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I was on you tube a few weeks ago, and I found this page that had a case dealership in Connecticut I believe.. He had this new tool that I’ve never heard about how to safely clean the top end of the engine and the head. It’s nylon attached to steel that you can put in your drill or whatever. You spray it down with like fantastic or some kind of household cleaner, but let it sit for about 10 minutes. These nylon attachments made the whole head and top of the engine clean within a 10 minutes. I was truly impressed on that. The other bonus it doesn’t leave any scratches or gouging of the material which according to this video it’s the first place where carbon will build up. So here’s a couple pics before and after this was about 10 minutes worth of work. The orange is course this kit came with two others gray, which is a medium grit and I believe the blue is a fine grit. I’m sold on this so far much easier. I used to use steel but at left a lot of scratches.

Picked this 312-8 up this morning! Might be the nicest original one I ever bought! Has a bagger and a plow thats just as nice. Got it running after a carb clean and new fuel lines. I was just gonna flip it, but I don't know about that now. It works pretty great! 20260801_170738.mp4

Couple a pics of C160 with the new to me rear wheel weights.

Congratulations on your retirement. You will be suprised to see how busy you will be. I retired 8 years ago. Spent the first month reading a stack of books I had collected before I got board enough to start in on other projects. Stay active and try to have a bit of fun every day. My wife and I play a game of cribbage just about every day. She is currently on a winning streak, so the fun factor for me is currently dimished.....

Change it on time. That is all.

I retired three years ago. Started working right after high school so after 52 years decided that was enough. Most of my career was self-employed carpenter/handyman. It was harder off loading the tools from my work truck than I expected. I suppose a fellow's chosen career seems to, in part, define who he is. I still do a fair amount of handyman work--mostly for folks who need help or organizations who are trying to do good for humanity. What has changed is, that when folks ask how much they owe me, I tell them to donate to their church, or charity of their choosing whatever the job was worth to them. We spend a good amount of our time helping with the three grandchildren. The youngest, special needs, takes a lot of papa's time going to therapies and hanging out because going with his family outings causes him stress. Kept him about 4 1/2 hours today while family spent time with some friends.

After making a wood template from the grab bar with drilled holes for the screw locations,still no way to hold it on.I finally clamped a level to the soap fish corner shelves to get the elevations,marked too and bottom and split the difference Got that marked on masking tape. Even that was difficult so I made a little wood block into a square sobI could jump the gap from the straightedge Then we found a centerline of the factory flanges on the rear wall and marked it on a piece of tape taped to the level We made a secondary cardboard jig with one hole each end and taped it to the curved wall on the center line. I drilled one hole and sent a screw through it to hold the grab bar and the other end found it's place with the aid of the small level. The key to getting it right was that the measuring point was more than an inch away from the wall surface and one chance to get it right. After I sent the screws through to mark the drywall behind the wall, we had to mount a hardwood board inletted into the drywall so the screws could have a solid bite.

Why can’t our tractor hobbies have schedules like these remodel jobs So my middle son and family went to his in-laws in New Jersey. They stay at the family beach house 2 blocks from the “shore”. In Texas we call it beach, but north it’s the shore. He rents this house from me that I added on to\remodeled 5 years ago. At the time I didn’t replace the cultured marble shower in the original bathroom, but added a new master bath. So the day after they leave my wife says NOW sure would be a good time to replace that shower with a tub for the grandkids. As some of you know when grandma says it’s for the grandkids kids there is NO negotiating. I knew getting a 60” long tub in a 60” wide room was going to be fun. So here’s the old to be removed. the shower pan came up and slid over the old drain pipe Chiseling the concrete out of that original box out was a 1/2 day job, but I was done for the day. No pictures but the original drain needed to move 1” right and roughly 5” forward. It was a pain to get perfect for the new tub to fit. Pex B and valves roughed in Hardied Backer installed ready for Redcote to seal it and seams. I love the new style tile spacers that level the face of the tile. I need a 1/2” by 2 chrome nipple for a hand shower and final cleaning.

