Leaderboard

The RJ58 w/cbr32 and the 41’ model B Speedex were the big hits this year that got all the attention. this is the Big Show 25th anniversary 58’ that I won at the Raffle. I brag that it’s on thousands of Tshirts and Hoodies, lol. It’s in good hands and well taken care of. it is such a joy to talk with so many people that relate stories of how they or a Grandpa had a WH or Speedex or how they ran one as a teenager. And they enjoy hearing me tell the story about the Pond brothers and history that they never knew.

National Pasta day is celebrated every October 17. The folks who created pasta definitely knew what they were doing. Hundreds of years of Italian tradition go into this simple meal. Each October, we devote a special day to this incredible dish. Pasta come in many shapes and sizes but no matter the form, it’s something nearly every American Family has grown up with. Spaghetti, fettuccini, macaroni, and ravioli: pasta is undoubtably one of our favorite comfort foods. But do we know how the dish became so popular here in the states? Or where it even came from? The origins of pasta are a little difficult to trace, but many researchers support the theory that Marco Polo brought noodles back to Italy upon returning from a trip to China in 1271. Pasta was brought to America by early Spanish settlers, but wasn’t popular until Thomas Jefferson made a trip to Paris and fell in love with macaroni (which, at the time, referred to any pasta shape). Years later, when a large group of Italian immigrants moved from Italy to America, pasta became a staple and obtainable meal in the United States.

I think we can!

Just for inspiration...

I’ve been looking for a 520HC for about a decade and haven’t found the right fit (price, distance, condition) until recently. My son @Coulter Caleb is purchasing his first house and it has an acre and a half of land in addition to a 125’ driveway. He needed a solid tractor for mowing and blowing. Then this one popped up on the local marketplace. It was owned by one man most of his life until his passing and then was inherited with an estate purchase. It is amazingly clean and original. The wiring is in fairly as produced condition. It ran great when we picked it up but it had several details that needed attention. finding a staple instead of a fuse was more than a little disturbing. this idler pulley was too big and the drive belt too worn and so it slapped on the frame rail making an annoying sound. I also noticed that none of the gauges were working on the dash (long story short, someone installed the wrong key switch). The tach and the rectifier were both toast and after finding some suitable used pieces with the correct key switch we were in business. Tractor was running good, charging good, and driving good 👍. then I pulled the fender pan, changed the rear end fluid/filter installed the rear hitch and cable (he may want to plow with it 🤔) and added the brackets for his bagger. Started the tractor several times to circulate the fluid while raising and lowering the deck. I was getting excited now! beefy looking horse💪🏻 I have never owned one of these (I still don’t technically—it’s Caleb’s) and I am amazed at how heavy duty certain items are! The last thing on my list was changing the oil and filter, then it was time to cut the grass. After the oil was changed, I started the tractor, went to grab something and came back just in time to hear it die😡. It sounded like it ran out of fuel. I checked the petcock and it was on. I started it again, and it ran for three or four seconds and died, then it wouldn’t start. After sitting overnight, I got it to start again but it only ran for about 10 seconds, then died again. Any thoughts on what to check first guys??? I don’t want to go on a wild goose chase. I’ve checked and lubed the 9 pin connector. I have the replacement key switch with good connections and lube. I’m wondering if it is the trigger module but I don’t know how to test that and I don’t want to take the flywheel off unless I have to…

I put a magnetic cup holder on the 314. I’m resting now 🤪

Man, does that bring back some memories of how one of my boys looked, after I happen to fall asleep while he was eating spaghetti. The wife was at work, and I was done with my day at work. He was covered, in his hair, all over his face and the front of him, the highchair, and the floor. He had the biggest smile on his face; he was having a grand old time. The wife was used to calling me because she knew I had the tendency to fall asleep while I was waiting for him to eat. She called and all I could say was I have to go; I've got a bit of a mess to clean up. Just one of those moments I'll cherish for as long as I live.

Spent most of the day working, or should I say sitting on my butt drawing a paycheck it was a DEAD day at the shop today. After work I was planning on going out to the gun range to shoot the new Ruger 10/22 I bought, but the wind decided to blow, so I went out to the farm and piddled around the shop for a few hours. Got the new manifold for the 1940 Farmall A painted, after it dries good I’m going to take it to a friend that has a big oven for powder coating and have him heat cure the paint, then I can get it installed on the tractor. Then proceeded to disassemble the water pump of the 41 M so I can take all the pieces with me to work in the morning and give them a good bath in the parts washer

So the other red gold... If I can get a word in edgewise with EB and Wrencher jibber jabbering about lifts ... ... Well not really a wow just keeping you turkeys on your toes... Price was right tho ... 75 but bet 50 woulda took it. I almost loaded it but woulda had to get double forgiveness and she's mighty ornry. That mighta cost me some SERIOUS coin... Already told her the 875 was for Dan or the Pullstart. '69 or so Electro 12 ran when parked. Needs a battery. Fronts a bit iffy and rears right behind. Had a service motor that was supposedly a 321 but the shroud said 301 so who knows. Its a Kohler wadda want for nothin ... Kind of a sad sack but got good bones and worth more in parts as per the usual. Good project for a youngster to play around with that's fer sure. You guys want HY lift with your popeye arms here ya go. Anyone wants it speak now or forever hold yer piece. Be more than happy to save it.

