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Just sayin'

Picked this Choremaster up from a friend last night for $50. Unloaded it off the truck this morning and within 20 minutes had her running.

8-18-1992 Larry Bird hangs it up On August 18, 1992, celebrated Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird retires. Bird was a high school basketball star in his native Indiana. After graduation, he received a scholarship to play for legendary coach Bobby Knight at Indiana University, one of the finest teams in the country. However, Bird was homesick and uncomfortable in the spotlight in Bloomington and left the school after one month. He returned to French Lick, his hometown, and eventually enrolled at the smaller Indiana State, far from a basketball powerhouse. There, Bird was a one-man offense, averaging 30 points per game as a sophomore, junior and senior. He led the Sycamores to an undefeated record in his senior season (1978-79) before losing to Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans in the most viewed NCAA title game ever. Bird entered the NBA in 1979 and had an immediate impact on the league, winning Rookie of the Year after leading the Celtics to a 61-21 record and first place in the Atlantic Division just one year after they went 29-53 and finished in last place. In his second season, Bird, playing alongside fellow future Hall of Famers Kevin McHale at forward and Robert Parrish at center, led the Celtics to an NBA title. They would win the championship again in 1984 and 1986, with Bird winning the Finals MVP each of those two years. He was the NBA regular season MVP three years in a row, from 1984 to 1986, and a first-team NBA All-Star nine times. In the process, he won legions of loyal fans in Boston and throughout the country. Bird was also recognized for his versatility on the court: He could pass, rebound, shoot from the outside and play tough defense. As his career progressed, though, Bird began to suffer from chronic back pain that, by the 1990s, limited both his playing time and his effectiveness. The final triumph of Bird’s career came at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, his first Olympics and the first in which professional players were allowed to participate. The much-hyped U.S. “Dream Team,” which also included his good friend and rival Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley among other NBA greats, may have been the best basketball team ever assembled. They wowed the world with their amazing play, easily brought home the gold and appeared to have a spectacularly good time in the process. In 1992, at the age of 35, Bird’s back condition finally rendered him unable to play. At an emotional press conference in Boston to announce his retirement, Bird explained, “The last couple of years have been very tough on me, on my back and on my body. It was very hard to deal with, day in and day out.” NBA commissioner David Stern released a statement that read in part “Quite simply, Larry Bird has helped to define the way a generation of basketball fans has come to view and appreciate the N.B.A. In the future, great players will be judged against the standards he has set, but there will never be another Larry Bird.” Bird did not disappear from the NBA after his retirement from the court. He remained in Boston, working as a special assistant in the Celtics’ front office until 1997, when he was hired as head coach of the Indiana Pacers. In 1998–the same year he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame–he led the Pacers to a 58-24 record, the best in team history, and was named NBA Coach of the Year. Bird later became the team’s president of basketball operations.

Let me clarify my ambiguous statement which was intended to mislead you! I am running for public office because my checkered past would prevent me from getting a real job.

I decided to spare you all the photos of the tare down and skip to the good stuff. What do you guys think of the colors? Am I close to authentic? before

For a few months I've been working on acquiring a pile of tractor stuff I spotted at an abandoned property. I've finally located the owner and got approval to go look at things. I can see several kohler motors in a locked shed (I'm drooling to get in that shed) , and this WH tractor which is what I initially saw from the road, I rolled it out of the weeds to get some better pictures. On the nameplate I see "08k801" When I look at the master model list it seem there should be 2 numbers in front of this. such as 61 or 71 or 81 or 91 or 01 or 11 or 21 So it seems it's in the B80 or Cxx 8 hp or 308-8 category. The motor is a kohler K181 937645 301120. Its mounted on a shaker plate base but does not seem to be bolted down correctly so I'm wondering if it's original or correct motor. The wiring seems to be complete and not spliced it has a electric starter, not a starter generator It also has an 8 speed transmission. Overall it looks to be a fairly complete tractor with straight sheetmetal. it has narrow ag tires on it. Lunch is about over, back to work! so help me identify it.

