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Ok folks I am in need of your assistance. I am currently in the planning stages and working out the details here at the elementary school that I am teaching at to start a “tractor club” for boys and girls in the 5th and 6th grades. This will be a unique opportunity to share in my hobby with the kids that I work with each day. My goal is that the kids will be able to get their hands dirty and learn about a vintage piece of machinery while taking pride and ownership in a project that they can see through to completion. I feel that this is almost becoming a dying breed as electronics have taken over the interest of young minds. I am currently on the search for a vintage Wheel Horse machine that is not ultra collectible and one that is fairly simple to work on, gear drive tranny is a must. Since this project will be funded on my dime, I am looking for a inexpensive machine that will fit the bill. I will then be searching for parts from time to time once the tractor has been designated. At the end of the project we will auction it off and take the money from the sale to purchase the machine and supplies for the project during the next school year. We are still working out the logistics here at school and hoping to get this project started very soon. Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated. I will try my best to document our progress for all of you to follow along and enjoy. I am excited at the possibilities that we may have. Thanks again! ****UPDATE**** David Rice has been gracious enough to get a nice running C-120 in to my possession for this project. A thank you goes out to Terry Dennis as well for the new decals that this machine will have once it nears completion. I am continually impressed with the hearts and generosity that so many of the members have. I am looking forward to this project with much anticipation!!!!!

Well the Grange Fair was a short visit! Started uninterrupted work on the loader at about 1:30 this afternoon. Finished at 8:20! It was worth it. After some cutting, grinding, filing and minimal cursing because I had no time constraints, I got it on. Thanks to my Karen who slid the tractor under the mount while I held the frame up. (Never made the stands. Used the brace arms to get it off the blocks). No leaks, no seeps, no noises, and full function of everything. Pump is very quiet and barely moves the vacuum gauge on the tractor. Much less work for the motor than my 48 inch mower deck. I didn't put the rear weight on so I took it easy and made sure everything was primed in the lines. Plenty of down pressure and fast movement. A big thank you to Malmac, Scott, Wallfish and the others who offered advice and posted pics of their loaders. The biggest pains in putting this on a 520 since it wasn't factory designed for any of the Onan powered tractors was the pump mount and the lever release/lock Attach a matic that is used on the newer tractors and the 1991 520-H. (My 1992 416-8 didn't have the lever design). It required cutting out a long skinny triangle from the thick metal original sub frame to allow alignment of the frame holes and shortening the actual lever. (The frame cut took three cutting disks and a good portion of a fourth). I also had some issues with the nut/bolt used on the front mounting bracket. The first frame hole on each side has VERY little room to start a nut. (Because of the gear reduction steering assembly). On the positive end, the factory brace arms leave plenty of clearance around the Onan and hood. My suction line to the pump will need moved since it is in harms way. I think the pump is OK where it is at with a guard to be made soon. I'll work it harder on Monday and really heat the oil up and check again for leaks or seeps again. I do have to weld a wallowed loader lift cylinder pin hole but even it isn't too bad. The others are real tight. Not bad for as old as it is and for 500 bucks. This was always a real want for me so please excuse my over exuberance. This makes the beginning of the work week a joy! It might take until noon at work tomorrow to wipe this grin off my face!

Just got home from the show, I have to say one of the best shows I've been to. We had a pretty good turnout of horses and I got to meet several members for the first time. Lots of cool stuff there, here's a few pics. The mayor of Le Sueur was there. JoeBob's reel mowers. They're mounted on a pretty nice tractor too! JoeBob and Martin lookin over some of the horses. Kent's 875, one of my favorites. TerryM's son Andrew's Ranger

Had a great weekend and golf Monday was HOT!!! Here's the pictures I took. Had the opportunity to meet a lot of people. I will not put names on pics as I am not good with names. Squonk the mower in the middle of the first picture is my Porter Cable, currently not running hope to run next year. First picture is on Friday, we had many more Horses show up on Saturday, Martin you are correct too much to see and talk about forgetting camera. All other pictures of the tractor parade. Enjoy

Great show again this year. The weather was great for the most part... could have done with a little less of the heat. Had quite a few forum members show up this year, was nice to put some faces with names. Thanks to them and their families for making the trip! We had a great turnout with some of the best participation yet! I never got a final count, but I think we had around 50 Wheel Horses, as well as about a dozen off-brands this year. Like Mike, I'm already looking forward to next year, but even better, I'm looking forward to Jacksonville in a few weeks. There are a few of us MN guys planning to make the trip. Hope to see you there! I took almost no pictures this year, but had to make sure I got this one!!

