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I have been working on a 0 inch sickle bar mower restore for several weeks and progress is occurring. I put new bolts, oil seals and bearing where I needed to.Last week I got the wobble box assembled and this week I took on replacing the bearings in the frame assembly. I had to find a 5 inch A Belt replacement pulley with a keyway and set screw, I had to get the old insert bearings on the frame assembly and install new ones. The Toro ones were $99 a piece but I got 7/8 x 52 mm x 1 1/4 wide insert bearings for $6 each. I bought One inch x 3/4 oiled brass bushings from McMaster Carr and longer set screws to install on the shaft. I had to drill out two holes on each bushing for the set screws in the bearing to install on the 3/4 inch frame assembly shaft. I used the vise to set the bushings in the new bearings lined up with the two holes I drilled for the set screws. The frame assembly for the 50 inch sickle bar now has new bearings and should run fine ,

I sold this Raider 10 in 1990 to a friend of mine, the other day he asked me if I wanted it back, for *free*. Of course I couldn't turn him down. It had mowed my 5 acres for a long time. Kind of missed the old girl. He passed it on to me a little worse for wear, Engine is locked up so we will see what we find, hopefully nothing catastrophic. Anyway here she is, '72 Raider 10

The contents on the trailer may be changing later this morning. Well, one of them will.

I have been mulling over this project since I acquired my 522 XI. Now that I made a big purchase for it, I am starting the project thread. Project 525 XI EFI... or 525 EXI? I am putting a 25HP electronic fuel injected brand new Kohler twin into my 522. While it may not hit the fuel economy of the diesel I have been after, it is supposed to be 25-30% more efficient than a carburetor engine of the same size and it will save me from having to maintain diesel tanks. Not to mention NO choke and flawless starting in any weather. All these twins from Kohler are practically drop in replacements for each other. I will have to do some wiring and modifications as this engine was originally designed for a different application. Different muffler, blower screeen, I am pretty excited, the motor should be here within a week. I will sell the CH22S that is in it, as it runs just fine, just needs to be cleaned up and have a few shroud screws replaced. I know that many of you will balk at all the electronics and say simpler is better, but since I am an electrical engineer I have to pursue the tech edge, its in my blood. I do have several other non-tech tractors to back this one up "just-in-case" but from what I hear I can expect 2-4000 hours with normal maintenance. As all projects do, this may take me a while as my garage time is often limited, but I really want this machine ready for plowing snow so I do have a goal!

10-8-1957 Jerry Lee Lewis records “Great Balls Of Fire” in Memphis, Tennessee Jerry Lee Lewis was not the only early rock-and-roller from a strict Christian background who struggled to reconcile his religious beliefs with the moral implications of the music he created. He may have been the only one to have one of his religious crises caught on tape, however—in between takes on one of his legendary hit songs. It was on October 8, 1957, that bible-school dropout Jerry Lee Lewis laid down the definitive version of “Great Balls Of Fire,” amidst a losing battle with his conscience and with the legendary Sam Phillips, head of Sun Records. Jerry Lee Lewis had first made his way to Sun Records in September 1956, hoping to catch his big break in the same Memphis recording studio where Elvis had caught his. The result of Lewis’ first session, in November 1956, was the minor hit “Crazy Arms,” but six months later, he and Phillips struck gold with “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On,” a million-selling smash. Lewis’s signature piano-pounding style and electric stage presence made him an instantaneous star, but stardom didn’t quiet the doubts that his upbringing in the Assemblies of God church had given him about rock and roll. Those doubts would be on open display when he went back to the studio on this day in 1957. It was hours into the “Great Balls Of Fire” session when Jerry Lee began arguing with Sam Phillips that the song was too sinful for him to record. As the two talked loudly over each other, Phillips pleaded with Lewis to believe that his music could actually be a force for moral good. Phillips: “You can save souls!” Lewis: “No, no, no, no!” Phillips: “YES!” Lewis: “How can the devil save souls?…I got the devil in me! Jerry Lee somehow made peace with the conflict over the course of the next hour, becoming comfortable enough to begin making various unprintable statements on his way to saying with enthusiasm, “You ready to cut it? You ready to go?” just before launching into the take that would soon become his second smash-hit single. Jerry Lee Lewis’ moral struggles would continue throughout a storied career that would never quite recover from the 1958 disclosure of his marriage to a 13-year-old cousin. At the peak of his powers following “Great Balls Of Fire,” however, he was a figure as magnetic as any in rock-and-roll history. As the producer Don Dixon would later say in an NPR interview, “Little Richard was fun, Elvis was cool, but Jerry Lee Lewis was frightening.”

