Went over to haul off some junk for an older couple. Mostly just that...junk. Water heater, dryer, doors, windows...that sort of thing.

Then she showed me the stuff behind the barn that needed to go. Among more of the same was a Cub Cadet 33" walk behind mower and a BCS tiller. Both with dead engines, but the rest looks pretty decent. "Make them go away." Yes, Ma'am.

Sitting to one side in the weeds was this:





I asked about it and she said "It hasn't run in years, don't know what we're going to do with it."

I thought about it for a moment and said "I have no wish to offend you with a lowball offer, but I'd be willing to take it in exchange for today's work and I'll cut down and haul off those two dead trees you've been trying to find someone to deal with."

She said she'd have to talk to her husband (seriously disabled, was getting around on two crutches and/or his hands and knees last year, hasn't come out of the house the few times I've been there this year). I suspected he might invite me to explore the joys of single-participant reproduction, but she came back and said "He said we have a deal. Take it."

Satoh with a 4 cylinder gas Mitsubishi engine. Not running, distributor missing (may be in one of the sheds somewhere) but the engine turns over by hand and the oil looks okay. Even if I never get it running, the rear rims and tires are worth more than I planned on charging them.

The three point hitch log splitter on the back is the icing on the cake. Pump turns, valve moves, should be a worker with new hoses and a little TLC. I have one just like it. The pump alone is ~$800 new.

If you kept the water heater, you are a hoarder.
Keeping the tractor and accesories means you are a collector of vintage machinery.

quote:

Originally posted by PeteF:
If you kept the water heater, you are a hoarder.
Keeping the tractor and accesories means you are a collector of vintage machinery.

That's my story...

Just remember=== "one mans junk is another mans treasure"................ drill sgt.

It’s kind of funny that you recently added a junk tractor behind the shed in your diorama.

quote:

Originally posted by Patrick-SP2022:
It’s kind of funny that you recently added a junk tractor behind the shed in your diorama.

Isn't it? Life imitates art...

You never know when you'll need it

I'm tractor poor now. If I get it running, I'll likely sell it.

After I play with it for a while, that is...

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

Satoh with a 4 cylinder gas Mitsubishi engine.

Did they use a common block with their light trucks or cars? Go find a dealer (car) and ask them. Might be a way to come up with a swap in engine to use. Junk yards are full of nasty old wrecks with engines.

Would a distributor from a 2.6 L Mitsubishi fit this thing?

Well, I've since found out that many of them had Mazda engines even tho they're made by Mitsubishi.

I'll have time today to figure out exactly what it is. It has an add-on belt driven governor so I'm pretty sure it is an automotive engine and parts should be pretty commonly available.

It’s not hoarding if the stuff is cool. Anything that uses a hydrocarbon fuel source is cool, I don’t care what it is. Some people even use that stuff as yard ornamentation. Being in Maine, you’re safe from any redneck labels, even if you’re a kindred spirit.

I called the folks I got it from and he's sure the distributor is around "somewhere". Going back over tomorrow to grab the hood I forgot to put in the truck, and hopefully the distributor.

I was confused about the Mitsubishi/Mazda thing. Satoh was bought out by Mitsubishi but has apparently always used Mazda engines.

I managed to wrassle the log splitter off it today. It sat out in the weather so long the balls on the three point hitch were rust-welded to the pins on the splitter and the arms on the hitch. Weasel piss, a BFH and a 6 foot pry bar convinced them to part company. Splitter itself looks good.

You did pretty good on that deal, I would say as is $1200.

Haven't found the distributor yet, and online sources are scarce. One place lists it, but it's out of stock. I'm confident that they're out there, just gotta find the right place. Hopefully, he'll eventually find the original.

Found a carb kit and a new alternator on Amazon for pretty reasonable prices. Everything else appears to be usable as is.

Changed all the fluids yesterday (transmission was NASTY, shifter boot has been leaking since forever) and NAPA has the various filters and the upper radiator hose.

