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It wouldn't be 'numbers matching' and it would hurt your sale price on Barrett Jackson but it's a lot of fun and you'll end up with a great tractor. sorry, I'm watching the Scottsdale auction as I type this....

I took several piles of parts from donor tractors and built this from scratch. It's not a 1045, but it is proof that if you can dream it, you can build it.

Welcome to another session of SOI University a recognized institute of higher learning, experimentation, investigation and serious shenanigans are the norm for the day. An old friend called me up to help him work on his lawn tractor - how could I refuse. We tried to get his non wheel horse 11Hp tractor started the other day. I was rewarded with this - a top terminal starter solenoid with symptoms of a good click but no power to the starter. We substituted a good solenoid and the tractor worked fine. I put this one in my pocket and had something to take apart and play with over the rainy weekend. Around here, rain means something comes apart ... A quick trip to the drill press to drill off the heads of the rivets securing the metal frame / base to the housing gets us this far removal of the nuts holding the copper studs and the trigger lead and pressing the studs out from the housing label a few interesting items on the back side of the coil assembly a closer look at the spot welding of the negative coil lead to the grounded body of the solenoid coil closer inspection of the problem area of this solenoid - vaporized contactor studs and contactor disc one contactor stud was really blown away in the area touched by the contactor disc the edges of the studs are vaporized because the disc only touches the studs in a limited area - this tractor also sat for years and the engine had seized - and many attempts were made to start the engine before it was free to turn over. so I cleaned up the contactor studs rotated both studs 180 degrees in the housing to provide a fresh area for the disc to contact flipped the disc over in the plunger mechanism to provide a clean non-pitted surface for the studs to contact and reassembled the parts back to original a few small bolts to attach the bottom ground plate to the body and the solenoid is now fully functional again. So if you have that one off type solenoid or just have to keep stuff original at all costs - this may work out for you. For me, its just a cheap date on a rainy weekend.

Class participation - doesn't get any better than this - and Bob is right on the money. I think I have a pic of the coil inside the housing of the solenoid. I'll post that later today. @ Kelly, that's why I hate guessing so much - once you start to truly understand how this stuff works, a whole new world opens up - a much less expensive, less painful, less frustrating world. In this case, there was $0 cost - Ok - maybe a few cents for 4/40 bolts and nuts to reseal the housing to the mounting bracket. So if your in the business of refurbishing low budget tractors, a few of these tricks can easily save you a few $$ in profit.

These are two more horses I found recently. I'm trying to get them bought also. Please post up any info on them.

got the new rings installed today in the commando 8 along with the tire chains and later I will put the wheel weights on yahoo

When it's cold outside, I hate to see my wife have to get up and build a fire, so I cover up my head!

And I like the hood ornament! Thats my 74' C-100 with the ornament!

Thanks Tony, check out this website http://www.physics.sjsu.edu/becker/physics51/mag_field.htm especially Fig. 27.34 it describes how to determine the direction of the solenoid core will travel and mentions a torque effect that actually spins the plunger slightly while the plunger is moving. This would explain why the entire rim of the contactor disk is pitted. Every time the starter solenoid is engaged, the area on the contactor disk spins slightly, exposing a different area of the contactor disk to the contactor studs. It's starting to make sense.

I recently bought one of these McDonough go karts , I understand these are used by Shriners in the US fo parades , these are extremely rare here in UK .

From just south Ft Wayne In. Here is my first horse.

I recently purchased a Charger V8 automatic (model # 1-7841,serial # 593424). According to what I found online it is a 1969 model year and they only made them for 2 years. It's a neat little bugger. It starts right up, moves forward and reverse well. I even cut a little grass with it. Appears (haven't measured it yet) to be a 36" rear discharge deck. Paint is faded but no real rust anywhere on her. The front lights work as well as the rear although I don't know how original the rear is. Heck, even has the original cigarette lighter and it works! Any background on this model would be welcome as well as average value in this condition. I will probably unload it in the spring as it was part of a package deal and I don't have a need (or space) for it. I was told the baby moons are original, too. Too bad I'm not a smoker otherwise I would keep it just so I could light up while cutting that dry august grass. lol Man, people really liked their smokes back in the day! Thanks guys.

