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December twenty eighth is Pledge of Allegiance Day. On this day, the calendar lights up with Pledge of Allegiance Day. It’s a special time to reflect on the powerful words that bind the country’s ideals of freedom and unity. Pledge of Allegiance Day is not just about honoring these words. It’s a day to celebrate our collective identity and the principles that define us as Americans. It encourages us to delve into the Pledge’s history, understand its significance, and appreciate the sacrifices made by those who serve our country. The story of Pledge of Allegiance Day begins with Francis Bellamy’s creation of the pledge in 1892. It was first published in “The Youth’s Companion” magazine to encourage patriotism among young Americans. The original text was simple, focusing on loyalty to the flag and the country. Over the years, the Pledge saw changes, like the addition of “the Flag of the United States of America” in 1923 and “under God” in 1954, reflecting the nation’s evolving identity and values. The idea of a dedicated day for the Pledge ties back to its significance as a unifying and patriotic statement.

All: Having "moved" both spindle bores when I machined it for bushings, I realized I now needed slightly shorter length Tierods. I have used regular 1080 Cold Rolled material for another set, but the quality of the machined threads was lacking. This set I switched to 12L14 "leaded" hexstock - per the certificate it has .27% lead in the alloy. This allows easier machining with a superior finish. Cost is just a couple of bucks more than 1080. The threads shown are done with an adjustable thread cutting die - 3 passes needed to get the proper shaft to nut fit. Shown is the die from the final pass - the chips look like angel hair Also shown is the old trick of having a starting pilot diameter for the die - it is removed once the threading is done. The 12L14 material is safe to work with, but sanding, grinding and welding are NOT recommended...

Here I go again. As the title says, this years project is a 401 Suburban. Will start off with some ground 0 pics. Next step that I was happy about was my Christmas Miracle. The steering wheel came off without special tools or much resistance. When I bought the tractor it had a Nova ignition module on it. Starting it was sometimes a challenge so I wanted to switch it back to points before disassembly. Happy to say that it starts much better on points than it did with the Nova module. With this accomplished it was time to move on to tear down. A couple of hours later & I had a pile of parts. I went through the transmission shortly after I bought the tractor because it had a 3rd gear issue, so that will not have to come apart again. The engine runs good with no smoke, so hopefully it will not need a rebuild. It does appear to be seeping oil from the head gasket, so I will pull the head to change the gasket. Will also inspect cylinder condition as long as it's open. Now for some P.O. surprises. Lets just say that some people should not be allowed to play with welders. First, when a lock collar cracks I guess one should grab the welder & tack it in place. Drag link issue?? Lets burn that in place too. I'm sure there will be a few more surprises. Feel free to come along for the show.

Bad news. Good news. So-so news. Yesterday only a couple minutes after I started up the tractor to do some touch-up plowing, I saw something leaking from near the carb on the 854. I quickly parked it and shut the fuel petcock to await time for diagnostics. This afternoon I had a couple of free hours (company went sightseeing in NYC!) Bad news: Started it up easily and within a minute or so saw gas-laced oil dripping from the breather and the governor shaft. Fuel pump diaphragm was the suspect. Drained the crankcase and stashed the output for the hazardous chemical pickup day. (Also the dots connected: yesterday after the 1st session I had a little fuel on the bottom of the tank but when I went to top off before starting the second session, it was dry. Duh, it was dripping into the crankcase!) Removed the fuel pump and with output plugged could easily blow through the (definitely holed) diaphragm. Good news: Had a spare diaphragm and put it in after touching up flatness of the mating pump halves. Garage was 30º but with the heat gun I was able to gently warm the fuel lines to get them back onto the pump without damage. So-so news: Went to grab the 30w oil off the shelf and I only had 10W-30. Yeah, that’d be ok for the next cold months, but I’ll just as soon be patient for a day until I can get my preferred stuff.

