Rebuilt Minneapolis Moline Tractor

1991 - Volume #15, Issue #3, Page #08

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"Your readers may be interested in what you can do with a good old tractor, some used iron, and a bit of work," says Ed Pieper, Akron, Colo., who has almost totally rebuilt his 1957 GB Minneapolis Moline tractor over the years.
"I bought it in 1963 and it was my main tractor for 10 years. In 1966 I installed a homemade cab on it, mounting it on the fenders behind the tranmission. I had a problem with dust, so I pressurized the cab with filtered air and then fitted it with an air conditioner. In 1969, I repositioned the cab on top of the transmission, rubber-mounting it. I probably had the quietest cab around during that era.
"The last 10 years I didn't use the tractor much except for swathing. Because it's still in excellent shape, last August I started to modify it to make it more useful. First I dreamed up a way to convert the hand clutch to a foot clutch. The pedal travel is longer than normal but it works good and the throw-out bearing is completely released when engaged. I also installed a foot pedal. Then I lengthened the wheelbase out 3 1/2 ft. to accommodate the loader since I couldn't attach the loader to the back axles (the cab was in the way). I also fitted the tractor with a hydraulic power steering system with its own pump from a used MC combine.
"Last October I decided to mount a grader blade under the tractor for closing ditches and maintaining terraces. The blade is 12-ft. wide. I bought it used from the highway department. It works a lot better than towing the blade (previously I had mounted the blade on a 2-wheel transport). The biggest expense was 2 pieces of iron plate - one's 3 by 3-ft. and the other's 3 by 4-ft., both 3/4 in. thick - that I bought new to make a turntable. I angle the blade by hand."I didn't spend a lot of money on any of these modifications and now I have a tractor that's really useful."
Contact FARM SHOW Followup, Ed Pieper, 702 Cedar, Akron, Colo. 80720 (ph 303 345-6474).

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Rebuilt Minneapolis Moline Tractor TRACTORS Made-It-Myself 15-3-8 "Your readers may be interested in what you can do with a good old tractor, some used iron, and a bit of work," says Ed Pieper, Akron, Colo., who has almost totally rebuilt his 1957 GB Minneapolis Moline tractor over the years. "I bought it in 1963 and it was my main tractor for 10 years. In 1966 I installed a homemade cab on it, mounting it on the fenders behind the tranmission. I had a problem with dust, so I pressurized the cab with filtered air and then fitted it with an air conditioner. In 1969, I repositioned the cab on top of the transmission, rubber-mounting it. I probably had the quietest cab around during that era. "The last 10 years I didn't use the tractor much except for swathing. Because it's still in excellent shape, last August I started to modify it to make it more useful. First I dreamed up a way to convert the hand clutch to a foot clutch. The pedal travel is longer than normal but it works good and the throw-out bearing is completely released when engaged. I also installed a foot pedal. Then I lengthened the wheelbase out 3 1/2 ft. to accommodate the loader since I couldn't attach the loader to the back axles (the cab was in the way). I also fitted the tractor with a hydraulic power steering system with its own pump from a used MC combine. "Last October I decided to mount a grader blade under the tractor for closing ditches and maintaining terraces. The blade is 12-ft. wide. I bought it used from the highway department. It works a lot better than towing the blade (previously I had mounted the blade on a 2-wheel transport). The biggest expense was 2 pieces of iron plate - one's 3 by 3-ft. and the other's 3 by 4-ft., both 3/4 in. thick - that I bought new to make a turntable. I angle the blade by hand."I didn't spend a lot of money on any of these modifications and now I have a tractor that's really useful." Contact FARM SHOW Followup, Ed Pieper, 702 Cedar, Akron, Colo. 80720 (ph 303 345-6474).

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