Instructables - $70 DIRT COMPACTOR
by GregoriNiculitcheff in Workshop > Repair
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Instructables - $70 DIRT COMPACTOR
I found an old dirt compactor in a warehouse and made an offer on it. The agreed price was $70. I was more than happy with the price as it costs that much to rent a compactor for one day! The previous owner did warn me "I don;t know if it will work again, I put it aside a while ago and do not remember why."
This then became a challenge to get this compactor working.
This then became a challenge to get this compactor working.
I took it home and tried to start it up but had no luck :(
The first thing it noticed was that the spark plugs were dead. I changed them and still no luck.
Then I decided go to TechShop and try to repair this vintage (30 years old) dirt compactor.
After spending a lot of time and not getting a spark a DC approached me and offered to help me with this project. Dream Consultant s, "DCs" are the guys walking around and assisting people like me who have a project but no experience on that particular project. He helped me to take the ignition system apart and check the platinum contacts. These had no contact whatsoever.
After filing the contacts, he told me that we needed to adjust the gap of the contact to 0.020.
I started looking for a blade caliper, after inquiring at the front desk I was informed that Techshop Menlo Park did not have one.
I then started to look for a thinner blade to use as a blade caliper.
I measured everything from business cards to potato ships bags trying to find a fit.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the the cover of the box for the platinum contact was exactly 0.020.
I used the cover as a tool of measurement to adjust the platinum contact gap.
I was able to reassemble everything was even able to get the plugs to spark!
(thanks to the DC (Dream Consultants from Techshop) and a good luck :))
I started looking for a blade caliper, after inquiring at the front desk I was informed that Techshop Menlo Park did not have one.
I then started to look for a thinner blade to use as a blade caliper.
I measured everything from business cards to potato ships bags trying to find a fit.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the the cover of the box for the platinum contact was exactly 0.020.
I used the cover as a tool of measurement to adjust the platinum contact gap.
I was able to reassemble everything was even able to get the plugs to spark!
(thanks to the DC (Dream Consultants from Techshop) and a good luck :))
Then I put gas (everything was completely dry: carburetor, gas tank)
I was so surprised to push the switch and the motor started, coughing and chugging, but starting, WOW :)))
I was so surprised to push the switch and the motor started, coughing and chugging, but starting, WOW :)))
I adjusted the carburater and was ready to get busy
The end result of this project will be the compaction of dirt shoulder in front of my house in La Honda, CA
This project will take approximately 40 hours. If I had to rent a compactor at the rate of the more than $70/day,it would have cost quite a bit. Thanks to the DC from Techshop the repair was done, the dirt compactor works great. I made it at Techshop.
This project will take approximately 40 hours. If I had to rent a compactor at the rate of the more than $70/day,it would have cost quite a bit. Thanks to the DC from Techshop the repair was done, the dirt compactor works great. I made it at Techshop.