I once bought a low hours Thomas from about the same era as yours. Came from a locally owned rental company that took care of their equipment. I knew the owners and they gave me a great deal. I was just starting out with a young crew. We did some concrete work for the rental company and they cut the price of the machine in half. It was a great running machine that we used in our yard and in several cities around the country when I was chasing dollars in the late 90s and early 2000s. It was a rare machine that always started, never gave us many issues and was a real workhorse. I liked it very much. Hope yours will do the same. By the way, a set of quick attach forks with a trailer ball on one, and a quick attach pig pole make these Thomas skid steers into great utility loaders around the shop. Whipple
@@WatchWesWork kubota dealer has great stock of parts wich my kubota dealer here pei could ship ya hoses wich i think about $20 wich deeres here are $65.00 for theres
Wes, your channel is miles ahead of anything else in this genre. Experienced engineer, who is also inventive, humble and highly intelligent makes every second watching worthwhile, may you have unlimited success going forward with this channel.
We have several V2203-powered gensets at work, and they all turn at 1800rpm, so what you speculate may be exactly right. We have all the original shop manuals for them all; I’ll see what they say about rpm adjustments and the governor.
Those cassette type injection pumps have shims under them to set injection timing also. If it's genset spec they need to be adjusted to set correct timing for higher rpm spec
Yes, true, but these injectors get stuck.. and the shims have nothing to do with the injectors. The governor spring is just a spring, and rarely fucks the injectors
you have a lot of patience to create a story line and take almost 1 year to produce ,edit ,and show it, thank you very much for the time and effort you put into your videos, the family clips at the end are a great touch 👏👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👍👍👌👌👌👌👌
If you need a right angle hose like that, go to an auto parts store and ask for a heater hose for a 1995 Toyota Corolla. It's a 90 degree bend and it's long, so you can cut it to whatever length you need on both sides. Works perfectly for stuff like that. My car has at least 2 of them replacing various no longer available right angle hoses.
Great video Wes. I believe that at 6:55 that is the original battery hold down that you have in your hand. A bolt goes through that piece of metal into the hole in the battery tray at 7:51 and holds the battery like a toe clamp by engaging with the slot at the bottom of the battery.
Thought @watchweswork was doing dry humor on some day getting a machine with hold down just after touching it…. Then later he was machining one… then looked for this comment! Some old guy has tinkered this machine with allot of cus and love before finally landing at auction.
@@patricksquires77 I wrote my comment about 10 minutes into the video, so when I saw him machining that plastic battery hold down he bought I was like, NOOOOO!!!! YOU HAD THE PROPER ONE IN YOUR HAND A MINUTE AGO, IRONICALLY, WHILE YOU WERE BITCHING ON ABOUT NEVER OWNING A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WITH THE ORIGINAL BATTERY HOLD DOWN...🤣🤣
It was refreshing to see a tire fixed with the old tire spoons. Brought back many old memories. I realize its a lot of hard work but you're living the life !!
Something I've found handy when working on heavy equipment. Any equipment that is generally stored outdoors anyway. I hose everything down with WD40 or PB blaster, I mean everything. Helps hold off the rust demons and prevents dirt from sticking. Dirt can act like a sponge holding moisture and rusting out equipment. Helps prevent electrical issues by keeping moisture out of electrical contacts as well.
I picked up a clapped out Gehl 3510 a few years ago for 500 bucks, it came complete with a partially disassembled ford industrial engine and loads of debris from the pig barn it broke down in and was left in to rot.. I don't think it ever had a drop of grease in its life. I pulled the motor out and replaced it with a 22hp harbor freight v twin, and some old barbell weights to make up the weight difference. Its just as capable as it was with that old ford pinto motor. I haven't done much else to it, its so worn out it would be pointless, but every time I use it, whether I'm moving dirt or pushing snow, I say in my head, it sure beats a shovel. kudos to you Wes, for keeping these old work horses going!
Hey Wes, I have a 153 Thomas, V2203 Kubota, it came to me as a gift, it had been dropped off a moving truck and had been run on water as oil for a long time. It has been a consistent partner in doing many things around here.
I have a little bit of exerience with the V2203. I have some parts diagrams for that family of engine, i'll email what i have to you! Just a disclaimer, the engine i worked on may be different in some ways than yours...i only have experience with the pump side of things, not the governor itself although i have some tips you might find helpful if you're getting into the fueltrain. The governor mechanism lives in the engine block, not the pump itself. The injection pump is fairly easy to remove, it's a simple cam-driven inline plunger pump and does not need to be locked in-time before removal, but there are some easy ways to mess up and damage things. For example, the pump lives in a cavity in the block, and the idle control mechanism (a screw-in plunger/spring) is installed into the rear side of the pump cavity in the block in-line with the rack on the pump, and helps dampen the rack's movement and helps the rack return to idle.If you don't remove it before pulling the pump it will hang up on the pump and can be easily ruined. It's very easy to bolt down the pump against the inline plunger spring pressure without realising that something else is hanging up and being bent. The stop solenoid on the front of the pump cavity also needs to be removed, and sometimes the stop solenoid's plunger pushes on another plastic plunger which then pushes the rack closed....usually you need to stick a finger into the hole and pull the plustic plunger backwards a bit so the pump can be pulled up and free. The fuel timing is adjusted with thin shims between the body of the pump and the block, be careful not to lose them.
@WatchWesWork I'll add that sometimes the governor fork can become bent, and that can affect it's ability to act on the fuel rack. In the past on a smaller 3 cyl kubota that is pretty similar in construction to the 4 cyl, I've seen the fork get bent in a way so that after passing a certain point of rack travel, the fork would slip off the pin on the rack and get stuck behind it which caused the rack to go full fuel, causing a runaway condition. There are lots of small springs, rods and bits that can be very fiddly with these governor systems.
