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For some reason while plowing snow last winter, my 8 HP 867 developed a rod knock which forced me to make some decisions. Do I rebuild it or install a 10HP or larger Kohler or maybe even a (dare I say) Honda? I even went so far this past spring as to buy a good running used K241 for a transplant. But after checking out the additional height and not wanting to chop up the hood, I decided to rebuild the original engine using Kohler parts. $450. bucks later, I now have a nice running K181 with a .020" over bore and a .020" under crank. At the same time I decided to lengthen the wheelbase by 5", not only so it will look more like a full size Farmall with a wide front end, but also so I can install a 38" 2 bladed Honda mower deck under it next spring. I never had a deck for this tractor, so I'm hoping the Honda 2 bladed 38" deck will do a really nice job of mowing, plus I picked it up for next to nothing. Please note in the pictures that I added a couple of assist springs to help raise the snow blade. The weight of the blade on the pavement before the springs was 60 lbs, with the springs it was 22lbs. Not only is it easier to raise, but I think the wear plate should last a lot longer.

Today was a great day to get the fleet ready for winter. I changed the oil on all of them and was washing up and thought this would be a good pic. Marvin's been done and is under his Horse blankie. Elvis is waiting for a 10% coupon fromTSC for a new seat. Put some 94 SEF fuel in the 704 and made a trip around my WONDERFUL neighborhood to get the top shelf fuel in the carb for winter storage. This stuff smell Racy!

Ready for a change.

I don't know why you got all that ready for winter. the snow will never stick on that vertical driveway you have.

You could practice on THAT ladder if it's still around.

Found a deal on CL for some Ags & Weights (Tru Power 23x10.50x12). They were originally on a trencher and are in great shape. The weights are only 42lbs each but fit perfectly inside the rims. Now I need some new front tires.

Well I rebuilt the carb today and after it was puking gas out the front I pulled it apart and realized I put the float on upside down.... No wonder it wouldnt shut the flow of fuel off. It runs now. I ran it real hard for about 30-40 minutes moving modified with the blade. I must say this tranny is so smooth and loves to work. Didnt slow down at any point and I got her warm. IR thermometer was saying 165 degrees right after I stopped. This thing can push!! One thing to address tomorrow after I degrease and pressure wash her is the RPM's. My ear says its at 5000 so I lowered the throttle to about 3/4, I'll see what my laser tach says tomorrow and ask more questions at that point on how to make adjustments. Once I get that squared away I can figure out why I cant get the pin to move on the blade so I can angle it.

Its all better now. Some moron put the float in upside down..... No clue what I was thinking when I was but its all good now. Just ran it HARD for about half hour. One thing that does need attention is the RPM. I need to see where this thing is running at because if I run it at full throttle it sounds like its about 5 grand. Needless to say I lowered it to what I thought was right by ear. Now I have a reason to use my new laser tach..... Used it to push some serious modified around in the driveway. The tranny is flawless and runs like the day it came off the line in South Bend. I might be in love......

Bringing this back for an update. I got side tracked on buying a few surplus generators and heaters and going over them and painting them up all pretty . I finally painted the hood and put some decals on, didn't get to the 520's tires yet, they may end up on the other 160 along with the reduction steering. Also used the hydro to drag the log splitter out to work.

We hitched up the ole C-121 to the utility trailer, piled everybody in and rode around the property for a few hours. The old guy never missed a beat and could care less how many people were in the trailer, he just kept pulling away. Yes I did pick up the dragging chain before we started!