Just as the title reads i was thinking.... (what in its self is dangerous) but it still is a little chilly to go in the garage and start the real work i have a 654 that is getting a complete redo and a 604 with no spark and needing some tlc so i do have a little work ahead of me so why not even f dream of more.. so here it is i am laying it all on the table i am dreaming of taking some parts and building myself a tractor do you guys think this would work? first think of finding a fairly nice donor frame with a cool hood it has neat lines then add a set of these what you think looking good with the parts now a little some of this stuff is there any way that i could end up with this not really sure what the first one is but i really like the 1045 and as the saying goes "if you cant find one build one."

Sounds like you need a battery with more cranking amps PS. Went through the same thing with my commando 8

A smoking Kohler is one way to fog the moscitos

Well went to the DR. this afternoon. His suspicion is maybe some bone fragments around a disk in my lower neck. Going to get x-rays in the morning and hopefully he can pick something up there. Was sent home with a script for a muscle relaxer and a steroid. Go back next Friday for follow up and results of x ray. If that doesn't work then its an MRI. Looks like I will be doing some muscle relaxing this weekend.

Sounds like the starter Bendix to me. It is first turning and then extends against the flywheel with out engaging.

Commando 8 is a very nice tractor, especially when you aren't driving it in a cloud of smoke. [emoji40]

You can mix or match parts and it will still be a Wheel Horse. Another Wheel Horse saved, and you did it your way.

I picked up an older Flymo Professional V4 and I am in need of a flywheel for it. I believe its a Tecumseh engine and I don't know the model. This is what she looks like. Side recoil starter.

That's the one Terry, you'll make detective yet!

Well I thought of doing that before hand but low and behold I didn't. Suppose to warm up this weekend so I will go out and unpin it snap a picture, put a tape to it and I'll go from there. Best I can do

Very nice, thanks for sharing.

Sent you a message.

use this link to test for a properly functioning diode in the DC circuit

Looks like you have about 3 amps of charge current flowing to the battery. The stator (alternator) seems to be putting out appropriate charge current. The next test will be to measure DC VOLTAGE across the battery terminals while the engine is near full throttle. You should see 13.5 to 15ish volts to be able to charge a lead acid battery. Voltage higher than 16 would indicate a damaged (sulfated) battery. If you do see near 16 volts on the battery, and the battery case has pop top caps for adding water to the cells, try adding distilled water to top off the cells and recharge the battery. The same voltage test across the headlights terminals with the meter on AC VOLTS should confirm proper stator output for the lighting circuit.

Harbor Freight Badlands's 2,000 pound winch mounted in the bed of my truck/WH hauler makes my life easier and safer its worth the 49$ or 59$ I can't remember off hand but there on sale a lot with wireless remote now

Sure, why not. I just wouldn't put a 1045 emblem on it, the 1045 guys can spot it quick as there are other differences.

So if I paint my tractor red but I use transparent paint, i will be ok?

Well, it's been cold so I didn't wander to the garage very fast but I finally got some pictures. Snapped a couple of pictures of the snow removal team for this year. The C195 and the 520xi will take care of that this year. I'm waiting for some more snow to fall as what we got the other day was heavy and wet, it doesn't throw very well. I am definitely going to need chains and weights which I Now have taken care off. Thanks to baerpath who picked a couple sets of case weights for me. While I am here, thinking about repopping the C195 rear weiights?? They seem to be a valuable commodity and very hard to locate.

That's a bummer Firpo, but things will get better, I just know it. I went and dug up an article on how to increase the white cell count if you want to read it - http://www.livestrong.com/article/17407-increase-white-blood-cells/ I do the green tea thing, about 4 gallons of it a week, it helps a lot with the immune system and mood too. I hope you have a better day today!

If the battery sat in a discharged state for months, I would suggest having it load tested. Lead plates in the uncharged battery develop a covering of sulfur crystals which harden over time. Recharging a sulfated battery appears to take a charge but fails in a load test. Leaving a lead acid battery sitting discharged for months is a sure way to drastically reduce its capacity.

The assumption made by the manual is 13 - 15 volts should be available to charge the battery and 12 - 14 volts AC should be available to run the lighting.

WHATEVER!!!!!! All I got to say is, WHO CALLED THE OSU A POTENTIAL NATIONAL CHAMP< early in the season!!!! I can't hear you!!!! I could have finished on the bottom with Duke and Jackhammer, I'd still be happy. .... I gave OSU the vote of being a candidate for the National Championship early in the season.... I can't recall if anyone else called out OSU as a potential National Champ... . I'll take that victory over all the wins and loses! If I lived in Vegas baby, I'd be a GOZILLIANAIRE! Im pretty sure I did...lol GO BUCKEYES

Rub it in till next year Rob,, O Lord I'm sounding like the Cubs. Mike , just like at the casino's its still fun knowing or not, I'd reluctantly would like to shed the last place (basement) finish - but I don't think Duke wants it by himself Steve , What time is the party party party,, I have a bunch of stairs to climb to get to it on time BTW I dont know hodges name or did you forget him on the Final Results

Actually, that is the best looking green tractor that I have ever seen.

They all deserve to be saved. And turn that hood emblem around!

Have been meaning to post some pictures of my snow setup on the C160 for a while but hadn't got around to it. Finally have gotten to use it the past week or so, although after last winter I am certainly not complaining about having fewer opportunities to push snow so far this year. My setup for snow is some old Firestone "Town & Country" 6-12's that came with my 854 on the rear, and some surplus snow blower tires on the front. I've got some Wards wheel weights on the rear and WH weights on the front, plus a couple suitcase weights tucked into the rear for good measure. The blade is actually a newer 48" blade with a 5-position sector I came across, which I much prefer to the 42" / 3 position one I used on my old C120. On the recommendation from someone on here, I bought a pair of Cree 18W LED spot lights for the front (love them!), and put them on a mount I built to attach to the front hitch. I also added a set of LED strobes to make sure I can be seen. After using a Deere 140 H3 last year with a hyd lift/angle blade I was afraid I would regret getting rid of it and choosing the C160 as my snow mover for this year. I'm happy to report that so far, so good. I do wish it could lift the blade as high as the 140 could, but that is the only trade off I have experienced so far. The weights and skinny tires seem to work pretty well. They do spin on slick surfaces, but I think anything short of chains probably would. The tractor is much easier to steer than that 140 was, and so far haven't even come close to running out of power. I've actually been doing the neighbor's driveway to help him out and to get a little more seat time!

Absolutely nothing Jeff. I was just referring to the two years they were identical in regards to the 77 Bob mentioned. I type too slow to list all the great choices. I believe it was 71 or 72 when they changed to the front mule drive setup which I feel would be a better choice than the older style based on what nrowles is looking for. The earlier C's are an outstanding choice as well. I'm thinking the only difference in the 74-75 was that you got the cool little hood ornament that didn't come on them in 76.

That question isn't directed towards me but I'll toss my opinion out anyways. The 76 and 77 C's are the same. Starting in 78 they made some changes. More sheet metal on the hood tower is one of them and I preferred the simpler look iof the earlier models. In 78 they also stopped mounting the motor directly to the frame and started using what I refer to as a 'wobbly mount'. I hated that mount but that's just my

You need a rock shaft. There is someone here on RS classifieds that is selling some he made. Check postings in the last 3 weeks

Plow is from a Simplicity walk behind tractor. You can measure it across like this.....

whichever you do your best thinking with always worked for me !

If you want to get your picture put up on SOI's "refrigerator" for all to admire, just say so. All worthy submissions will be put on the wall!

Coadster, here are a few pics of the coil windings inside the solenoid case. As was mentioned, the magnetic force is created within the coil by applying 12volts thru the ignition switch lug to the coil. The magnetic force then causes the solenoid plunger to move the copper contactor disk into the contactor lugs. There is your first big "click". When the coil de-energizes, the return spring smacks the plunger back down into the stops located in the steel base-plate - there's click #2. Enjoy

Coadster32. Not to step on the professors toes, but here is the answer to your question. The solenoid coil is an electro-magnet. The plunger attached to the disc, which goes into the hole in the middle of the coil is steel. When you apply 12 volts to the coil, the electro-magnet quickly pulls the plunger into the coil, thus making contact electrical contact with the studs, (and the clicking sound). When the 12 volts from the starter switch is released (after the engine starts), the spring pushes the disc and plunger back away from the coil and studs. Bob