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Here I go again. As the title says, this years project is a 401 Suburban. Will start off with some ground 0 pics. Next step that I was happy about was my Christmas Miracle. The steering wheel came off without special tools or much resistance. When I bought the tractor it had a Nova ignition module on it. Starting it was sometimes a challenge so I wanted to switch it back to points before disassembly. Happy to say that it starts much better on points than it did with the Nova module. With this accomplished it was time to move on to tear down. A couple of hours later & I had a pile of parts. I went through the transmission shortly after I bought the tractor because it had a 3rd gear issue, so that will not have to come apart again. The engine runs good with no smoke, so hopefully it will not need a rebuild. It does appear to be seeping oil from the head gasket, so I will pull the head to change the gasket. Will also inspect cylinder condition as long as it's open. Now for some P.O. surprises. Lets just say that some people should not be allowed to play with welders. First, when a lock collar cracks I guess one should grab the welder & tack it in place. Drag link issue?? Lets burn that in place too. I'm sure there will be a few more surprises. Feel free to come along for the show.

It was repainted once or twice so it is fair game for a resto. I have a few other projects that I will be sure to share.

Soaked it with Sea Foam Deep Creep a week before trying. Roll pin drove out easily. Turned the wheel all the way to the left, gave an extra nudge and it spun on the shaft. Spun it a few times on the shaft & it pulled right off. Easy peasy.

International Cello Day observances on December twenty nineth thrill music enthusiasts around the world! This special day commemorates the birth of Pablo Casals, a virtuoso whose skills reshaped cello music forever. Casals is famous for bringing the ‘Bach Cello Suites‘ into the spotlight. Once underrated pieces, they now enjoy profound reverence in classical music. Because of its unique sound, the cello holds a cherished spot in both orchestral and solo music settings, enchanting audiences with its deep, resonant tones and versatility across music genres, including classical, jazz, and even rock.

All: Having "moved" both spindle bores when I machined it for bushings, I realized I now needed slightly shorter length Tierods. I have used regular 1080 Cold Rolled material for another set, but the quality of the machined threads was lacking. This set I switched to 12L14 "leaded" hexstock - per the certificate it has .27% lead in the alloy. This allows easier machining with a superior finish. Cost is just a couple of bucks more than 1080. The threads shown are done with an adjustable thread cutting die - 3 passes needed to get the proper shaft to nut fit. Shown is the die from the final pass - the chips look like angel hair Also shown is the old trick of having a starting pilot diameter for the die - it is removed once the threading is done. The 12L14 material is safe to work with, but sanding, grinding and welding are NOT recommended...

Or drills, wire cutters, hammers, grinders, spray paint...

Dan, that is too nice to restore. With the exception of a few unauthorized welds it should take you a couple weeks for this one. What are your plans for the rest of the winter?

Not surprising, but if it was the other way around we'd be impressed...

Hey, I recently used my welder to fix my toaster! (No joke)

Nice to start out with a complete tractor. All of those little goodies which typically go missing on those tractors can get expensive and time consuming to hunt them down.

I got Bear 🐻 cowboy 🤠 coffee ☕️ and a snack.

I created an Excel spreadsheet years ago with a tab for each vehicle and piece of lawn equipment. It has when purchased, cost, SN's etc. I have row for each service (even blade replacements with date, mileage or RTM, the service, cost and etc. I can tell you anything I've ever done to my 522xi all the way back to 1997 when she was new. When parts are replaced I record the part number for future reference.

Yes, it was a little difficult walking to the shop this morning due to the ice. Not a full on ice storm as the trees are undamaged and the power is still on but still slippery. My wife and I had doctor appointments this morning for general checkup and cancer screening but decided that a slip and fall made it not worth the risk so we cancelled and will make another appointment.

Overall disappointing storm in central NJ on Friday, 3-6 inches of snow wound up being 1 inch of ice. Still stretched the 414 legs with the blower. The weight of the bervac blower was able to scrape down to the asphalt in most places. Still beats shoveling a 200ft sloped drive.

My Grandpa used to say, "Use the right tool for the job, if all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail."

SO, SO true! In some ways, I’m surprised I’m allowed to have one.

I'm a fan of 2Cello's

Dedicated tractors solve the oil issue. Snow horses get 5w-30 Synthetic...depending on use may go a year or two..

8-speed will be the 1976/77. Larger axle. 1974 & 75 was the 4 speed with the 1" axle.

Good one Eric.

Cold adult beverage and deep fried cheese curds ready...

Excellent work !! Have you ever considered turning down the stock tie rods in order to fit the thread on ends? I've had pretty good luck doing this.

Thanks, here is the other side of the clutch showing the foot and hand levers. Additional tension can be put on the drive belt by pulling on the hand lever.

Terry - a little history on that unit. I received this from my sister and BIL back about 1982. It was his grandfather's, bought new and used to remove snow on the large driveway & walkways at the two 3 deckers he owned. My first modification - installing a steel backer and the two broom clips to hold a snow brush. The replacement skids now are thin pressed steel that are worn out after two seasons (yes, they are double sided and you can reverse them) so since there is enough height adjustment, I shape a strip of 1/4 x 1-1/4 Hot Rolled Steel to make a shoe & tack weld those on. The latest addition was to swap the still running but tired H60 with a nice freebie HH70 - huge difference! And I love having the plastic fuel tank as it will never rust. The original electric start H60 is now on my Troy Bilt chipper. Prior to acquiring my FIL's 702, this was the only gas-powered snow removal tool I had to clear my drive & walks for 10 years or so. About 2008 or so, I got another one - its all-original twin sister! It resides at my rental property. Remember that these were nicknamed the "Cat Killers" - NO safety features at all. You clutched it to switch speeds and to stop. Let the lever go and it takes off by itself if it is in any gear other than Neutral.!! Kind of like a 502!