Mike, I remember you walking past me at the show, empty handed...and then I remember you walking past me, in the other direction, with a load of what you had just bought. You were like a kid in a candy store...cracked me up. It is one of my favorite memories of any of the shows. You must have walked past me at least 4 times that day...maybe more. Not the same hair as on the paint can, not the same waist, no tie, but a kid in a candy store for sure. It was an excellent day Mate.

if you've kept up with these two threads..... you would know that i now have a 416. both of them tell the story to date. tonight i decided i needed to hook up the rough 48 SD deck that came with the GT1848 and go get me some seat time on this thing. i thought that maybe running it under load for a couple hours would help the engine (carb really) sort itself out a bit. well i got nearly 2 hours in tonight mowing my neighbors field and lawn surrounding her house. it was reasonably long and thought running this thing loaded would sort out some of the bugs (and keep its new owner sort of sane with some riding........) got done and gave it a good compressed air blowout to clean up some of the grass afterwards. definitely running a lot nicer, but still thinking a carb rebuild eventually will have to take place. it still stumbles and hunts every 5-10 seconds, but will smooth out with just a small amount of choke out...... need to look at a couple manuals i have, its got one of those limited range plastic screws in the mixture screw location on the carb, so i need to get familiar with it, before i can fix it. now ive not had a 400 series before, closest tractor to that would be my GT1848, which, when you put them both together and look at the specs they are almost the same tractor mechanically except for the differing twin engines..... and the briggs 18 (GT1848) has 2 hp on the onan P216 (416). after spending some time on the 416 tonight, i have found another favorite (think i have a garage full of them anyway), plenty of power and not too bad on gas for the engine size. the ground speed isn't as good as my 1848, but it goes plenty fast for mowing with the 48 deck. not sure if the eaton gearing was faster on the GT1848s than the 416 tractors or not. just seems that the 416 is slower......i still have some bugs and other stuff to sort out, mainly from lack of maintenance from the previous owner before terry got it, so with some linkage adjustment and tuning we will see...... heres a pic or two after chores tonight........

Thought it might amuse you guys to see what I moved on to after WheelHorses. Parked my landrover there for scale

So sorry to hear this. The auction houses around here are running themselves out of business with all the fees, CL and are the way to go, my .

I went to a race car swap meet today, a very large swap meet, it takes well over 2 hours to walk it all, and I found one WH part there so it came home with me, it's a lawn ranger snow blade, but talking to the guy his Dad has a old WH just setting in the yard rusting away, sounds like it might be a GT14 with a 3 point, I gave him my business card to give to his Dad, so you never know, I might get something out of it more than the ranger blade. Picked up lots of stuff for the car also, after about 5.5 hours looking.

Hey Kelly if you run across a pre 87 2.3 Ford I need another whole or good block for the puller. Their the only ones that can take what we do to them. And there getting harder to find I know off topic

Another vote for the brush , seems to get into the nooks & crannys better . Brand ? If you're going to take the time to do it , might as well do it best . Valspar Implement enamel from Tractor Supply , I did my 1966 Ariens snowblower 6 years ago & it has held up well even with all the little pebbles it chews up . Don't have any pics of that but heres the W/H deck I did with Valspar ( un-thinned ) & a brush last summer after sandblasting .

partially blocked exhaust......? i would check that as well as the float situation, maybe the float needle/seat isnt closing off....

Just heard it is the CBS nightly news bot sure what day it will air, but I'll update this. And Kevin small towns are great.

Damnit, now you need another one.

That was beautiful . Makes me proud to have my Scottish blood

videos from yesterday.......... early on...... the showdown ( if you think its between Kent and Jeanine, you would be wrong)...... oops......

Thats was great, very moving and just awesome Thanks for sharing

Praise GOD

Wow !! Thank you Jim. That was very inspirational and entertaining. Very appropriate for Sunday morning. What a nice way to start the day. Thanks again for sharing. .

Van, jackets and hoodies were because it was in the low 40's, windy and light rain coming and going all day. I was freezing on the tractor! The trailer came from who knows where and is our beat around rig, don't have to worry about scuffing it. I have no idea why the axle is mounted where it is, but it would be a lot handier if it was more towards the middle. But free is for me. The front weight is a must with the hitch up as high as it is to level the trailer. I made a mount that goes into the mid and front tach matics that holds a box loaded with about 80lbs of scrap iron. The front was a bit light with the trailer loaded, so on went the spare tire from the trailer and part of a hardened cement bag. That planted the front, making it sure footed going up and down hills. A different weight box will replace this redneck contraption in the future. The tractor was a freebe and got a spray bomb restoration on it as it's a worker, Terry's decals make it look good!