@WHX7 Jim, that was a R-26. 2nd generation of RER for Wheel Horse. If you find one... they fit nicely inside a 4 wheeled wagon for storage. (this one was mine about 4 years ago)

Sounds good....Only clubs in my cart would be my wife smackin me for my wise cracks!

Not going to believe this you guys...Tee Time is 10:32 next Thursday 25th. We have a 4some and they said Jim & his wife (if she wants) can get a cart and ride along with us as riders (caddies) as long as they have no clubs on the cart. So we can have a gallery watching us play. How cool is that?? Jim, the course is very scenic and well worth the ride. Watching Shynon putt is worth the price of admission all by itself.

Feeling a little better about the beach are you Bob? These lower temps are great. Think I'll head for the Atlantic for some fishing and crabbing as soon as I get home from Dover Olde Tyme Days.

Looks like your in a very good place right now.

That is one of the methods they used to try and prevent sudden engagement. It's just one of the many safety devices that were added as the years went by. I had a hydraulic damper on my 2005 and it drove me nuts. I can't recommend removing any safety device but on my tractors I just use the spring that has worked well for decades.

Nothing wrong with a little "off brand" in the herd every once in a while. I really miss this Allis Chalmers,. It ran fantastic, cut grass superbly and when you locked the rear diff it would push as much snow as ALMOST any Wheel Horse I've owned.. I owned this orange one at the time also and I liked it as well. My brother has the identical tractor as yours or at least very similar.

oiluj52. I agree. It is not just the tractors it is the people also. Going to places trying to find a road that is not on a map or It is way out in the back roads some where you just sit for a while and take in the beauty of the area. I like the ones that do not have a clue what they have and I give them a history lesion about these tractors and this site. I can see there eyes and think Wow it is not just a pile of Iron that they had. This is my .

No way we're gonna let you give up on this carb Bob. Dirty Walbro is way too famous to be scrapped now.

Make a couple of new ones.

You know you love a good challenge! Perhaps putting it in a "crock-pot" at the lowest setting with Berrymans would speed it up. Don't tell Mrs. Racin and no, I don't want a bowl of stew.

All the parts are back from powder coat and let the assembly begin

Literally dropped my 42" deck whilst mowing grass this evening. Was mowing around the maple trees when I heard some odd clanks and belt noises. Nothing loud or serious sounding, just different. Got another 30 feet and heard some rather ugly squealing. Looked down and found that the deck was being drug around by the belt and pushed by the rear wheels. WTF! Short story is that when I scraped and hosed out the underside of the deck last week, I neglected to make sure the locking wheel on the Tach-Matic had fully sprung back, and so locked the swinging hooks that hold the deck bar secure. Thing is, I was almost done with the yard when it finally fell off. Never had that happen to me before. Nothing was harmed, other than my feelings and pride. As Bugs Bunny would say: "What a maroon!" Sorry about the double post, but I got some weird configuration error just now. Got one earlier this evening when I first logged onto Red Square. Hmmm.

FYI. I was searching for replacement tires for the front on my 854, and i wanted as close to the originals as possible. I found Kenda Load-Star (K371). These are 4ply trailer tires, which is "over-kill", however they are 99% identical to the originals. They were $15 each on recstuff.com. Im really happy with them. Maybe everyone already knew about them, but i figured i would throw it out there anyway.

Here is today's last photos

My '88 520H with dash hydro temp warning light would come on after about an hour of mowing this spring and temps were only in the mid 70's I removed the seat and seat pan and just cleaned the dickens out of the hydro fins, body and everywhere for that matter and then washed it off with brake clean. There must have been five pounds of crud on the floor and now even with the temps in the 90's the temp light does not come on and the airflow coming out behind the hydro from the fan is 10 times what it was before the cleaning. I was lucky I had a warning light to tell me my hydro was in trouble.

