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I had to give the old C81 some TLC before I used it this week. I saw the insulation cracking on the stator/regulator wiring and it crumbled when I handled it. Used fome of my favorite heat shrink connections that have solder in them. Had some new connectors in my stash and a little 14Gage wire, so good to go. When I travel through Austin coming from the farm I pass near a huge city sewer plant. Nearby they have a contractor that takes the solids and the grass, leaves and limbs and makes excellent compost that they call "Dillo Dirt" As in Armadillo, it an Austin thing I can get a truck and trailer (2+yards) free if I shove or $30 for them to load with skidsteer. Its an easy decision to shell out $$. It does smell a little "fresh" at the composting facility. But the smell is gone from the yard in a day. Very good fertilizer! So the C81 has had easy duty pulling the trailer around the yard as I do the hard duty shovel/spreading. I've spred 2 truck/trailer loads on the lawn this spring.

…or someone did some drilling .

June 13, 1980, The Shining premiered in the USA on May 23, 1980, with a limited release, followed by a wider release on June 13, 1980, in both the United States and Canada. This classic horror film, directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on Stephen King's novel, marked its debut in theaters in 1980.

Here's Johnny!

Many people like my parents got into the mindset and had no need for multi function equipment. if it was cheap and just cut grass it was fine. I like the fact that my stuff can be a Swiss Army knife of lawn equipment.

North sky this evening.

Breakthrough Died again but no gas in the inline fuel filter. Looked in tank didn't see anything but wiggled the screen with a screw driver and gas appeared in the filter. Still didn't see the problem got a swab and rubbed it up and down the screen got some yellow gummy stuff. Looks like a paste version of the yellow ethanol gumballs that show up in the carb bowl. Tomorrow pulling tank to clean it and I think I am just removing the screen. He is only up here in the summer and has old metal gas cans. I imagine it formed in what ever gas was left in his cans over the winter it was diluted by new gas but still was there. Thank you all!!!

Good time! Small show and it’s first year in a new location. Tony @Docwheelhorse even bought a 953 today @wallfish @Retired Wrencher

Early June morning Sunrise in Greencastle,Indiana!

I'm not so sure that's a 701 S/G guard, doesn't look quite right to me. Looks to be from a Briggs motor maybe?

I currently have 3 Onan engines. I was like you and very Leary of them when I bought my 416h. All 3 of my current Onans I’m sure have over 1,000 hours on them. My 416h is my go to tractor. It always starts doesn’t matter how long it’s sat or how cold it is. I don’t have a picture of the 3rd tractor and engine but it’s a 520. All have been excellent tractors

Not bad for a tractor that's 58 years old and a 36" rotary deck.

I had the same thing sort of on my 953. There was no screen on the tank and the shut off valve got clogged. It looked yellowish and gummy but it was actually real fine rust particles. Well no way I was removing the tank so I tossed a little chain in the tank and with a long screwdriver I swished it around. Then flushed the tank. Then we have these real strong magnets that came with a dialysis machine maintenance kit at work. They are used to catch any metal that may have gotten through the water filters. They are about the diameter of a dime. I placed one of these near the tank outlet to catch any fine rust. 2 years and no more clogs.

Something in the tank eventually clogging off the gas ????

Out side of swapping in a carb you changed everything except maybe the condenser? For the heck of it check the connection at the switch and the wire to the coil. I had my 1267 at the show a few years back and the screw that holds the coil feed wire at the switch vibrated loose and it died. Maybe a little heat build up there from a bad connection?

those are some great notations on the small variations between the 1962 and 1963 models, @ACman

Definitely not a 701 guard. It has the smoother face like one, but not nearly wide enough.

I would search for 12x6 tubes.

Sorry - it looks to be a FrankenHorse. The double wide S/G belt guard says 1961, the short hood, front axle & steering, gas tank, iron dash all say 1962. If that is a Dial-a-Height lift stop, it says 1963.... Additional pictures from the rear & right side needed to better define this one... Rarity - probably a one of one - but not for a good reason.

The P216 and P218 Onan engines aren't as fickle as the P220 (20hp), but I'm not a fan of Onan either way. Of course if correct 400 hours is nothing. That being said, 1300 hours on a Kohler twin is getting up there. If it has been meticulously maintained, I would lean that way as well. But seeing would make all the difference for me. Both being hydros... you're just gonna have to look them over.

