diff --git a/src/data_model.py b/src/data_model.py
index a3d2217d0..dfa3b2a1c 100644
--- a/src/data_model.py
+++ b/src/data_model.py
@@ -608,6 +608,10 @@ def dim_axes(self):
         """
         return self.build_axes(self.dims, verify=False)
 
+    @dim_axes.setter
+    def dim_axes(self, value):
+        self._dim_axes = value
+
     @property
     def X(self):
         """Return X axis dimension coordinate if defined, else None."""
@@ -638,6 +642,10 @@ def dim_axes_set(self):
         """Return frozenset of dimension coordinate axes labels."""
         return frozenset(self.dim_axes.keys())
 
+    @dim_axes_set.setter
+    def dim_axes_set(self, value):
+        self._dim_axes_set = value
+
     @property
     def is_static(self):
         """Whether the variable has time dependence (bool)."""
@@ -773,6 +781,10 @@ def axes(self):
         """
         return self.build_axes(self.dims, self.scalar_coords, verify=False)
 
+    @axes.setter
+    def axes(self, value):
+        self._axes = value
+
     @property
     def axes_set(self):
         """Superset of the :meth:`dim_axes_set` frozenset (which contains axes labels
@@ -781,6 +793,53 @@ def axes_set(self):
         """
         return frozenset(self.axes.keys())
 
+    @axes_set.setter
+    def axes_set(self, value):
+        self._axes_set = value
+
+    @property
+    def name(self):
+        return self._name
+
+    @name.setter
+    def name(self, value: str):
+        self._name = value
+
+    @property
+    def standard_name(self):
+        return self._standard_name
+
+    @standard_name.setter
+    def standard_name(self, value: str):
+        self._standard_name = value.lower()
+
+    @property
+    def units(self):
+        return self._units
+
+    @units.setter
+    def units(self, value):
+        self._units = value
+
+    @property
+    def long_name(self):
+        return self._long_name
+
+    @long_name.setter
+    def long_name(self, value: str):
+        self._long_name = value
+
+    @property
+    def realm(self):
+        return self._realm
+
+    @realm.setter
+    def realm(self, value: str):
+        self._realm = value
+
+
+
+
     def add_scalar(self, ax, ax_value, **kwargs):
         """Metadata operation corresponding to taking a slice of a higher-dimensional
         variable (extracting its values at axis *ax* = *ax_value*). The
diff --git a/src/preprocessor.py b/src/preprocessor.py
index 9f4f714a4..31b1bedd4 100644
--- a/src/preprocessor.py
+++ b/src/preprocessor.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 from src import util, varlist_util, translation, xr_parser, units
 import cftime
 import intake
+import math
 import numpy as np
 import xarray as xr
 import collections
@@ -269,7 +270,7 @@ def edit_request(self, v: varlist_util.VarlistEntry, **kwargs):
         The signature of this method is altered by the :func:`edit_request_wrapper`
         decorator.
         """
-        v_to_translate = None
+
         std_name = getattr(v, 'standard_name', "")
         if std_name not in self._rate_d and std_name not in self._flux_d:
             # logic not applicable to this VE; do nothing and return varlistEntry for
@@ -309,7 +310,10 @@ def edit_request(self, v: varlist_util.VarlistEntry, **kwargs):
             return None
         new_v = copy_as_alternate(v)
         new_v.translation = new_tv
-        return new_v
+        v.translation.standard_name = new_tv.standard_name
+        v.translation.units = new_tv.units
+        v.translation.long_name = new_tv.long_name
+        return v
 
     def execute(self, var, ds, **kwargs):
         """Convert units of dependent variable *ds* between precip rate and
@@ -564,7 +568,14 @@ def edit_request(self, v: varlist_util.VarlistEntry, **kwargs):
         )
         new_v = copy_as_alternate(v)
         new_v.translation = new_tv
-        return new_v
+        v.alternates.append(v.translation)
+        v.translation.name = new_tv.name
+        v.translation.long_name = new_tv.long_name
+        v.translation.units = new_tv.units
+        v.translation.dim_axes = new_tv.dim_axes
+        v.translation.dim_axes_set = new_tv.dim_axes_set
+
+        return v
 
     def execute(self, var, ds, **kwargs):
         """Determine if level extraction is needed (if *var* has a scalar Z
@@ -809,6 +820,17 @@ def check_group_daterange(self, group_df: pd.DataFrame, log=_log) -> pd.DataFram
         if not hasattr(group_df, 'start_time') or not hasattr(group_df, 'end_time'):
             raise AttributeError('Data catalog is missing attributes `start_time` and/or `end_time`')
         try:
+            if not isinstance(group_df['start_time'].values[0], datetime.date):
+                # convert int to date type
+                date_format = ''
+                date_digits = math.floor(math.log10(group_df['start_time'].values[0]))+1
+                match date_digits:
+                    case 8:
+                        date_format = '%Y%m%d'
+                    case 14:
+                        date_format = '%Y%m%d%H%M%S'
+                group_df['start_time'] = pd.to_datetime(group_df['start_time'].values[0], format=date_format)
+                group_df['end_time'] = pd.to_datetime(group_df['end_time'].values[0], format=date_format)
             # method throws ValueError if ranges aren't contiguous
             dates_df = group_df.loc[:, ['start_time', 'end_time']]
             date_range_vals = []
diff --git a/src/util/datelabel.py b/src/util/datelabel.py
index 219ddcb68..e835ab604 100644
--- a/src/util/datelabel.py
+++ b/src/util/datelabel.py
@@ -1148,7 +1148,7 @@ def format(self):
         if self.unit == 'fx':
             return 'fx'
         else:
-            if self.quantity == '1':
+            if self.quantity == 1:
                 return self.unit
             else:
                 return "{}{}".format(self.quantity, self.unit)