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For those with a grouch in their lives — which is actually most of us — there is nothing better than Do A Grouch A Favor Day, which is celebrated on February 16 each year. Help a very grumpy person turn their mood around. So how do we help them experience the sweeter side of life? While we cannot pinpoint the origins of this day, we rather think this might be the brainchild of someone who is a grouch and secretly wants to be the recipient of nice gestures from people. That or Big Bird from “Sesame Street” is trying to stop Oscar the Grouch from grumbling again.

I never knew this until today! I had a snowplow/dozer blade drop down off of the plow. I pulled the pins and placed on top of the tractor to look. I have seen these in the past where the spring broke in half and you either need a new one or welded it. But I never knew the top and bottom cast piece was threaded to go on the spring like a hex nut! 🔩 we had about 3 inches of snow early this am and I cleared my drive and two neighbors.

I think I'll just let her sleep ...

Rebuild kit came in on Thursday, engine block went to my machinist on Friday. He says about 2 weeks, hopefully he's on schedule cause that should be about the time I'm ready to make some red paint fly. Busy dealing with snow most of the weekend, but I did find time to spray some primer on the sheet metal. 1 coat of self etching primer & 3 coats of 2K urethane primer.

I don’t know if this idea has been thrown in the ring but here goes - broken wire filament in the plug wire - motor and plug wire heat up - rubber casing expands separates filament - shut it down cools - casing contracts closing break .

My money is on a bad coil. Had one on a 7HP Kohler that you could set your watch by - 7 minutes. Did the inline spark checker - great spark when cold. After it heated up 7 minutes later - no spark.

Cleared around 3-4 inches... of rain throughout the week. No pictures but I'd did it without moving any horses

I'm really surprised at how much snow my 654 will push also. And I guess I'm one of the fortunate ones who's 6hp Tecumseh always starts up easy & runs great. I have 95lbs on hitch along w/my 200lbs on seat. The zig zag tires both good. Paid $450 for my 654 & seller drove 2hrs to deliver it! I like the smaller size for my needs both mowing & plowing. My neighbors across street have a newer John Deere box store tractor. Even w/22hp it struggles to push snow. VID_20241221_140052.mp4

Woke up to 5" of snow on the ground. Got the blower out & cleared it out so I could go about my day. Was gonna scrape the pavement clean with the C145 but it was still snowing so I didn't really see the point. Left home to get some work done, came back home to another 3" on the ground and no snow falling from the sky. Got the blower out to clean up again, then the C145 went to work scrapping all the pavement clean. Got done just in time for it to start snowing again.

I don't plow I blow ... Used to plow, truck, 4 wheeler tried it all, in years of much early snow always ran out of real estate to stack it. Finally got 6-8 of nice fluffy stuff First time the rigs have been out in months. Probably the root of my recent Onan carb problems and one bad thing about having dedicated sno machines. No snow = no seat time = varnish in carbs. I do have a 502 with a fine running 6 hp Tecky for extended seat time and cleaning up the edges. Just amazes me the traction I get with 6-12s and not much for weight. . BTW this was a $100 tractor ... PO didn't think it was suitable for plowing

Out for a walk with Mrs Sylvan and we see our 85 yr old neighbor shoveling the heavy 3" snow we got... he has early dementia and we know his wife would if she caught him shoveling... We cut our walk short and the C-105 made short work of both his driveways... His wife just called to thank me for doing it, but also and more importantly for keeping him from trying... I told her he was now "management "... No pics due to the nature of the situation... All good.

If it popped off once, it will again. Replace the spring.

Since when did that bother you before???

These are from the last couple storms.

Still working on the mower deck. Almost all pulleys with a bearing had to be replaced. Those are now ordered. Now doing a basic paint job to stop the rust. Want all the moving parts working as they should. Takes a long time but by next weekend I should start putting together.

Another 4" last night... Yard art pretty quiet today... 5 driveways and roof raking...

Been doing mostly a repaint on the 1985 312-8. the transmission was leaking every where case and all the seals. Got it sealed up with new gasket and new seals this side. Need to turn it over and put the seal in the other side and finish the paint. It's been too wet or windy to paint out side, didn't plan to used this color (Safety Red) but I'm getting use to it. The 520-H patched the original paint. 71 Raider IH Red, 77 C-120 and the other 312 Regal Red, I'm set on one color when it comes to wheel any white I have will do. Our red clay will make them the color it likes.

Didn't know there was an actual day for me, I'll tell the wife, maybe she won't give me that look, you guys who have been married for more than 25 years know the one , on that day as opposed to every other day.

In the past 35+ years I have gone through the WH 12hp step program twice only to fall off the wagon both times. The wife and I have both decided just to live with it.

Few years ago my 315 8 would just randomly stop - leave it sit a few minutes would start - this went on for months with a lot of frustration and profanity - turned out it was a bad rubbed through wire on the reverse safety switch - you've all but eliminated a fuel issue - to me it sounds like how a bad coil acts after it gets hot - after 20 minutes the magneto under the tin is also getting hot - could the 20 minutes be the time it takes the magneto to reach the temp it's shorting out ?