During the winter months, I take to playing with the model train layout I've got in the basement. It's "L" shaped and is 11 feet by 22 feet. It's a great way to while away time when there's no grass to mow. The assisted living where mom lives has asked me to bring a train set up and leave it for them for a few days. If it's successful I'd like to do a snow scene next year. So I practiced making a small diorama. It's probably 24" square. I got a little heavy handed with the fake snow but it's learning as I go. This diorama is made of drywall compound, paste board boxes cut in strips, assorted paint, paper mache run through blender, wire and rope for trees and/or cuttings from trees in back yard and glue and some hair spray. I've probably got 8 or ten hours in this project.

To get the 857 back into her spot in the shed requires moving a couple machines around.

The engine and transmission pulleys have different size center bores so a simple swap can't be done. To do the swap you'll need 2 new pulleys. VERY IMPORTANT: The belt GUARD is the belt GUIDE which is your clutch. You'll also need to fabricate a new belt guard or heavily modify the existing one.

Wow, 38% increase this year and my social security COLA was 1.6%. USPS and IRS must use two different formulas.

Couple 857 pics as it leaves the warm basement after a repair and gets put back in the cold shed

Today would have been @elcamino/wheelhorse's birthday.

Just jumped in on this thread and not sure if it’s been mentioned, but you might want to check to make sure that the tow valve is closed too. Even if it is I’d give it a shot of penetrating oil to keep it operational.

Engine oil is Sae 30. Not 10w30. Full is when the oil starts to drip over the fill hole.

Words of WH wisdom there.... And - be sure your brake band is in optimum condition & adjusted correctly! What goes fast must also be able to be stopped....

Here in our Herd my S/O Trina has a tractor that used to go about 10.5 - 11 mph. That sounds pretty sedate until you try it. Stock Wheelhorse speed is about 6 - 6.5 mph. By swapping the transmission pulley down to a 4" you'll get maybe 7.5 - 8 mph. Be SURE to check the tie rods and the rest of the steering system for tight joints. Garden Tractors in general weren't originally built for zooming so there's more than just a pulley swap to be done.

It's likely the plastic fill plug that shows the "Full" level. It should be filled to the bottom of that hole.

Yesterday I brought the 314-8 into the garage, after not wanting to start or run right. Didn’t want to throttle up or move at anything above idle. Had it running outside the garage for a bit, then it cleared up. First thing I did was check the fuel. Almost empty. Well that was probably it. That tank went fast in 2 plowings. Dumped half a can of seafoam in the tank. Ran it back over to the shed and filled it up with non ethanol gas. Ran great since. Greased the tractor, and oiled up all the moving parts of the plow. plowed the driveway today with no issues.

Put new 24-12-12 tires on C160. They are Horseshoe brand will try and post more info on them in lets talk tire thread.

Put a new brake pedal return spring on my '75 B100 Auto a couple weeks ago and when I was done the engine wouldn't crank with the ignition switch. No click, nothing, but I could turn the key to the run position, jump the solenoid and it would start right up and keep running. Switch tested good and I tried another known good one, same for the solenoid. The seat saftey switch was long gone when i got it. I replaced a sketchy looking splice in the lead to the solenoid and also put a new terminal on it. I did find that somewhere in all this the terminal for the battery negative cable had snapped off where it was fastened to the frame so I put a whole new cable on, still nothing. I had continuity across the switch but when I checked from the switch to the solenoid nada. I pulled the rectifier/ammeter mounting plate to take a look at the wiring to the switch from there. Ammeter had been bypassed years ago. I had juice from the switch to the rectifier but nothing to the feed running to the solenoid. I started to suspect the PTO safety switch...... That's when it hit me, I gave the PTO lever a pull and it moved backward, it had gotten bumped forward just enough to break the circuit..... put it all the way back, hit the key and it spun right over. Realizing I'm a moron never felt quite so good LOL. I did however take care of at least 3 future wiring problems so it wasn't a total loss. Thought I'd share that, always make sure everything is in the off position even if you "know" it is. All it took in this case was a few degrees of rotation and my total confidence it was an actual electrical issue..

We got a few inches of the white stuff today, daytime temps in the 20's. Used all three of the seasoned "Snow Angels" - 1979 C81, 1964 854 8 Speed, and the 1976 Ariens 24" Snow-Thro. The Snow Shovel not shown has only 8 years on the job, gets an "Honorable Mention" ...

