Leaderboard

My favorite Frankentractor started acting up this week. Slow to crank sometimes, and shut off unexpectedly every 15-20 mins. Crank right back up and die 5 mins later. Swapped both magnetos, since both originals "tested" within specs. Best I can tell one of them flaked out when hot. Once again purrs like a kitten (a dang big one ) now. I really love this machine. It was my first Wheel Horse and it has been awesome for 30 years!

Shop rags can get expensive and I don’t like to put them in my washing machine. I’ve had this cement mixer around for a while now and figured I’d put it to good use IMG_4450.mov

Just do when she ain't lookin...

WE DO NOT SHIP ANYTHING. CASH ONLY AND PICK UP ONLY. Let me think this over, I want a new choke cable, I can buy it now on eBay and have it shipped or I can drive about 600 miles round trip and hope he is there and in a good mood when I get there. decisions, decisions.

I buy $5 packs of microfiber towels at Horror Fright, and wash them when I get a big pile dirty. If they get really nasty they go in the trash. They're cheap enough to be semi- reusable.

Finally able to wrap this project up. Well, almost. will get into that at the end of this post. First we'll take a look back at where I started. And finally some pictures after a few hours work. Thanks for following along. Sure looks purty, just wish I could get it running right. I spent a fair amount of time trying different things with the engine today, but I just can't seem to get it to run good at high RPMs. Been a while since I've had an engine kick my but like this. I know that I have to be missing something, just wish that some type of epiphany would hurry up & hit me.

Rather productive day today. Broke the axle shaft free of the hub with my 12 ton hobo freight press. Pulled the trans out of the 10-8, new axle shaft came in today for the 10-8 trans now just need to get the time to split it and repair it. Had my new tri-rib tires mounted yesterday and today threw them on the C120 for now to see how I like them since they’re for the 10-8. Then plowed out my new garden bed with the C120. All in all it was a good day.

I look like a circus bear on my 551

Yep but the condenser ... which is brand new ... is behind the flywheel. Points which is like most others is right out front. He claims he played with everything ... including himself ... to get it to run right. Did you try tea bagging?!?!?!? I have no idea Dan but gotta be a a points/ condenser thing. Just don't see how it could be magneto related. I almost think you have two problems that are making diagnosis difficult. Maybe carb/ignition ? FYI guys it had a NOVAR pointless on it before resto and ran what Dan OK??

Crappy day out so got to work on her abit. The three piece RJ axle bushings from @wheelhorseman are always a little tight so got them honed down and the gearcase back together. Made the high level decision not to replace the axle and re-make the the pawl carriers. Bushed the wallowed out hole in the existing axle and calling it a day. This whole resto is going against my character of doing it right ... but I don't think what I am doing will take away from the value of the tractor. I'm not doing anything that is not reversible or made impossible to be done right. If this was a full blown paint might be a different story. To me that would be sacrilege tho. The plan is for this girl to get sold after this year's show circuit so let the next guy do it if he wants. Strictly a trailer queen anyway and will never get run around. I still get the joy of working on a tractor that the Ponds had their hands on. Rear wheels did come out nice with rear tear offs from the flame and the flat black . @Lane Ranger the originals were way beyond tire paint. Tubes bulging out thru side walls.

Gave the 257-H a good cleaning. 99 hours on it. Very underrated machines IMHO.

Ok, well… decided to drop the engine in for fit, and everything‘s looking good. Going to start snugging things up a little and then continuing with dressing the engine with all of the freshly painted and prepped accessories.

Happy birthday @johnnymag3!!

Thanks Bill I will look and see if those could work. My heart is with the old Start/Gens. Those are favorite. Maybe because I have done so many. Happy Sunday to you.

That paint is pretty reflective... Careful what the camera catches... Again with the visuals...!!! Beautiful work Dan!!!

With the filter installed, spray it and the grommet with windex. Spray as many times as needed until it's on. Windex will make both parts slick but evaporates and won't harm anything. Also works well for decals and bike grips...

Vinyl roof coverings of the 70’s which caused rust out was next in the dumb line

Pilot or crew member? Your tractor looks fantastic. Well done!

Ok not sorry here Bro but looking at the before pics how could you have stripped that girl from her working cloths? Oh that's right you like seeing girls naked ... need I drop a pic of the Saturn?

Well if you two cant digure it out Im probably of no use to ya. Coil?

He is Richard. I called on him a couple a years ago lookin for parts for a RJ and he was a real Dink with a capital D. I take that back all CAPS! Sounded like he was God's gift to horses. Hey guess what? I found the parts here ... good old Racin Bob saved my rear. Silly me for being the prodigal son. Hey ' Fish I got a '55 RJ for ya you wear that get up at the BS...