It was a good time seeing you guys at the show again this year. I wish that I could have stayed longer, but after the State Fair on Thursday and two days at the show I was wiped. It was nice to meet you Martin, Jennine (not sure of the spelling), Kirk, Tom, and Mike and I hope to see you guys again next year. Now for a prairie dog moment. I'm disappointed that I can't make it to golf this year, but with the weather report it is probably okay. The Beat Master won't have to come up with reasons that he lost this year. Ha Ha. Count me in for next year though. Dennis

first time for us in mn and gotta say, very nice show....... even with the dust and the primitive camping, this was one of the nicest weekends ive had. cant say jeanine feels the same way (she wasn't too happy with the camping), but we will probably still do the same next year, maybe bring a portable shower..... she really enjoyed the show though, the social atmosphere (especially around the fire) and kent was one happy guy on his tractor most of the time... i only have a few pics of the weekend, and they will follow. great to meet some of the mn guys and catch up with some other redsquare members. we had some really nice wheel horses on display and some i hadn't had the pleasure to see yet. ive also got to make a special mention about denny's 701, what an awesome job you did on this one!!! anyway heres my limited pics, i think steve took some more of all of us in the parade, hopefully he will make up for the lack of pics. its just so easy getting sidetracked at these shows, talking and looking, but no picture taking!!!!!

Brian, You can tell the rest of us, we won't tell Craig...

The reasons why I decided to fix this Carb up are many really, deciding to put the progress report on here is that it may help others to understand why their Tired worn Carb is misbehaving or may require bits that aren't available anymore....so there may be hope yet if I can help and make a few bits. I see Used Carbs for sale and sell for over £50.00 (in UK) !. The buyer probably gets a Carb that is just as bad or worn as their old one and requires a full clean and gaskets anyway, so they still end up paying £80 incl postage etc for it. I know not everyone is able to, or has the equipment etc. to make obsolete parts, or indeed wonder if it is really worth it?....... Maybe just go out and buy a new/used Carb that will fit and move on..... For me, I have to take it apart and see if I can repair it, just because I am able to. I don't think a picture of a dirty, damaged and worn out Carb that is used mainly on 10 & 12hp Kohlers is necessary on here is it?, there's loads out there to see . I also don't need to go into the workings of it, as all that is available elsewhere e.g. Mr Miller's Tractorpulling site, although there are a few minor points I can't agree with. So, here we go, and we start with a need to identify it's condition after a good clean, an inspection and then take some fairly critical measurements of some dimensions. This Carb was left outside for several years and had filled with water. It was attached to my '81'Engine that was fully rebuilt for my '74' C-120 Project. Lots of wear and remaining evidence of rust damage to the Throttle Shaft/Plate and the Bore itself- Not easy to see, but there are 'Tide Marks' in the bore where the water level line is eroded into the Bore wall- Plan is not to re-bore this yet if it's not necessary. So I need to make a new Throttle Plate and Shaft. With the Pivot/Stop bracket removed from the old Shaft by careful filing, the bracket damage had to be straightened out. The condition of the Ball Pivot is ok (0.003" under 1/4" dia ). The old worn Banana Shaped Shaft is junk Took the measurements to reproduce the angle of the Throttle plate when in the fully closed position. A bit of a challenge and not totally accurate, but you have to start somewhere- Armed with these Dims, I produced a mandrel that will fit in the Lathe Chuck and hold a steel plate at the correct angle while it was machined down to the Bore diameter. The mandrel is a 4.1/2 inch stub of 3/4" dia Silver Steel (Drill Rod) with a Brass Head pressed/bonded on. It was then turned down to exactly 1.0000" so I can use that dia as a reference point . It was then bolted down on a Vertical Slide to machine the angled face. here it is with the face part machined- The finished Mandrel- ....and the new plate machined and just needs removing and de burring- The first attempt showed the plate was just 0.003" under Bore size- Not bad considering I had to measure the bore using an old pair of Inside Callipers and then use a Vernier to measure the Calliper setting. The bore is also tapered !!. So I may run it in the Lathe and shave off a few thou to parallel and turn up another Plate to fit. Throttle Shaft was made up from 1/4" Silver Steel (Drill Rod) as it is ground exactly to 0.2500" dia. A very nice fit in the lower Carb Shaft Bush. The original Shaft is mild steel and 0.002" under size on unworn areas, so a bit of slack there to start with when new. Used the new to me Mill/Drill for this and I like to keep a pictorial record of work holding 'Set Ups'- And the partly finished shaft against the old one. note the lower Bushing end is longer, this is because I machined less length out of the shaft for the Plate. The original had more removed than needed and reduced the bearing face area (could be a standard Shaft for several size Carbs). The 'first attempt' Plate and the old one, together with a super clean 'Fuel Tight' Float- This is as far as I have got by tonight. Still have a few adjustments to make on the 'Masheeeens' and permanently fit the LED Lights to them. Next session will be sorting out Bushings, fixing Shaft length, finishing and Plate install....maybe next week. Regards.

