. I'm good either way!

Darn, that stinks. I don't suppose you could dremel out some supports on the inside of the cover, granted there are any?

No supports.  Probably because I used a thicker craftsman battery tray.

That’s a great profile pic right there. Good angle! I like that helmet too

Looks like you’re getting your outfit ready for Haspin! Great pic!

OK... so I was moving the 85 out of the way and looking at the battery area...

I noticed the 85 has seat springs.. Kal did not.

This is what Kal has:



This is what the 85 has:


I may need to look into this. While Kal is not that uncomfortable, a long day at like Haspin or something... it could be a real pain in the butt literally.

trust me youll want them seat springs for haspin, we all get "Haspin Back" and no seat springs would make it even worse.

That's what I am thinking too..

Another update I need to look into probably is maybe gussets to the front wheel spindles.  If I take Red too, I need to get a Brake.

You definitely want to keep your seat springs for what ride comfort they offer and the spindle gussets sounds like a good mod to do before haspin

I'm surprised the thing never had springs! Everything older I have or have seen has some kind of bounce to them.

Maybe that "U" shape in the seat mounting bracket is suppose to act like a spring?  Maybe it's something the engineers tried for a year or so to cut cost, but it didn't really pan out.

Dunno if you remember, but the ranch king we built a few years ago had kind of a “leaf sprung” rear seat. I agree that the coils are much better and also agree that they’re absolutely necessary at haspin.

I’m 18, I consider myself pretty fit, I beat myself pretty good on a daily basis with work and weights, and even I was having some trouble lol. That’s why the mk2 will have suspension.

Operation butt-saver complete.

looks good, Id bring both tractors, Haspin loves to reveal weak spots, plus its just fun to ride both machines.

Were the springs pretty much a direct swap?

I might put better springs on Mutt's seat some day, the ones it has are stock and don't bounce much.

Different springs. They came off the all wheel steer if I remember right.

I put Kal to the test today.  I buried the van in the mud today about 8 inches deep.  I grabbed Kal to see if it would pull it out.  I winched it about 15 feet then I threw it in reverse and tried to drag it from there.  The van hit a low spot and put the front bumper of the van on the ground and I started spinning Kal's tires.  I almost buried the tractor to the hitch plate in the gravel driveway before my belt let go.  (Not been pleased with the blue kevlar belts TSC supplies)   I jumped in the pickup and it had no issue pulling it the rest of the way out.  Good to work these kinks out now before Haspin.

I’ve seemed to have good luck with the blue TSC belts. I really hated the brown dayco belt I got though. That thing just loved to twist around. Never rode with the small part down in the pulley

I almost buried my truck climbing a snow pile today lol

I've had nothing but good luck with TSC belts, and nothing but bad luck with any other brand. Your belt may have been a dud, very rarely does any belt just plain snap with little wear.

So in a rush to get Kal out of the way for the build off, I swapped in a better engine than I had in it.  Not realizing when I put on the drive pulley, I did not properly align it to the clutch pulleys.  This misalignment was putting the belt on the hook of the clutch spring slowly cutting a groove into the belt allowing it to stretch.  I'll buy 2 belts this time and have one in my storage box.  I think fixing that alignment will resolve the issue I had.

Glad that I have been stressing Kal to limits.  I may not have found this until I was way out on a trail.

So..... I have something I need to correct between now and Haspin.  Kal is not happy now.  Not sure If I bent something or what trying to pull the van out.  I will need to inspect things better on a sunny day.  I put a new belt on Kal and it shredded it right away.  Upon observation, it is rubbing the crossmember for the foot board.  Not sure why it is doing this all the sudden.  Nothing looks bent, but then again, it seems like the transaxle is now bent down in the front a bit. Like I said, I need to check things out in the day.  Make sure that I have not bent something.  If I have not, I can correct with a larger idler pulley.  Not sure where I can get a larger. If not, I may have to tweak and modify that brace for the belt to go around it.  I can tell you this, I really hate to change that belt.  Not the most friendly design Murray came up with.