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a quick update: so as with all things, the proof is with the pudding. The PO stated that he had the starter go out and then just parked it last year. after cleaning the engine, changing fuel lines etc and then check out the starter. Briggs decides to have a plastic/nylon gear on the starter(Why?) and it looks like Stevasaurus at the end of the Big Show, but I digress, so buy a rebuild kit (thanks EricJ) and attach it up and engine runs on carb cleaner only, then the gear shreds. Hmmmm. starter alignment looks good, flywheel is fine. a buddy has another starter and all is good. more on Mr Briggs starter woes later. So break into the fuel pump/carb issue (tiny fuel pump springs that I used tweezers to place back into the pump...Mr Briggs needs a talking to from Mr Stratton. still nothing and no fuel getting up there. EricJ reminds me that sometimes you have to give the old girl a big smooch! So after blowing into the gas tank (glad no one was watching) she fires up and roars (at least as a Briggs version of a roar) and take her out in the pouring rain wearing my old flight suit and the neighbors probally are still shaking their heads. The speed of the this faster Eaton 1100 compared to my 88 520 is noted. back and forth in the rain to try to get the tranny warm and she is strong until..... a spray of tranny oil up from the shifter plate dampens the day and I retreat back to the garage. But first, I have to put Dawn, HF part cleaner(it's Biodegrade) car wash down on the driveway and hose and squegee it down...again the neighbors wonder why I'm out there in the rain washing my driveway in a sodden old flight suit. that was my Sunday. I was lovin every minute of it since the wife never saw it! Shhhh!

When buying a tractor, and the owner says it's been in storage for a long time... do yourself a favor and pull the tins, you may be surprised what you find lurking in there.

If that's an implication that you're pumping through the original pump with the electric pump, bypass it immediately. The last thing you want is a ruptured pump diaphragm allowing fuel into the crankcase.

In another post there was conversation on buying American and how some try to do it when they can. I found this website and thought some others might appreciate it as well. I have no association with this site at all. http://www.americansworking.com/

Felt short, been working 9 hours. Still working part time.

FINALLY have the crew together (including my 48" squeegee ) for this year's winter weather. It started off nicely in December, and hopefully the rest of winter will be full of snow!

Got a 104" belt this morning and it is working just fine so far. Blew snow for about two hours cleaning up the bits and pieces the plow guy left. Finally getting some use from this unit and I think, with a little patience and practice, I may even be able to keep from sliding sideways when I get too close to the ditches. Happy New Year to all and thanks for your help. Bob

Yes storm work is bad and dangerous work. I was a Journeyman Lineman for 41 years, had plenty of storms summer and winter, very dangerous work. I went on the storm work yes for the money, but also to help those that did not have power. Most times my family had power and so I needed to help those without. Please have patience, these men and women have a very dangerous and difficult job, under very bad weather conditions. Usually 16 hours on and 8 hours off. Please say a prayer for safety for them all, I know I have walked in their shoes. Bob Blough , JL retired.

I agree with Mike (squonk) ! Don you would have had a youtube hit with that tranny oil spray event!

I should have know better. When I turned it over a live one bailed out.

I have a Toro Wheel Horse 314-8 that I am going to sell. Found it at a Toro Dealer still in the shipping container in 2000 and have owned it ever since. Pictures attached. Kohler Command 14 42" Side Discharge Deck Hours On Clock 390 Clutch needs adjusting, but otherwise pretty good shape, always kept in a shed, used only for mowing my yard. The hours are low because for several years I had a service mow my yard due to time requirements of my business. Retired a few years ago and started mowing again myself. Planned to send it to the shop for clutch adjustment, check belts & general maintenance over this winter and get ready for spring. However circumstances have changed and we are scaling down to an apartment and I no longer need the mower. I am in North Carolina and would like to get an idea of what it is worth ? Thanks for you help !! Denny Pugh

worked 8 hours, Who'da thunk it?

I do have to say I got my revenge last week. I was changing the oil on the C-165 and sat the pan under the tractor and pulled the plug. Came out an hour later button her up and refill the engine. Went to drain the used oil and found a strange "blob" in the used oil pan. Mouse had fallen in the pan and couldn't get out. Well, one less to worry about!

You will find out after the first year you never worked so hard in your life!

Neat story behind that product if you google it. I happened to see it mentioned somewhere a couple months back. Totally another home grown American business, straight out of a lady's farm garage. Really broke big when some agency like the EPA and USDA or something investigated because they had reports that she was manufacturing and selling pesticide without a license! Here... found a link to the story.... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/28/mom-makes-millions_n_4171299.html

Three more and I'll have one for everyday of the week!

So...I made the switch over to the five holer today, and finally got my plow mounted up. Just in time because the Weather man is suggesting a "significant snow event" may be coming in Thurs of this week..should have just enough time to put the vinyl back in place on my 520's cab too... then I'll have my two biggest 's on stand by, at the ready to tag team it...if need be.