There are a lot of cheaper knock offs

My FIL's CB handle was "Grouch" (which he was not....) He passed in May of '92. Many good memories there...

I have had the cheap Harbor Freight spark tester flash yet the engine wouldn't run right. Hooked up the B&S tester and you could see the spark was yellow and weak.

Realy does sound like fuel issue but sometimes I have used inline B&S spark tester to verify the spark stays strong &blue not yellow and weak just enough for engine to stay running

I um, never found originals. Decided to just make a funny...

Mid 20's most of today, 9 degrees now (6:30pm). Estimate -4 by 7:00am, low of -12 on Monday.

Got more work done downstairs and out in the new workshop. The shelves we moved have been all fastened and reinforced. I started filling them today. Also hung the clamp holder on the door. The first pieces of decoration made it up today too. Mack sign on the shelves and my old baseball glove. The white louvered door is now hiding a cute little cabinet at the bottom of the stairs.

Temp is down to 33 and wind is 15 going to be a wonderful night

Similar mix here snow yesterday sleet rain over night (40 degrees now high temp for the month) Plowed 4 inches of slush . it was seriously heavy, the big D series blade dragged down the M16. Teens an 20-40 mph wind tonight the slush piles will be solid in the morning. Will not break freezing again until next Sunday. Going to be a tough week...

My son had the caps come off on both springs on his plow. The flexing of the springs had worn away metal from BOTH the springs AND the casting. After different attempts to repair, I gave up and got replacements. Attempts: - epoxy (too soft and not good adhesion; lasted for only a couple of plowings) - steel shims a la a helicoil (not enough thread or spring metal left to force new threads; failed quickly) I did not try welding because I doubted I have sufficient skill to persuade spring steel and cast iron to mate.

@8ntruck is correct, any 42-48” deck from a C-series or 300,400,500 series will fit. Except a 60” deck unless you have a forward swept front axle.

We had three or four inches followed by heavy rain. Plowed the slush off the driveway and the street-side sidewalk this morning. Deep freeze starting tomorrow.

Put an ad in classifieds- wanted.

Look thru the Interchange Chart...

Since it ic currently cold weather in In., think it would be worthwhile to run it to see if it quits at 20 minutes, or goes a bit longer? If so, that kind of points to the coil. Might try playing Mike Olfield's Tubular Bells in the background while you work on it - just in case it really is possessed.

Nah! Like I said, my threads can't be hijacked. It's all good stuff. I didn't say Eric wasn't a bad influence though. This thread quickly confirmed some of my ideas, gave me some new ideas and maybe most of all, got me motivated to have another go at that possessed tractor. Only now I gotta wait until I can get it from the barn to the garage. And for some goodies to get here.

My threads can't be hijacked Eric. I think that's to check the spark on your big truck. I just ordered one of Pauls type.

yes

https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=e06434e0b22fe8e9&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS866US866&sxsrf=AHTn8zrmgbS9usJKpDOCzO4pyf8tI-zpIg:1739713570432&q=high+stress+grease&spell=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjZqYGLqsiLAxVqrYkEHdqQEwIQBSgAegQICRAB&biw=1024&bih=607&dpr=1 regularly refer to , bearing failure issues , what you have to realise is the ANGULAR pull on those bearings , also check on how easisy a bearing respondes to movement , have made a point of changing out a bearing , to a wider side grease shield , type / style , so you can eliminate original generic lube , and replace with hi temp , polyurea rated lube , also refer to how easily , my belt drives , move implement , BY HAND AT PTO LEVER START POINT , DRIVE BELT START . experiment with a chronic issue , MAKE A CHANGE , from whats there , that super lube in cabeling is amazing , for all temp slide , use a penetrant , to get the rust out , then the super lube , all my bearings have been , cleand out and re lubed , no belt bounnce , just quiet smooth movement , only a suggestion , pete

Bob, did you have a spark tester on at the 20 minute mark. Any difference in the spark when she got ill.. Oops,I see Paul types faster than me.

Thinking coil or... Any chance this tractor has a kill relay? Weak coil in the relay starts to give up the ghost after 20 minutes and tries to ground out the IGN coil?

This also got me thinking sticking exhaust valve. If this is the case, you should see some burning at the seat.

Jim Darb is a great guy. Docwheelhorse aka Tony and I went to see him this past summer. To look at a few tractors he had. Had a great visit. Have a great day stay safe up there.

I bought a bunch of WH stuff from Darb 4 or 5 years ago ? Met up with him at Kittery Trading Post around 9 pm while he was on his way North on a Hunting trip. Great guy !!

