FM Side Engine Rail

[icom102]

Have discovered a problem with one of the side rails on my major where it bolts onto the gearbox theres only one bolt holding it on the other bolt holes have a lot of corrosion in them and ones broke off see picture can anyone provide any help what if any can be done?

[Timeee]

Dear icom102

Woh, that's not good! There should be 4 bolts, hex head 1/2inch UNC by 1 and 3/8in long at the transmission end securing your rails. If you are lucky, try running a 1/2 inch UNC tap into the transmission mountings to clean them up. If the threads are stripped, you may be able to put in something like a helicoil to restore the threads. Something more extreme may be needed to restore the broken off casting if needed. If you can get 3 bolts in each side (good and secure) and don't have a loader working at maximum capacity on it, you should get away with it. Others may have different opinions. You may have to ease the front ones loose, to get 'em all to line up. Good luck.
Tim

[icom102]

Cheers can it be welded ?

[August]

I made the same job for my FSM. I found from local screw dealer a special threaded sleeve. The sleeve has inside thread for bolt and outside works as a thread tap tool. First you have to drill the suitable hole for the "tool", then screw bolt with lock nut into the sleeve and turn it to the predrilled hole. When it goes to the bottom, loose nut and unscrew the bolt. The threaded sleeve tool remains the hole and you have a very good thread for bolt. It's pretty much simplier and cheaper than Helicoil, but I don't know are there this kind of threaded sleeve available in UK.

[Major Mike]

Sure it can be welded, for example grind some material off and fit long nuts into hole.
Previous owner had drilled two extra holes


Looks terrible but now threads are ok

[icom102]

I was told as it was cast it would be very hard to weld

[henk]

Cast iron is hard to weld. Cast steel can be welded like normal steel. So this can be welded.

[icom102]

so Cast steel can just be welded normaly i dont need anything special?

[henk]

That's right.

[icom102]

Cheers