Hi Neil, no-one yet, still sat in my yard, but a couple interested hence the pictures

Good News I got the tractor fixed today. Turned out not to be the carb after all . I tryed everthing that everyboby said one at a time to see what worked .Well after a few hrs. i tryed a idea that David Clements suggested. He said to change the condenser it might be bad . It sounded odd but i had tryed everything else. Got a new condenser and put it on and now the tractor runs great. I would have never have thought a bad condenser would make a engine run like it was a bad carb. Now the tractor is fixed and no more show to go to. Thanks again for all your help . Here is a pic of the tractor.

I did too. Remember, vote early and vote often!

Just wanted to add an updated comment... This past week I winterized and put 4 of my 5 wheel horse tractors in storage. The three tractors filters I replaced with the newer 150 micron vs. the 40 micron... the carbs with the 150 filter were really clean when the float bowls were removed. I guess I won't be buying those 40 microns from my local hardware store any more. and those three tractors have run really nice too with no problems. goes to show that " better" filters don't always work better. Just my 2 cents

I wore out a pair of shoes at that show. Next year I hope to set up closer to the parking lot. I also hope I won't need so much stuff next year. If you thought me walking back and forth was funny, you should have seen me driving the 704 to the lot with the AG's I got from Zeek on my lap!

The "AS" version was specifically designed to fit into the cradle. Since the cradle sits higher than the frame, a standard oil pan would cause the engine and thereby the crankshaft to also sit higher. So a lower profile pan was created to allow the crank to be at the proper height. To allow for more oil, the pan was extended through the cradle and between the rails of the frame. Internal parts are all the same. Only difference is the block and pan. You can look at an AS and instantly tell the difference from a large pan model. Main difference is that it won't sit on a bench without falling over.

This has worked well for me.... don't be bashful. 1) take the blade off and remove the grease fitting 2) locate a coffee can and put it under the deck, on a cement floor, with the spindle hanging in it. 2a)...the coffee can MUST be level on the floor and flush with the deck. Set another coffee can at the other end if necessary. 3) Locate a round tube (or another pulley) with 3/4" center, a couple inches long....plumbing pipe short nipple or short connector is ok. 4) Locate a short 5/8" bar that fits inside the 3/4" tube. 5) locate a nut just big enough to fit inside the tube (it will protect the grease fitting threads) 6) Set the nut onto the spindle shaft, then the 3/4" tube, then 5/8" bar into that tube. The bar should protrude no more than 1/2" or so. 7) HAMMER TIME..... Hold flat end of ball-peen hammer on the bar and WHACK it with some VIOLENCE with a much BIGGER HAMMER. 8) This will drive the spindle shaft down thru pulley and spindle...in the can. I should come off with the first WHACK. If not, you didn't hit it hard enough...go pcikup the parts and try again. 9) NOTE....you don't want to bend the shaft here. That's why a I say to hit it HARD. The more time you have to hit it, the more likely it is to bend.

It's like eating a Lay's potato chip you just can't stop @ one

Once your past 40 it's time to thin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qPJTTRWttQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCd2RM5QD-8

I think a roller would be a better choice. Or if you want, mail the blade to me and I'll spray it. You pay return postage. Just think of the looks you will get in your neck of the woods, You driving a red tractor with a Green & Gold snowblade!

The D's are the BIG DOGS in the Wheel Horse line up. When I see pictures of Wheel Horse tractors that i like, I save the pictures. This D is not mine but the pictures are two of my favorites. It was restored and it did belong to one of our members at one time but I lost track of which one. Not sure if it is eligible but since we all like pictures and this is a beauty I will put it up anyway. I think this D looks awesome with the big snow blower on it.