When I was a kid, my uncle had the the biggest HO lay out I've ever seen. 4 tracks running around the whole basement. Huge (to me) controller. Through walls, tunnels, trestles. Whole towns with lighting, cars, crossings with working gates. It was fascinating to a 10 year old!

Do consider using hexstock - much easier to fixture in the vise than round stock.

Agreed. At least with my recent drill press purchase I'll be able to do female threaded tie rods. Then use male heim joints.

I use generic belts on hydros.

Missing Waldo. Weather is going to change to freezing rain here. If it was going to be nice I'd take a ride and get lost in his honor! First thing Jim did when he got to the Pearly Gates was look for a Sheetz station to get a sandwich!

Now I have a runaway governor problem. Pretty sure the gear or tab on the cross shaft is broken because when doing the adjustment per the manual the cross shaft spins indefinitely, as I believe it was supposed to stop when the tab would make contact with gear. Looks like it might be time for that engine rebuild as I’m pretty sure most of it’s gotta come apart to change the gear and shaft anyways. Got a K301 I might swap in temporarily so I can still use the tractor.

Carb ready to bolt to intake. Carb bolted to intake. I used a new gasket and two 5/16" x 1-3/4" SS bolts with a light coat of never seize on the threads. Bolts were torqued to 96 in/lb.

Now that the engine is at least running (and smoking like a freight train!) I think I can now test the hydro drive. The place I bought it from said it "came to us with transmission problems". Looking at the oil on the dipstick, it's clean and it's full. I don't know for certain but my guess is the filter is original or at least predates the shop that was working on it. Looking at the parts list for the B100 Automatic, it lists a 7478 v-belt which equates to a 5/8" x 84" belt. Looking at the belt that is currently on the mower, it is a 5L860 which is a 5/8" x 86" belt. This makes me wonder if the "transmission problems" might actually be a belt problem? Could I be that lucky where just changing to a 7478 belt will fix the transmission problems

When I built the low rider and used a small tranny pulley, I added a stationary idler pulley to make better contact on the pulley. Also built a custom clutch tensioner pulley and added belt support pins and belt brake for declutching. What ever you do, please remember the belt must be stopped to change gears.

My 520-8 clone that I built still has the larger engine pulley from when it was Hydro. Hydro engine pulleys are easy to find. Getting a belt to fit both for length and clearance was the hardest part.

If I'm quiet for a few days, you all will know I've had the computer taken away from me! If I had to do it over again, I'd ate a couple spoons of the mache and claimed clabbered milk made this pudding bad.

I grew up about a block away from an old gentleman who was supposedly a model train legend. He had shelves and shelves of collectible engines, cars, miniatures, etc. They removed a wall between 2 upstairs bedrooms, where he had a fascinating layout. Us kids were allowed to look but NOT TOUCH. His name was Ed Crismore, from Uniondale, IN.

Getting ready for first time plow use to turn up some grass to place in rills from recent rains that are cutting up newly laid drive to shop. Didn't get it all setup correctly but got enough to save culvert. All the plowed area was covered by new shop so no loss. Since I reviewed plowing directions in manuals I see my mistakes and not enough wheel weight either.

And if that is the case the trash will still be there and may come back to haunt. I am a big fan of removing any suspect carburetor and cleaning it properly, often that takes less effort than continuously messing with it.

I've been using Rotella 30w year round in the K181. Not always in stock, though, so I’ll have to see. On re-think, though, I’ll put the synthetic 10w-30 in and plan for a change when I mount the mower deck. It’ll only get a few hours use before then, unless we get bombarded with snow!

Yeah, I got a facet e pump put back for emergencies. I got it to use on a 312-8 that has tank under the seat that I was going to redo next but seems like every other horse keeps jumping line. Maybe this winter.

Well said. And remember - if you ship via UPS and do not generate your own label, you end up usually going to either Staples or The UPS Store. They both add an upcharge to generate the label....