The STORY: About 1979, the old 8hp was really tired and my dad's oldest brother Bob came across a new K301 stationary motor for a super good price. Dad decided that it was rebuild the old 8hp or repower with a brand new 12hp. The K301 seemed to be a no brainer to a man in a family where bigger is always better! If 10hp is good, 16hp is better or so goes the thinking. Dad took one long look at the Iron Horse and thought that a fresh set of new "clothes" would look good to go with the heart transplant. The nice thing was that he still worked at Chief Equipment in 1978 and they had all the equipment to paint. Dad did all the work for that resto at Chief. Try as I might, I can't find any pictures or slides of it being worked on while there. That would be really cool if there were but alas, it isn't to be. I'm glad as many pictures exist of it as we do have... As any of you know who have studied the short frame tractors, there are a lot of subtle differences between the early small engine models and the later 12hp models. It wasn't a simple bolt in procedure. (It was super fun to show Dad's tractor next to Achto's 1076 this summer! We looked at many of those differences side by side. I must say here that the quality of Achto's tractor is even more amazing in person than it is in pictures!) Dad welded Studs to the frame to accomodate the wider engine pan bolt pattern. As previously stated, he ad to widen the contours of the hood on both sides to clear the engine. He had to fabricate his own S/G bracket to work with the width of the motor and make a hood bracket to raise the front of the hood for clearance. What he didn't do which would have taken a ton of work to make or finding a parts tractor to rob from, was a taller dash tower. (If I can ever make it to the end of this thread and the official "unveiling", I would like Achto to post some of his good quality pictures of his tractor next to dad's that he took at Symco for observation of the factory versus the Don Stertz fabrication! Not yet though!) Another thing dad had to deal with was the drive belt shield which was now too low and close to the wider engine. I know that im forgetting some of the other items that dad had to do but that gives you a good idea of the work that went into it! Dad used an acrylic enamel IH red that the were spraying on the big tractors there at Chief. A few pics of the dealership back then... Dad setting up the "new" 815 IH combine! Driving the beast! So, dad mixed up and shot the paint on his "horse" after all the fabrication and prep was finished. I'm not sure what was mixed wrong or if it was just the conditions but dad said it took nearly three days for everything to dry well enough to be handled! It was a super glossy finish though and turned out beautiful IMHO... He even took the time to paint the deck! Speaking of the deck, O great WH gurus---HELP! Would that deck have originally come on that tractor? All the pics that I see of 875's the deck is more rounded. I only ever see this deck on older WH tractors. This is of course the picture that I use for my Avatar. My interest and love affair with these little red tractors grows more with everyone that I work on and even see. However, for obvious reasons, this will always be my favorite! Zoom in on these pics and you will notice some of the changes that I shared above. By this point the factory throttle wasn't holding and dad replaced it with a chrome aftermarket T handle that is still on it today. The above mentioned IH Cub muffler made its way on to the tractor at this time and still resides there today. The front spindle dust covers were still on the tractor at this time. Those were unfortunately lost somewhere along the journey over the next 30 plus years. My dad is my greatest earthly hero for reasons too numerous to share here, however even as an adult he amazes me with: his tenacity to finish a project with excellence, his awesome fabrication skills, and his ability to take a problem situation and turn it into a success! HERE'S TO DAD!

That is not normal. No unusual noises?? Check the oil and see if it looks burnt...if it is that hot...it should show it.

Still hot here, but the beer is cold and the grandkids have been so much fun. Not to mention the ocean temperature has been in the 60's

Looks great!! I'm a big fan of highlighting parts with a different color.