Heres my girl. When I bought her in 2011 she was a basket case as you can see. They hydro pump and motor was run out of oil and burned up, car tires on the back, front ones didn't hold air, a seat that a beaver had attacked at some point, no 3 point hitch and a wiring harness that looked like a 4 year old made it, the plow frame was bent and so was the moldboard like it hit something solid at about 10 MPH. But I didn't give up....I tore it pretty much down to the frame, purchased 3 hydro pumps and a motor and Made 1 good of each out of a bunch of parts. Cleaned the tranny completely after finding silicone clogging the intake screen, stripped everything to bare metal and rewelded all the broken parts, fixed all the dents and dings this poor thing got in its previously rough life and started from scratch rebuilding things the way I would have done it if I was Wheel Horse 1973. I added LED lights on both front and rear of the fenders and the headlights. I bought a 520 60 inch deck and adapted it to fit under the tractor and work like it should. I did a bunch of work for a member on here and scored me a bent up and rusted 3 point which I straightened and redid after soaking it for 2 weeks in tranny fluid and acetone. Repainted everything and got a seat that was close to what was offered in 73 on it. I made turning brakes from a bunch of pieces that I got along with some ingenuity and custom fab work from my Dad and myself, 29-9.50x15 Titan R-3 sneakers in the back and a set of 18-9.50x8 turf tires up front. I remade the entire wiring harness and added a multi-fuse block. It was a labor of love from the start because I have wanted an 18 auto from the time I was old enough to read the 1973 sales brochure my Dad got with his 12 Auto. I decided at that point I was going to have an "Estate Tractor" someday. Now she's mine and what a workhorse she is even with a very tired engine she still plows snow like a beast.

18 Automatic still in process of a "restoration" (resto-mod) is more like it. A before and after picture. I would have posted more pics but file size was to big.

Remote shift completed today, here's the shift lever. Here's it installed Started patching the fender, I have a c series fender but don't want all the holes... And in between welding we made a robot from old IT equipment and stuff burned in the fire, meet HD !!

A taper lock bush for part of the 4wd coupling arrived today, a quick spin on the lathe with a spare brake drum gave me a 30mm boss. Started thinking about the bodywork, slowly cutting an inch at a time off a raider hood stand has allowed the two halves to pivot, I'm thinking I might weld up the old hole at the front of the fender so it hides the gubbins inside.

A couple more pics of the subframe. and fully suspended transmission there's now a real feeling of rigidity to the whole thing

managed another afternoon yesterday - sticking with the theme of making it up as I go along, here is a quick sketch of the rear subframe that holds the transmission in place and allows it to articulate. some progress pics later when I upload from the camera

This happened! Thanks, yes plan to drive the rear wheels... I have a cunning plan! Extending shift lever will be one of the easier parts of the build. Mark

Spent another few hours this afternoon chopping into 3/8 RSJ... The result now being the front pivot bearing that provides articulation. An hour with a 31mm and 51mm hole saws was worth it! I'm now on all fours, still need the cradle completing to hold the rear transmission. Cheeky shot showing the dual articulation

Got a C161 that will provide the donor engine. I did have 4 wide tyres, but sold 2 and it a pair on wide rims. I do wish I had kept them now. Hey ho... :)

Thanks for the comments so far guys. I pushed the parts of the two halves together yesterday for another measure up. I decided that he original 4ft wheelbase was too long. So out with the grinder to cut the trans mount off the front and move back by 3". Wheelbase now at 42" Other jobs permitting might have the two halves rolling tomorrow.

That is the problem with off-the-shelf paints such as Valspar, Krylon or Rustoleum. They take weeks to completely cure, and I too don't have the patience or the time to wait. For that reason, I have switched to acrylic urethane automotive paint, which if forced dry at 140° F, can be ready to assemble, apply decals, etc. an hour or so after painting. Even if I don't force it dry, I only have to wait 12 hours for it to be completely dry and cured.