I found an old C-1xx (stickers are long faded/tattered and unreadable) on craigslist and bought it. It had a 'worked on last fall' Kohler K241 10Hp and the 8 speed 1-1/8" axle rear end. I checked fluids and found the engine oil was lightly used and ok, however there was a couple cups of water in the transaxle, no surprise since I already had checked and would a torn out shifter boot. I negotiated a $140 deal for it (dead battery so couldn't check the engine either). I have now split open the transaxle, it's an 8 pinion (YAY!!) but the cage is torn out on one differential carrier bearing. Yup, I need the no longer available WheelHorse #1533 bearing!!!! The closest commomly available bearings are # R24, normally 1.5 ID x 2.625 OD x 0.5 W (the original is 2.5 OD) I planned to get one and grind it down on the lathe to the correct OD, but while searching eBay I found a MUCH BETTER option.. MRC's R24FF bearing is 1.5 ID x 2.5 OD x 0.5625 W That's right, it's only 1/16" wider than the original. I have two on order right now and am anxiously awaiting putting them in and checking the fit! Only thing difference is this is double metal shielded bearing, so I'll be popping out the shields prior to assembly and flushing out and assembly grease.

So for years I have contemplating about digging a small root cellar for storing my potatoes. You see, I always lose a lot of my potatoes because my storage in my basement is too warm due to the furnace. So this weekend, I started digging a hole near the raised beds. I ended up with a 3 foot deep by 2 foot wide hole. Now this does not sound like a hard task unless you have stuck a spade in our Shaker Hill soil! Rocks, gravel and even more rocks after two hours with a pick axe and spade I finally came up with this; I took one of my 6 foot long pry bars and 10 pound sledge hammer and made some even deeper "Vent" holes in the bottom of the hole to allow more cool air into the area. When I was done pounding these holes, I added some landscape rock in the bottom of the hole to help with any possible drainage; I then went to the local Ace Hardware store and bought a 31 gallon galvanized metal garbage can for $25. I wanted to buy some screen from a screen door from them but he gave me a bunch of remants for free from a recent job they did! I took the can and screen home and drilled a bunch of holes in the bottom of the can. I drilled them from the inside instead of flipping it over so the metal shards would not damage any potatoes. These holes will allow the cool air from the earth into the can; I then flipped over the can and used the bottom as a guide to cut the screen. I cut two circles and placed them both in the bottom of the can. This should keep any bugs from entering; I then placed the can into the hole and back filled around the edges so the dirt was just a few inches away from the can cover; I then took some old leftover 2x10 pressure treated boards and made a 3x3 box that will cover the can opening. This space will also be fitted with a piece of rigid insulation to help keep the frost away from the top of the can; I did not have any pressure treated plywood on hand, so I will make a hinged cover for the box with a handle next weekend. This box will be mounded with dirt all the way around it and will also have some straw or hay covering it through out the winter. Hopefully this Trash Can root cellar will help keep my potatoes for a long time! I will let you know.

