I have grown up with an old International 4130 skid steer on the dairy farm. My father picked it up years ago and it was a very handy machine. The skid steer was built by Hydra-Mac and re-badged as an International. The Hydra-Mac 8C was also rebadged as another brand or two.
This machine has only one major flaw. It was originally powered by a Onan NHCV Vacu-Flow. That was (as so I was told), a miserable engine that ended up in a class-action lawsuit.
http://leagle.com/decision/19901363450NW2d913_11305.xml/HYDRA-MAC, INC. v. ONAN CORP.
Well, the "fix" for that engine was another engine. It was pretty much the same, but they reversed the airflow to the standard airflow of any other engine. Intake ant the flywheel and exhaust at the crank (that makes for a warm ride). The rear gate was also changed to allow better airflow.
This second engine worked better, but was still very problematic and had the life expectancy of a fruit fly. Third engine lasted a little longer, and the fourth engine has now gave up the ghost.
We have always talked about a re-power, but it has never happened. The dairy shut its doors about 15 years ago, but the machine still has been used quite a bit. After my father passed away, but mother relied on this old machine to work on quite a variety of projects. We have a larger model Hydra-Mac, but we can never keep the hydrostats together...
So that brings me to what I have up my sleeve. I am going to try and get this dolled up by Christmas with a new heart. I picked up a Robin-Subaru that I am going to try and stuff in the compartment. I thought I would post the process on here as I go through it.
This machine has only one major flaw. It was originally powered by a Onan NHCV Vacu-Flow. That was (as so I was told), a miserable engine that ended up in a class-action lawsuit.
http://leagle.com/decision/19901363450NW2d913_11305.xml/HYDRA-MAC, INC. v. ONAN CORP.
Well, the "fix" for that engine was another engine. It was pretty much the same, but they reversed the airflow to the standard airflow of any other engine. Intake ant the flywheel and exhaust at the crank (that makes for a warm ride). The rear gate was also changed to allow better airflow.
This second engine worked better, but was still very problematic and had the life expectancy of a fruit fly. Third engine lasted a little longer, and the fourth engine has now gave up the ghost.
We have always talked about a re-power, but it has never happened. The dairy shut its doors about 15 years ago, but the machine still has been used quite a bit. After my father passed away, but mother relied on this old machine to work on quite a variety of projects. We have a larger model Hydra-Mac, but we can never keep the hydrostats together...
So that brings me to what I have up my sleeve. I am going to try and get this dolled up by Christmas with a new heart. I picked up a Robin-Subaru that I am going to try and stuff in the compartment. I thought I would post the process on here as I go through it.