Surplus Center in Lincoln NE has a lot of parts that might be useful to you, Wes. I've bought things from them over the years, and have gotten good deals.
I must have missed the announcement, but it appears that the Repair Shop has closed. That's OK - you bring your skills to everything that you repair, and it's as much fun to Watch Wes Work as ever!
Hey Wes, I had to put a heavier governor spring in my V2203 when I stuck it in a Jeep. I used Mcmaster 9433K49. I’ve revved it to about 2500rpm before I let out. To change the spring, you have to pull the injection pump out and the throttle plate off and the shutdown lever plate off.
I ran a Thomas 175 for a few years, what a absolute workhorse that thing was. Easily the most reliable skid steer i have ever ran. Same engine. Only problem we ever had was u joint/yoke between engine and pump went out and tore up the splines on the pump. Local company rebuilt the pump for us and Spicer still carried the yoke so replaced that and it went back to work. Still working to this day out making money moving dirt. I told the owner if he ever wanted to sell it im first in line!
Hi Wes, I have used screw type hose clamps on the bend in the hose to keep the hose from kinking at the bend. Works in a pinch. Only temporary unless it works!
You've needed a skid steerer for a long while now. I'm glad to see you got one. They R really handy. All the issues it has just give you more content to post. I, for one, like seeing how you fix these problems. You make it look easy, so easy a caveman can do it.
There are generally many reasons why a piece of equipment is sold at an auction but if the price is right ... I am confident you can conquer all the repairs. Add another talent to the White Knuckle Towing Service, barber.
Looks like you figured out how to up your comment algorithms....snow in the summer, sun/sweating in the winter. I'm having fun watching you fix things. Thanks.
I understand when you buy things and they have PROBLEMS. But look on the bright side, that means we will have more interesting videos of such repairs. Now how could that possibly be bad... Sorry to hear about the old "new" problems. But it does allow us to see you fix them, and I really like to watch as well...
I live in Canada - same temps, just longer. What I always do is attach some exterior lugs to my tractor/snow blower implements. EASY peasy to jump start in great winter!🎉
I live in Finland. We got pretty cold weather too. We use bigger batteries, because starters need good kick of current in cold. And -40C diesel fuel of course. Best engines start even from -35C but it doesent sound nice... Block heater is the way to go
When using unformed soft hose in a pinch and needing to complete a bend without kinking, I’ve tightened a small hose clamp around the kinked area. The hose clamp does a decent job of forcing the hose back out into a round shape in that location. Not great, but better than nothing - it’s come in handy a time or two
What you have outside is what we over in Merrie Old England call Winter Carnage. Anything over 1" (25.4mm) is considered impassable and thus everything stops. Cars, Trucks, Trains (especially Trains, we even have designated leaf types which halt all progress should they be on the rails). You don't know how lucky you are.
Spent half the day wrestling with the ride on's, (Spring has arrived here in Melbourne Australia). Dead battery and time to fix that rubbish battery retainer on one and blocked fuel filter and a hunting engine on the other. You made my day when you said, "part 2" Wes. There always seems to be a part 2 for me.
Hi Wes. Shook me when you showed the snow ( I hadn't realised it was from months ago). I am watching from the middle of the UK, 5pm, and its is 28 Celsius, 82 Fahrenheit, the best day we've had in a rotten summer!
Thanks for ending that on a high note theres something about kids and animals that always makes me smile. You wife giving the pre-school haircut reminds me of my Mom with her electric hair clippers lining up me 😣 and my two brothers up for our monthly ear lowering.
An old man once told me to stop looking for problems and you wont find any or something like that. I was born with the same disease that you have. Simple repairs end up being a major restoration😉.
I think the bucket was a great indicator of the state of the machine. The wear along the right side is the first thing I noticed when seeing it, she's done hard hours. The good thing is that it's all there and it does actually run.
Robot Cantina just did a whole series on putting a kabota diesel into a Saturn. I think it was one from a refrigeration unit. He might know about the limited rpm issue.
@@Le_Comte_de_Monte_FelinCar didn't run worth a crap but the ham sandwich inside the car sure stayed cold for a long time😅. Seriously tho. The car ran pretty good... cool show.
Never fails always has to be something that goes on. Hope you can get it fixed correctly. Too bad the prior owner did not disclose what the problems were. Thank you for sharing. I can't believe how big your son is getting nice to see your wife on video also.😊
I once worked for a Thomas Dealer / Construction Company in California. We had approx. 45 of these skid steers in our fleet, and were pretty bullet proof, as a Heavy Equipment Mechanic for the company, the biggest problem I had with them was the Fuel Shutoff Solenoids and Starters. Thomas originally started as a Canadian company, got bought by a Chinese Company, then bought themselves back from the Chinese company. Getting parts was a hassel because of the buy out and buy back took 5 years.
I checked Thomas, they are from New Brunswick. Ariens picked up the company last year. Keep up with the best vids on Ytube. Really enjoy all your stuff. Greetings from Ottawa Canada.
Before you jump at a governor problem or engine issue (if you haven't already done so), make sure the fuel system is proper. Kinked hoses, improper sized fittings, fuel filters, etc. It really is amazing what the previous "mechanics" have/can/will do to keep stuff like this running. An undersized hose barb causes more headaches than you would believe.
The revs issue Wes will most probably be a weak governor spring ( Behind the cover where the washer tower is), if memory serves its a similar pump set up to the D series and has an internal tensioner, great little engines but they do need heater plug, LOTS of heater plug even in summer and they dont like getting to warm ( combustion chamber cracks between pre combustion chamber and inlet valve seat), Brilliant video as always ❤
I had no idea a goat could be trained to do anything. Oh, the skid steer! Seems like a serviceable machine for what you paid, I've seen plenty worse for more. Cheers!
