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old pic but same view but with different occupant Brian

Hi Folks, Here are some pictures from today's show in Haddam CT. There were more horses there than I thought. They were all around the park lol.

All loaded up and going to look for some junkie ol' yardsales. Saw red beside the shed. How much for the "old mower"? Got the Wheel Horse with rotted deck and snowplow. And a seat. I didn't know what I bought for $80 until I got it home and found a decal in the toolbox. "800Special". Yep.... it's different. Motor turns over ... no spark. All gears work running it off the starter. PTO clutch works. Needs tires and battery. It's covered with patina. Here's the pics .................................

Home made 7235 spring... hand worked spring steel , hardened and tempered.

Finally had time to set up my dually rear end on the FEL 520-H. It was very unstable with a heavy load and the bucket at or elevated above the tractor's hood. I simulated an issue I had at my neighbor's house with a load of wet modified stone on his inclined area and with the duals, it was a hundred times more stable. No issues at all plus I had a better "bite" into the stone pile with the added traction. Too bad the tires extend beyond the bucket's width. It would be cool to see how it would do removing snow but not as I run over and pack snow on either side of me. Some pics of the setup right after I installed them. (Not the same tread but close enough for a worker tractor)!

Well a couple weeks ago I broke a couple ribs, so rather than clearing brush or taking on more significant chores that are piling up, I decided I might as well prep for Fall/Winter, Took my Cub 3XHD Snow Blower in for warranty service last weekend. Last week I also located a Snow Plow which is cosmetically challenged but really only needs some sanding and new paint. Figured my ribs could suffer the discomfort of removing the deck and swapping on the plow on My C-161. I picked it up last year and Bought some Decals from Terry but I have not yet gotten to tearing it down just yet. Maybe llate Winter or Spring. Anyway, A couple pics. The Wheel Weights are off my Massey MF12 which I need to get a Plaow for so until I do, I like the look of these over the generic looking black plastic ones I have for the horse. Now that I am being fully pro-active prepping for Snow, perhaps we will have an easy winter what with the way things usually work. For instance, I reseeded my new Lawn 2 weeks ago and we went into an abnormally cool period and had a frost........Kinda of like waskhing the car. Almost always brings on monsoon rains:-) This is my first wheel horse. I have no prior experience with the Kohlers. Once I got the Electrical issues worked out, Starter, New Solenoid, Rewired the starting circuit and Lights, I have to say I am very happy with this Briggs. One of these days I will add a Kohler powered C160 or a 1054 or GT14. But I have a hard time justifying to wife the two I alreay have. LOL

Last night my son and I (mostly me. He turned a few screws here and there, but most were so frozen it took a can of WD-40 to unlock them!) removed the mower deck and took the hood, fenders, seat, belt guard and other miscellaneous parts off the tractor. I was out there about an hour and a quarter before it got to be too dark. There is so much crud and whatever else stuck to the frame. I am going to pick up some degreaser and a bottle of dawn and go to town next week. My plan for tonight is to get a new battery and turn over the engine and see how well it runs, if it smokes, etc. I also noticed that the leak seems to be coming from the axle not the main seal in the tranny, so I am hoping just replacing the axle seal works. I am going to pull the transmission off while I am dismantling this thing, but I can hook it up to an electric motor to run it while I am flushing it (I think). I have a motor from an old dryer I can hook up to a dimming switch to control the power. Pictures to follow.