Daylight pics...

I agree with the electric low pressure fuel pump modification. I've added this to every build I've done for several years and they are awesome. One thing to consider: as @ri702bill said, verify whether or not your oil is or is not contaminated. If you don't find gas in the oil, it may have simply drained back into the tank. This is a common issue on tractors that have the fuel tank under the seat. The smallest air leak in the fuel system will allow the fuel to drip back to the tank in just a day or two. If yours is doing the same, and you don't want to install the electric pump, you can add an inline primer bulb. This is also an exceptionally effective modification. Quick starts, which saves your starter, battery, and mental health.

Greatly appreciated! Still gotta fab up some rear hitch parts, but so far it is really growing on me. Tried out the suitcase weights...

Make sure you file down all the burrs and sharp edges before giving @Pullstart his half!

Glued one of @rmaynard brake linings on today. Had an extra brake band and drum so didnt even have to take tractor out of line up for drying time .

Not to be picayune, but the part referred to here is the Parking PAWL. There are two interchangeable types---cast and prefab. the prefab is one piece whereas the cast is a 3-part setup--- (Pawl, shaft, roll-pin) Either one will get ground away little by little when the parking Brake lever is engaged. So, NEVER engage the parking brake when in motion. Anyway---here are the two styles. Yours appears to be the 'pre-fab' which can be 'welded up' to original shape...or a new one MAY be available.

None of us were born knowing what we now know. We all learned it from others input and experiences. Your questions and documentation of your progress will be helpful to others in the future. Please ask questions and post results as you go along, we are here to help.

In Wheel Horse lingo the name SPECIAL can be loosely defined as "We couldn't get enough Kohler engines so we used a B&S or Tecumseh" 1968 had the 500 Special which was a Commando 6 without the Kohler and some fancy racing stripes. 1971 saw the 800 Special which was a Raider with a B&S 8 HP engine. 1974 was the year of the A-90 Special which was a Ranger with a B&S engine. 1980 brought us the 1100 Special, a C-105 with an 11 HP B&S engine.

If I can get a word in edgewise with EB and Wrencher jibber jabbering about lifts: Sorry to steal your thunder Jim.. The electro. Looks like a good runner. Or you you said for parts. Can always use them on hand.

Maybe "Trio Thursday"? Got the Vanguard boys out today for some air during lunch. Had to bring out my son's Ranger too. Bonus pic...

Got the idea from this AD and a Facebook picture from someone that also did same.

Paul's picture is worth the thousand words. Short version - low pressure electric fuel pump. My 2 cents. Pull the dipstick, check it for raw gas mixed in wirh the oil. If it is, do not attempt to start it. Drain the oil, fix / replace the fuel pump. Refill with fresh oil.

I have not found a paint stripper that really works as good as Methylene Chloride. Since the EPA has said "no, no, no" to anything that works well, I find myself going to yard and garage sales looking for the good old stuff. My brother used to strip and repair furniture. He would have Methylene Chloride delivered by tanker truck to fill his stripping tanks. I would syphon off a gallon or two for my own personal use, but that was back in late 1980's. Times have changed.

If you go the mechanical route, these are the best at stripping paint in my experience and little to no metal damage

That is a FINE looking tractor!! Great job.

I tried using CitriStrip on three different kinds of paint last night and had excellent results with two of them. Here's a pulley from a WH mower deck. I applied stripper to it and placed it in a plastic bag: Here's how the pulley looked this morning when removed from the plastic bag. All of the paint wrinkled up nicely: I simply brushed off the stripper and wrinkled paint, gave it a quick wash with mineral spirits to remove any residue, let it dry, and primed it: I applied the stripper on a broken piece of painted cast aluminum from a chainsaw and placed it in a plastic bag: In the morning, the paint had not wrinkled, but it was so soft that it came off in seconds with a plastic-bristled brush. I then gave it a quick wipe down with mineral spirits: I didn't have such good luck with this WH rim. I applied the stripper to a small area and covered it with polyethylene. In the morning, the top layer of paint had softened to the point that it could be scraped off, but the stripper had no apparent effect on the underlying primer, which I suspect is a 2K epoxy primer, and it's possible that the top coat might be a 2K paint, which is often used on rims. The rim paint might respond better to other, more potent strippers, but I think I'll bead blast it instead.