I had plowed snow as part my job for awhile. NW Alaska I have used Skidsteer to clear snow, and snowplow pickup truck, skidsteers for moving snow works great in spaces you need to clear snow away from, like buildings, fences, doorways, where the plow shines is when you need to clear a large area. one thing I learned is if you need blockheater, you need a battery blanket, if you need those both, might as well wire in a battery tender so she is charged a ready to go.
Watching Wes Work, I always learn something, even if it's not something I think I'll every need or use. Today I learned that skid steers are also almost zero turns! Watching that beauty do a 360 in the snow was pretty cool. I wonder if you could go fast enough in the snow to do donuts (the automotive spelling, not the baking spelling...). :)
Yes, you can really "hot dog" in these things, do wheelies, etc., but the low RPM issue was very apparent. I was wondering why Wes was going so slow--thought he was just being careful and cautious with his new toy.
Gotta love those highly efficient chinesium tubes. Why most people have to wait to see their stuff wear out! Not with the chinesium. They had the consideration to "pre wear" out their tubes so no waiting around for the end. What a time saver! I bought one recently for my wheel barrow. I was dreading having to use the damn thing, get out the compressor air up the new tubes in the rotted out chinesium new tire but they saved me all that!! What a nice bunch. I opened up the package and the tubes were 'sun' crazed so much there wasn't any need to proceed any further! Ahhh! It's nice in my easy chair. Just hope they don't start making beer!! (or easy chairs for that matter!!).
Hi Wes you are very smart with machines and don’t want to overstep my boundaries but I had one of the that I found the stop lever interference since they are connected together and the stop is not adjusted correctly but I will send you information of the parts supplier in Canada , Kubota doesn’t want to share information since they class it’s industrial and part number don’t match from each other good luck , happy Labor Day
I don't have a shop nor the skills to do all the repairs you do. You do a fantastic job. Hope someone can give you some guidance. Thanks for the videos.
We got 2 skid steers at work. Boss made a plow for the one. Used a quick connect and a western plow. It also angles works really good. Got a gravel driveway and told the boss to put a pipe over the cutting edge to keep it from moving the gravel. Used a few trucks with pipes over the cutting edge and it works great. Going to be putting one on my plow for this winter. Just got the plow and truck just got to put the hookup on the truck. Needs welding i can't do that but my son-in-law can.
I’ve been looking off and on for a Thomas Skid steer..These were built in NewBrunswick Canada,30 minutes from my home..Had couple friends that worked on the assembly line for these..Very ruggedly built and lacking frills..The value on these is low due to when entering the market Thomas thought to make a splash with U.S. farmers by shipping some new ones to auctions in midwestern USA..Unfortunately they were greeted suspiciously as off brands usually are.They sold for low prices which sealed their fate in the big US agricultural industry..They remained popular in Canada and with contractors until Thomas changed hands..They still produce stand on style and many farm accessories..They were the first to introduce hst trans in a skid,and bobcat quickly followed suit and had the reputation and the money to back up their machine, which ended up leading the market
All the hoses, and pretty much anything associated with the engine including the cooling system are Kubota parts. You can get them from a Kubota engine dealer if you give them the Kubota serial number.
Man, that kid has grown! I'm sure your buddies at Area Diesel Service can help you out on the pump! I hoped you were getting the John Deere, and remembered the title of the video, looking forward to part 2.
He is getting so big so Fast 20:55 i swear it was just a few months ago he was 3 years old they always grow in a flash i swear it was just yesterday my youngest was a baby and hes now 6 @Watch Wes Work
This resembles my backyard ornament Bobcat 825 that has been sitting for 2 years. Perhaps I will go take a look at it this week. Thanks for the motivation!
Just bring it by here. I have plenty of trees for it to sit under, plenty of bees to live in it and plenty of semi-watery diesel to try starting it with.
2:10 we had a Bobcat 310 "briefly" and hated the foot controls. We like our CASE 1825B. If you like your Thomas 173 enough to keep it you might see about buying another "junk" machine just for the parts. We traveled from Ohio to Iowa to get a parts skid steer and stripped off all the usable parts from it.
Awesome video Wes. I enjoy seeing what goes into maintaining equipment. Those engines are built tough. Try replacing the fuel rail. Might help you get some more rpm.
Pneumatic tires on a skid steers are the worst. We finally gave up on our last one and had em foam filled and now just get solid ones whenever they wear out.
I worked at Thomas factory for 12 years in service and warranty . I was there and involved in development 173 and its big brother 233. I wrote the repair, service and owners manuals for both these as well as others. This skid steer used good components in hydraulics and hydrostatics. The Kubota engines were very good. Thomas no longer is manufacturing these however in Illinois , Gebauers (spelt wrong I’m sure) I remember as a good Thomas dealer in the 90’s when this was built. If they still exist maybe some help there.
We have a kubota 2203 in a tractor, no block heater, battery is 21 years old (yes 21 years old), starts in -35 every time. May have a couple of glow plugs out.
Southern MN here, with these temps lately, I’ve almost started missing winter, seeing the snow in this video reminded me how much winter hurts when you’re out trying to get something done.
Pop some chains on the rear of that thing and it will be almost unstoppable. Also….1/4 lexan sheet will do both sides and rear with some soft seal tape around perimeter. Bobcat F series door will fit that cab width and have integrated wiper/washer in it. Just need to make the hinge reciver tubes and put a striker on other side. Pop a nice heater core in there AND a cupholder and you will be plowing in comfort. Thats my setup and its perfect. 👍
wes, i live a few states west and as far north as you can go in America and for those balmy below zero days ive been using a magnet heater on the oil pan with excellent results. get one with a long cord to make life a little easier. i leave it on for a couple hours and it starts like it was the middle of summer. theyre pretty strong magnets so some guys just route the cord so it doesnt get caught and ripped off and just leave the magnet in place. i use the 200w heaters with have done well for anything i need to get warm.
