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October 20, 1962, the quirky and spooky song “Monster Mash” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, just in time for Halloween. The self-described “graveyard smash” becomes a literal smash hit, spending the last two weeks of October at the top of the charts—and remaining a beloved Halloween classic decades later. The song was a toss-off idea by Bobby “Boris” Pickett, a lifelong fan of legendary horror film actor Boris Karloff, who started doing Karloff impersonations at talent competitions. After deciding to pursue an acting career in California, he teamed up with a friend, singer Leonard Capizzi, to make a novelty song featuring Pickett’s Karloff voice. In less than an hour, Pickett and Capizzi recorded “Monster Mash” with a band they called The Crypt-Kickers.

I made a bit more progress on rebuilding the engine for my Dodge M37. I'm making up an improved set of connecting rods, doing much of the work myself, which includes spotfacing the rod caps to accept ARP bolts and nuts, balancing small and big ends, and selecting rods of the correct length (there are minor variations) to produce about .022" piston protrusion height above the deck. The piston protrusion should produce about .040" of 'quench' zone between the top of the piston and the flat part of the combustion chamber. Most of the rods I'm prepping are NOS, but there are a couple of factory re-mans as well. I had to ream the bolt holes in two of the NOS rods to a slight oversize (.377") and order some ARP bolts for those holes that have a slightly oversized knurled area that will produce a good interference fit where the knurling bridges the parting line between the rod beam and cap. Here, I'm spotfacing the rod caps to remove the counterbore for washers, since the ARP nuts are flanged and don't use washers. The slight radius at the edge of the spotfaced area is to avoid creating a stress riser. Here's the set of rods and bolts so far, including an extra rod, ready to take to the machine shop to have the big ends re-sized. I'll do the final balancing after I get them back from the machine shop. I balanced the small ends by evenly sanding off a bit of metal around the circumference, so as not to produce any thin spots or abrupt changes in thickness that could create a stress riser. We're gradually getting things ready for winter here. The next big task is to pull the dock out of the water, which I'm hoping to do this coming weekend. Even though we're on a tidal shoreline, the salt water doesn't get this far up the river, so the river freezes over, and all docks have to be pulled out.

Sounds like someone needs to add another Wheel Horse to their stable.

I used to have a job at a calendar factory, but I got fired because I took a couple of days off.

Finally got to spend an hour in my tree stand this evening. The Steam-o-Rama, crabbing vacation, and caretaker for Mrs. Ks new Knee had me busy for the first two weeks of archery. Archery is in till mid November and the bucks are usually nocturnal till November, so I have plenty of time. It's been too hot to butcher anyway. . This week muzzle loaders can also be used to take doe only and Thur. - Sat. seniors can also use rifle for doe. This is when I usually fill my doe tags. I did bump 3 deer near my stand and saw 12 more feeding in the field when I got in my tree. Not bad for the first hour sit.

I had the same issue of the carb bolts getting loose on the 5hp B&S on our wood splitter. This turned into more of a disaster, I tried taking off its muffler so I could have more access and both of them broke off. After I drilled out the broken off bolts and Helicoiled new threads, I used some Allen head bolts to remount the carb. I cut off an Allen wrench so it would reach the bolts. That allowed me to get those carb bolts very tight! Then I used a wire on the muffler bolts.

I don't think he has that problem, every time he mows his lawn, it seems like it's always a different

I think I've seen his Grandaddy.

Thanks Chuck, Paul, and Garry. She's starting with one pull and running with open choke. So the two loose carb bolts was the problem. Amazing it ran at all with a dangling carb. The qov. linkage wasn't much of a problem but I had a bit of a problem with the throttle linkage. Found this pic in the OM that showed the how the U shaped part connected the throttle to the qov. My linkage pic. Throttle Governor

Flat head...Thanks Paul. I tried, but things are so tight I could not see the gov. linkage till I removed the fuel tank. I may have to pull the engine to reassemble the linkage from the bottom.

5 hp BS flat head, but it is on a generator the orange thumb screw is the speed adjustment... Is yours an OHV?? I have an OHV some where if that is what you need

This reminds me of the neighbor lady who borrowed my Tecky powered push mower years ago. She mowed part of her yard in the morning. After lunch she comes over and says it won't start, I go over and the carb is laying on the deck. I reinstall it and she mows some more. Next day she's back and ir won't start again. I go over and the carb is on. I pull the cord and the whole engine spins around! 3 bolts had fallen out.

My main mowing tractor is a first gen 520H with the 23x9.5-12 rear tires and they are liquid filled. The added weight does not cause damage to the sod but it actually prevents tire spin which could damage sod and also I have some hills and ditches to mow and the added traction helps there.