Looked familiar ground. Was up that way about 20 years back and drowned my Land Rover S111.

so up here in Ontario we got hit real hard with an ice storm like no other,where I live it ice rained for 4 full days,knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people at Christmas of coarse,its been a week and some people are still with out power,the wheelhorses for the first time ever were completely useless,coulnt blow or plow or even rip and I have a mid mount ripper,lucky for me I own a skid steer or it would have been bad,i did a lot of neighbours to help out,i hope every body gets their power back soon

Heh! I guess we all got stories about critters getting in our equip and shops - one of mine is mice ate the wiring on my D-180! Spark plug wires must have been extra tasty there wasnt much left of them, and scattered through out was tastings of the wire harness. And like brandon, down here the dirt daubers are as much of a problem as mice. I bought a milling machine to rebuild and on removing the motor to bench check it started up alright but was jumping all over the bench and making a terrible racket. On teardown there was NINE wads of mud scattered about! All total throughout the mill was some 30-40 wads.

Okay. Let's start with the 8HP. The K181 could have either a vacuum operated, or lever operated pump. I think the K181-30108, which is common to many model Wheel Horses, originally came with the lever type, but I have found some with the vacuum style. The vacuum type pump found on many older ones, uses a diaphragm that is available from one of our members here, buckrancher. Give him a PM and he will send you one for a very good price. The lever type is more of a problem. There is a kit available from this company: http://www.maritimedragracing.com/antique_auto_parts_cellar.htm I have not had any success with their K181 kits, although others have. The screw holes in their diaphragms are not punched in the right places and they don't fit correctly. They may have corrected the issue since I bought two of them last year. The K241 and K301 pumps are the same, and kits are available from the same place. I have had success with them. However, having said that, it is important to remember that the kits are only going to be as good as the pump you are putting them in. In other words, if the inside of the pump is corroded or otherwise in bad shape, a new kit is not going to work. If you are not concerned about keep your engine true to the original design, my money is on a new plastic replacement pump, which if you shop smartly, you can get for just a little more than a rebuild kit. Good luck!

Beautiful property you have there!

You should have filmed it all. Would have blown up Youtube!

i think im going to take it off and go see what the local shops have got. thanks for pointing that out to me

Hi Ray, welcome to the WH mad house.. Have fun

Same here with mud daubers except they were long gone but their mud wasn't. Thought it was just a weak battery at first and then found out the large dirt ball was there on the flywheel when the starter wouldn't turn the engine over.

Hell I almost burnt down my neighbors 1920 wood floor garage . Learned my lesson

Are there any machine shops where you live that are able to put a brass bushing in the carb body? You really need to have that tightened up or the carb will never be right! You will be surprised how much better the engine will run with a good carb on it.

I'm in the process of restoring my 2nd 520H, as others have said its a great tractor. I'd say you got a good deal on it. As others have already said if clean the fins especially on the rear cylinder. Also check for dirt buildup under the engine as well. There's a rubber air seal gasket that goes around the oil filter, I've seen many 520s including mine missing these and they help keep that rear cylinder cool. Cheap part if yours is missing it. I have owned some kohlers myself, great reliable engines but the onan is my favorite even if it is a little more difficult to work on. I replaced the gasket around my carb air horn as well, just to make positive sure it had a good seal.

The Wheel Horse chart I'm looking at may be only listing the Drive and Mower Belt sizes; but here is the sizes it has listed: (Note: if & where the dash is, is very important in searching) 102.44" -- #95-3879 103.00" -- #94-2501 103.25" -- #8699 105.50" -- #102868 With your idler and tension spring, I think you could go easily with up to a 2" shorter belt to start, I believe that all aftermarket belts will be in whole inch sizes, (then a 103" or 104" belt may work). Most auto stores have a belt sizer that you should be able to use free to measure yours, I believe belts are always measured on their inside. Wheel Horse uses heavier Agricultural Belts. And then, a $75 OEM belt over 4-5 years, that you know will work, isn't really that much per year. Glen

That happened to me with wasps ( I'm allergic) last summer. Had just bought it, PO could never get it running. Boy did I high step outta there fast!

The winch and mount I made, can be used with a rear axle mounted plow also. I made this plow mount, because I didn't want to remove the mower deck, just to use the plow. I also made a plywood bucket bottom, for this plow. 2 pins pulled and the winch can be mounted in the rear, for implement lift. Pull 1 pin, and the mount tilts forward to allow the hood to be opened. After the picture was taken, I added power disconnect plugs to the front and rear of the tractor.

nice, everyones dream machine, the big 520. Glenn

Here is what i got its a gt14 with a homemade loader and cab.

That is one expensive rototiller. I am sure the guy driving the Deere was a little "steamed" after that performance...

i enjoyed the pics. Your family farm land is beautiful. Have you removed the bowl (on the bottom) of the carburator to give it and the float a good cleaning? Use a small brass bristled parts cleaner brush to clean the bowl and float. Clean the needle and seat too. Also while the carburator is apart, spray everything clean using a can of "Brakecleaner". You do not have to take the carburator off the engine to perform that cleaning. Also remove the low speed and high speed adjustment screws and clean them and also those passages in the carburator. This should be all you need to do to get the carburator back to good shape. Note* Check the throttle shart for excessive wear. If you can wiggle the shaft around, the carburator will need to be removed and a new bushing installed. Reason being too much air is being pulled through the carburator there causing the engine to run too lean. You will not be able to adjust the carburator properly.