Here is a picture of mine Glenn. Adjusted correctly to the second detent.

We started early....I was on Road apples door step at 7am,,,and I am 2 hours south of him..in Virginia,,,,,On the road,,we took a couple breathers ,,,,talked about everything and everyone !! lololo. . .The guy with the tractor lives juist minutes inside the NY line.and missed getttting a pic of the border line sign...i know...i know......... He is Horsewisperer inRS,,,,and his name is Kevin Mayo....backed into his driveway. ((with the intent of a quick load and go)),,,,,,Nope,,,,not happnin...we stayed 2 1/2 hours....He is a real good guy...He has quiet alot to sell......he is thinning...You would have to go and see him,,to get a good idea,,,,lots of pulleys,,brackets....and he is a real pal to Bud Andrews..the stack man..they are tight...thick...good pals.....and i see why...,,,take a close look....Kevin was having separation anxiety ,,,,,,lololol,,I am happy with the find....needs a seat...and its a smoker,,,..all good sheet metal......this machine will be at the BIG SHOW next summer...this episode ran from 4:30 am till i walked in my door...at 9:00 p.m. Jay was a great guy to co-pilot this trip....and a welcomed friend anytime,,,,Bud...i am very sorry we gave all the time to Kevin.....We will see you in the summmer....In walks a new face....I ran an ad for a REO sno blower for a doller....yup $1,,,,,,and i got an answer....It was our very own OLDREDRIDER ,,,Paul.....he came to my house on Sunday....stayed and hour chatttting and loading,,,,I did find out somthing...Paul rebuilds Kohlers (and Paul is a very good guy to talk to)......and he is gonna get my 8HP smoker.....as soon as I can get back to speed....... .......my slower lung caught up with me.....and the next day,,,found me short of breath........

Had some time today to do some work and also finish a project I have been wanting to finish for a while. Had three goals to accomplish: 1) Finish installing the external alternator 2) Install a voltmeter 3) Add some new wiring as needed When I first got the tractor there was an alternator sitting on the side of the tractor, but it was never wired up. It was an old si10/si12 three wire alternator which is mounted to the engine with a couple of cross bars that adjust. I know it is overkill for this size tractor and lawn battery but it was already there so I figured I use it. I took a picture of the top and final configuration with a belt. So to wire up the three wire alternator here is what I did. 1) The red wire out of the terminal is the battery sense voltage terminal. Since I don't have long electrical wires I just hooked it up to the stud in the back where the main wire goes to charge the battery. 2) I then used a 6 gauge wire and went to the back of the alternator and to the post on the solenoid where the battery is connected. I fused it with an 80amp fuse which you can see in the picture. 3) The last wire to hook it up is the black wire in the terminal. This wire is for exciting the alternator. You MUST place one of three items in line with this. You place either a 10ohm 10 watt resistor, a lamp, or a diode with this wire. I opted to use a diode. For the smaller SI10 alternators you can use a 1A-3A diode, but for the larger models I believe you need to be 5A or higher diode. I put the diode in with the cathode (the side with the line) facing the alternator along with a 10A fuse in line as well. This wire goes to the ignition switch marked IGN. The only thing thing that is not ideal is that it only runs when the PTO is engaged. Since this is normally how I am using the tractor it is not a problem. The alternator is on an adjustable slide so I can mount it either to the inner or outer pulley. Typically it is mounted to the outer pulley. I can always just remove the PTO belt when not in use if I am carting stuff around the lawn, but since the alternator is so over-sized all I usually need to do is run the PTO for a few minutes and the battery is completely charged. The next project I was trying to accomplish was install a voltmeter. I got this voltmeter on amazon for $20 or so and I mounted it underneath the hood, by drilling two holes from the inside, and just bolted it underneath. I connected the positive terminal to the ACC on the ignition switch (fused with 5A) because I don't want the voltmeter to kill my battery when the tractor is not running. The meter came with a backlight as well and I spliced that into my into headlight switch which you can see on in the picture, so the light only comes on when the headlights are on. The last thing I did for the day was clean up some of my wiring and replace some of the old wires. I went to walmart and bought a couple of 6 gauge wire with lugs already on them and replaced the battery to the solenoid, the ground wire and added the wire to the alternator. The connections were getting poor so by replacing them I hope to have a much easier time starting it this winter with the snowblower. If anyone has any questions I would be glad to help.

