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We are celebrating Popeye Day on January 17. Popeye made his debut appearance in a comic strip called “Thimble Theatre.” Elzie Crisler (E.C.) Segar created it on January 17, 1929. The comic was originally centered around Olive Oyl, but the popularity of Popeye changed that. By 1933, Popeye had his own cartoon series. “I Yam What I Yam” is the first cartoon with Popeye as the main character. Fleischer Studios released the cartoon between 1933 and 1942. Even after a century, Popeye remains one of the most popular comics ever produced. Elzie Crisler (E.C.) Segar — a cartoonist and writer from Illinois — created the Popeye masterpiece in 1919. However, Popeye was not part of the initial story. It took 10 years for the first appearance of Popeye. Seger published “Popeye in the Thimble Theatre.” The story initially revolved around the misadventures of Olive Oyl and her boyfriend, Harold Ham Gravy. The strong appeal of Popeye attracted the attention of readers and influenced the writer to shift the story into a Popeye-centric one. Olive became the love interest of Popeye. The popularity of the comic increased steadily. Popeye made his silver screen debut on July 14, 1933. In the same year, Popeye also had his own cartoon. The journey of Popeye continued into radio, comic book series, magazines, and cartoon series in the 1960s. They introduced new characters and adventures in between these incidents. Bluto and Jeep brought a new flavor to the story. An interesting detail about Popeye is his use of spinach. The story created a massive demand for spinach in the U.S. The creator of Popeye died 9 years after making his creation. The iconic character still dominates the cartoon industry thanks to the brilliant portrayal of the character and the depth of the story. Popeye is one of the most successful franchises to ever exist.

Did some service work at a couple homes this past week. During an LP to Natural conversion, I found the lint inside the dryer cabinet had started fire and smoldered about inside the appliance. I refused service and insisted they replace. They did not argue. I then proceeded to clean their dryer vent.

Back ten or 12 years ago you could buy a Lawn Ranger for $150 to $250. because people thought they were big enough or whatever. However they had the Wheel Horse 5025 transmission! You could also buy those transmissions for about $50. I bought them as I found them to be in better shape then those used on the bigger tractor models with bigger motors etc. They were generally not abused.

@tunahead72..

Perfect timing. I had me ham and yams for dinner yesterday and will "eat's me spinach" today in my salad and Mexican lasagna.

" The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and then pick it up." RIP Bob! ( I did catch a knuckleball with my Rt. eye socket once! )

Already starting to look much cleaner... I can actually see the engine block!

Unfortunately we lost Bob Uecker today. In Wisconsin we knew him as the very entertaining voice of the Milwaukee Brewers. ( A contract that he held for many years simply on a hand shake, no paper work needed) Some of you may recognize him from some '80s Miller Lite commercials. Some might remember him as Harry Doyle from the movie Major League. As a note - He was not given a script for this movie, he was given an out line and most all of his lines were add lib. He was with the Cardinals when they won the 1964 world series, but never played during the 7 game series. He was a poor ball player ( according to his record and own comments) but an icon among baseball personalities. RIP Bob, hope there is baseball in heaven. PLAY BALL !!!

I’ve been bringing a BD-4263 Doxer blade back to life (1963). It’s almost ready, needing only a centering rod in the front hitch. That said, the heavy usage this plow has seen has put a lot of wear on the quadrant pivot. If the plow proves useful, I’ll go after tightening that up but I the meantime, it’ll do. Here it is so far, ready to be tested with 5-8” of snow forecast for Sunday night into Monday. I’m using a plow mount bracket intended for long frame tractors instead of the original separate bolt-on angle irons. The ¾” rod with pinned spacers through the tangs lets the narrower bracket hold the wide-ended frame. Putting the rod through the original mounting holes, however, positioned the plow too far rearward so that when the plow was angled the skids interfered with the front wheels (or vice versa?). This was made worse by the slop in the quadrant pivot. To move the plow forward to roughly where it would be with the “factory” mount setup, I’ve welded extensions (blue arrow) to the tangs and made new mounting holes 3” aft of the original holes. I left the original holes (red arrow) so the change is reversable. Voila, no tire/skid interference. New ⅝” shaft skids with bushings to fill the ¾” skid mounts and other new hardware. A lever and rod were not with the plow when I got it so I made new. The new angle control lever is a straightened 8-speed shift lever welded to a new base. Rod is Heim-jointed. This model was the last to have the foot-operated quadrant release.

Supposedly, in the local folklore of Chester, Illinois. A man named Frank “Rocky” Fiegel, an old Sailor was the inspiration for Popeye. It was engraved on his tombstone when he died. If you see a picture of the guy. He looks very very close to the cartoon. I’m glad I eats me spinach today I’m working on this. As you guys know it wasn’t light…😁

Right or wrong the decision is made. It came down between the HF Titanium 125 and the Arccaptian 130 based on my needs and the reviews. Thinking back when I had a Lincoln 225 I don't think I ever cranked it past 125 amps. A plus is that I don't need to do anything electrical to get the max out of either one. Pricing wasn't really a consideration but Arccaptain made me an offer I bit on this morning. With the sale price, an 8% discount plus tax it came to $118.13 delivered. Yet again, red beats green.