Does anyone on this forum have the ability to decipher when exactly this tractor was made from the serial number that I posted? I know much about the story of this tractor as it has affected our lives but there are many questions about tyhe production of this tractor that I have little to no info on. I would appreciate it greatly if you guys would and could help me by adding to the story by filling in these details as you can. Back to the story... This is where the story is just a little fuzzy! My dad is now in his early 60's and in all fairness to him, these details are nearly 40 years old! So, he was convinced that the tractor came without a muffler which makes no sense to me. However, when I showed him the snow pics, he could clearly see that it had a canister muffler on it at the time. For reasons unclear to me, dad decided to take the canister muffler off the next spring and replace it with a long straight pipe! Now that is loud! Any of you that have ever run a single lung Kohler with a straight pipe, know what I'm talking about. For those of you from the midwest and old enough to remember, we had some wicked cold and snowy winters back in the mid 1970's. Dad said he thought the winter would never end and the Iron Horse got a workout. It's just too bad that he wouldn't have had the correct snowthrower for his tractor. He probably would have been much happier with the outcome. Spring time finally came and with it, garden work... Dad picked up some spring tooth shanks that were extras at work and got busy building himself a "digger". He wanted a disk too but that never came to fruition. He had to make do with what he had or could get his hands on cheap back in those days. He made it a five tooth setup and he could obviously remove the center "tooth" for cultivating which he did every summer to keep the weeds at bay. We still have this digger and it works just as good as it did back then. They had a sizeable garden for just him and mom but it wouldn't have been possible without this hardworking tractor. Dad didn't know that he was driving and working a piece of history so hard! He just knew that there was a job to be done, and this machine was up to the task of taking care of business. How tough did dad build this thing. Here is the Horse and the digger working my garden 36 years later!!! Some things are just built to last but dad tested his Iron Horse to the very limits. In the upcoming posts, you will read of blown motors, busted rear ends, dented sheetmetal, and several over hauls. But that is what needs to be done sometimes when you ride a "horse" to its limits!

hi, its been awhile but just got back w my new c-160 auto w/ 36" tiller. its not perfect but runs good. heres some pics. its missing a hood, not sure its oem motor...base of motor hangs over frame.. it has right motor shrod but bolt holes extend past frame ...so have to investigate.

WH algebra...... PB blaster + carb cleaner + starting fluid + Sea Foam = Happy Horse

Picked up the poor Work Horse just before dark. The Horse hasn't been used in eight years, parked in a barn. At the time the little Stallion did not have any mechanical issues. The owner had health problems, a groundskeeping crew took over while the Horse stayed in the barn till I convinced the owner, "Geeze, I've always wanted a Work Horse. Please, please, please ". The Work Horse was purchased new and, so I'm told, only mowing (one acre) turf. The Redbone (as in Leon Redbone) gave it to me, "Just pick it up." My son, grandson and I did. Original destination was scrap yard. Oh No! Not that! The poor Horsey needs a lovin' home! Here's how she looks, we stopped under gas station lights for this picture, for our "love at first sight". . PS. No dial-a-height, might add one during the restore.

You did not say what model tractor. If it is a 1978 or later C series or 300/400/500 it is any easy fix, but not quick-a minimum of 1 hour, maybe 2. You have to take off the drive belt cover on the right side and the lift lever cover on the left side. You have to pull two large clevis pins which fix the rock shaft to the lift lever. There is a very large "C"-clip on the right side of the hood tower. Remove it and unbolt the detent on the left side and the lift lever will come out the left side. You may have to use PD blaster to free up the rock shaft. Once the lever is out, the bushings pretty much fall out of the hood tower. Use antisieze when you reinstall everything. The PDF that you looked at for the parts is enough to show you how it comes apart and goes back together. When in doubt take lots of pictures!

Do you have an actual spark tester, other than yourself that is.

I am going to ask the same question Gino asked. This is very important, so pay attention. Turn the ignition switch to the on position. Now using a test light, from negative side of battery to the positive side of the coil. Does it light and is the light bright? You can also use a volt meter from negative battery to positive side of the coil. Looking for 12 volts. Please run this test before you ask anymore questions.

2 weeks until show time!!! Get those Horses ready and let's fill this place up! This is the biggest thing to come to this community each year! See you all real soon!

I like that dryer motor bench drive idea. Perfect way to flush and drain a tranny. Don't forget to run it through all the gears. Perfect time to listen for any strange noise in the tranny.

Remember, What the Squonk said made cents...ers..scents..er..sense .

Fill the tires. Cheap weight!

How 'bout just one of 'em this time, not all of 'em? Remember? LOL! Geno has trouble multi-tasking.