I had one. Mine was a 2013 Passat TDI. In the 85000 miles I had the car I averaged an honest 44 mpg. Because I am a weirdo, I keep a spreadsheet on my cars to track costs and maintenance, so this isn’t an approximation. On a long interstate trip, the car would get better than 50 mpg. It had an 18 gallon tank so had a range of 900 miles. I drove it from St Louis to Charlotte, NC on one tank. On another trip it went from STL to northern MN before filling. The car was a bladder buster. it was a largish car but only 140 hp which explains the great fuel economy. But it never felt underpowered. It had a lot of low RPM grunt so got off the line quick which made it feel a lot faster than it really was, but the acceleration really dropped off once the car hit 25 mph. Again, only 140 hp… VW got caught with wildly excessive tailpipe emissions by some researchers at the University of West Virginia who were comparing diesel autos for mpg and emissions. The VW results were so off the charts bad that they assumed their gross data had to be in error so they re-tested and got the same result. Assuming it was a fluke they got another TDI and tested it. Same results. uh oh. They reported to VW who ignored them and blamed their test methods. Others took note and started checking too and all found that VW diesels were clean when tested at the stationary test stations, but incredibly dirty when tested while on the road. Eventually the California Air Resources Board pressed VW on it and were also ignored. Federal EPA too. VW continued to break the emission laws for multiple years despite regulatory scrutiny. Eventually they finally agreed that something was amiss after the EPA notified them they couldn’t sell ANY cars - gas or diesel - in the US if they didn’t cooperate. Talk about motivation. The issue was that VW programmed the car to only operate the exhaust catalyst system when the car was on a treadmill being tested. Steering wheel inputs were used to deduce the car was actually being driven on the road and the emissions system was then shut down. In hindsight, that’s why that little tank of urea in the trunk rarely needed a refill. the net result was VW had to deal with the 385000 (in the US alone) law breaking gross polluters on the road. They applied two software flashes and gave owners some money as bandaids but still were thumbing nose at EPA. Eventually after their initial fixes were little more than window dressing they were forced to offer buybacks or cash payments and real fixes to owners who wanted to keep the car. I don’t remember the warranty terms, but I’m pretty sure the emissions system warranty were actually lengthened for those who kept them. At the time though, VW didn’t have a fix, didn’t know if they would have a fix, and nobody was telling what the trade offs would be. My assumption - given what I know about the complexity of a catalytic cleanup system - was that VW probably knew the chemistry set in the tailpipe was a reliability disaster so they elected to shut it down whenever the car was driving. I didn’t want to deal with that. I sold mine back to them. I seem to remember them not giving back the full purchase price but I think it was pretty close overall when factoring in the payment for the car, the two small payments that came with the intermediate (failed) software flashes, and the payment from Robert Bosch (software company who programmed the cheat in the ECU). In four years and 85000 miles the car cost me just the cost of fuel, insurance, a set of tires, and maintenance. Turned out to be a great deal overall financially, but infuriating when thinking about 85000 miles worth of emissions times 385000 other cars on the road. and there were fines. I think it totaled around $3 billion. Much of the fines were distributed through all 50 states and designated for emissions reductions. School systems upgrades busses, states used it for remediation, etc. VW also had to fund the Electrify America EV charging network. Exacerbating things, the software used to cheat also was applied in other manufacturers’ products across all of Europe and North America. Daimler Benz and Chrysler to name two. They complied much more readily when discovered and at least have plausible deniability. I’ll never purchase another product from VW. I didn’t buy that car to make a statement or be an environmentalist, but I did buy it expecting that it meet specifications or at least made a good faith effort to meet them. It didn’t because they made the decision to be criminals, likely in the name of durability or drivability. None of what they did was subject to interpretation or judgement, it was clearly wrong. I was sad to see my car go. I’m doubly mad that in one deliberate action VW doomed the future for light diesel vehicles in the western world. Diesel emissions are dirty, no doubt, but treatable. The take rate for diesel autos in the US was already low and VW killed the golden goose. On the upside, with diesel currently running $5/gallon and RUG at $4, the break even gas mpg compared to my 44mpg TDi is 36 mpg. That’s somewhat attainable in a similar sedan, so the advantage of diesel has pretty much evaporated. anyway, here endeth the sermon. Steve

Thank you! I didn’t realize this thread existed. I may have just gotten lucky. Looking at a 1991 312-8 tomorrow with a deck and 500 hours for $750. Won’t need a trailer since it’s closer and there’s no snow thrower. Wish me luck!