High Wes, Thomas Skid-steers were built in New Brunswick, Canada (east coast). They were pretty popular but were plain jane compared to contemporary machines like Bobscrap or Deere John. According to google they are now owned by Ariens the riding mower people. However their skid-steer line seemed to be out of production since about the mid 2000's. They were building and selling mini skid-steers but I dont think they are anymore. There is an outfit using the name and selling parts online for dealers but thats all I can figure out. I knew a few guys in the early 90's to the early 2000's who ran them and they always preferred them over other makes saying they were built a lot tougher than companies like Bobscrap.
I’ve got the same exact skid steer that I bought from an auction also. Same exact Kubota engine too. So I think that is the factory engine. I had to do a lot of work on the controls on mine also: I replaced the brass bushings in the main control levers and I used grade 8 bolts and stop nuts for a few of those linkage pins. It has a parking brake ( disc brake style) that is supposed to engage when you raise the safety bar so you may have to adjust that or check the cable that controls it. Mine has over 8000 hours and still runs great!
Speaking of the original battery hold down bracket - my used Honda Civic came without one. I was about to go to the wreckers to find another one when I checked with the local Honda dealer. A brand new bracket was only 7 usd! After that I check the dealer first :)
Wes, Always good to see you wrenching on something different (kinda). Hope you get all the bugs worked out! Needs a plow on attachment? Loooking forward to episode two, Especiacially if someone tells you how to fix the low rpm! I can’t stand hair on my neck!!
Wess I had a old 1970 580 ck with same starting issues I started using a small engine block heater on the hydraulic bulk tank thins the hydraulic fluid
Greetings from Australia. Years ago I had a 6 cylinder version of your machine. Bulldozer with wheels. 4 in one bucket would snap 5 inch concrete in half. Won't start unless glow plugs are in good condition. It's a machine worth perservering with. Keep at it and thanks for the entertainment.
Deal or no deal?
If you are passionate about mid 90s Canadian skid steers, check us out on Patreon at patreon.com/watchweswork
PEPPERMINT SPRAY FOR THE MICE
Wes where is it that you have all the snow already
@@dancurrier6421 Wes mentioned at the beginning that this story began last December.
@belowme4927 works great! Been using it for the past 5 yrs
You probably should’ve gone with the Case
You know she's a gem when you see "part 1" in the title! 😉
Agreed!!! You ALSO know it was a poor choice if you see part 13 in the title
@@trevorvanbremen4718unless it's Pacific Northwest Hillbilly working on a project. He's my fave youtbuer along with Wes
I once bought a low hours Thomas from about the same era as yours. Came from a locally owned rental company that took care of their equipment. I knew the owners and they gave me a great deal. I was just starting out with a young crew. We did some concrete work for the rental company and they cut the price of the machine in half. It was a great running machine that we used in our yard and in several cities around the country when I was chasing dollars in the late 90s and early 2000s. It was a rare machine that always started, never gave us many issues and was a real workhorse. I liked it very much. Hope yours will do the same.
By the way, a set of quick attach forks with a trailer ball on one, and a quick attach pig pole make these Thomas skid steers into great utility loaders around the shop.
Whipple
I'm not sure that thing leaks enough to be part of your fleet. Great video, Wes, as always.
Hmm. We'll see!
I'm expecting part two to be full of rust, broken bolts and bad wiring... ;-)
Just wait till he gets the RPMs sorted out, the new power will certain get it in line with the other equipment for leaks:)
@@WatchWesWork kubota dealer has great stock of parts wich my kubota dealer here pei could ship ya hoses wich i think about $20 wich deeres here are $65.00 for theres
Give it five minutes...
Wes, your channel is miles ahead of anything else in this genre. Experienced engineer, who is also inventive, humble and highly intelligent makes every second watching worthwhile, may you have unlimited success going forward with this channel.
Yep, if I could meet one TH-camr and shake his hand, it would be Wes. Amazing guy
Amen to that!
We have several V2203-powered gensets at work, and they all turn at 1800rpm, so what you speculate may be exactly right. We have all the original shop manuals for them all; I’ll see what they say about rpm adjustments and the governor.
Yep, my money is on internal governor springs/travel. Might be an Area Diesel collaboration in the works.
Best wishes from the smokey North.
Those cassette type injection pumps have shims under them to set injection timing also. If it's genset spec they need to be adjusted to set correct timing for higher rpm spec
Yes, true, but these injectors get stuck.. and the shims have nothing to do with the injectors. The governor spring is just a spring, and rarely fucks the injectors
Sorry, the shims don't mess with the typical workings on rpm, other than a factory setting.
@@mayhew75 I never said they did?
This should be a great series. For us, that is.
you have a lot of patience to create a story line and take almost 1 year to produce ,edit ,and show it, thank you very much for the time and effort you put into your videos, the family clips at the end are a great touch 👏👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👍👍👌👌👌👌👌
Wes is into 'long-term-pain'.
Masochist? No... machinist! Yes.
If you need a right angle hose like that, go to an auto parts store and ask for a heater hose for a 1995 Toyota Corolla. It's a 90 degree bend and it's long, so you can cut it to whatever length you need on both sides. Works perfectly for stuff like that. My car has at least 2 of them replacing various no longer available right angle hoses.
Wallowed linkages! Holy 3D printed bushings, Max! To the Wes Cave!
Great video Wes.
I believe that at 6:55 that is the original battery hold down that you have in your hand. A bolt goes through that piece of metal into the hole in the battery tray at 7:51 and holds the battery like a toe clamp by engaging with the slot at the bottom of the battery.
Holy crap. I didn't even remember picking that up!! You are right.
I was waiting for the joke because I saw the same piece in your hand.
@@WatchWesWork Gah! I practically yelled at the screen.
Thought @watchweswork was doing dry humor on some day getting a machine with hold down just after touching it…. Then later he was machining one… then looked for this comment!
Some old guy has tinkered this machine with allot of cus and love before finally landing at auction.
@@patricksquires77 I wrote my comment about 10 minutes into the video, so when I saw him machining that plastic battery hold down he bought I was like, NOOOOO!!!! YOU HAD THE PROPER ONE IN YOUR HAND A MINUTE AGO, IRONICALLY, WHILE YOU WERE BITCHING ON ABOUT NEVER OWNING A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WITH THE ORIGINAL BATTERY HOLD DOWN...🤣🤣
It was refreshing to see a tire fixed with the old tire spoons. Brought back many old memories. I realize its a lot of hard work but you're living the life !!
Is there another way to change a tire?
@@MaxNafeHorsemanshipYep. Tire machine. I thought Wes had one in his shop. 🤔
@@MaxNafeHorsemanship Yes. And I write a check every time.
@@barrygordon5223 It might be an odd size and doesn't fit on it, too small and wide?
Something I've found handy when working on heavy equipment. Any equipment that is generally stored outdoors anyway. I hose everything down with WD40 or PB blaster, I mean everything. Helps hold off the rust demons and prevents dirt from sticking. Dirt can act like a sponge holding moisture and rusting out equipment. Helps prevent electrical issues by keeping moisture out of electrical contacts as well.
I picked up a clapped out Gehl 3510 a few years ago for 500 bucks, it came complete with a partially disassembled ford industrial engine and loads of debris from the pig barn it broke down in and was left in to rot.. I don't think it ever had a drop of grease in its life. I pulled the motor out and replaced it with a 22hp harbor freight v twin, and some old barbell weights to make up the weight difference. Its just as capable as it was with that old ford pinto motor. I haven't done much else to it, its so worn out it would be pointless, but every time I use it, whether I'm moving dirt or pushing snow, I say in my head, it sure beats a shovel. kudos to you Wes, for keeping these old work horses going!
My brother did the same. He put a Yanmar diesel in his.
"I say in my head". lol... that's a warning sign my friend
I get excited every time I see a new video posted. Although it was brief it was great to see your dad.
The Kubota uses a zexel inline pump. They have a rack limiter on the pump. Super simple to figure out after the pump is out.
Zexel manufactures Bosch licence products, just like that pump too
Industrial size hay burners lmfao 😂😂 beautiful horses 27:04 @Watch Wes Work
Hey Wes, I have a 153 Thomas, V2203 Kubota, it came to me as a gift, it had been dropped off a moving truck and had been run on water as oil for a long time. It has been a consistent partner in doing many things around here.
I have a little bit of exerience with the V2203. I have some parts diagrams for that family of engine, i'll email what i have to you! Just a disclaimer, the engine i worked on may be different in some ways than yours...i only have experience with the pump side of things, not the governor itself although i have some tips you might find helpful if you're getting into the fueltrain. The governor mechanism lives in the engine block, not the pump itself. The injection pump is fairly easy to remove, it's a simple cam-driven inline plunger pump and does not need to be locked in-time before removal, but there are some easy ways to mess up and damage things. For example, the pump lives in a cavity in the block, and the idle control mechanism (a screw-in plunger/spring) is installed into the rear side of the pump cavity in the block in-line with the rack on the pump, and helps dampen the rack's movement and helps the rack return to idle.If you don't remove it before pulling the pump it will hang up on the pump and can be easily ruined. It's very easy to bolt down the pump against the inline plunger spring pressure without realising that something else is hanging up and being bent. The stop solenoid on the front of the pump cavity also needs to be removed, and sometimes the stop solenoid's plunger pushes on another plastic plunger which then pushes the rack closed....usually you need to stick a finger into the hole and pull the plustic plunger backwards a bit so the pump can be pulled up and free. The fuel timing is adjusted with thin shims between the body of the pump and the block, be careful not to lose them.
Good info!
@WatchWesWork I'll add that sometimes the governor fork can become bent, and that can affect it's ability to act on the fuel rack. In the past on a smaller 3 cyl kubota that is pretty similar in construction to the 4 cyl, I've seen the fork get bent in a way so that after passing a certain point of rack travel, the fork would slip off the pin on the rack and get stuck behind it which caused the rack to go full fuel, causing a runaway condition. There are lots of small springs, rods and bits that can be very fiddly with these governor systems.
@@WatchWesWork Also, don't lose any of the gaskets / shims between the pump and block, they are what actually set the injection timing.
@@WatchWesWorkPS, I've had good luck with aftermarket kubota parts from Kumar bros. in Marlboro, NJ
Surplus Center in Lincoln NE has a lot of parts that might be useful to you, Wes. I've bought things from them over the years, and have gotten good deals.
We live 40 miles from they great place get parts all the time
Amazing place👍
I must have missed the announcement, but it appears that the Repair Shop has closed. That's OK - you bring your skills to everything that you repair, and it's as much fun to Watch Wes Work as ever!
I'm wondering, too. I feel like I missed something.
Hey Wes, I had to put a heavier governor spring in my V2203 when I stuck it in a Jeep. I used Mcmaster 9433K49. I’ve revved it to about 2500rpm before I let out. To change the spring, you have to pull the injection pump out and the throttle plate off and the shutdown lever plate off.
