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Here is my C-175 Automatic with a Series 1 after I restored it, a little eye candy for you boys 😜

October 23, 1976, Chicago's first number one release was the single “If you leave me now” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained there for two weeks. The song was written and sung by bass player Peter Cetera and was featured on the album ChicagoX$.

1984 and older C-175 used the series 1. A spec number of 24300 and higher will be a series 2

Having done a couple of these modules myself you can save a step if you're patient. You can get a 5/16" box end wrench under the stator to remove the screws holding the ignition module. This will save you from having to remove the stator. Clean everything well with electric motor cleaner and compressed air before reassembly. Changing the module should fix your issues.

@Ed Kennell I believe all 417’s came with a Series 2 and baby moons. I think some 300 series came with baby moons too? Only a true Wheel Horse connoisseur like @Handy Don would pick up on 8” wheels and 6” spindles. Some may in fact think “What is this guy talking about?” My 417-A runs a 44” two stage blower like a champ!

Yeah, I don't like balls behind me!

But are they doing so at the correct time? The points gap establishes the ignition timing for these engines. I have seen an engine with a good strong spark run poorly because the timing was improperly set and spark occurred slightly after top dead center. Adjusting the points using static timing solved the problem. Two little hints on finding the timing marks on the flywheel. Prior to looking for the timing marks you can remove most of the rust on the flywheel by using a wooden dowel with sandpaper wrapped over the end. With the sparkplug removed put the dowel through the timing hole and crank the engine a couple of revelations, you may need to do this several times depending on how much rust is there. The keyway on your crankshaft points up when at Top Dead Center. the marks you are looking for will be at the window around TDC so you will know you are in the correct area.

even better hint - splurge a little bit and get a *circuit breaker* type ATO style fuse at the correct amperage rating and you can drop it in the wiring using spade or bullet connectors somewhere in place of the fuse (for the glass fuses, I made up a jumper with alligator clips to run between battery + and the load side of the fuse holder) - that way you won't keep blowing fuses while you diagnose/test the system - circuit breaker just trips (it can sound like the old school "blinker flasher" devices used on older cars for turn signals) Once you have rigged one up you can stick it in your tool box and change out to different amperages to match the fused circuit you're testing...

The seat on that C120 would sell for $ 200.00 or more at any tractor show. The only things I see missing are the right side foot rest and belt guard, you would want them for your safety. The asking price of $ 500.00 seems very reasonable to me.

A lot of us add a new ground wire from the battery negative terminal to one of the rectifier mounting bolts. This is better than grounding thru painted sheet metal...

It can get tricky, I have 3 Onans, if you get in a bind and need pictures of where things go, don’t hesitate to ask. I will be happy to help as I can.

The slooow cooling is the key to that method.

As stupid as those mirrors look, I was having a pretty hard time turning around to see well enough when backing a boat and trailer into a very particular spot, so those mirrors would've helped. I moved the ball from the front to the back a few weeks ago for something else so I guess I just need to buy a new tractor for the "attachment" of a front tow ball. LOL

Those old eyes are still working fine Richard.

A dead battery will not charge from the engine. Charge the battery and have it load tested at an auto parts store, they will di it for free.

Yes there was a 120-8 that had a 8 speed transmission. The 120 Auto has the Sundstrand Hydro. To test the hydro Chain it to a tree and verify it will spin the tires forward and reverse. They are good workers 1-18” rear axles. From what can be seen in the picture that seat looks like it would clean in nice. Those seats are desirable.

Got the 72" snow blower mounted on my big tractor today. Hopefully it will not be used any time soon but it is ready. I only used this setup once last winter when the snow was too deep for my 520HC and plow to deal with. That reminds me, the 520HC and plow are also ready to go. It just needs a wash to get the dust off that accumulated from sitting in the storage building all summer.

Foot rest and guard are inexpensive but shipping these days makes everything expensive.

How much of the Wheel Horse wiring did you remove or are you using it all the way to the engine connection points? If the wiring wasn't blowing fuses with the old engine in place and is with the new engine then an engine component on the replacement must be the problem unless you pinched a wire while swapping engines. I would start by reconnecting everything but the rectifier since it is the only component connected when the ignition switch is in the run position.

Just a quick point, and I am not going to read back to see if it was covered already.The points gap may be set correctly, but over a period of time just sitting, the contacts will corrode. Clean them with a piece of fine sandpaper, buff them with a piece of a business card or the edge of a dollar bill.

I do similar. When I build a new wiring harness, most of the components get their own separate ground wire of correct gauge.

Until they come up with grounding by Bluetooth, I'll still use another cable. Or, you could be a fancy hero and run it to the nut side hidden away!! Besides, it just might catch your lost 3/8 socket (no 10mm joke here)..

Ah yes, thanks for mentioning the 9-pin. I'll check that out also. Valves are a good suggestion too. I already have the flywheel shroud off. I'm more worried about getting all that back together properly.

Minneapolis Moline Mocraft https://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tractors/000/5/2/523-minneapolis-moline-mocraft-100.html

I do concur. Balls up front make for a far more pleasurable trailering experience... And mirrors on a break the number one rule of Italian motor car racing - Whatsa behind you Issa no Matta...