3V315 Gates or Napa .38"x31.5" Believe this is a raw edge automotive belt. The original 1583 in the belt chart is listed as 3Lx33" but believe that is wrong. Should be 31-1/2" Garry

Another fine product from the Upper Midwest, you betcha. They state that it smells like pine. It is pleasant though. There are four sachets in a box and they are not to be used near traps as traps attract mice. http://www.earth-kind.com/

In addition to the "Tick Tubes" to ward off ticks, this fall I purchased six boxes of "Fresh Cab" to ward off the mice and squirrels. So far, so good. I also bought a HF Digital Inspection camera. It was originally intended for use on the tractors, but I have found more use around the house going behind walls scouting out for future remodeling jobs.

snap......

No problem I had loads of fun while getting them pics and defiantly got £20 of fun on that day :D

Thanks Shorts and Mike. That's something I'm not familiar with but glad you drew it to my attention. I will check that out on Monday. We have a national company here called Canadian Bearing. I did check there for some of the other parts but Toro oddly enough was no more money. I'm sure the shaft will be a lot cheaper though. It might even be cheaper to have one done at a machine shop. There are only two key ways so it's just a matter of length I guess. A full length keyway is no great deal is it? I called my Toro dealer and the shaft was $179.00 plus we have 13% tax here and the pulley is another $57.00. These things are not cheap to rebuild but on the other hand there isn't much left that can go wrong. They never break until you need them. Can't push much more.

I put the crank center line in the same location also. I raised the Vanguard 7/8" to get the right height with two 1/2" x 2" flat bars and a 3/8" plate under the engine. I also used the standard C-120 belts and belt guard unmodified. I also have two washers behind each bolt on the PTO bracket as I modified the original engine mounting holes. I also used a spacer behind the PTO in the crank shaft. I did drill two new holes in the battery box and turned the battery around to move the battery post to the rear. I also sawed a 2" hole in the gas tank tray and have to remove the gas tank to change the rear spark plug. Rotated the solenoid switch up as far as possible on the starter to clear the battery. As I have said before it's a tight fit on a C-120. I needed the pressure oil system as my yard is far from level. By back yard slopes 16' in 200' with a few 35 degree slopes thrown in. The front is some what better with slopes on the upper and lower sides.

Ya notice I didn't say Richard. Last night I watched the Richard Van Dyke show. Doesn't have the same feel!

Jim, I too am sorry to hear that being 56 myself I can relate. I am a HVAC Contractor by trade, & owned my business for many years and had to pay for insurance and everything myself before Switching Hats & going to work for my local County. I always have that fear myself ya never know what politicians will do, and its usually not good. Good luck. hope things change for you!

I am thrilled with the 18hp Vanguard I installed on my '83 GT-1848 ~ so far. My concern with the Vanguard twin is the lack of flywheel side main bearing (ball or tapered roller) and the lateral pressure exerted by the mechanical PTO clutch. The only thing I had to fabricate was the exhaust headpipes - everything else is off-the-shelf Wheel Horse.

I picked this little True-Trac walk behind tractor up from my brother Dave via one of our trades, he is also known as JimmyZ. He picked it up from my brother Jim thru one of their trades. I must say, I didn't think I'd have much use for this little walk behind. That is until I tried it, it is fun to use! It has more power than you would think it would. It has a little Clinton engine for power and it has a nice posi that unlocks when you turn it around. It has some real nice heavy cast iron wheel weights on the inside of the tires. I have a lot of walk ways that I clear at work. I have a real nice Ariens snow thrower and Ariens snow blower to use at work. Trouble is, when I salt the walk ways before I leave for the day at 3:30 (so the employess don't fall, law suits etc.) I often come in the next day and have a nice accumulation of fairly heavy mushy snow (thanks to the ice melter) that plugs up both of the Ariens machines. I then wind up having to manually shovel, which sucks, and at 45 I ain't gettin any younger. I'm going to take this walk behind to work and see if it helps with that problem. I was considering bringing one of my Wheel Horse's to work to help with that issue but in all honesty I think this walk behind will be easier to use...We shall see!

Steveo , If i was twenty years younger there is no way that i would stay in UK any longer, especially the way things are here nowadays & i would gladly take your offer & move to the states . Our Government has just about finished to country off , & they do not give a toss about how people are surviving here . Dont get me on this one If you really want me to sound off . I once was proud to be British but not anymore , because Britain is not Britain anymore

Bill - you should take this time to clean out the cooling fins on the eaton transmission.

Charles that might be true about the 325 but I'll never find out for myself. As you know, some of us just like to sit back and kick it old school. :ychain: