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I'm posting this in "Engines" since it is an Onan P-216G which is the source of my frustration. The first rule of Murphy's Law says: "If anything can go wrong, it will". There have been many variations to that law, one of which is "if you drop something, no matter it's shape, it will roll to the farthest corner of your work area". The distance it goes it directly proportional to the value or availability of a replacement. So my story goes like this. I am in the garage last night doing some more assembly work to the P-216G. All the covers are on and I am completing the repair and reinstallation of the wiring harness. Then I notice that I have failed to install the linkage that runs between the carburetor and the governor. Well that's simple enough. Remove the air cleaner housing, and install the darned thing. All goes well until I attempt to install this. Over the last few years, I have lost sensitivity in my finger tips, so holding on to small objects is a challenge. As I am inserting the rod into the clip, I drop the clip. I grab my LED flashlight and start looking down into the area of the engine where it logically could have gone, but I don't see it. So...off comes the front engine cover, ignition module, etc. Still no luck. Checked the floor, under the shelving, in my shoes, everywhere. So I go on to my local NAPA store this morning and buy a new one. Came home and decided to take one more look, and there it was, stuck between two of the magnets on the back side of the flywheel. So I am creating a new law called Maynard's Law. If you can't find something, just go buy a new one. The old one will show up immediately.

Bet you did not know this!!! If you were in the market for a watch in 1880, would you know where to get one? You would go to a store, right? Well, of course you could do that, but if you wanted one that was cheaper and a bit better than most of the store watches, you went to the train station! Sound a bit funny? Well, for about 500 towns across the northern United States, that's where the best watches were found. Why were the best watches found at the train station? The railroad company wasn't selling the watches, not at all. The telegraph operator was. Most of the time the telegraph operator was located in the railroad station because the telegraph lines followed the railroad tracks from town to town. It was usually the shortest distance and the right-of-ways had already been secured for the rail line. Most of the station agents were also skilled telegraph operators and that was the primary way that they communicated with the railroad. They would know when trains left the previous station and when they were due at their next station. And it was the telegraph operator who had the watches. As a matter of fact, they sold more of them than almost all the stores combined for a period of about 9 years. This was all arranged by "Richard", who was a telegraph operator himself. He was on duty in the North Redwood, Minnesota train station one day when a load of watches arrived from the East. It was a huge crate of pocket watches. No one ever came to claim them. So Richard sent a telegram to the manufacturer and asked them what they wanted to do with the watches. The manufacturer didn't want to pay the freight back, so they wired Richard to see if he could sell them. So Richard did. He sent a wire to every agent in the system asking them if they wanted a cheap, but good, pocket watch. He sold the entire case in less than two days and at a handsome profit. That started it all. He ordered more watches from the watch company and encouraged the telegraph operators to set up a display case in the station offering high quality watches for a cheap price to all the travelers. It worked! It didn't take long for the word to spread and, before long, people other than travelers came to the train station to buy watches. Richard became so busy that he had to hire a professional watch maker to help him with the orders. That was Alvah. And the rest is history as they say. The business took off and soon expanded to many other lines of dry goods. Richard and Alvah left the train station and moved their company to Chicago -- and it's still there. YES, IT'S A LITTLE KNOWN FACT that for a while in the 1880's, the biggest watch retailer in the country was at the train station. It all started with a telegraph operator: Richard Sears and his partner Alvah Roebuck! Bet You Didn't Know That!!! Now that's History!!!!! And now, you know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Glen MmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

This thread is a riot...but so true. I always figure an extra hour for any job...just cause I know I will have to look for something. Two days ago, I was looking for my can of PVC cement. I was fixing my rotted out trap under my concrete deep-sink in the basement. I had already been to the Hardware store and thought I had bought all I needed (I knew I had a can of PVC). Has anyone ever been able to do only one trip to the Hardware store when doing plumbing? So, back I go, and I buy a small can of the glue. I finished the job and started to put everything away...then I put the little can of PVC cement right next to the can I already had. I must have looked right at it 25 times when I was searching for it. So, I did the job in only 2 trips to the Hardware store. That is a new record.

one done, one to go both finished

We only got about 5 or 6 inches also. But it was fun to get to use the snowblower! Cold, but fun!