Ditto! And be sure to hold onto any parts you remove! Many members work on Sunstrands, some converting the other way (to ADD hydraulic lift) and look for parts!

And there is no monthly cost other than the postage. Another good service is Shippo. Neither requires a label printer.

The bolt pattern is 5 x 4.5. Yes. You need a hub or something else?

Looks like leaking spool valve orings. @cleathas a nice write up with pictures that shows how to change them. It's possible to change them with the valve in the tractor. Clean everything well before you start. Use Viton orings only.

The old OE tierods do get used elsewhere. I find the severely pitted finish gives poor grip and concentricity in either a chuck or collet. I'd rather use new material.

I send out a set of three plastic snowblower chute guides and the USPS charge is over $6, probably more next year. I just ordered some batteries from China and they cost $1.99 shipping included. Do you suppose we are being taken for a ride?

Sorry @groundhog47 for taking your thread .

I ship quite a bit. Mostly small parts but I if someone wants something I have, I estimate the shipping on the USPS calculator. I have a refrigerant scale to weigh stuff and keep a variety of boxes on hand. I find if my selling price is reasonable, the seller doesn't get to upset with the shipping. The only thing I ever had an issue with was a rare HO train set I had. I must have sold it 20 times. Everyone said "I want it!" but when I tried to charge $30 to ship and insure they backed out.

Today would have been @elcamino/wheelhorse's birthday.

RIP Waldo

This one has been on FB marketplace for awhile.

I have a wheelhorse 312 8 that I got for my birthday earlier this year

Here in our Herd my S/O Trina has a tractor that used to go about 10.5 - 11 mph. That sounds pretty sedate until you try it. Stock Wheelhorse speed is about 6 - 6.5 mph. By swapping the transmission pulley down to a 4" you'll get maybe 7.5 - 8 mph. Be SURE to check the tie rods and the rest of the steering system for tight joints. Garden Tractors in general weren't originally built for zooming so there's more than just a pulley swap to be done.

December twenty eighth is Pledge of Allegiance Day. On this day, the calendar lights up with Pledge of Allegiance Day. It’s a special time to reflect on the powerful words that bind the country’s ideals of freedom and unity. Pledge of Allegiance Day is not just about honoring these words. It’s a day to celebrate our collective identity and the principles that define us as Americans. It encourages us to delve into the Pledge’s history, understand its significance, and appreciate the sacrifices made by those who serve our country. The story of Pledge of Allegiance Day begins with Francis Bellamy’s creation of the pledge in 1892. It was first published in “The Youth’s Companion” magazine to encourage patriotism among young Americans. The original text was simple, focusing on loyalty to the flag and the country. Over the years, the Pledge saw changes, like the addition of “the Flag of the United States of America” in 1923 and “under God” in 1954, reflecting the nation’s evolving identity and values. The idea of a dedicated day for the Pledge ties back to its significance as a unifying and patriotic statement.

If I'm quiet for a few days, you all will know I've had the computer taken away from me! If I had to do it over again, I'd ate a couple spoons of the mache and claimed clabbered milk made this pudding bad.

I grew up about a block away from an old gentleman who was supposedly a model train legend. He had shelves and shelves of collectible engines, cars, miniatures, etc. They removed a wall between 2 upstairs bedrooms, where he had a fascinating layout. Us kids were allowed to look but NOT TOUCH. His name was Ed Crismore, from Uniondale, IN.

That is where the Ag tires and Low Range excell....

Most all-thread is pretty low-grade steel unless you specifically look for the stronger stuff

Spent about eight hours prepping the gearbox for cleaning and paint… Brutal. New front rims and tires getting painted and one rear wheel sanded primer and paint complete. Looking forward to basically getting it on its wheels and back together in it’s basic frame so that I can then start working off the ground.

Be sure and cover those hydraulic line ports. The smallest amount of grit allowed into the system can destroy it. Think surgical clean! And if it had ATF in it before, keep using it.

Awesome. I had a good look at it this morning with a lupe to check for any cracks around bolt holes, welds, etc. and it looks good. Was able to get a shot of primer and paint on it and the biggest challenge is cleaning and decreasing from 1976.🤓 the transmission/gearbox is going to be the biggest challenge to get clean… All those nooks and crannies! Got my new front rims and tires from M.E Miller… going with a slightly narrower tire on the front… About 5 inches.

I’m converting my 314-8 to electric

I have a to do list for each tractor, a parts list for replaceable maintenance parts like spark plug, filters, air/oil/hydraulic etc…and sizes of belts, tires etc…since I’m one person with 3 working tractors it may be a while before I need to do maintenance. It’s all on the notes 📝 app on my phone. When I change a hydraulic filter. I write the date and engine hours on it. And….I document it in the What did you do to your Wheelhorse for the forum…..😄

Thought I would follow up on this. I guess I got lucky. I finally got to taking a look at the 520 and found the back cylinder plug wire corroded itself into the coil. It was green and nasty looking. I ordered a coil and a set of plug wires and what a difference. Started easier and even the surging was gone. I've been fixing transmissions for 40 years now and I guess I forgot the meaning of "preventive maintenance" She even got an oil change... Thanks all