160,000 on my 04 tundra, no rust, but down here we put salt in our BBQ rub and on the rim of our margarita glass, not on the roads..

I bought two old front sickle bar mower blade sets at the Portland, Indiana Tri-State Engine Association Fall Swap Meet on Thursday. All I really wanted was the feet or two skids on one of the blade sets. I think these were early two wheel tractor sickle/ front cutter blade sets. What I learned after I started to take some of the parts off is that they contain the twin guards, blade clips and skids that were also used on the Wheel Horse Sickle Bar Mowers (42 and 50) and the CBR-32 Front Cutter Bar on the Wheel Horse RJ's.

Traded the 701 and a few dollars for a 753. The 551 went along to supervise. I forgot to take a trailer shot when I got home, and I wasn't going to reload them. Thanks, Jeff.

Uhmmm...Well, ok, I do have 3 Wheel Horse Tractors and only 1 Tiller., but the Tractor with the Cup Holder has a mower deck on it ? Now what do I do ? It's all so very confusing

looking real good, that's some clever thinking on the bearing/bushing combination, I'm very impressed

Tigman, Engine swaps are common in the WH world.I have a Kohler 341 on my 520h until I can get the Onan gone through.Just for your info the M has an ignition that requires the control module be grounded at shutoff as opposed to the K which breaks contact to the points. If this is something you already are aware of my bad.If not the ignition switchs are definitely different between the two.Nothing that can't be worked around if you know. JAinVA

well a workhorse gt-1642 followed me home 2 nights ago. its really rusty and no engine. its going to be parted out i think so if anyone needs parts off it let me know that are local to me. i only got it because i needed its transmission and maybe couple other things. it had new fan gear section put in i would say around 10 years ago and engine never went back on.

I am fairly certain I picked up a complete 701 this morning...I'll post pics tomorrow. What are the differences between the 701 and 702...

Just install an electric pump and be done with it. JM2C Kurt

I am in Charlotte NC, rain fairly heavy at times on and off, but no big deal. We are good, thanks for asking !

Yeah, that's just what I mean Glenn. Everythings there including 60 inch impossible to find in Iowa mower deck and factory rear wheel weights. and low hours and with some soap and water and a few inexpensive items our vendors sell here on the forum it will look and run like brand new!!!! I'm so jealous...... YOU'RE DESPICABLE........