Sounds like lots of room! I’m pulling for ya!

Big 312-8 fan here. Have had mine for 37 years. I can mow my yard 3 times compared to once with my Kohler Twins on the MPG. Good luck with it.

Over the years I have use synthetic , expensive stuff and wally world stuff...never heard an engine sound different Haven't had an oil related failures either...

Took a short trip to see @Pullstart yesterday. Finally got around to picking up the muffler he obtained at the big show for me and a couple of tire/wheel assemblies for my cart rebuild project. I am planning on using the muffler on Pack Rat, the AC B110. I (wisely?) didn't take the trailer with me, as he has Joe the 1054 for sale. I don't really have a need for him, I don't have storage space for him, nor do I have the time to spend on another tractor. Besides, he has a nibble from another potential buyer that sounds like they might provide a better home.

A quick shot with the little pressure washer removed a lot of the yellow paint and reveals some red. Next, to beak out the big pressure washer.

I have 25 years to go, and I think about it every day.

Worked on the wife's Dodge Dart. Installed new headlight connectors and bulbs, and changed out the oil and oil filter.

Congrats. Jim and Mike. Best wishes for health and happiness. Enjoy every day, you earned it.

A 5X9 U-Haul trailer with ramp is about $30/ day.

Tractor will fit in the bed without issue--it’s a bit over 5’ long and, depending on tires, about 36” wide (getting it up and in might be a trick). Deck probably cannot stay on since it won’t fit between the wheel wells (48” is the cutting width) I’d consider mounting the blower and loading the tractor with the blower over the open tailgate and then loading the mower alongside the tractor. That mower weighs a lot and getting it into and out of the cab without damage to the cab or seats would be tricky. Suitable padding and plenty of strong tiedowns, of course. And if needed, make two trips?

Darn those bobcats taking selfies! 🤣

Retired today - 41 years... Great run. My boss and colleagues know me well... simple but appropriate gifts...

I'm a glutton for punishment. Born and brought up learning to do everything the hard way. @Brockport Bill No kidding. The pictures should show you. Kleen Strip Aircraft paint remover, 1 1/2'' and 3'' wire wheels on an 18 volt Milwaukee cordless, lots of different grades of sandpaper etc etc and a right shoulder that's just about had it. Not perfect but doing the best I can with what I have. Thank you for the nice comment I'm enjoying bringing this 420 back to action, feels good.

Congratulations both of you. I'm contemplating retiring sometime in the near future. I'm 55yrs old....I want out! My daughter has to finish college. Tuition & shes still on my healthcare plan. Thats my biggest concern/expense when retiring young. Also my girlfriend is 40yrs old & idk if shes ready for me to be home all the time?????🙄

I just bought a 312-8 today! Already love it although I haven’t mowed yet. What is the best spark plug I can use (Champion RH-10C?) and the best transmission belt? I don’t mind spending a bit to get the best quality. Thanks in advance!

Got um on and mounted back on tractor today. Used 7” carriage bolts and some lock nuts. Started to cut bolts off but they dont stick out past tires so. Opie had to photo bomb again. Only downside so far is warden can track me easier.

I wouldn't knock yourself out looking for VR1 oil over Rotella. These are lawn mowers. Not Indy cars or space ships!

Joe is sold. A nice young man down by Jake Kuhn is an avid collector and his dad brought him up to buy a new 1054!

Whenever the cable is connected directly to the holes in the disk that happens. Very fast throttle response. A Wheel Horse spec engine would have a small arm that was welded to the disk so the cable connection was a bit farther distance away from the center fulcrum point. Therefore it would take a longer distance to travel from idle to full rpm. This is what that arm looks like

I probably have at least 55 to live. I'm just tired of having to get up and go to work every day, and my phone never seems to stop ringing for work at home too. I flagged 41 hours between 7AM Thursday, and 11:30 Friday, and most of that work was done in that time. Between 11:30 and 4 on Friday I did a clutch in a Focus, which pays another 9 hours. On the rare occasions I have actually had time to do anything I actually want to do this summer I haven't had the energy.