I had to saw-zall mine off the 606 before I destroyed it. then I had to place the steering wheel carefully in a press and slowly push out the stub of the shaft from the steering wheel. if it comes out easy for you then your lucky in my opinion.

three words twenty ton press works best on all the older wheels with the gear pinned on newer models that have the lower gear welded on you may need to cut the steering shaft to put it in the press brian

PB Blaster is your friend. I haven't had to use it on a steering wheel but I have on many other siezed parts. Give it time. Not just hours but several days. Re-apply daily. Get the pin out and then turn the wheel in either direction to lock and it should come lose.

I have had this C120 Special for over a year and finally got to it. It is coming along pretty good so far except for the D??& carb. Boy I don't know why I ever buy a tractor with a Tecumseh in it. Every one of them has carb problems and most of the carbs are discontinued. I finished painting the wheels today and am waiting for some carb parts. I have two 42" decks but both need work so for now just the tractor. Enjoy the pics!

Thanks for that one Mike! Added to my vocabulary! Something new every day here at RS!

your doing better than me then. out of 8 to 10 wheels i would say i have 50% that needed drilling of the shaft to get them off without junking the steering wheel. if they dont come off reasonably easy while on the tractor, sometimes its easier to just cut the shaft up close and drill them out, rather than putting pressure on an otherwise nice wheel that could end up damaged. if its an all steel wheel around the shaft, heat can be your best friend to help break it loose....... an old well used full 'covered' type wheel could crack at the center area if you got too 'enthusiastic' with it though, and using heat is risky, although i have used it a little to help....... im sure there are others that have spent a bunch of time getting one off only to damage the wheel. i know ive read about plenty of scenarios on this forum where they have given a good fight getting them off........

Stens 280-313 Std, Stens HD 280-362 Napa HD 7-05485 Have had good luck with the Napa HD replacement. Has a real sealed ball bearing. Garry

Two different species. The C-161 has the K341AS engine, mounted in a cradle. It has a smaller oil pan than the K341S in the C-160. Because of the "shaker" cradle, a different belt guard is used, as well as different PTO components. There are other differences as well. C-161 has the gas tank under the seat, C-160 in front of the dash. Lift mechanisms are different. The dash tower is different, as the battery on the C-161 mounts where the gas tank used to be on the C-160. Many parts are interchangeable on the engines like carburetor, starter, fuel pump and covers, but the oil pans cannot be interchanged. Transmissions should be the same.

If the wheel and shaft are out of the tractor, once the pin is removed... to keep the shaft from turning, secure it in a vise, then just turn the wheel. I have yet to have one that didn't easily come off this way.

I have e-tanked them and believe it or not it works. Cleans up the plastic too.

Where did your dad go? It was a great show this year met a lot of new people. I'm already counting down til next year. Did you know you can't hit a golf ball by a flickering light?

The green slime I use contains rust and corrosion inhibitors so it helps slow or prevent it for my rims. A lot of air compressors don't dry out the air so the moisture is trapped and causes rust.

When your done with that one send it my way. I'm sure your not going to be hard on that one. What a find.

You definetly came out on the good end of that wheeling and dealing!

Probably bagged. I may leave some loose to see how they fair.

That is one good lookin' Stallion! Beats the Ariens hands down. I had a Cub 54" deck, hydro, dealer purchased. Sold it too! I love workin' with my '90 520-8. Runs great, mows great, an engineered Horse! You made a great deal and got change too!

I don't plow the earth anymore but, when I did, front weights were more help (necessary) to get the job done. Without the front weights my steering was gone, kaput. Rear wheel weights, cast WH, one on each rear wheel. Job was always easy, and neatly done. Only done 'cause I had front weights on.

Defiantly go with 8.50 for better traction. As far as brand I only use Firestone 23 deg. Flotation. We also use them on are big farm tractors.

Man, that 520 looks real good. Upgrade with change.... how can you beat that!!!

great work I have made quite a few new throttle shafts and bushings so far for my carbs have not made a throttle plates yet as I sand blast them and get the old ones replated awesome!!!! Brian

Scot, I believe that the prices could fall some but not much. If your theory applies to the third the it should of when the second came out. The third will command a premium price also after time.

Well, I had thought this would be a good idea, to gather the various paints and post a sticky. Oh well, so much for good intentions. Case closed.