Mid-90s Canadian skid steers! I'm from Ontario Canada, and I'm ALL IN Wes!! :)
I ran a Thomas 175 for a few years, what a absolute workhorse that thing was. Easily the most reliable skid steer i have ever ran. Same engine. Only problem we ever had was u joint/yoke between engine and pump went out and tore up the splines on the pump. Local company rebuilt the pump for us and Spicer still carried the yoke so replaced that and it went back to work. Still working to this day out making money moving dirt. I told the owner if he ever wanted to sell it im first in line!
Hi Wes,
I have used screw type hose clamps on the bend in the hose to keep the hose from kinking at the bend. Works in a pinch. Only temporary unless it works!
You've needed a skid steerer for a long while now. I'm glad to see you got one.
They R really handy. All the issues it has just give you more content to post. I, for one, like seeing how you fix these problems. You make it look easy, so easy a caveman can do it.
There are generally many reasons why a piece of equipment is sold at an auction but if the price is right ... I am confident you can conquer all the repairs.
Add another talent to the White Knuckle Towing Service, barber.
Looks like you figured out how to up your comment algorithms....snow in the summer, sun/sweating in the winter. I'm having fun watching you fix things. Thanks.
I understand when you buy things and they have PROBLEMS. But look on the bright side, that means we will have more interesting videos of such repairs. Now how could that possibly be bad... Sorry to hear about the old "new" problems. But it does allow us to see you fix them, and I really like to watch as well...
I like the new format.
You know, WWW turned into a Diesel creek channel so gradually, I didn't even notice.
JK love your content
Next will be a D8...
Wes isn't an embarrassing wiero though.
Not enough belt squeal, though 😂
@@EFCasualin my opinion neither is Matt
*Thank you for a very good video. Valuable leason learned!* 👍❤😊
I live in Canada - same temps, just longer. What I always do is attach some exterior lugs to my tractor/snow blower implements. EASY peasy to jump start in great winter!🎉
I live in Finland. We got pretty cold weather too. We use bigger batteries, because starters need good kick of current in cold. And -40C diesel fuel of course. Best engines start even from -35C but it doesent sound nice... Block heater is the way to go
When using unformed soft hose in a pinch and needing to complete a bend without kinking, I’ve tightened a small hose clamp around the kinked area. The hose clamp does a decent job of forcing the hose back out into a round shape in that location. Not great, but better than nothing - it’s come in handy a time or two
What you have outside is what we over in Merrie Old England call Winter Carnage. Anything over 1" (25.4mm) is considered impassable and thus everything stops. Cars, Trucks, Trains (especially Trains, we even have designated leaf types which halt all progress should they be on the rails). You don't know how lucky you are.
In the southern US it’s pretty much like this too… we had what was called “snowmageddon” couple years ago that locked everything down for a week
What would you call a 8 inch snowfall. They happen around here. Buffalo, NY gets' even more.
@@milwaukeeroadjim9253 snowmageddon was a 12” snowfall actually I think. Sorry for any confusion
Your Mom and myself are still proud of you,... 250,000
Still watching!
Spent half the day wrestling with the ride on's, (Spring has arrived here in Melbourne Australia).
Dead battery and time to fix that rubbish battery retainer on one and blocked fuel filter and a hunting engine on the other.
You made my day when you said, "part 2" Wes.
There always seems to be a part 2 for me.
Hi Wes. Shook me when you showed the snow ( I hadn't realised it was from
months ago). I am watching from the middle of the UK, 5pm, and its is 28 Celsius,
82 Fahrenheit, the best day we've had in a rotten summer!
Thanks for ending that on a high note theres something about kids and animals that always makes me smile. You wife giving the pre-school haircut reminds me of my Mom with her electric hair clippers lining up me 😣 and my two brothers up for our monthly ear lowering.
An old man once told me to stop looking for problems and you wont find any or something like that. I was born with the same disease that you have. Simple repairs end up being a major restoration😉.
I think the bucket was a great indicator of the state of the machine. The wear along the right side is the first thing I noticed when seeing it, she's done hard hours. The good thing is that it's all there and it does actually run.
Robot Cantina just did a whole series on putting a kabota diesel into a Saturn. I think it was one from a refrigeration unit. He might know about the limited rpm issue.
What I want to know is that, after swapping this reefer motor into the Saturn... did the AC finally work?
@@Le_Comte_de_Monte_FelinCar didn't run worth a crap but the ham sandwich inside the car sure stayed cold for a long time😅. Seriously tho. The car ran pretty good... cool show.
I have spent quite a few hours in a Thomas. It was a great machine! Simple and tough.
I love this. We own a 175 HL and absolutely love it. Owned since new and it's been an absolute workhorse
Never fails always has to be something that goes on. Hope you can get it fixed correctly. Too bad the prior owner did not disclose what the problems were. Thank you for sharing. I can't believe how big your son is getting nice to see your wife on video also.😊
It's an auction. You get what you get.
@@WatchWesWork You are so right!
The hidden problems are often the reason its at auction.@@WatchWesWork
...as long as no one steals it before you get it. @@WatchWesWork
I once worked for a Thomas Dealer / Construction Company in California.
We had approx. 45 of these skid steers in our fleet, and were pretty bullet proof, as a Heavy Equipment Mechanic for the company, the biggest problem I had with them was the Fuel Shutoff Solenoids and Starters.
Thomas originally started as a Canadian company, got bought by a Chinese Company, then bought themselves back from the Chinese company.
Getting parts was a hassel because of the buy out and buy back took 5 years.
I checked Thomas, they are from New Brunswick.
Ariens picked up the company last year.
Keep up with the best vids on Ytube. Really enjoy all your stuff.
Greetings from Ottawa Canada.
