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Finished the headlight mod.

Chicken or steak ???? My answer is - YES please.

Get some steak sizzling over an open flame because August 18 is National Fajita Day. It’s a day to celebrate the authentic taste of the Southwest with the fiesta of flavor known as the fajita. Throw in some awesome black beans or even add a little hot sauce, guacamole, sour cream, or cheese. The combinations are endless. It’s National Fajita Day so you know what you’ve got to do (eat fajitas, obviously).

Hosed tractor off to get the big chunks removed. Removed fuel tank and fender support bracket, side covers and foot rests, drive belt, drive pulley and fan, All parts removed have been degreased and washed. Tractor degreased.

So yesterday I met up with @Pullstart to swap a couple tractors... I'm looking at another restoration, only this one runs, has good tires, and overall seems in pretty good shape. LED lights even work... In keeping with my budget (think Ramon noodles), I have already fixed the seat at no cost. Will be changing the oil in motor and trans, doing a thorough cleaning, replacing the shifter boot, and then seeing what direction I go from there... This one may just stay in its work clothes... Some pics:

started using a gun a few years back and yep it is so much better. I know you did not ask but here are a few tips. I was always shying away due to the clean up of the gun. I use brake cleaner now and with the straw and it cleans up in less than 5. especially when using disposable cups. I mix the hardener with the reducer first then add to the paint. I like about 1 to 5 mix @28psi. and use the thumb to pinky distance for the gun. of course using a piece of cardboard to get the pattern dialed in. I have found if I have a light in the background, it helps for how fast I move the gun. I look at the sheen in reflection of the light and speed up or slow down so it maintains a wet edge. I buy the single stage auto paint on eBay that has the reducer and hardener included. I have used this paint a few times and it works really well. Available in quarts too.

Are there any signs that someone has been in that transmission before you? I suspect those plastic bushing are not factory. Something a PO installed

Oops it’s been a while since I updated the thread… Since the last update I have Put the hood on, Tightened down the sheet metal. built a battery hood down and an exhaust pipe with a brace. Made a lexan headlight lens and got the head lights working. Painted the rims. Then, started in painting the sheet metal. That’s where I’m at today.

Rust-Oleum Regal Red seems to be the choice of many Wheel Horse owners. As far as the engine, the only area that gets hot enough to discolor the paint is around the exhaust. Decals from redoyourhorse.com (our vendor Vinylguy), may be a little pricy, but they are good, and as far as I know, they may be your only source for some one of a kind decals like dash panels and engine spec plates.

I brought an RJ home today. 5 hour round trip. Older restoration, hasn’t ran in years, piston is free. I’ll work on this in my spare time …. The gentleman threw in what he said was an original fabricated slot hitch. Can anyone confirm this? I know the front wheels are not correct, saw that right away. Its granddaughter approved !

Silly question - are the check valves installed in their proper direction - from the tank to let fuel in, to carb to let fuel out?? Are they functional, not stuck open??

i'm with oliver2-44. some PO must have done a little jerry rigging. to think someone dropped the tranny, opened it up and went thru all that time and trouble and not fix it correctly. good grief!

Yesterday after the initial coat of paint and filler primer, the body panels needed a bit more filler. after spot putty and apparently half kicked bondo that was still sticky today. I’ve got it figured out. After a scrape down of the old Bondo, and bit of new Bondo. It’s almost ready for another try at painting it. I’m going to attempt that before dark tonight if not tomorrow afternoon. It’s been an adventure😄

Start with 10 oz paint 1 1/2 of reducer and 1 oz hardener to start. And I usually end up with 10 oz paint and 2 oz reducer. with 1 oz hardener Start out on the low side on reducer you can always add. I never mix more than 10 oz of paint. I use those cheap Harbor Freight guns and run the feed near wide open. I move pretty fast on the first coat as the tack coat. About 10 minutes and re coat slower. Some like to touch the paint on an area like the tape and if the paint doesn't come off on your finger it is ready to re coat. The Mfg recommends 8 parts paint 2 parts reducer and 1 part hardener. Which is a little thinner than i prefer.

If you become a supporter of this site you can post all the pictures you want and we all think your name would look good in RED. You have received a great deal of support from Red Square, it is time for you to support Red Square.

@Bill D Hi Bill, I will gladly take those measurements for you when I get home. Currently camping on the ocean!

Healing takes time.

Looks like JD green. The oil pan may be different, but you can always swap you existing one on to it.