Somali SOI I may need to confine my pillaging to the Great Lakes

I just put up this industrial quality 20 x 30 storage building for all my tractors and attachments. Horses look happy there. Cleat

The Craftsman I use is a 2006 3000. I found it sitting by the road with a sign stating bad engine, please take away. I brought it home and found the Briggs 20 HP single cylinder had tossed a rod right through the block. I had a Briggs opposed twin 18 HP sitting in the shop and it bolted right up with no other modifications. That engine must be 20 years old and is strong as an ox. Been cutting grass with it for at least four years and it starts first time every time. The more Wheel Horses I get the more I am tempted to sell the Craftsman but it don't eat anything so I will probably keep it around for a spell.

I THINK EVERYONE HAD A GOOD TIME. RUSS

Well what did you expect it's a Chevy!!!

wish I could say CT but she came from NY

So now we have eliminated everything that precedes the coil. That is a major development. Now if you have a jumper wire, which everyone should have by the way, I make them up with 12 gage wire and a pair of alligator clips in various lengths, take a spark plug or remove one from the engine and attach the jumper wire to the outside metal body of the plug and ground the other end to the engine or negative post of the battery. Put one of the coil wires on the plug. Hold the coil wire but not too close to where it attaches to the plug and try to start the engine. You should see the plug fire. Do not do this in bright sunlight as you may not see any spark. A simpler way is to just pull one of the coil wires that go to a plug and hold it about half an inch above where it inserts into the coil. Try to start the engine. Spark should jump out of the coil post to the plug wire. Another way to test this is to simply remove a wire from a plug. Insert a bolt into it and hold it near a metal ground. Spark should fly from the bolt to ground when you try to start it. If you get spark then the coil and everything that it depends on is in good condition and you have a fuel or timing problem. All Automotive stores sell a neon tester to test spark. They are cheap and worth the investment. They even come with instructions.

Whew! What a workout...man, am I exhausted. Boss man was cracking the whip on the Ponderosa today... where nothing but a good ol' time was had by all.

If I hadn't previously committed to doing heavy manual labor at the Ponderosa today... I would have had a couple 's there too, and maybe brought one home.

I agree Nick, everyone should have more Horses.

More progress today....worked from 5:30 to noon and after my boys soccer game I was able to work on the 416 some more. Its a roller now . I got the new rubber mounted on the wheels and got them painted. I also got the wheel weights painted with the epoxy paint.... I sorted out the electric clutch mounting and I couldn't help myself.....after I changed the oil and filter on both the Eaton 1100 and the Onan...I broke down and took it for a nice long ride around the farm. Ran flawlessly and Im very happy with it so far. Now time for some college football on the big screen and then the Bloomsburg Fair tonight once the lil woman gets here Heres pic of how she looks at this point....

Well, I am ready to go get more horses! I put the 22" factory Escalade Platinum wheels on it. The 22's with the 305-45-22 tires showed the GM rake more than I like so I just ordered a 2" front lift for it. Will do it next week and show pics after it's done. Does it look too much like a pimp mobile now? I'm a WHEEL HORSE PIMP. Oh help me.

I got this sickle bar mounted up.....need a new belt underneath but it all functions correctly..... http://youtu.be/xtngehjMHtM

Craig, there are no marks on the case that would help identify the trans. It is all about the number of pinions, diameter of axle and where the brake shaft comes out of the case. At this point, I think I would try to get that other seal out and see if you have any numbers on it. Calipers would tell you if your axle shaft is the right size for your seal also. Something ain't right mate. In your 4th picture in post 16, I can make out what is says on the seal (Made in USA), but I need a picture of the seal from the other side to see the numbers. Either a machine shop can fix it...or racinfool40 (Mike) should have a case half for you...depending on what you find when you open it up. If you decide to open it...make sure to have the shallow side of the trans down...you want to lift off the brake shaft side.

Stay away from the Sodus Point Sand Bar ya mangey buck -toothed critter!

Anyone else feeling like helping today ?? 10am 9 Bonnie Vu Lane New Milford, CT. Bring what you got !!