Before you jump at a governor problem or engine issue (if you haven't already done so), make sure the fuel system is proper. Kinked hoses, improper sized fittings, fuel filters, etc. It really is amazing what the previous "mechanics" have/can/will do to keep stuff like this running. An undersized hose barb causes more headaches than you would believe.
The revs issue Wes will most probably be a weak governor spring ( Behind the cover where the washer tower is), if memory serves its a similar pump set up to the D series and has an internal tensioner, great little engines but they do need heater plug, LOTS of heater plug even in summer and they dont like getting to warm ( combustion chamber cracks between pre combustion chamber and inlet valve seat), Brilliant video as always ❤
This is your audition to decide if I wanna watch more. So far I like it
I had no idea a goat could be trained to do anything. Oh, the skid steer! Seems like a serviceable machine for what you paid, I've seen plenty worse for more. Cheers!
I had plowed snow as part my job for awhile.
NW Alaska
I have used Skidsteer to clear snow, and snowplow pickup truck, skidsteers for moving snow works great in spaces you need to clear snow away from, like buildings, fences, doorways, where the plow shines is when you need to clear a large area.
one thing I learned is if you need blockheater, you need a battery blanket, if you need those both, might as well wire in a battery tender so she is charged a ready to go.
Watching Wes Work, I always learn something, even if it's not something I think I'll every need or use. Today I learned that skid steers are also almost zero turns! Watching that beauty do a 360 in the snow was pretty cool. I wonder if you could go fast enough in the snow to do donuts (the automotive spelling, not the baking spelling...). :)
They are the original zero turns.
look up the history of them, it's fascinating
Yes, you can really "hot dog" in these things, do wheelies, etc., but the low RPM issue was very apparent. I was wondering why Wes was going so slow--thought he was just being careful and cautious with his new toy.
Part 1 !!! Looking forward to Part 2!
Thanks for sharing 🇨🇦
@@WatchWesWork Just don't do it on Blacktop...when it's 95 degrees...I mean unless it's your last day on the job haha
Gotta love those highly efficient chinesium tubes. Why most people have to wait to see their stuff wear out! Not with the chinesium. They had the consideration to "pre wear" out their tubes so no waiting around for the end. What a time saver! I bought one recently for my wheel barrow. I was dreading having to use the damn thing, get out the compressor air up the new tubes in the rotted out chinesium new tire but they saved me all that!! What a nice bunch. I opened up the package and the tubes were 'sun' crazed so much there wasn't any need to proceed any further! Ahhh! It's nice in my easy chair. Just hope they don't start making beer!! (or easy chairs for that matter!!).
Hi Wes you are very smart with machines and don’t want to overstep my boundaries but I had one of the that I found the stop lever interference since they are connected together and the stop is not adjusted correctly but I will send you information of the parts supplier in Canada , Kubota doesn’t want to share information since they class it’s industrial and part number don’t match from each other good luck , happy Labor Day
It's always great to see your dad in the videos!
I don't have a shop nor the skills to do all the repairs you do. You do a fantastic job. Hope someone can give you some guidance. Thanks for the videos.
We got 2 skid steers at work. Boss made a plow for the one. Used a quick connect and a western plow. It also angles works really good. Got a gravel driveway and told the boss to put a pipe over the cutting edge to keep it from moving the gravel. Used a few trucks with pipes over the cutting edge and it works great. Going to be putting one on my plow for this winter. Just got the plow and truck just got to put the hookup on the truck. Needs welding i can't do that but my son-in-law can.
I’ve been looking off and on for a Thomas Skid steer..These were built in NewBrunswick Canada,30 minutes from my home..Had couple friends that worked on the assembly line for these..Very ruggedly built and lacking frills..The value on these is low due to when entering the market Thomas thought to make a splash with U.S. farmers by shipping some new ones to auctions in midwestern USA..Unfortunately they were greeted suspiciously as off brands usually are.They sold for low prices which sealed their fate in the big US agricultural industry..They remained popular in Canada and with contractors until Thomas changed hands..They still produce stand on style and many farm accessories..They were the first to introduce hst trans in a skid,and bobcat quickly followed suit and had the reputation and the money to back up their machine, which ended up leading the market
The classic reach around!? Love it. Thanks Wes. Thanks Eric O✌🏼
2:47 The rubber strap holding the hood closed is a nice touch.
All the hoses, and pretty much anything associated with the engine including the cooling system are Kubota parts. You can get them from a Kubota engine dealer if you give them the Kubota serial number.
Man, that kid has grown! I'm sure your buddies at Area Diesel Service can help you out on the pump! I hoped you were getting the John Deere, and remembered the title of the video, looking forward to part 2.
He is getting so big so Fast 20:55 i swear it was just a few months ago he was 3 years old they always grow in a flash i swear it was just yesterday my youngest was a baby and hes now 6 @Watch Wes Work
This resembles my backyard ornament Bobcat 825 that has been sitting for 2 years. Perhaps I will go take a look at it this week. Thanks for the motivation!
I had one of those. It had a Perkins 4.108 with a hole in the block. Brazed up the hole and rebuilt it. That was before TH-cam.
Just bring it by here. I have plenty of trees for it to sit under, plenty of bees to live in it and plenty of semi-watery diesel to try starting it with.
Always interesting, that young bloke is great.
And always good to,see your better half, as well.
Anything sold at auction, is a gamble.
2:10 we had a Bobcat 310 "briefly" and hated the foot controls. We like our CASE 1825B.
If you like your Thomas 173 enough to keep it you might see about buying another "junk" machine just for the parts. We traveled from Ohio to Iowa to get a parts skid steer and stripped off all the usable parts from it.