After a few cranks, it fired up on carb cleaner sprayed in the carb and rad good (for a rough check) I had it jacked up to change the rear tires, so kept spraying/running and moved the hydro control lever forward and backwards and hub rotates as they should. So theirs signs of life, maybe, just maybe the 400 hrs on the meter is real. A part of the deal I got a pile of 3 piece and 2 piece 3 speed transmission parts. #/4 of them are good, some are pitted or chipped . The complete 3 piece transmission has interesting damage, if only it could talk! Who knowns what went through it to break this bearing holding ring The case and hubs and pullies are good. This other side plate was good. This is a "newer style diff that I guess was in the 3 piece transmission. There are also parts to another 2 piece 3 speed. some good, some pitted. Here a close up of that diff with a corner chippe dout The axles need to be flipped, they have heavy wear in the bushing area. More parts and more parts. So for trading a tiller that I had 2 of sitting in the barn I feel I make out great. I really needed some transmission parts for various projects. I thing I can build a really good 3 piece transmission if i repair or replace that side plate, and a really good 2 piece 3 speed with another transmission I have that needed parts. There probable another so/so 2 piece transmission in the pile of parts. While the 520H is rough in some aspects, It give me one to learn on since it is the first 520h I've seen down here in 10 years. Its 48" deck has a rust hole near the discharge but turns free. If nothing else, as @ebinmaine said, If it becomes parts, the gear reduction steering, seat pan, wide rear rims, and some other parts have value to me.

I think Cecil Pond was not too enthusiastic about his offspring having to swim upstream against a rising tide of planned obsolescence lawn equipment. While they would face some hard decisions along the way just as Cecil had it was becoming obvious that bowing out while the company was thriving made the most economic sense.

Painted some 42” and 48” mower deck belt gaurds. The 42’s (smaller set) are Rustoleum Regal Red and the 48’s (larger set) sprayed with Rustoleum Farm IH red. Today outside in full sun the Ih red looks to have a little more orange tint to it. I go back and forth on which flavor of these 2 shades I like the best and have come to the conclusion they are so close it just depends what day of week they where made to which shade is the darker of the two. Both were sprayed over gray primer and clear gloss sprayed on them soon as last coat of red was applied.

C-85 I bought awhile back has always had two leaky fronts. Been stored in the shed up on blocks so the rubber wouldn’t get ruined sitting flat..well today I decided to tube em both. I hate tubing the small tires ! This old HF tire changer comes in handy still. But now it’s done and the big test will be to see if they stay “up”.

Thanks for the quick responses! I meant to respond earlier. I am looking forward to it, but I i gotta make the time cuz I dont really like choking it out to shut it down. I'll update as I go through the wiring, but I did briefly go through all wiring/grounds i could see. Specifically the dark blue one, for grounding purposes. I'm planning on eliminating some more length of the wiring related to the little idiot lights as I take out the battery tray, etc to see wiring and eliminating pinch points. I dont want to eliminate any safety switches! I haven't taken time to really look into it yet with my teenage kids always taking up my wife's and mybtime and wheel horse $. 🙃 I do have an exact model/year (93 73401), (part donor/maybe future project/high hr but does run 314h) unfortunately, that one has an obvious corroded rusty bad terminal on the switch,vbut it actually "ran last year " 😄 (po has a push button installed) @gwest_ca you rule! I actually thought that they both had the same part number, then I realized I clicked on the same link twice 😅 Thanks for keeping me straight!

I've been wanting to replace my mulching cover, due to it being broken at the corners, and the PO hacking it. WHX?? was kind enough to sell an extra one he had (including the mounting bolts/nuts which I didn't have). Today I used rust reforming primer and GM Red spray paint on the rusty areas of the deck. After it all cured I added a little weatherstripping to the back edges of the cover and installed. My mild OCD is doing better now. Once my son in law has the time he's going to 3D print me another one for the spare parts shelf.

Went out for a test drive.

The descant pack has ruptured and contaminated the system, it is causing the H-valve to stick periodically. @squonkis right about the system shutting off over the 325 PSI on the high side. The blow-off valve pops around 350. If you want to fix it right its going to be expensive. If you don't want it to be expensive teach your daughter how to work the window switch.

Two days in a row with little human cargo headed for the beach...

Just fun to look what’s out there in other parts of the nation

I believe I have it figured out. It may have been the battery tray drain hose. The battery tray has a hole in it and it just points straight down, above the pulley in the middle of the deck. Looking at another post on the 520H(https://www.wheelhorseforum.com/topic/115709-520h-battery-tray-drain-tube/) while a different tractor, my battery tray looks identical and the pictures from Cleat seem to show that hose extending quite a ways away. Perhaps mystery solved!

Yes, thanks, I mentioned it up the thread. Part 88 in the drawing, clearly shows it, but many photos of other people's didn't seem to have it. I checked mine, and it shouldn't interfere with anything, so I've left it flat like many of the photos of other people's. If it does need it, it won't be difficult to add it, and will lose hardly anything off the length. I've finished it now, and painted it with red oxide primer, which I'll have to run it with until I can get hold of some Wheel Horse red. Good enough, I think. Just need the belt now.

I love my front mount. i left the vbelt cover off. When I switched to the 48" I did have to grind down the reinforcement plate to clear the belt.

The newer Wheel Horses with the two cylinder Kohler Command engine all had electric clutches tied in with the No-Mow in Reverse switching. To my knowledge none would have had the thrust bearings in the engine.