Eric - a rather simple project with the lathe - you should get one....

There was real good flow out of the main jet when back flushing with carb cleaner so I think it will be fine. I can remove this on the engine if necessary later on.

Carb cleaned with carb cleaner, brushes, Q-tips and paper towels. All passages blown through. I did not remove the main jet but I got good flow through it with carb cleaner. Idle jet has been cleaned paying close attention to the small hole at the tip. Idle jet installed and firmly tightened. Float and needle assembly installed. Gasket sat in position. Top of carb sat in position making sure to properly engage choke linkage. Carb top screws installed and tightened in a criss cross pattern. Carb O ring installed. Idle mixture needle ready to install. Idle mixture needle screwed in until it gently bottomed out then backed out 1-1/4 turns as per the Onan manual.

Happy Borned on Day, Jim RIP buddy

I can't remember if there's enough space inside the Differential for a roll pin.... IMHO you be better off getting a known good axle from one of the Redsquare vendors.

Terry - a little history on that unit. I received this from my sister and BIL back about 1982. It was his grandfather's, bought new and used to remove snow on the large driveway & walkways at the two 3 deckers he owned. My first modification - installing a steel backer and the two broom clips to hold a snow brush. The replacement skids now are thin pressed steel that are worn out after two seasons (yes, they are double sided and you can reverse them) so since there is enough height adjustment, I shape a strip of 1/4 x 1-1/4 Hot Rolled Steel to make a shoe & tack weld those on. The latest addition was to swap the still running but tired H60 with a nice freebie HH70 - huge difference! And I love having the plastic fuel tank as it will never rust. The original electric start H60 is now on my Troy Bilt chipper. Prior to acquiring my FIL's 702, this was the only gas-powered snow removal tool I had to clear my drive & walks for 10 years or so. About 2008 or so, I got another one - its all-original twin sister! It resides at my rental property. Remember that these were nicknamed the "Cat Killers" - NO safety features at all. You clutched it to switch speeds and to stop. Let the lever go and it takes off by itself if it is in any gear other than Neutral.!! Kind of like a 502!

Liquid Summer Canned Head Gasket Remover Canned Rod Bender Cosby Sauce...because the engine goes

Always knew dumping the clutch in 3rd was a bad idea....

I can only note that the 5073 was a unicorn transition item. It had what became the “8-speed" case but with a limited slip differential. Since the brake drum had moved to the other shaft, the ‘shroom shaft had to be shorter to stay inside the casing wall and not interfere with the brake! My personal opinion is that the engineers decided the LSD was simply not strong enough to be a real market factor, especially on higher horsepower/heavier tractors and that the extra strength of the shaft-mounted pinion gears was better in the long haul. A further plus to the brake drum move was the faster-spinning brake drum that allowed somewhat better brake modulation!

"And now you know the rest of the story" PH

Sounds like a good post for Note to Self thread

Kind of late to this conversation, but............ I am 100% sure our society's "gluten" problem really IS the crap they do to our food. And, I believe "they" pin people's gut issues on "gluten" to divert attention from things like glyphosate (RoundUp) they spray on the plants while they are growing, AND just before harvest to speed up the drying process. (If a plant can withstand RoundUp, I sure don't want it in MY body.) Several years back, we changed to non-GMO and organic grains and meals.....there just happens to be an honest-to-goodness grist mill approximately 25 miles from us near Eureka Springs, AR called War Eagle Mill, which was originally started in the 1830's! It's on it's 4th building now... I think 2 were washed away by floods, one was burned during the Civil War. Anyway, if you'd like a wonderful source for good, clean products, look them up. You only have to order more than $24.95 to get free shipping. That comes in handy when we order 25-pound bags of flour, corn meal, oatmeal (this IS gluten free), and 7-grain cereal. They also have really nice pancake/waffle mixes (which is how we first found them.... after purchasing a NEW cast iron waffle maker from Appalachian Cast Iron Co.)

Off the trailer and a quick hoon up and down the driveway. Forward, reverse, and now brakes! Starts after a few cranks, and cranks every time now. (Also stuck the tail sticker on)