Keep yer balls up front where you can see em John. BTW, the mirrors came off.

Upside-down blades don't make a very good cut.

Put a brazing tip with a fine tip on your torch and heat the spring steel to red hot and let it cool slowly berried in sand, the temper will be gone and now you have mild carbon steel. The cast iron around it won't be harmed if the small blue flame tip is only directed at the spring steel.

I removed some of the stump bumps from the 42" RD. Before after The 36"SD looks OK. Still has some red paint left. Any one see why the RD didn't cut. May be the reason the 417 was put on the auction block.

I went thru 5 fuses while disconnecting things Hint, if you blow a fuse put a test light in its place, while it is brightly illuminated that tells you there is a short to ground or someplace electricity is not supposed to go. While troubleshooting you can glance at the light to see if it has gone out indicating the short has cleared.

That is correct. One caution. Don’t leave power to the coil for an extended time when it’s no being cranked, you can burn it out

I’d love to meet over a cup of coffee with the folks who put together the demystification guide. Simply excellent work.

My suggestion is to download the "demystification guide" from the electrical section of our manuals. Page 423 has the circuitry for your 416-8. Here is a cut from the manual for your spark circuit.

Put six of them to bed for the winter. 312H, 520-8, 416H, 520H (X2), 312-8 Siphoned out most of gas then ran till empty. Pulled battery. These were barely ran all summer so I didn't bother doing oil changes etc. Got the 520HC with the plow moved up and I will get it all checked out and ready for winter duty. The 520 with the mower deck is still in service to grind up leaves for the next few weeks.

Being overly prepared is a heck of a lot better than unprepared.

Think I'm ready for winter....... Girlfriend questioned if my snow removal equipment was excessive? Do I really need that many tractors to clear snow? Told her either I keep them all or she gets a shovel! 🤣 She had nothing more to say...... Aside from a couple cosmetic things on 416, especially a new seat, I'm prepared. Honestly, she knows they are mostly just for me to go out & play in the snow

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

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

I pieced together a RM-366 deck from a few donor decks. Doubt the 754 will get used much for mowing, but I figured "why not?" The blades had previously been installed with the left and right reversed. It wasn't cutting squat - and I figured that since there were separate part numbers for left and right that might me the issue. Went ahead and touched up the cutting edges while I had them off. Mowed some strips in the vacant park lot behind my property. I had a different shell that matched the patina better, but along with the patina were a few rust holes.

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

Just fluid fill them. Same amount of weight without scratching the paint.

I have four blades staring at me. I can mount two onto a 520, and a C141. Also onto a Cub Cadet and an Elec-Trak. Thinking if I mount all four it won’t snow this winter.🥶 If I do push snow the 520 with a 48” blade is my first choice.

The fronts on the C-145 are severely cracked and leak down…in stock here I had a pair of 18x6.50x8’s on WH correct wheels that look great! And the extra inch of height over the stock 16x6.5’s will work well to get the plow up a bit more.

Hung the new winter/plow tires on the rear of the C-145 Auto today. Can’t push snow without weights, really going to bother me to scuff up the new wheel paint but that’s life

First thing I would do is try starting it with starter fluid sprayed directly onto the carb. If it fires then you don't have spark or compression problems, just a gummed up fuel system from ethanol gas sitting in the carb, fuel pump, etc

After a week and a half of parts gathering, and tons of research I got the last piece to the hydro lift. It was the 36” 3/8 JIC hoses for the main supply hoses. I had a small leak in the system and after two weeks+ of sitting I had to boost the battery to prime the tractor to test the system. I think I still need to do some tweaking and build some small parts. It was a promising first test as the ram moves.

Tire shops! After changing and fighting tires for more than 20 years , I take them down the street to the Mennonites! Funny story about that shop. When I first moved here in 88 there was a old barn. he was a farmer/tire dealer. You had to catch him when he was there. He had a folding chair and a little tackle box for money. Then later I was working at Napa. He had kids, lots of them and they grew older. They built a 2 bay shop off of the house. The boys helped with the farming. The wife and girls ran the tire store. She would call for a case of hand cleaner once a month. They used it as tire lube. I would deliver the cleaner and there would be these 2 girls about 8 yrs. old wrestling a farm tractor tire with a couple of tire spoons. One day I was driving by and here's the mother wearing turd kicker boots rolling this giant tractor tire down the driveway by herself! When the boys got old enough to run a business they got sick of farming and built a Taj Mahal tire shop and they stay relatively clean whilst the hired help get all crappy.

Finally got my widened wheels painted today. They actually look better in person than in pics.

Picked up the first batch today, just to test run the Cyclone Rake on the back of my 16 auto. Also fired up the C-160 with the Mighty Mac and turned them into powder for the garden. Photo from last year - the 16 Auto in the background wasn't ready for lawn duty yet. Replaced the C-141 in the foreground with a C160. The C-120 has a pine straw rake on it this fall to help spread the ground up leaves prior to my neighbor tilling them in with his B-100.

Set the mowing deck low and mowed the lawn for the last time until Spring. Then drove it for another 10 minutes until the gas tank emptied. Pulled the battery and shelved it. Went thru and thoroughly cleaned everything and put it in storage.