Well here in central Ohio we only got a mere 5 inches of the white stuff! Bummer for my snow plow rig, a 1974 A90 Special! I fired it up anyways and let it fly. The county snow plow didn't even bother to go down my road so I did part of my road and my one neighbor did part of the road too with his new fangled Cub Cadet tractor. Then I did my driveway and my neighbor ladies driveway too just for fun. It took about 2 hours to do all of this. This is the first time I got to use my snow plow this winter! So far we haven't got much snow this year, not like most of you guys are getting!

HO slot cars! My 11 year old grandson came over last weekend so we got out my mega collection of slot cars and track! I have 4 tackle boxes full of slot cars and a few other original Thunder Jet slot car cases full of oldies! I have Thunder Jets, A/FX Magna Traction, Tyco Pro and 440X2 mostly. This is a fun hobby and my buddy and I have been doing it since we were about 13 years old so that is 40 years worth of collecting and racing these little buggers! Anybody else into this hobby? I think Lane Ralph is into it. I may have more slot cars than Wheel Horse tractors!

Check it out. If your like me you have one of these in your car/truck already

View Video, http://s288.photobucket.com/user/Dgibby12/media/Boat/20150127_124643.mp4.html Wheel Hose 314-8: http://youtu.be/VEqBwtRCE9g

I too am victim of this law. That or the only wrench I have missing is the only one I need.

Happens all the time. If I don't find it in 5 min. I get a new one and then I end up with a spare. I have drawers full of extra stuff! I had my Power King throttle apart and lost this special gizmo clip. No way I could ever find a new one. I looked for 2 hrs. Nothing. Wife walks out in the shop and wants to know why I ' m laying on the floor. I said I lost this tiny clip. She says you mean that? She's pointing 15 feet away and there it is!

Hi Anglo Traction Thanks for that, here's another snow clearing pic Also I needed to scarify my lawns to remove all the old dead grass so I hired a machine, soon got fed up pushing it so attached it to the horse and towed it backwards. Needed ear protection! Then I used the sweeper on my Westwood to pick it all up

That law must be in effect in Illinois too. I was buffing a small piece with my little air grinder last night and it took off like a shot. Still haven't found it.

Occasionally a few of 'em turn up in NY state too.

Two quick vids showing what a PITA blowing this powder snow was.

If the battery cables are in decent shape, just slip a section of red heat shrink tubing over the battery terminals to provide a visual clue to which cable is positive and which is negative. A high ratio 3:1 or 4:1 shrink rate may be needed to slip the heatshrink over the terminals. If the cables will be replaced, by all means use the red = positive color code for the replacement cable.

I have a 2008 24" Ariens with a 9 hp Tecumseh and differential as opposed to a sold axle. When I bought it I had a 26" gate that I needed to pass through otherwise I would have gotten a wider unit. It was pricey at the time but has been really great for removing snow. The blower housing is about 24" high and deep so it really gathers the snow. The only issue I have had was the chute rotator locking cable broke and was actually replaced with a different assembly which meant "design flaw." I had to pay for the new parts. I would look for an older model with a Tecumseh and steel housings. A differential is easy on the operator as you don't need to fight it. Like other forum members have mentioned, an older unit might be the best choice. My suggestion with the units for sale in today's market, pay the most attention to the engine. Even Ariens has an economy brand in Sno Tek. Also look at the design of the blower housing . The current MTD's design is very shallow and does not perform well. Ariens has changed the design of the auger drive this year so it is either cheaper, or better. You might even consider a Honda snowblower. I know someone with a 1332 tracked unit and it is some machine. The problem with track machines though is they need to be running to move as you cannot wheel them. Great on inclined driveways though. On another forum there was a fellow with a track unit who made a platform dolly so that he could move it off-season in his garage. Here are a few shots of mine. The first shot is when this part of Maryland had the 2010 "Snowmagedden." 38" fell in five days and my neighbor is running the snowblower as I was still back in Illinois completing a teaching contract. The next is the 2011 Winter (I was here then), and with the new cab. I treated myself to a cab for it this year as I found a JD dealer that had the OTC cab priced with the 2010 price! It actually hasn't been used with the lack of snow we are having.

That's awesome! A paint booth in the house!

How 'bout what has kept me from working in the shop. This was supposed to be just a freshen up job but when I got started there was so much hidden damage it became a total gut job. Replaced damaged framing, built new shower and cabinets, plumbing, tile, on and on..................... The good news is it's done. I've got the 42"sd deck underside ready for some POR-15 but it got too cold out (only for a couple days) and I'm finally back on the Suburban.