I've been a fan of Popeye for as long as I can remember. I've had some folks at previous employers give me that nickname as well...

bearings and seals are available on the internet - I've just replaced bearings and seals on a 5025 here in the UK

You are correct in that your transmission is a 5025. Since you're going to have it open you may want to do the shift rail and stop pin upgrade per service bulletin #60. The flats as already mentioned help with the shifter issue but isn't a positive stop. The upgraded rails not only have the flat but a deeper neutral detent. Used with a longer stop pin it's a mechanical stop and doesn't allow the shifter to lock up in two gears.

Because of that commercial every time I go into a stadium or arena and I can’t find my seat I think to myself “Must be in the front row!”

This somebody on here? Dude fabbed up dual 24" Ariens snowblowers and mounted to a C-145. I'm strongly considering doing something similar and have questions. DeafTruck

Just wondering if a 6 x 4 wheel horse has ever been built? Like a John Deere gator with two larger wheels in back for the payload / cargo area . Using two hydrostatic axles coupled together to drive or power it. If not give me some tips on what to use or not to use if and when I try to build one. thank you

I’m not sure you’d need a gearbox since something like a mower deck mule would probably also work (with a suitable idler/tensioner). Snowblowers don’t need to be lifted more than a few inches and that helps with belt routing. I can definitely see that with a lot of area to clear, 48 or 60 inches of blower would come in handy.

Ask them anyway! You'll need a good 90 deg gearbox. There's lots of guys on here that can provide info and ideas even though they haven't built one. I was thinking of something like that before getting a big WH 2 stage. Still think about it once in a while as I have some blowers out there to use. Even if you use a larger 30" or 32" and add wings to the sides

Hard to see, but it looks like he was happy with it! Love the wave at the end of the second video!

The steel windscreen supports are just plain steel so I sanded and lacquered them ready to fit. The bonnet latches are an issue, four of them needed: two for the bonnet and two to hold down the folded screen. I looked at ready made ones which are cast white metal. But I wasn't too keen on the look of them. So it was "Let's see how on earth I go about making these things" time. I thought about turning a button shape in brass and filing the shape, but that was a real faffing about job. So I used some soft brass plate to shape a flat version of the handle, then sliver soldered a 4mm shank onto it. I made a domed jig to bend the lobes and hook over. Then turn a steel body and drill for the hook end. Eh voilà: ----- Just the top and bottom bracket parts to fabricate now.

Guess Im too late but I got rid of my stick welder when I bought my mig. It welds anything I have ever wanted to do from sheetmetal to steel angle. Not a pro by anymeans but never had anything break. Just bought a tig welder and I am icthing to try it out. Best warranty in the business too. 3 year no hassle. I want to learn to do aluminum. If I can pull it off, might get into making some more fuel tanks.

GREAT in mac and cheese!

Wane0 I agree with you and Eric, I use down pressure all the time. I like how it gets down to the pavement.I do not put a lot of pressure on the handle just enuf to move the snow after blowing first. Now ice is different.

Have it all in stock.....

"gone through" ??

Thank you guys, it's nice to hear that my fumblings are appreciated lol. Curiously I've just been looking at a conversation on a model engineering forum over here. A member said he was leaving because the forum was a waste of time and he could find better ones. Part of the problem seems to be that no matter what you ask or show there are always negative comments or criticism. It's like there are a lot of members who rejoice in showing how clever they are and love to belittle the efforts of those they consider to be beneath them. For example I posted a photo of part of my Landrover build and all I got from one guy was "You do realise it should have hexagon head bolts, not allen head? It spoils the look of it" This was about a 2mm bolt which you hardly see. It's no wonder people don't want to get involved when they come up against that kind of attitude. When I went to join a model engineering club near me the first thing out of the secretaries mouth was how much the subs were and they had to be paid before I could attend, the second thing was could I grab a shovel and wheelbarrow to move tons of ballast around to repair their rail track bed. Nothing about model making, just provide muscle so they could drive their toy trains! Lol. I've never had that kind of comment or attitude from anyone on Red Square, only help, advice and encouragement, even when asking daft questions. Here we have a laugh and joke and also provide a great place to chat about anything from Wheelhorse to workshops. Thank you to all the guys and girls who make Red Square a safe and happy place to chill out and talk tractors. Mick.

I really wanted something bigger for moving my boat around and more comfortable at plow days. This popped up on fb in a WH group. I grabbed it up. Just purrs but dies after about 30 min of running. Most likely the coil is giving up. I will deal with that once warmer weather arrives. A worker cosmetic refresh is in order once spring arrives. Seeing if Terry can come up with a special Austim Awareness variation to the standard WH Automatic 18 decal set. Give it a tiny bit of flair, maybe puzzle pieces in the red background or lets see what he comes up with. Definatly a beast, my first time driving one of the big Horses. She has the 3pt and rear pto on it. Looking forward to refreshing her a bit.

I think you found the problem. It for sure won't blow snow if the auger isn't turning. Now figure out why the auger seizes under load. Does the rotating auger spin freely and does it contact the housing.