Awesome video Wes. I enjoy seeing what goes into maintaining equipment. Those engines are built tough. Try replacing the fuel rail. Might help you get some more rpm.
I'm impressed that 3 ton Daytona floor jack picked up the corner of that skidsteer 19:39 wow Impressive for sure @Watch Wes Work
Thanks for the holiday upload! Hope you get to enjoy the day with the family.
Nice to see the Belgian Draft horses and the Rooster at the end. Good luck with your skid steer.
Great videos as always Wes. I believe a call to Area Diesel Service, might be worth while on that injection pump. 60107 says hi
Pneumatic tires on a skid steers are the worst. We finally gave up on our last one and had em foam filled and now just get solid ones whenever they wear out.
This was a good time to upload. Suppose to be 90° here today. The snow looks great.
95 here they say.
I worked at Thomas factory for 12 years in service and warranty . I was there and involved in development 173 and its big brother 233. I wrote the repair, service and owners manuals for both these as well as others. This skid steer used good components in hydraulics and hydrostatics. The Kubota engines were very good. Thomas no longer is manufacturing these however in Illinois , Gebauers (spelt wrong I’m sure) I remember as a good Thomas dealer in the 90’s when this was built. If they still exist maybe some help there.
Wow Wes your old Plough has no Cab and no heater, you're a sturdy character :0)
We have a kubota 2203 in a tractor, no block heater, battery is 21 years old (yes 21 years old), starts in -35 every time. May have a couple of glow plugs out.
Another great episode, thanks Wes ! Hope you are enjoying the long holiday weekend, best wishes !
Southern MN here, with these temps lately, I’ve almost started missing winter, seeing the snow in this video reminded me how much winter hurts when you’re out trying to get something done.
If an ape leaks fluids at all orifices, usually that means it has Ebola. Either your tractor has Ebola or it's plain worn out!
They say there may be ebola at the flooded burning man gathering,. 😂
I think it's both
HahahahhahH
@@silent1967 There isn’t
@@martinw89 How do you know ? Are you there now and talked to everybody ?
"It's only temporary unless it works".... pretty much my life motto.
Ah yes Thomas, Manufacturer of the world's first skid steer loader with hydrostatic drive.
Pop some chains on the rear of that thing and it will be almost unstoppable. Also….1/4 lexan sheet will do both sides and rear with some soft seal tape around perimeter. Bobcat F series door will fit that cab width and have integrated wiper/washer in it. Just need to make the hinge reciver tubes and put a striker on other side. Pop a nice heater core in there AND a cupholder and you will be plowing in comfort. Thats my setup and its perfect. 👍
wes, i live a few states west and as far north as you can go in America and for those balmy below zero days ive been using a magnet heater on the oil pan with excellent results. get one with a long cord to make life a little easier. i leave it on for a couple hours and it starts like it was the middle of summer. theyre pretty strong magnets so some guys just route the cord so it doesnt get caught and ripped off and just leave the magnet in place.
i use the 200w heaters with have done well for anything i need to get warm.
High Wes, Thomas Skid-steers were built in New Brunswick, Canada (east coast). They were pretty popular but were plain jane compared to contemporary machines like Bobscrap or Deere John. According to google they are now owned by Ariens the riding mower people. However their skid-steer line seemed to be out of production since about the mid 2000's. They were building and selling mini skid-steers but I dont think they are anymore. There is an outfit using the name and selling parts online for dealers but thats all I can figure out. I knew a few guys in the early 90's to the early 2000's who ran them and they always preferred them over other makes saying they were built a lot tougher than companies like Bobscrap.
They sold them until at least the 2010s the last models were painted safety yellow. A local rental place has one in my hometown.
I’ve got the same exact skid steer that I bought from an auction also. Same exact Kubota engine too. So I think that is the factory engine. I had to do a lot of work on the controls on mine also: I replaced the brass bushings in the main control levers and I used grade 8 bolts and stop nuts for a few of those linkage pins. It has a parking brake ( disc brake style) that is supposed to engage when you raise the safety bar so you may have to adjust that or check the cable that controls it. Mine has over 8000 hours and still runs great!
Speaking of the original battery hold down bracket - my used Honda Civic came without one. I was about to go to the wreckers to find another one when I checked with the local Honda dealer. A brand new bracket was only 7 usd! After that I check the dealer first :)
Thanks for the video Wes. Hope you and the family are enjoying Labor Day weekend.
Great framing and focus for the cold open. Love it @Wes
I immediately saw the E46 head lights in the background at the shop, then I realized its a wagon. Very cool
Can't wait for part 2!😁👍👍
Record breaking heat in Connecticut this holiday weekend, thanks for the cool down!
Wes, Always good to see you wrenching on something different (kinda). Hope you get all the bugs worked out! Needs a plow on attachment? Loooking forward to episode two, Especiacially if someone tells you how to fix the low rpm! I can’t stand hair on my neck!!
Wess I had a old 1970 580 ck with same starting issues I started using a small engine block heater on the hydraulic bulk tank thins the hydraulic fluid
Waiting on parts these days has made winter videos become fall videos.
Greetings from Australia. Years ago I had a 6 cylinder version of your machine. Bulldozer with wheels. 4 in one bucket would snap 5 inch concrete in half. Won't start unless glow plugs are in good condition. It's a machine worth perservering with. Keep at it and thanks for the entertainment.
I’m sure you already know that area diesel are the go-to guys for the fuel pump problem!
21:00 this was really nostalgic my mom used to cut my hair and my dad would hit me with the leaf blower afterwards
26:15 Kubota V2203 are super popular with Jeep diesel swaps, so you should hopefully be able to find a lot of helpful information online about it.
Happy Labor Day, I know Mine Just got Better & for that, Thank You Wes it’s Good to See you Sir