The RESTO: At this point in any tractor restoration project, the formula is the same: inspect the parts for wear, decide if they need repair or replacement, then clean, prime, and paint... I wouldn't have to post these pictures but I know you guys too well {} Some of you may cry "Foul" that we didn't strip the frame further than this. However, dad and I made an executive decision at this point that we had it far enough for a tractor that had been restored about 30 years previous and had been stored inside ever since. It is always awesome when your shop begins to look like a "chop shop"--meaning that once you start hanging and painting all the detail parts it is such a good feeling. You know by this point that you are getting close to the super fun stage of any resto--THE REASSEMBLY! We went through every piece. Some items we have decided to paint red as they did it at the factory. Some of the items we opted to paint black or silver to give it a custom, detailed look. I had been watching Aldon's GT-16 resto and loved what he was doing there. We did some of the same types of things after seeing how awesome his turned out! Thanks Aldon for the inspiration! Then it is time to lay out all the parts and make sure that you have everything ready for assembly. How many times have you guys in the excitement of this phase of a resto, realized that you forgot to restore a certain key part that you needed to assemble your tractor and it held you up? Been there done that! In this photo you can see the borrowed cub air cleaner that dad got in 1978 from the parts bin at the IH dealer along with some others... Boy--This is a B-E-A-UTIFUL sight! Isn't that fresh Valspar IH red sharp when it is glossy and fresh? Assembly continues....

Great job on that RJ Troy. I'll bet your glad you decided to rebuild that trans...that oil really did look pretty nasty. The paint looks fantastic!!

It certainly has. The can I have now is a couple years old but nothing like the good stuff from the old days. Haven't you heard? Most everything from those old days has killed all us old fellers. We just don't know it yet. Being alone all day the Mrs. would have a fit if she saw the things I do while she's not here but I'm thinking the crock pot thing won't be one of them. I'll try Ed but looking at the cost of a new one I'm pretty close to hitting the 'buy it now' button. Later today I'll see what it looks like after soaking overnight.

Best bet is to remove the shafts the blades are attached to and inspect/clean and lubricate/replace the bearings. As Mike said, the cross shaft also has bearings. Nothing magical here, just basic maintenance. Here is a manual, they are all about the same.

You need new tower bearings and possibly a cross shaft.

And getting parts from Miller can be a chore. Wish someone else had them.

Lol once she is going good I may have to chase my dog around! JK

Just picked up this Tecumseh H30 to replace the dead H60 my new to me suburban 550( aka killer ) had on it. $50 and it says 3.0hp but it's built as it was a race cart engine. Runs awesome... It also fits better. Didn't have time to finish it today but soon!

Trailers home from the factory and looks great. Half the trailers new;) Got it all waxed today and tomorrow the third coat of Monstaliner goes on. Had them install a cabinet and ramp door spring cover while in the shop. Will post pics when I finish the floor.

I remember this, I called this number and Steve sure sounds like Junior Samples

I can see why it didn't want to come apart, it had been hermetically sealed......... Only Carnac the magnificent knows the answer.

where's WALBRO ?

Lots of good insight from you all. When I first began in this hobby I would buy package deals (mostly on workers) that I could refresh and sell for a profit. Other times I would buy a package and sell off attachments to pay for the lot. This is how I was personally able to build my collection at a low out of pocket cost (not including my time or labor). Over the years I have been able to build my collection to what I have today and in all honesty outside of a nice 754 I feel I have every model I could want. I even have a few that I would sell if I replaced them with same model in better condition. I also have some rare models like Matt said I cannot replace (original 56' SR, 4 Rj 35's LSE and 520-8). Those are keepers. I see the newer members here doing the same thing I did and just kinda watch from a distance. I am beyond having the desire to hustle that hard at this point but then again I have been there. I did the same thing a few years back with the old antique outboard boat motors and have since reduced the number of those as well. It has to be a special motor or tractor for me to pop on it. At the show this past June I bought a parts 35 to complete one of mine and I sold the rest to 3 other members while at the show for them to complete they're projects. In the past that entire machine would have been back at the house sitting on the shelf. I also made what I considered a very solid offer at the show on a 754 but the owner wanted that one as a keeper which I respect.

The clutch/brake rod is 21" overall and the engine pulley is 2.5" diameter. I don't have a mower deck. Here's my 400 that I recently finished.