I have witnessed a keyway repaired by someone fashioning a "key" out of a carbon rod, inserting it into the axle and welding around the carbon key. Worked great but (obviously) melted the axle seal .

This the 606 I bought last year off of E-Bay it did not run but when I pick it up When got it home it ran for less than 30" so after a long year of wondering to day was the day I found out. That nice little Tecky sound https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=mdNmYdN3DbY

Great news, it really looks good too.

It seems to me that there already exists the exact thing you're trying to accomplish. The following links will take you to a Wheel Horse model I.D. list from '55 to '84, http://www.scribd.com/doc/50699203/Wheel-Horse-Model-Identification-List-1955-84 http://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tractors/tractor-brands/wheelhorse/wheelhorse-lawn-tractors.html and a Wheel Horse interchangeability list by year. http://www.scribd.com/doc/47347713/Toro-WheelHorse-Accessories-Interchange-2000-1955-2000 I might be missing your point on what it is you want to do, just thought I'd share these.

I got to thinking a few months ago that it might be interesting to use the family tree concept to map out the entire wheel horse family. It's easy to plot right from an RJ up to a black hood knowing that they evolved into round hoods, short frame, long frame, hydros, etc, etc I'm up for drawing this up, but might just need a little help as whilst I know my wheel horse onions - I'm by no means an expert I think as a point of reference it could be incredibly useful esp. when it comes down to swapping out engines, transmissions, etc. Here's a quick sketch of what I was thinking, thoughts??

Argh!!! Aye, Mate! Quote in my first post was From "Pirates of the Carribean".

Thanks chaps, glad you like the vid's.. Here's the 3rd vid so you can see the tumb nail plus the next vid..

You can make a bracket for the rear and put anything you want on it for weight. This came with some stuff I bought somewhere.

If $$$'s is tight, you could load your tires with fluid for weight. I typically run weights and ag tires year round - mowing grass or blowing snow duties.

I don't use weights but do use snow chains. they work great.

Sometime around 1980, I started using graphite paint (EZ Glide or Slip Plate brands) to coat the underside of decks. My first one I still have and it has never cut one blade of grass without that coating. I bought this 42" rear-discharge deck new and coated it with graphite paint before ever using it. Today it has no pitting and is absolutely as good as new! All decks that I service for myself and neighbors,get the following treatment: 1. scrape all the clumps out with a stiff putty knife or similar tool 2, go over everything under the deck with an air powered needle scaler to remove any additional hardened grass clippings and rust scale 3. go over everything with a wire wheel on an angle grinder to expose clean, bright metal 4. apply two coats of graphite paint (make sure you have good ventilation, this stuff will get you!) A deck treated this way still requires periodic cleaning, but not as often nor as difficult as cleaning one wiithout it. I have attached a photo of a recently treated cub deck.

Funny you should say that Kerry, I have been thinking about a Wheel Horse powered wheel lathe I might have the use of a big lathe in a couple of weeks for cutting the centers out, if not I will be doing something like this.. The axle stand is for illustration purposes only Thanks Nick, I'm guessing you like Project "Why Not" The next step is on the way. Thanks Mark, it's nice to finally see this project moving in the right direction.. And on to today's fun and games, starting with the remains of the frame that the engine top mount was once attached to.. I only needed the threaded tube bit's.. You can just about see it in this balancing act of bits of metal.. Its the bit with the masking tape on it that was being marked out for more trimming. After a day of careful measuring, cutting, welding and getting really confused until I realized the radiator is mounted on the engine an inch more to the right than left (why did Honda want everything on the outside of this engine offset from the center?), I had come up with most of the engine mounting frame.. I still need to make some cross members for it, but I'm happy with how it's turning out As I'm only using one of the engine mounting places at the top of the engine, I will be making some mounts which will go forward from the threaded stud and join onto my engine frame. So does the hood still fit? That would be a Yes

Decals are on...... so very much for all your efforts Terry......

Steve... give that man a camera, a lawn chair and a lemonade! Wish I wasn't so far away, I'd love to help. Sounds like an awesome project and a lot of fun to be had. Like the old Wheel Horse ads say.... Get more done-Have more fun!