Here Doug. this is to make us both feel better. My last mint purchase. mint dirt, mint rust. lol Glenn

As a retired GM tech with 40 years experience I must say I am not in the least bit surprised . Also your brake lines along the frame by the gas tank will rust through and your engine has more than likely been noisy on cold start since new and probably uses at least a quart of oil every thousand miles. Quality has been abandoned and prices have skyrocketed in the last 20 years. Talk to the service manager and ask to have a meeting with the zone rep. to discuss any possible solutions to the problems that you are encountering. Sometimes they actually will provide repairs out of warranty, but of course the squeaky wheel gets the grease and you have to make a stand and let them know how dissatisfied you are with their product and in the future you will buy another brand. I would give it a shot If I were you. I have seen it happen in person many times.

A lease just ain't for me . You are always making a payment . I bought this brand new in 10 & paid cash . Since then , I've been making phantom payments ( & paying myself 6% too ) since then . When it comes time for a new one , I'll do the same thing Additionally , you cant make any modifications to a lease . I believe these can last a long time if cared for properly . The rest of it is in showroom condition & has only 38,000 mi so I plan to hang onto it until at least 2020 . Aside from that inherent problem with these models , ( which I'll be on top of from now on ) I think the 'ol girl looks pretty good for a '10 .

Just a shot in the dark here, but I'm guessing tire chains are the culprit.....They can do some damage if the catch

Agree with everything Howard said. Great meeting Kevin, fun trip. I`m ready to go again anytime.... Glad you`re feeling better Howard, take care...

It's funny how different people have different experiences... i always thought the tillers were pretty easy to mount and dismount. But I also think they don't work as well as a dedicated walk-behind rear tine. I've never had loose enough soil for them to do much more than bounce...even with brand new tines. i always thought if someone who was enterprising and creative would reverse the tines and make the tiller spin the other direction that we'd really have something. Gauntlet thrown. Steve

Hopefully EFI for small engines has been perfected. Robin Subaru had a slew of problems on their singles about three years ago. Install the access panels for getting to the heads for cleaning. It probably still has the 100 hour maintenance requirement like the CH22.

Goodness gracious, Jerry, Jimmy, and Mickey, can rock a piano, I've seen all three.

That is a later model pedal. They sit different. Mine are all early models so I cannot do a measurement.

Bob Maynard and Denny Clarke get the credit for using the 7/8 insert bearings and 3/4 bushings first on a Red Square thread Bob posted. How to make new insert bearings for your snow thrower By rmaynard in Implements and Attachments, January 8, 2012 If you are rebuilding your snow thrower, many models from the 60's, 70's and 80's, use the same bearings for the chain drive shaft. ST-323, 6-0200, 6-0201, 6-0202, 6-6212, 6-6213, 6-6214, 6-6215, 6-42ST01... 20 replies It is good to know the insert bearings can be used on the early snowblowers and the 42 and 50 Sickle Bar Mowers. and posted

Nice job, Lane!

I think i am sold on this tallmans paint. I went on there website and didnt see clear coat but then later found it after asking the question to you and figured thats what you used then. I am looking for a decent paint that can accept clear coat for spraying out of a gun. My truck was just recently painted with Dupont.... talk about salty but wouldnt have it any other way.. And the stuff like Krylon , and rustoleum just isnt my thing either. So thanks for the write up on this... You many have just sold a few cases of paint for them!

lane i just drool when i see the restoration jobs on your attachments/ tractors, and all the cool implements you have.

Here are a couple of wiring diagrams that will show the differences, not too much needs to be changed. the first is your "K" and the second is the "M"

If I could 'like' your post a hundred times I would! I felt actual, physical relief reading that post! With that clear on it you have an AMAZING shine and should even be a bit more durable.

OK guys! Yeah, keep helping him but you are potentially costing me money!

I had a dedicated Wheel Horse tractor for tilling, that is until my friend Bruce borrowed my tiller......... He says I can borrow it back anytime I need it I'm glad he didn't want to borrow the tractor too !