Got...maybe 6" of the slick, dry, powdery stuff here overnight... definitely was a far cry from the Armageddon forecasters were predicting(not complaining)... did the drive and side with the blower, early this morning...wasn't pretty, but did make it happen though. Just connected the dots to the shed out back, chose my plow this time, and went much better.

Well, FINALLY got some good snow in eastern PA. I have not had much time to post about my new toys and additions but I figured this video would be a good time to bring up the blower. Been wanting to find a tall chute for a while now. I was perfectly fine with my short chute but I have plans to add electric chute rotator and chute deflector. The tall chute is an easier platform to add these items too. I found one in all but mint condition with these heavy, heavy steel wheel weights that came along with the deal . Some other things I like about the tall chute is the replaceble scraper blade and the thicker jack shaft which allows you to use a standard bearing and not having to modify things just to replace the bearings. Heres a short video from this morning! Throws the snow just fine! Calling for another snow storm on Monday! http://youtu.be/0Fyb0NUmvk0 Kyle

Hi all I'm Keith from Kent in the garden of England. Had my 72 Raider 12 for 7 years, use it for cutting 2 acres of grass meadow the 36 RD deck has no rust but I've replaced all the bearings with ones from The OEM Parts Store. Also use it for hauling a couple of trailors I have, the little old beast is happy pulling 8CWT of logs across a field or close on a ton of sand on smooth ground. Have broken the trailor a couple of times. We don't get the amount of snow in southern UK that you guys get so I don't have a plow or a blower but a bit of ply with a couple of bungees and ropes does the job for me, it works a lot better than you might expect, It looked like this when we moved here[ attachment=51797:DSCN0908.JPG] But after a lick of paint and a lube I never want this to look like a showpiece, I'd be worried to get it dirty. A few weeks ago I got a 79 C121, quite a lot of rust on the thinner tinware, it has a Kohler 10hp with a broken rod. Not sure what to do with it, I may swap the steering with mine as its less worn and sell it on EBay

Creesegrader you are right about the snow in Upper Michigan. lived here all my life. Had a job years ago to re-roof 10 tourist cabins sitting on the straits of Mackinac but was booked up with work so told the owner I would start in January . We didn't need a ladder but just walked on top of the snow that reached the eaves. Hard part was shoveling over 4 feet of snow off the roof to start shingling. That job was not a good money maker. Just a normal winter for us.

John, My cabin is at the root of the Kewenaw peninsula, smack dab in the middle of the lake effect snow belt Most of the houses in the area have the "winter entrance" which is a door on the second floor! According to an infamous local bartender, "It ain't really winter until the snow on the roof is touching the snow on the ground" I love that guy.

Hey Decksetter! "Fog it" is the slang of using a fogging spray, (fogging oil), that you spray in the spark plug holes of motors you are going to store for a long time. The Onan I've been working on has been sitting on the side of my bench in the garage for 4 years before I needed to put it in service. Onan suggests pulling the heads every 1000 hours to de-carbon. Many clean theirs every 500 hours. I bought the motor and took the tins off of it to clean the fins but never de-carboned it. Before I installed and started it, I thought now is the time to de-carbon it since it was handy on my bench and I found the fogging oil lifted the carbon off. It was everywhere with many large chunks and some of it was very hard. I don't doubt I would have screwed the rings big time had I run it without opening it up. On looking at the engine I pulled, I can't wait either but I'm not touching the old engine until the loader is completely together and I straighten up the bench. It looks like a tool explosion in there right now. I'm about as organized as a train wreck in that garage. I should have a GPS locator for every hand tool I touch!

PVC Glue. You need to buy a little can for every plumbing job. Just do it. If you don't and you actually know where you can is, You be all set to glue the pipe. Grab that can and the lid is welded to the can . Or the lid is free but the glue is shot. I buy the small cans so not a lot is thrown away. When I did plumbing at work every job got a new can plus primer on the parts list. We have a big cabinet for storage and there are about 10 cans of glue in varying stages of dryness and every color of primer solvent imaginable. You need a respirator on everytime you open the cabinet to get the sawzall out!

Finally! Got to throw some snow! We got around 18 inches and the WH did amazing! Loved every minute. I did 3 driveways. My wife to a video and a couple of pictures.

Both of my knees pop and click. Does that count? Nice regulator info.

Ha . . . me too. I was on my hands and knees last night with a light on the floor looking for one of the LITTLE clips that holds the hood emblem on. Of course it's round and rolled under the biggest tool box I have

If it makes the floor my golden retreaver wil most certainly Find it. He finds washers ,nuts ,bolts you name it , I forgot I lost If I hear this weird sounding crunch crunch, he has got so I can hold out my hand and he deposits, Im sure he has consumed A few items in the past and I don't go thru his stool with a magnet. That's karygans law here.