That is strange. Is there any possibility it is turning in the wrong direction or the auger is not turning under load? auger slipping on the shaft one of the chain sprockets lost a key runs at idle, but slips under load Jack shaft pulley lost key

@hcminis

@MainelyWheelhorse Take a look at that post. Click on the link.

It would be a good idea to open the carburetor, most times only a cleaning is required and maybe a bowl gasket. These Onan engines were used extensively for generator duty where they were governed to 1800 RPM. That large blower (flywheel) moved enough air to run full throttle at half the speed we run our tractors. While cleaning, or at least inspecting, the cooling fins, I have never seen any grass clippings built up in there. Some oil filter mounts had a cast finish that did leak, the fine finish on the others was not much of a problem if the bolts were tight. My guess is the oil mess often comes from the mechanic being sloppy. Whenever changing the oil filter, use a mirror and flashlight while the filter is off to get an idea if the tins need to come off.

The tins over the heads can be removed with just a few more screws. Ed mentioned pulling the heads for carbon removal, depending how the engine was used it may or may not be necessary, Onan has it on their maintenance chart. It appears that you have the short oil filter and it will not hold the gasket (Onan calls it a gasket, many here call it a grommet) in place. Get a long filter, I use only Onan 122-0800 or Fleetguard LF3339. It is likely due for a valve adjustment, that takes a fair amount of work since the exhaust, intake and valve covers to be removed. I can guide you thru that even better than the service manual. I always glass bead the exhaust and paint it with high temperature paint to preserve it, good ones are hard to find. The intake manifold can develop a leak so it needs to be inspected at the seam and where the heat shields might contact. It is best to use genuine Onan gaskets, many aftermarket gaskets are junk, especially the intake and head gaskets. Add gaskets to your shopping list. Be sure to download the Onan Service Manual here. Have a small torque wrench and follow the torque specifications in the manual, do not over tighten. As you proceed, keep checking back, there are many fine details that we can provide. Work slow and clean, stop if you are not sure how to proceed. If you become a supporter here many photos can be posted to help communicate.

I don't think there's a wrong choice. I got the green one a few years ago and it's been really handy. One improvement though I would recommend for any of the budget flux setups is to see if it has a copper ground clamp. If it doesn't I would upgrade to one. They are less than $10. I thought I was the worse welder as I could never get a nice looking bead. They welds were strong, just ugly. Switched out the cheap clamp with the copper one and man it made a huge improvement. Much better and consistent burn and less popping. And plugging it in to the closest outlet is always a convenience

Finally got some seat time on Ole' Rusty. Note the "down pressure" on the blade.

Old timer taught me how to zip the y-bones out - EZ-PZ

@953 nut Are there actually people that don’t like cheese? 😂

If you like cheese here is one you need to try.

Scored a swath of original manuals for the ‘76 C-160 on Nice to have a paper reference in a digital world.

Just a note on removal - the hub is shown properly installed, with the outer edge of the bushing flush to the end of the axle. While removing, do not hit the bushing to shock it loose - the jacking apart action slides the hub portion back about 1/8" before coming loose. There MUST be room for it to move..... Look at TaperLock Bushings in McMaster. There are several standard sizes that cover 1" and 1-1/8" Look at the load ratings - impressive. A bonus - works equally well CW or CCW with a reversing shock load....

The taper bushing hubs are rock solid. And easy to remove if you ever need to.

This is what my son that work for Milwaukee gave me this M18 1" tool, and it takes care of everything, this thigs got the power! C-85

Celebrated Mrs Ks mothers birthday.

How's the torque for using implements? Seems a little scant...

And use jack stands or something as a failsafe if you are going to get under it in any way. I'm a pretty big fella, but I can't bench 750lbs...

It's all about speed -WOT on the blower auger, but SLOW forward motion. Low range 1st or 2nd gear on an 8 speed tractor works best. My 32" blower is a 1963 model - those tractors came only as 4 speeds. The manual tells you to use the clutch to "adjust" the forward speed.... My 854 has the Unidrive from a C81 8 speed .

Phew, been a hectic few weeks away from the build bench. Garden projects and holidays took far too much of my hobby time lol. Why is the rum gone? Why is the rum always gone? Lol And my favourite, courtesy of young Frankenstein..... WHAT KNOCKERS! Anyway, back to the build... I've done some primer spraying on the chassis dear readers, but that's about as interesting as watching it dry. So today I started to Nankle (technical term in Yorkshire) with the brake and clutch pedals. The original pre-production models had cast bronze pedal heads. But as it was just after the Second World War II, bronze was in short supply so they changed them to steel. I am copying a pre-production variant so brass it has to be.... The studs cast into the face were a puzzle for me to replicate. So I drilled holes 1mm diameter and soldered brass pins in, which I then filed and polished. This is a pic of the original pedal box...

All springs punched and assembled. Once I'd sorted the method I could do a full spring in four minutes. The accuracy and consistency is fantastic.

Yep….. slow I rode in it and we hit 80 on his road. Actually blew my sunglasses off my face.