The issue with the yoke I had was that it only comes off with a special $20 socket, or some ingenuity with a huge crescent wrench and a pry bar. For one mixer I took an overhead photo of the differential and printed it out life sized, then used it as a template to make slots for the ribs on the differential. I didn't try welding a thin tank to it. Those fins add a lot of strength to the case, and when a blade hits a phone book there must be a whole lot of energy transferred to the metal. I think it is worthwhile to fit around them and add even more strength. In your case if you are able to weld a heavy tank to the differential then that might compensate for ground off fins.
Your five acres sounds like mine, piles of treasure. Another good source of sheet metal in a thin gauge is the cover of a 40 or 50 gallon water heater, and people will pay you to take them. Nice tanks there too. Once a plastic injection factory not too far away advertized on freecycle that they had five tons of metal for free. I made two trips with my 8x10 flatbed truck pulling a 16' dual axle trailer, and ended up with a large collection of pipe, conduit, unistrut, boilers, hydraulic motors, hoses, a great score that was much more than five tons. It turned into a rolling compound chop saw and drill press stand, a large appliance cabinet and wall brace, a dome frame, stuff like that. Lots of projects have been done from just that pile.
spaceman All opinions expressed or implied are subject to change without notice upon receipt of new information.On 8/6/2011 9:16 AM, Alan wrote:
If it is a bugger to get off then I will just do the Bondo thing I guess.OR,,, Take a one foot square piece of 1/4" plate steel, split it down the middle and make the cuts so the two pieces fit the diff.Then weld the two pieces back together, bolt them down and weld them to the tank.What about removing some of those fins on the diff.?I am thinking about getting the metal closer to the diff. and using JB-Weld instead of Bondo if my welding attempt fails.I have five acres with stuff piled all over the property.I do not scrap out random pieces of metal.That old trailer frame has been laying out there 34 years.For a fixed half of the cover I also have metal salvaged from scrap washing machines.The old top load ones.I use a saw-z-all to cut along the top on both sides and the front.Then I do the bottom and on each side near the back I cut straight down.That gives me a large U-shaped piece of metal.I lay them down on a concrete surface and stand in the center and use a foot to push each side down to the floor.Then I turn them over and again walk the bends.When I get them close to flat I take a two pound hand sledge and flatten the corners until it is all one flat piece of metal. They store easy like that until I need them.I probably will make the opening side of the lid from plywood.Alan in Michigan
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