Yea Bob, Maynard's Law applies up the road from you in PA as well... Just had carpal done on my right hand last week , Hopefully I can feel the part I just dropped & can't find...

Glad im not alone. I hate going to get something and then when you get there you forgot what you went for. Then I have to go back and think about it where I started. Never fails, this is the time the wife asks me to do something for her. Then I remember. Sometimes.....

i never find anything unless i stop looking for it, or like you say, grab a new can of brake cleaner from the case, then i see the one i just opened right beside where i was working.

I'm always amazed at the quality and speed of help around here! Seriously, you couldn't find tech service this good even if you wanted to pay for it!... (Que all the comments stating "You could sure pay me!"... haha)

I agree. I've seen plenty of snow growing up in Chicago and the schools never closed. Funniest thing though, onetime I had to travel to the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan (the very top) on business in December that regularly sees 400+ inches of snow a year because of Lake Superior. Family ancestry had one side settling there with a farm but kept a house in town. If you ever see photos of the houses from back then, they had a door on the second floor. That was so they could get in and out over winter. The streets would be cleared but they would use ladders to get to the top of the snow. Stopped at the police station for directions to the house. The police officer ended the conversation with "Good thing you got up here before it snowed." There was already three feet on the ground! Just like the upper north of the Midwest there are two seasons: July and Winter! Another tidbit, on the same trip the pilot of the NWA F-27 overflew the runway at about 500 ft. to check conditions before turning to land. That was interesting as well.

Try 7 feet in 3 days

The fun part has began! Got the hood and frame painted on sunday. Tonight I put the drive system and the steering together, it is as far as I can go for now, but was glad to start assembling it. Still have the get the wheels and speed selector arm done, but everything else is done. I am going to get some bolts plated, and then I can put it most of the rest of the way together. Anyways, heres a couple pictures, going together very easy so far, very happy with how its turning out. Thanks, Jake

You guys are the best. Took everything apart and put it back together. Just finished up doing a pass up and down the driveway. Worked like a champ. Good enough for tonight though. Back it tomorrow in the daylight.

Just in case you wondered, everyone in northern Wisconsin and the Upper penninsula of Michigan is laughing their asses off right now. A two foot drop of snow is not historic, does not shut down the city for three days, and does not require the National Guard. It is called Tuesday, and it happens all the time!

That's 'bout what we got, five inches of the white junqué! Since we picked up the Work Horse late summer/fall haven't tried a plow job other than push a little gravel. The Work Horse didn't have any problem. Our first Briggs '83 Horse, we like Kohler! Somewhat pleased we added the Dial-A-Height too! The Onan 520-8 took a breather while son pushed the snow.

Well Geno, go for it. I did exactly the same thing you are planning. Back in the late 80's early 90's I was buying all the WH I could find and there is a lot of them out there. One day I looked around and had a 40x65 building full a 24x36 building full a 30x42 building full and a 24x48 building full. I came to a quick conclusion that I will NEVER get all these tractors running let alone restored. Had over 200. So in 2008 had a auction sold all but 10 that I hand picked to keep. Now I am back to 46. But I can work on them at my pace. I only buy certain models now not everything out there.

Search method sucks. I'm a poor searcher when it comes to looking for something.

Just thought I'd bring you boys - n - girls a little ray of sunshine . Put 96 miles on the sled today . Pic was taken off my helmet cam a little west of Springville NY .

7 gallons in 12 hours? Ouch!!! Really makes my 5kW ceiling heater much more attractive.

Ya, what is up with the weather channel taking it upon themselves to name a snow storm? This is not an unusual event, or even a catastrophic event. The naming of winter storms are not authorized by The National Weather service or NOAA. All for ratings. Al

The single lane drive is why I clear that spot Ken... usually put my truck up there, on the grass so Mrs Rules can get out. At some point, I plan to excavate that little embankment... and plant all the flat rock you see piled up there to make me a parking spot. I imagine myself as being too cheap to purchase more black top.

FYI - If you have a 520H you do not have an amp meter, you have a volt meter.

I think this is a given... RJ35...

Hey John, Color code (paint it red) the fuel cap on the diesel. Not 100% mistake proof but better than leaving all of them black Of course, it will be of no help if you mix up the fuel cans at the gas station