Well, you guys were right! I bought a small polisher, and WOW! What a difference. Very pleased with the results, and will continue on with each of my pieces. Just glad that I don't have to strip and start all over. Have a look for yourselves. FENDER BEFORE: FENDER AFTER: RECOIL BEFORE: RECOIL AFTER: Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Guys!!! You're the BEST!! The only other thing that I was able to accomplish lately was starting on the hood. Will take a little bit of time to get it built up and smoothed out, but hopefully it will be just as nice as the rest of the tractor when I'm done.

I pulled this off of WFM, and it should apply for all two cylinder Onans. I redid mine on my '88 John Deere 316 and it sealed up the intake and stop the engine from surging. If you're having an issue with an Onan surging and you cleaned and cleaned the carb, I suggest you check the intake seal. This may read a bit funny, but I edited out some posts that weren't relevant and only tried to capture the ones that were relevant. Still, I might have missed some posts that were not relevant and they gotten captured also. 318 Intake.pdf

The one I got recently doesnt have the Onan pump either. It is more round like the Briggs pump but I dont see a name on it. Works well though.

Hey TonyP, how are you with regards to Hurricane Matthew?

Glenn, you should be ashamed of yourself for having so many near mint, low hour 's Send a few to Iowa for a vacation, I'll give them free room and board!!!! As far as the position of the brake pedal, It is unlike any I have seen My 95 looks the same as my 88 and both look like the picture googled above. My short legs would have a problem reaching yours.

This is great news!!! Congrats and keep going. We all want to see this thing completed!

I have one with the floor pan issue as well. It came about from sloppy tire chains getting caught. The previous owner caught it on fire trying to straighten or removing the floor pan . Made for a good deal for me. I don't remember about the pedal.

Small world there Howard, I got my 854 from Kevin, and I agree he seemed a little reluctant by the time I had it loaded and strapped to the trailer. And then faded off into the sunset

Wow what a gloss! I must say this is going to be a gem when completed!

Its unreal someone would take this to a scrap yard. Hell, stick it out front with a sign saying "Free" if you don't want it. Just the engine alone in running condition is worth several hundred. Thank you for saving this fine machine from such a fate!

Now it is "finished" in that now the thing will start and mow. It mows better than expected because the deck has a full length roller that helps a lot to keep it from scalping. This is probably the most heavy duty deck that MTD makes, so that is a big plus for this machine. There were plenty of other issues. The electric clutch had tight bearings and was not fully seated on the engine drive shaft. I took it apart and used Freeze-off to loosen the bearings up, but it took an hour of constant filing to get the key properly fitted to the engine shaft. More butchering by previous repair by other unknown people. A new clutch from MTD is more than $350.00 Aftermarket clutches with replaceable bearings are about $175.00 I am ordering a new bottom bearing for the clutch to have just in case. The present bearing is staked in place by these wonderful people at MTD. Replacing it would require grinding out the stakes and lots of time and patience. The machine shakes a lot compared to the elegance of a WH, but it did smooth out some once the old mower belt got some use. Fuel use is approaching twice the amount of fuel for the same acreage mowed. I also need to use hearing protection with the overall noise level of tractor+mower. The hood cage needs a bit of welding at the tab ears, and the hood itself had some dents and creases that hammered out 90% It looks like I could use a bit of body filler and then paint the affected area flat black to accent the hood and draw attention away from the repaired area. Since the mower will look good and has the appeal of covering a lot of ground, i should probably just sell it off [maybe $800.00] and use the money for a really nice Wheel horse or possibly do an Onan-to Kohler swap on the 520 I already have .

JD, here are the before and after (to date) of the C125 restoration. All the running gear is now installed but I have to recreate the wiring harness. All the safety switches were replaced. If you are interested in the OEM suppliers (not Toro), send me a PM. Engine, as I said earlier, is the problem child. Running boards, side panels, and fender need sanding and paint. Hood had broken welds on one side which have been rewelded, but the hood is a little out of whack so I need to think about how to twist it a bit to get it close to perfect. Rims are actually in much better condition than the last two restorations I did, but could use a refresh and of course tires

I have a early three blade deck for a RJ35