A long time ago in a land far away I went to a store that was similar. I believe it was Cowan Auto in Greenfield MA. They were well out of my normal area at the time but had the capability of replacing a bad bearing in an alternator of an 80s or 90s vehicle I had then. The guy was an excellent tech. The machine shop was old and glorious. He knew exactly what to do and how but that bearing fought him tooth and nail. What should have been a 5 to 10 minute job took him 45 because he eventually had to cut the inner part off. I figured at the hourly rate then I was still money ahead and I was happy to keep using an otherwise good alternator. When I got the invoice he had still charged me for the initial estimate of a few minutes work even though it occupied several times that. To him... it had become personal. That bearing was NOT going to defeat him....

and the shop is only 1 mile from my house. am i a lucky guy or what? just as i was finishing plowing the last storm my C160 8 speed (my plow tractor) seemed to be moving too slow. so on friday i decided to look at it because i knew we were supposed to get another storm this weekend. and sure enough as i type this it is snowing again. first i changed the belt. nope, that did not fix the problem. the problem was the roll pin had broke in the gizmo that the clutch spring attaches to. although i had an assortment of roll pins i did not have the proper diameter size pin. a quick trip downtown to the auto parts store and wolla i had the fix in my hands. the C160 is back in action and ready for duty! i showed the shop owner 3 roll pins that i had selected from the drawer. he just said "see you saturday at choir practice" choir practice is code for come on down saturday after i close and have a beer or two. no charge for the pins. his dad started the business in 1953. sadly the owner is now 71 and none of his kids wants to carry on the business. they also make hydraulic hoses out back. all the construction guys, farmers etc who need hoses go there. they do not sell fuzzy dice or much auto air freshener though! i do not buy from rock auto or any online auto parts place because i value this local business sooo much. once this place is gone it will be gone for good. sorry to hijack the thread regards mike

Trina's Momma has had a long-time dream to have a light gray kitchen. To the best of Trina's knowledge, her mom has NEVER redecorated her living space. In any place. EVER... Sooooooo... They met downtown this morning. The Momma chose the grey. Trina came back and painted one wall.

17 for me.

Last Saturday was a really difficult day… This was Kahlua at the age of maybe 3 months. She was technically my son's dog, along with his wife and eventually their two lovely daughters, but in reality she adopted all of us, including my wife and daughter, and we all loved her as if she were our own. Lu came to us in 2014 from a local rescue organization, and lived with us for about a year or so while my son lived at home with us before he got married. She was an adorable, fun, energetic pup, who loved being with her people and getting as many belly rubs as she could possibly talk us into. We took her to dog parks, and along on numerous hikes, taught her the joys of laying in small flowing bodies of water, and generally let her explore life with the rest of us. She loved going with us to visit our place in Virginia, where for at least a few days at a time she could finally be rid of that dang leash that always seemed to be holding her back, and just run and wander and chase deer, seemingly forever. Lu loved to let her spirit run free, and sometimes had trouble understanding basic life principles, like "just because it's laying on the ground or the floor in front of you doesn't mean it's food". Or "you really shouldn't jump off high places very often". She played hard, and suffered some physical ailments because of it, and had some surgeries to correct those ailments, and so was doing pretty good in her middle years considering everything she'd put herself through. But then a couple of years ago, during a regular routine exam, her vets noticed some problems with her blood work. They did some more tests and found that she had some sort of blood cancer that I couldn't possibly explain to you all, and told us that even with chemo and medications she probably only had another year or so to live. We fully expected Christmas 2023 to be her last with us, and celebrated accordingly with lots of presents and attention. She didn't have a clue what was going on, and went on with her life as usual, and for most of 2024 only showed a moderate bit of deterioration in her energy levels and general physical condition. To our surprise we were lucky enough to be able to celebrate Christmas in 2024 with her as well. But then things started going bad pretty quickly. I'll spare you the details, but at some point my son and his wife decided they were out of options and it was time to let her go, and Saturday we said goodbye to Kahlua for the very last time. The day before that, I took a long walk by myself through one of my favorite places to take Lu for hikes, a local nature preserve with streams and woods and lots of wildlife and all their sounds and smells. It was a peaceful walk, with lots of memories, and by the end I had gone from being very sad to thinking I had it together and was finally ready to accept what was going to happen the next day. But that feeling ended as soon as my son and his family arrived Saturday to let us see Lu that last time, and I saw her walk down the ramp out of their car, with a good bit of difficulty, and then come running right over to me for the usual hugs and licks and belly rub. I just about lost it right then, and as I looked around at the rest of my family I realized they were having as much trouble as I was. We somehow all managed to keep it together while they were here at the house, said our final goodbyes and took care of our two granddaughters while their mom and dad took Lu to the vet for the last time. It went well, mom and dad returned a couple hours later without Lu, and suddenly their 4-year-old understood the reality of what they'd explained to her was going to happen, and she got real sad and quiet. I understand she's handling it well back at home, but she really loved her pup and I know she's going to miss her, and so will we all. Anybody who's read this far, I appreciate your hanging with me here. I didn't expect to write so much when I sat down to compose this post, but this one's going to hurt for a long time. Here's some photos of Lu in her adult years, enjoying some of her favorite activities and people… Rest in peace Luey, and thank you for ALL the memories.