My friend's dog died the other day so I surprised her by going out and getting her an identical dog. She was furious, she said *"what am I supposed to do with two dead dogs?"*

https://www.small-engines.com/5briggs

The B&S single L head service manual has some diagrams. If you give me the engine Model and series I can look it up and scan the pages this evening

Best I can do on the bottom side. There is nu way to really see anything with out pulling the tank and carb Sorry

I don't know what specific Packard connectors you're using, as there are various series. The Packard and Douglas connectors that are used in my military Dodge M37, which do not use a roll-over type crimper, are probably quite different from the connectors you're using. For the heavy-duty male military-type Douglas and Packard 'bullet' connectors in my M37, I use one of my four-prong crimpers, which produces a really tight crimp. In the example below, I cut through a crimped connector to see how tightly the copper wire strands were crimped. It looks like a nice tight gas seal. I probably have several dozen different wire crimpers and dies, but for the heavy-duty military-type female 3-piece connectors in my M37 (which consist of the connector body, a tubular spring around the end, and a seamless sleeve over the crimp area), I've just been using an ordinary big-box-store crimper, which I think does a good job.

Yes and no…I don’t want these tires “weighted” all the time. Would rather have the cast iron weights that I can remove in the spring and set this machine up for mowing. I suppose I could have a second set of rears without weights and swap out that way.

That is why I have not pulled the plastic outer screen from my Onan, I'm afraid too much debris would get in

My bosses daughter has a Ram truck she's been fixing up with her dad's help. For whatever reason she decided that truck needed two air horns. Last Friday we compared her air horn kit to the ones in the crane. Just as loud. Mebbe a touch deeper tone.

Amazon.com: QWORK Electric Siren Horn, 2 Pack DC 12V Security Loud Wired Alarm Siren for Home Alarm System Security and Protection, 110 dB : Electronics

What does a person with diarrhea and an electric car owner have in common? They both hope will make it home

When the local video store went out of business years ago, the owner donated all of the “TRAINING” videos to my firehouse where we would watch them downstairs at the bar after meetings. This may help explain the local baby boom in the years to follow 🤣🤣🤣

Get the 26x12’s and the widened wheels mounted on the 520H today.

The only B&S engines I have are the "Classic" 3-1/2 HP with the oldy-but-goodie PulseJet carb on top of the tank... and the plastic wind vane governor.

Often there is info in the B&S operator manual also if you can find one.

The Horse is already out of the Barn, but... And THAT is exactly why we need to pull out the Cell Phone & click off a couple of pictures at different angles prior to disassembly. Priceless in that situation. Cell phone pix are better than the digital camera in that you can zoom up & around for fine detail.

Ouch! Can’t help on images, sorry.

Midwest Military and Vintage Power Wagons should have Packard connectors if you can't find them at an auto parts store. Edit: I've been using a number of both Douglas and Packard connectors in my M37 restoration project, although they may be a completely different Packard connector series from the ones you are using.

Zero-turns are definitely faster, but I can do 3/4 acre in an hour. That's tolerable. If there were a lot of landscaping to navigate, I am sure it would take a lot longer. Garden tractors do okay so long as you have a lot of straight lines. I use my Wheel Horse for a lot more. I have a 3pt with a 2" receiver. I have a grading blade, plow, and a ripper. Mowing is probably 50% of how I use it. It's 44 years old and will probably outlive me with the new engine.

Situationally dependant. If I wanted that tractor to last another 50 years and I didn't already have a spare engine - I'd spend $500 (or more) on a Kohler > in a heartbeat < before using a cheapo replacement. But with extra engines or whole machines available? It'd get shelved...

Wash, Rinse, Repeat...

I used a small self-tap screw from outside and it pulled right out. Or a very small drill bit and then a screw? Block was threaded 10-32. 69 charger 12. Looks like a cone shaped freeze plug. Didn't really want anything going into the oil pan.

I'd be happier with a much more explosive result. Like the porch pirate popping boxes filled with dye or paint.

Good afternoon. All WH sickle bars are basically the same design, except with the mounting as there are different models for different tractors. I’ve made quite a few posts about my sickle bar in the past and the one I recently got at the big show this past year. There are also a few members on here who are sickle bar pros and can tell you what models fit which tractors. Anyways, here are a couple pictures of what it should basically look like.

CBR 1000 powered C series Wheel Horse

Finished my front weight set today.

Today we went for a drive a couple hours north to look at 5 pieces of land. https://maps.app.goo.gl/ujErC4DzcvZ4o78u6?g_st=am Saw lots of beautiful scenery and in fall color peak too! We'll be requesting more info on two of the 5 pieces for sure. Possibly 3. After that we got the garden area path bridge set in place. That's in its own thread.

Finished! Thanks to @Vinylguy for the excellent decals!!!

I lost one more of my nine lives back in December when an artery burst in my colon and pumped out 4-5 ozs of fuel every hour. Hemoglobin dropped from 17 to 6.5 in 20 hours. They went up the exhaust pipe with a light, camera, and soldering iron but couldn't find the leak. They pumped in some new blood and it sealed on it's own moments before I cashed in. Glad to hear you guys are still playing.

95% blockage of my LAD. Roto Rooter and install a culvert. Sent me out the door today. Ride on !

The house tried to cash in on me again back in May with a heart attack. But I'm still at the table!

I actually became the old man in which the 20 year old me said I'd never become. But.... with all the stupid things I've done over the years to my body by partying and having fun I didn't really expect to make it to 50 anyway, so I'm already play'n with house money!

Yesterday, I took my dad to his first treatment, was diagnosed with lymphoma a few months back. Thankfully it’s highly treatable for a short amount of time (hopefully). He is one of the very few important people in my life so I worry about him and hope this all pans out ok.