I don't know yet what category I fall into, but I know one thing for sure, and that is I won't show this topic to my wife! I'm pretty sure I know what her answer will be. I have a large "collection" but I don't feel like that makes me a hoarder. I pretty much stopped buying tractors a few years ago when the round fenders were all collected. My personal feelings about these two subjects is this: Hoarders have a condition that can't be controlled. A hoarder will buy just for the sake of spending money, however most hoarders want everything for little to no money. They also don't have intentions or goals of restoring or repairing a tractor, has no real interest in going to a show, and nine times out of ten, don't even know what he has. They just like to accumulate whatever they can, because they enjoy seeing clutter. If they want something in particular, they don't care about how much money they spend on a piece, aren't concerned about originality or condition, and will more than likely die before the piece is ever sold or given away. Hoarders don't usually have their items covered, and their junk usually just sits where ever they decided to unload it. Collectors can stop buying when they know there are other things that are more important. Collectors also have a goal in mind whenever it comes to purchasing a certain piece. They intend to restore, repair, or just get their latest investment running. Some collectors will take their prized pieces to a show, as this gives the collector a sense of pride. Yes, some collector garages are cluttered, however most collectors can't stand to see it for very long. A collector not only knows what the tractor is that he recently bought, but could probably tell you the serial number, the year, and be able to name every attachment that was made for the tractor. Collectors do their homework or research on a certain piece, and know what the value of the tractor is worth. A collector will sell if the price is right, and in most cases, a collector will be willing to help out another fellow collector if needed or can. Collector will also take care of their stuff, usually tucking it away in a garage, shed, or home built lean-to. So with this all said, how do each of you look at yourselves now? Does this make the decision of which group type you are any easier?

Due to the use of the Seafoam, you probably "cleaned" out the fuel tank, fuel line and other crap in the carb and it is clogging the main jet. Seafoam works really good, but unless all the crap gets sucked into the combustion chamber and burnt up, you sometimes have to clean up the carb!

I know this is a long shot, but here is my submission! 854 custom and wheel horse tub cart

The Allis B-112 that you saw was bought from an old neighbor of mine but since I could never keep it running, I decided to sell it. As for the AC connection, I have always liked the looks of any Allis Chalmers tractors. Yes, I'm 100% a John Deere guy, however I still like the looks of other tractor brands. As for the barrel train car, I'm on the committee of a local tractor show and we decided to build our own train. Since there were other John Deere collector committee members, I decided to do an Allis Chalmers to keep peace with the other members. It was made to resemble a model 7080.

@Dayton Murdock I can't stress enough....take lots and lots of photos during the disassembly process. You will thank yourself later when you re-assemble! Oh, and you can post them here on Red Square to satisfy our need for pictures!

Next will be stripping the gas tank, the fenders, and the seat pan. After being stripped, they were coated with two coats of primer. When the primer was cured, I started applying finish coats to the gas tank and fenders. Here is one fender and the gas tank after the first coat of finish: Then wet sanded with 320 grit: After a second coat of finish is applied: And now after being wet sanded with 1500 grit sandpaper, and another coat of finish applied: And the gas tank so far: Oh, here is the seat pan after being stripped and primed:

A couple more parts first coated with finish: I started wire wheeling the front rims next, and have them stripped, primed, and first coated with finish: Since the front tires were original Wheel Horse marked tires, I wanted to do what I could to save them and reuse them on this tractor. After spending a few hours cleaning them up with a scrub brush, a tooth brush, and some Comet cleaner, I think they turned out pretty well. The one front tire however, has some broken cords showing, so I think a replacement tire will be in order when found.

Nice piece of American history there

After you soak it and think your getting ahead you will probably pull the threads out with the main jet ! For what E/Rag is selling replacement carbs for your better off going that route. I use them on customer engines when thy leave there carbs get eaten up from bad fuel and so on. Just check them over real good as there are Good and Bad with those also.