Fenders are seriously fucked up and will need some patches welded in. While I'm waiting and between other Summer obligations, I'll take a BFH and do some Redneck Body Work on them. Hood is pretty decent, a little bumping here and there, sand and paint.

Will likely need to replace the front tires, they're pretty tender. Suspect the rims could use some love too.

Satoh was manufactured from '73 to '80 and then merged with Mitsubishi and built tractors jointly until 1984. They made eight models, all starting with the letter S and followed with three digits. Interesting, and once a very popular tractor. Models included:

S370 Beaver - 12 PTO HP - '77-'84. 2 cyl Mitsubishi diesel
S373 Beaver lll - 13.6 PTO HP - '80-'84, 3 cyl Mitsubishi diesel
S470 Buck - 15 PTO HP - '79-'84, 3 cyl Mitsubishi diesel
S550 Elk - 17 PTO HP - (? years), 4 cyl Mazda gasoline
S630 Bull - 22 PTO HP - '80-84, 2 cyl Mitsubishi diesel
S650 Bison - 22 PTO HP - '73-'83, 4 cyl Mitsubishi diesel
S670 Bison - 25 PTO HP - '80-'84, 4 cyl Mitsubishi diesel
S750 Stallion - 33 PTO HP - '77-'84, 3 cyl Mitsubishi diesel
Long manufacturing runs (Beaver, Bison and Stallion) still have pretty fair parts support.

mabye the links below will help

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/mitsubishi-satoh/

https://tractorpoint.com/cgi-b...T&catname=Mitsubishi

https://www.mytractorforum.com...-brands-of-cuts.188/

Got the carb rebuilt and reinstalled.

Sandblasted the air cleaner housing and pipes and (no surprise) that blew a few pencil-sized holes in it.

Patched them with good old JB Weld, sanded, primed, painted and reinstalled.

Pulled the steering wheel which REALLY surprised me by popping right off and removed the instrument panel so I could get the wiring harness off. The wires are all good. Most of the individual connectors were okay after a little buffing to remove the corrosion. Replaced a couple bullet connectors.

Multi-pin connectors for the voltage regulator and alternator were completely shot - plastic crumbled at the slightest touch. Somewhat to my surprise, found replacement connectors available and ordered them, along with a new VR just because. Stripped all the tattered loom wrap off and replaced it with plastic split loom.

There are two in-line fuse cartridges that I'm going to rewire to a panel mounted blade fuse block.

Pulled the tie rod off as one end is bent about 15 degrees out of true. It came off pretty easily too without having to go borrow a pickle fork. I'll get after that bent end with the torch tomorrow, Maw's frying up a batch of wings and I ain't about to be late for suppah!

Woohoo, found a distributor! Had an outfit in Ohio put it on their locator service a few days ago, they emailed me this morning saying they'd found one.

More that I'd hoped, less than I was willing to pay in a pinch.

The wee beastie could conceivably be running in a week or so!

Update:

While I was waiting for the distributor, I rebuilt the wiring harness, replaced the alternator, voltage regulator and ignition switch, cleaned and kitted the carburetor and did a little Redneck Body Work on the tin (think BFH...)

This morning I finished up some detail work here and there and grabbed the baddry out of Guido to see what I could see.

After some dicking around getting the distributor timed right and replacing a water hose that heats the intake manifold, I've gotten it to start and run for a few seconds but the carb needs more work and it's flooding out. Looks like the needle valve isn't seating and/or the fuel pump is overpowering it.

All in all, I'm encouraged, but it's now Too Damned Hot to frig with it any more until this evening or tomorrow morning at oh-dark-thirty. Posta cool down a little first of the week, hoping to get it running smoothly by then. Assuming no major problems (and there are no indications of any so far) I'll spring for new front tires and tubes and a seat for it.

We're all waiting. Pics, too, please!