Better check the Spec Number of the Command Pro 18. They did not have ball bearing crank shafts. More like KT and Magnums only some came with a thrust crank shaft. (had some sort of radial thrust bearing),. most has a "non-Thrust crankshaft.

Some idiot cut a big ugly hole in the front of the hood rather than using the correct air filter. Other than that it appears to be a rather nice 702 with a 701 S/G belt guard. As far a value is concerned the S/G belt guard and two v groove pullies are worth as much as the rest of the tractor in my opinion. For $ 100 it would be a good deal but not worth driving from Florida to PA and back.

Had the same problem on my wife's Ford product. The damper that controls the airflow (defrost, heat, cooling) has a default position of defrost with heat. It is operated by vacuum and the bean counters at Ford decided that a small check valve on the vacuum line to the comfort control system would work as well as a vacuum reservoir. If the check valve isn't functioning properly when you accelerate rapidly or go up a steep hill the vacuum produced by the engine reduces to the point that the damper previously mentioned goes to the heat / defrost default position until vacuum is restlored. We had the wife's car to two Ford dealers who tested everything in the refrigerant system but didn't know a thing about the vacuum problem, the good old boy who services our vehicles knew exactly what the problem was when I asked him and once the check valve was replaced the problem went away.

NOS 48" Mower Deck barn find but brand new never mowed grass $1300 can deliver to Big Show or anywhere along I70 from Indiana to Pensylvania week of big show. Local pickup available in Columbus, IN. Will likely only bring to show with pre arranged deal in place so let me know if you want it. I have not cleaned the dirt and dust off it since I've had it, I would assume some minor scratches and shelf wear possible. Also comes with mostly NOS mule drive and belt (mostly because it has a cast pulley so I think it was possibly put together with new parts, may have been used one or twice). I also have a 48" shell (with no other parts) I would sell for $800 condition is exactly the same as one pictured just not a complete deck.

Your pressures suggest a restriction, a new expansion valve is where i would start. Sounds like it’s sticking. Being that the high side is well over 300, the compressor appears to be in good shape, or at least capable of making good pressure. I would still inspect the high side of the expansion valve for compressor debris which may have got caught at the expansion valve and has caused the restriction. Sometimes you can hear a sticking expansion valve if you listen closely to the dash, idle up to around 1500rpm, and a lower blower speed so you can hear over top of it. Silent for a few seconds, then a few seconds of hissing in the dash accompanied with a brief gush of cooler air through the vents, then back to warm, and the cycle repeats. Yours sounds to be just stuck. On the newer (i’m old so everything is newer now) small capacity systems, it can be rather easy to flood the evaporator with just a few ounces of being overcharged, so be careful not to overcharge it, and check or just replace the cabin air filter if you haven’t already. They are often overlooked.

Do you have a picture of the other side showing the belt guard? Looks like that left rear wheel has an axle and or brake seal leaking bad. Its a plus that it has the Kohler engine. But has the front of the hood been cut/butchered/destroyed to fit the air Cleaner

Do yourself a favor - inflate the tube(s) to about 5 PSI a day or two before you actually need them to be sure they are OK... do not destroy the packaging in case they need to be returned. I inflate the tube, place it on a flat surface and place a small piece of plywood or cardboard on top. Record the height from the surface to the top of the board with a tape measure. Check the distance the next day - you may see a change.. Yes on the talcum powder - it lets the tube wiggle into its happy position when you inflate it.

They kind of nailed it. I wonder how much information from a site like RedSquare it took to make that summary?

I did some more work on cleaning up the mid-section of the frame under the cab. I sanded the small areas of light surface rust and any flaking spots (there weren't many), blew off the dust, de-greased and pressure washed the area (twice), immediately blew it dry, and then allowed it to dry completely in direct sun and low humidity for two days before priming it. Painting the rest of the frame in Marine Corps green will have to wait until we have a forecast for sunny weather for at least four days in a row. I have lots of other things to work on in the meantime.

Brought the c-161 to the shop for the first time. It's in great shape. Blew the critter debris from everywhere compressed air could reach. Likely going to put the FEL on here instead of on the 165 since that sub-frame doesn't like the square hood.

Great nephew got to come home with me after church of course it was tractor riding time when we got home. Started with the C160 then the 520H and also the 312-8 but forgot pics of him on the 312. He is really a good operator already pays attention well and has a good understanding of what it takes to run the tractor just still to small to reach everything.

Got one o' them here I'm looking forward to making a good runner! Here's my 1974 C160-8 Cinnamon Horse with a 17 cu ft modified dump trailer.

Mowed with my trusty B-80 8 speed with a 36”RD today…good time to snap a couple side shots.

Couple out for some fresh air.

See Dick that's why I gave you the extra $$ not for helping with scoring me a shirt from the show but for all your help on red square! Thanks again!