There is your plow mule for next year

Ya gets what ya paid for...... Rustoleum is a good "backyard" type of product - but - you need to wait about a month in order to apply the decals. It has a very slow cure time. Some folks buy the paint in quarts, mixing it with a hardening catalyst. That is best applied with a HVLP spraygun. Having bought several times from Vinylguy, I was never diaappointed....

Had a few out stretching their legs.

Today was paint day, I was also getting used to and dialing in my new gravity feed Husky paint gun. I got it in June for my birthday. The panels overall are going to need a little sanding and touch up especially the rear pan and guards as they were the first thing painted. The hood turned out great and no runs overall. It’s a learning curve. It beats using a spray can too.

Continued with the deep cleaning of the C-85. A few before and after pics:

Here ya go. Just faint scars now. The fingernail I hit with a hammer a few weeks before the angle grinder incident will be obvious for quite a while longer. Nail is getting close to falling off...

Changing for a 30wt to 40 wt oil may help.

That makes sense. Parts “A & B” would need to be in reasonably close alignment in order to work together, and that extra wear will only complicate that. Hopefully with the cleaning and lubricating you did, the bendix assembly will able to move freely and function normally . -JD-

You got everything you need to know right here.

Headlight mod is done. It is a long way from lighting it up though I think I got ahead of myself a little here haha.

added this to my 3 decks in detailing function , eliminating spindle belt bounce . , that is caused with lubrication failure , making spindles hang up for a second , and make belt bounce . just a single 3/8 hole in deck is needed , like a thread free bolt to enhance pulley movement , washer at base , washer at top and elastic lock nut . very slight belt push , makes it work as it should . that long unsupported run , also is the reason for original slide area wipe out of of metal / nylon spring tension area . often refer to smooth / easy deck engagement , no clutch squealing . had to get fed up with original set up , no belt wear , splitting . etc . years and time on this , of course . lucas green chassis grease in every related bearing , spin up is ridiculously smooth / quiet easy . decks are also , rot free , pete

i came upon a few older neglected and abused heavily pitted decks that looked like that shell. Frankly, the wire wheel, or a pneumatic scaler, or a 90 degree disc pad all work only modestly - - but for me when they are pitted that extensively it's worth the $$ to have professionally sand blasted to remove all the corrosion in the recessed pits ----- then i am confident primer then paint will be more effective with longer life instead of painting over the rust pits that still have some corrosion in them.

Oh boy, here we go again!! Tractor comes out looking better than new!

Spare frame has been painted and is ready to be used on this tractor. I want this one because it has the longer foot rest support bars used with the early foot rests. The new style foot rests with the rubber pads have shorter bars. Frame set aside for now.

I was the implementation lead on a project to transition a huge Virginia school district onto a new payroll system. Their original system paid teachers, aides, cafeteria workers, etc, over ten months, Sept-Jun, which was challenging for household budgeting, heath insurance payments, etc. While we were in the midst of fixing that, and other shortcomings, one administrator (only half-jokingly) said that many teachers would be happy if we could just pay their bills and give them an allowance! I realized in that moment that to succeed, our project had to include a lot of guidance and education for all the educators and staff and adjusted our plans accordingly.

314-H is a great machine. Eaton hydros and Magnum 14 engines... all you need for almost any job. Nice score for sure!

Approximately $3700.00 in today's value. That is/was an investment! Great story. Imagine buying a piece of equipment today that could potentially last 60 years. No really, you have to think really hard... Yeah, I can't think of one either. That tractor and dealership could be a great article in a tractor magazine. Wrong decals or not, it looks awesome!

looks like next to the $300 he wrote "cash" (And I had to stay after school in 1st grade for sloppy writing so I can read stuff like that. Helped out in college when a Prof. writing was worse than mine!)

Missed a spot Looks good!

There are some around here who obviously are known to do things right, and take pride in their work. However, *thumps his chest*, I am not limited by such quaint things things as skill and know-how. So, I fixed my steering problem with a no-weld, no-skill, no-shame solution. \ any bets on how many days it will last?

Today was paint prep, I primed and smoothed everything i could reach. I also finished up the Air Filter cover. I lucked out with a new Filter instructions sticker that was identical to the old one. It was in the new stickers I got for the M12. Next up, I have a half gallon of Rust Oleum IH Red for it to try out in my new paint gun. What is the setup you paint guys use for a Home Depot Husky gravity feed paint gun, with Rust Oleum IH red implement paint?

Fixed that tubbie look'n tractor for ya! I know lots of guys like them but they just look kinda funny to me Put a real metal seat pan on there and trim the front sides of the hood

@Sparkythere’s just something about the glow of those yellowed bulbs…

'Merica!

520-8 (project tractor)