Is that a stock muffler or one of them " Prince Albert" exhaust systems used "up nort?"

Cooking on the car (or a boat) while traveling is the original multitasking. When I was in the Navy we used the steam condensate return lines to heat foil wrapped leftovers all the time. if you want to learn more than Model A cooking check out this book. Right!!! All I could think of is fingers missing! Could be dangerous although we haven't seen @Pullstart shed any blood lately.

Right!!! All I could think of is fingers missing!

As grandpa (papa), I spend a fair amount of time with my three grandchildren. Camping, skipping rocks, fishing, I've posted pictures of granddaughter as I teach her how to mow the yard. We work on projects in the wood shop (small buildings and barns for the kids toys and action figures.) Twice a week I take the youngest to his therapy and have to kill an hour so we usually visit the assisted living facility at breakfast time where mom lives. If I show up without Gibby, the folks there want to know "where's your sidekick?" I just got home grandbaby sitting for three hours. The last hour was entertaining ourselves with karaoke--no TV, video games we were just having fun. I'm thinking stilts need to be our next project. Many of us have reminisced about grandparents. Many of us are grandparents and it's our time to make memories with the young ones.

Sometimes you can find the occasional K141/ 161 air cleaner. They are very much like the K90/ 91 in size. I've also used a MX filter but I had to make an adapter for it. This machine will never be a mower again so this worked very well adding a K181 on a Lawn Ranger.

Can you say repower? Sure I knew you could...

Gave this a second look today. Just not a Tecky guy, shame WH seat has a hole ate in it.

Rustoleum make what they call Aircraft Remover. I've had a partial spray can on the shelf for many years. I ran across it a while back and thought I'd try it again figuring it wouldn't spray after all these years. It did. I forgot how nasty it is. Even the mist will feel like acid on your skin. Yup, first hand info. Give it a few minutes and the paint will basically drop off. It's still sold but, like lynnmor said, it's probably watered down now. I've tried about every stripper out there and haven't found anything close.

Mounted the hood. Paint will need buffing more once it's fully cured but at least the top looks decent. Of course the plastic tank I had planned to use won't let the hood latch engage. Turns out the gas cap sits about 1/16 higher than the underside of the hood. I thought this hood was basically identical to the newer C-series hoods, but something is different. I think the holes at the sides for the latch are 1/4 higher. I'll have to measure the Bronco and compare... So I'll use a smaller 1 gallon steel tank. It's plenty of fuel for this engine. And it lets me shut the hood.

Nice to have spare parts around ehh??

Progress! Just published the latest video with some updates. Engine is in. Wiring is complete, just needs tidied up a bit. Fuel system is hooked up, and it moves under its own power again. https://youtu.be/995aGBr6zXU?si=7TgldpkqWGeHmArx

Think I figured it out.....bad relay dumped a little fuel it fired but I stopped there and pulled the fuel tank to clean it I due have an online fuse that the wire pulled out of somewhere I have to track down think it is black whit a red strip Any way I thank you all for your help and suggestions

He does have another pair of front tires and rims that will come with the tractor but he doesn’t know if they are the correct size for this model.

... after 4 beers !!

I think you need to open her up. The parking brake (blue circle) appears to have been damaged and there is a piece bent up (arrow). When it breaks off and gets between a couple gears it will not be a good thing.

Pushing it away, pulling it back. Moving those muscles!

Best guess may be to prevent feetses damage from the deck??

I seen several videos about Road Tripping & cooking food on the hot exhaust manifold at the same time... This guy did it with style on his Model A Ford...

@Ed Kennell that seat was originally for my daughters and in what sometimes seems like the blink of an eye it’s now for my granddaughter

Had to give her a try. She's officially a runner now! Engine is burning off assembly lube, so she smoked for about 5 mins...

Today I got some quality seat time getting the leaf situation under control until another ton or so hit the ground. I used the 310-8 with 42" rear discharge deck to GRIND the first accumulation of leaves to a powder. About 90% of the leaves from the Poplar trees have come down so this is just the first of many such operations. Weather has been dry so the leaves chopped up so finely that the leaf sweeper wasn't even needed. They will just compost in place.

Here's my YouTube. EB stuff. BBT stuff. Meeha/Mirror stuff. Woods. Forestry. Tractors. Hiking. Etc.... https://youtube.com/channel/UCoE6R9_IV0xE7vteRSxtsvg

I needed something to help break up the hard packed limestone driveway, so I built a belly ripper. It mounts to the rear hitch, it could use some weight mounts on each corner but it's 42" wide so I just put my feet on top of the bar for some down pressure if needed. I've used it couple of times now and it works great.