You have to dissemble the PTO... the back side belt goes outside the hoop. Will take some tomorrow

The sunroof is still the dumbest thing in automotive history. The tracks break down, cost a butt-load of money, get discontinued, and then there is a giant hole in the roof when the glass won't close. Best to just avoid the whole thing and NOT PUT A HOLE IN THE ROOF.

Got my first stripes of the season put down. 1967 model 867 with a 32” deck (I need to find a 36”)

Some deals in the Virginias lately. There's a 161 I would love to go get if I had room for it.

Absolutely seeing less for sale. I've chased and missed 2 520s so far this year, but have not seen the inexpensive Cs or 3/400s I'm used to.

Nice set up. Can you please show a pic of the other side? Like to see belt routing. Thank you.

Well, following an insane week of flight training in the Blackhawk, I gave my brain a few days to recuperate and now getting the recently rebuilt K341 put back together for installation. I had to take quite a long break away from the Tractor because of all the work requirements of life, so this is feeling kind of nice and therapeutic. Jason

Plenty around here yet. All shapes of disrepair if anyone needs another project! Problem is they are way overpriced for what they are. No such thing as 100 dolla rollers anymore.

sent you a pm for a source on oil filter seal.

i tried to get the gasket from onan/cummins but they showed out of stock as a couple other places did also , any suggestions as to where they might be available , thank you

i agree new tractor to me , know very little as to its previous care , i will try and get the correct stuff and see , thank you

Worked the 654 hard today. We've had tons of rain so far this spring. Have an 81yr old neighbor lady. Her landscape guy hasn't shown up to cut her lawn. I told her I'd mow before the city cites her. We had rain this morning so it was very wet & muddy. Her grass was at least 6-8" tall.

Use a genuine Onan 122-0502 grommet and a Fleetguard LF3339 oil filter and report back. Never trust a previous owner to install the correct parts and choose quality.

The one I just put on in the picture above was pretty snug, but I got on without too much trouble. What brand oil filter are you using?

I found a 7/8 ball that fits the hitch on the Commando. Now I just need to fix the carb and I can use the tractor to move stuff.

Replaced the leaky, stinky brake shaft seal in the 953. Even the half weight is heavy!

All you need is the Handy Don's secret weapon!

Be sure to retorque the head bolts after the engine has been operated at normal temperature the first time, may need to do this twice.

Grafted a craftsman seat mount and new seat onto the 520H. Had to do a little chopping and massaging on Craftsman seat mount but just bolt on for the 520 so if somebody decides to give me a pristine 520 seat I can convert it back . Sure sets better than the busted up original one.

My property has oodles of weeds. Personally, so long as it's all the same color when cut the same length, it's good enough for me.

And a lot of times I do, but then other times I'm kicking ideas around in my head while tending to and doing other things and don't have the time at that moment, but still have a train of thought with a hole in it.

Well I managed to finish the assembly process today. Sorry no glammer shots, I will get some as soon as the monsoon season is over here in Wisconsin. I also got it running although the results were less that satisfactory. It idles excelent but it does not take to having the throttle pulled very well. Any amount of throttle and it wants to die. I can coax the RPM up by pushing the throttle open manually but it does not like to stay at higher RPMs. Runs even worse when it gets warm. Messed with the carb, cleaned the points several times with no good results. Pulled the rope soo many times that I have the infamous blister between me fingers. So after some head scratching, I'm thinking that I may have a bad condenser. ? If anyone else has any ideas, I'm all ears. As for the condenser change, I'm thinking about moving the condenser out in the open instead of keeping it under the flywheel.

My setup...

Steering column “upgrade”. well, as I had mentioned before, it was impossible to get the old pin out of the steering wheel to be able to pull the column apart… So I found a nice shaft collar, painted it to match and it does a nice job. I slightly drilled a detent into the shaft so that the Alan key bolts would seat into it for a good positive contact. Got the decals on and turning my attention now to electrical and engine tear down. That may take a little while, with those pesky work requirements stealing my time away from the shop.🤓

I do remember it seeming slow, but - compared to my pewter Horse - they all are! 😁 Here's the reason I swapped transaxles in your 522..... a really nasty right axle: For those who are curious...... the layout of the innards of the xi tranz: Input bevel gears, hi-lo cluster, and primary reduction shaft: With the exception of the square vs. woodruff key, the axles appear to be the same as the "classic" 8 speed and Eaton hydro tranz 1.125" pieces.

Take a look at this. It shows the internals. There is also a troubleshooting flow diagram. I looked at the parts diagrams for a 5xi 1100 and a 520-H 1100. The output shaft has a different number. The 5xi turns the input 90 degrees via a bevel gear. On the topic of a cooler, a small power steering cooler might be installed between the sump and pump on the rubber line. http://truturf.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/old_manuals_Eaton-11-Hydrostatic-Manual.pdf