Good looking work. Do I need plumbing material? Nope. I've got a box of plumbing stuff that does not fit anywhere or anything in the house.

August 1, 1988 Rush Limbaugh's first nationally syndicated radio program, "The Rush Limbaugh Show," was launched, out of Sacramento, California, becoming a major conservative voice and pioneering modern talk radio.

Gotta say, retirement is the best job I have ever had. As many of you are aware we get to do nothing and if it isn't finished we pick tomorrow right were we left off.

Thats what I'm doing. Watertight heat shrink connectors for each individual wire.

Already working hard! I did a second story water heater install yesterday, and we are heading to a car show today!

Now it is time to GET RID OF the nine pin. If you repair the nine pin you will have the same problem on down the line. Just connect the appropriate wires with good watertight electrical connectors of your choosing and have a good life. The pins on the 12 volt connector were too small for the load and in many cases have melted down the adjacent wires when they fail.

If this one looks as good as the 314=8, this is a much better deal. The 312-8 can spin a 42 or 48 inch deck easily. And snow plows and single stage blowers are available often for $200. The plow or single stage blower will be much easier to install and store than the two stage. I have had several single stage and two stage blowers and have sold all of them. I find the plows are much more useful for removing the small wet snows we normally get here in Pa.

I can tell you exactly where I was when I tuned him in for the first time in 1988. 33 years later, I was sitting in my car waiting for my second Covid shot, not 1/2 mile from where I was in 1988, when his wife announced his death in 2021.

D you have a link to the video or the product?

I’ve thought of using threaded rod cut to the proper length and then put a nut on either side of the square hole in rim, tightening up to make like a stud. Then sliding the weight on the rod, and tightening a nut on it. Maybe some 1/2” acorn nuts? That would look pretty cool!

Can you meet me in Nj and load this for me!? 😂

One of my conditions for home renovation tasks is that I no longer do demolition. I hire and direct. Too much bodily wear and tear.

Frame unbolted from the rear end. Lots of small parts have been bead blasted and painted. I have not got to big parts yet (actually still need to finish the hood from the 416 project I mostly completed last winter), Need the weather to co-operate and not rain or be at 1000% humidity. Also the bugs are very bad right now and would undoubtedly be stuck in the paint.

I think whoever built it, plugged it in and said “shoot, it’s going the wrong way”. So he put the twist in the belt to reverse it. 🙂

I don’t follow the Android world at all. FWIW, I would search the interweb for apps that use the camera and strobe the light that are compatible with your specific device. Hardware varies so much in the android world, especially for camera specs, your device may not have the needed oomph. There are not-to-expensive external tachs that work via induction (off the spark plug wire) and/or optical that are helpful for doing maintenance and sychronization like this one.

LOL! I’m visualizing pieces of masking tape with numbers on them! Personally, I test revs with a free iPhone app “Video Tachometer” to get within ±10 RPMs of my target. After I’ve got the carb mixtures tweaked, I set my “target” speed in the app and then adjust the throttle linkages/stops until the app shows I’ve hit the target.

@953 nut , my last years , were split between my actual home shop and the powerhouse , maintenance staff , adapted to anything , needed , what a concept ! most dreaded work area / zone ? FAN LEVEL , ANYTHING ? entire unit was vertically drawn thru s/s floor gratings , foundation to open top discharge , initial walk in impact , 4 floor heat pull, 140 degrees ! had to lay out / plan every related , move / step . before going for breathing / cooling air . did my time , pete

Congratulations!!! More time for family and Wheelhorse's!

Tonight I finished up the C-141 headlight project. Sometimes it pays to have different hobbies as I had a bunch of 1/4 20 bolts to mount the bucket back in after a spruce up with some semi reflective silver paint. This was a test to see if everything was hooked up right. I scuffed up,where the bulbs mounted to give them a good ground. It still needed tweaking. . The final product. I put some of the fuzzy side of some stick on Velcro to act as a cushion. Now, the paint I spent a significant amount of time on shouldn't get rubbed off the lens. Don’t mind the stuff in the background 😁 This is the paint I used. It’s reflective but not overkill. The overall end result was definitely an improvement.