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Thieman kit tractors The Thieman Harvester Co., Albert City, Iowa, offered farmers an inexpensive tractor kit from 1936-1942 The buyer had to provide an engine, transmission, driveshaft radiator and rear axle from a Ford Model A, 1928 Chevrolet or Dodge Four cylinder car. Kits were priced at $ 185 or you could order a complete tractor with a Ford Model A engine for about $500.Therman’s brochure recommend a Model A motor “with new or reconditioned block, Model A Ford HD truck radiator, and a four-blade fan. Those low prices were a welcome relief to farmers who wished to go horseless during the Great Depression. Thieman offered several options, including a governor ($15), combination drawbar ($9), air cleaner ($7) and rubber wheels ($122.75 for all three). Any 2-row horse-drawn cultivator could be adapted to the tractor with a cultivator attachment ($15). Also offered on later model tractors was a cast-iron grill. Thieman Harvester Co. began in 1921, brothers Henry D., William B., Herman, Charles, and Warren Thieman, made silage harvesters. They expanded their product line including livestock feeders and waterers, end gates, plow guides, saw frames and power units, as well as steel burial vaults. Sales of Thieman tractors and kits were so brisk that as many as 150 people were employed 24 hours a day during peak seasons. The need for steel for World War II defense production ended company operations in the 1940s.

As many of you know I have repowered my 312-8. I chose to purchase an engine from https://repowerspecialists.com/ as they had a replacement listed for a similar Wheelhorse. From start to finish working with them was a good experience. Not only do they have a recommended engine for the tractor, but the support they provide would be the envy of any company. Both of the extra work they provided for me were free of charge and quickly handled. Even the return of the engine mounting plate was done with a prepaid mailer provided by them. When the wiring on my WH was not correct for the engine to run they had a wiring harness work around in my hands three days later. If you are looking to buy a new engine RePower is a great place to start.

Since your tractor is gravity fed, and so long as it's working well, I would say leave it as is. If you replace the fuel line, just route it exactly as it is now.

This is good to know info! I've been aware of them for a while, but hadn't seen anyone from our group with experience. Glad it worked out! Do they still run Vanguards? I know someone with a repowered 520-H that had one of thier kits installed, but he bought the tractor after the conversion. But, it's still going strong years later. I've converted several now to Vanguard, but did it myself. Plug and play would be nice!

If it isn't broke don't fix it.

Gravity has been working for millions of years

Leave it if it's working fine. Keep the tank on the half full side. Not... you get a 50/50 shot at getting one that works.

Gotta like the chicken!

The breakerless ignition is wonderful until it quits working, then it has to go. I wouldn't want to spend money and time on a half century old electronic part when I could convert the engine to reliable battery powered ignition with a coil. Check out this post.

Unless you're specifically trying to keep original form you could likely change over to points for less money.

Go to the link from TP Tools and read about spraying with a turbine system. A lot will have to do with the gun Titan provides too. I sprayed these 2 tractors with the Turbine system

Well I got the C-175 running good, and it operates as it should. I started tearing it down and quickly realized it is going to need a lot of work. I’m still on the fence about doing a full blown restoration on this tractor. As some of you know, it’s a lot of work to do it properly. It would be nice however to have it done as it is the feature tractor for the big show. I was fairly certain my buddy had the front mower carrier, but he informed me that he sold it a few years ago. @Tonytoro416 said he has a nice one, maybe we can work something out? One thing I do have is several 48” decks that also need to be restored. So really all I need to re-create the picture is to restore my tractor and mower deck. Find a mower carrier, a yellow Members Only jacket, polyester pants and those brown shoes!! Basically if I am going to try and pull this off I’m going to need to devote all of my free time to getting it done! I ask myself why on earth am I even thinking about doing this! I have been dropping subtle hints to the treasurer that we may be incurring some unexpected costs over the next few months. I didn’t get a full on green light, however I didn’t get a red light either. I feel as if I’m operating under a yellow caution light 😂 Stay tuned………

Excuse me kp @BillD has got me confused all those hoses running around... did I mention I'm a purist and a orginal freak?

I got all this for free a couple of years ago. P.O even delivered it to my house ! Sat outside for 10 yrs. Wife told him it had to go. New coil, points, battery, front tires, and gas and it fired right up. I cleaned it up, did a little paint work and sold it. Great machine,built like a Sherman tank. Wouldn't mind owning another. Case 224. Not sure of the model you have pictured. Regardless of the model the condition of it dosnt make it worth all that much.

Mechanical portion is all done, i hung 275lbs off the arms and nothing gave but the front end was starting to come up. I put 250 on the drawbar and it held it. Now ive got to take it all off, clean up some welds and paint it. I missed my goal of Cat 0 standard 20" spacing between the arms, got 19" down and 18.75 fully raised. If needed i can heat the arms and put a bit of a dogleg in them. The drawbar and drop stop are repurposed deck hangers off of a deere deck that i scrapped last year but kept the lift links/hangers because thats some stiff steel.

Looks like factory undercut on the valve

It was Napa Crossfire Basecoat/ Clearcoat. Allis Chalmers Cream.

Very cool! All of it.. the job, the tour.. In the Netherlands the plots were/are small aswell although small farms are slowly disappearing. It's more efficiënt to farm bigger pieces of land so the big farms keep getting bigger. Anyway, because the plots were small the tractors on the second hand market are also mostly smaller compared to the more modern machines. Coming up, but not shortly. Many things to do. I'm sure you would have a fieldtrip with this one. Lots of 'room for improvement' so to say. Thanks for the kind words mr. Greasy! I'll do my best to get the tractor to good working order ASAP.

I need to wrap my son's bedroom with that!

Another sad example of the consequences of many state regulations... States know nothing about making, selling or maintaining tractors, tires etc. yet these regulations directly impact your ability, as a consumer they say they are protecting, do something as simple as change a tire... What is the state's interest in essentially voiding your warranty relationship with a manufacturer or a service provider? Nonsense. If a tire business wishes to change your tire at an agreed to price they and you should have unfettered ability to do so. This issue aside, enjoying your progress!!! and i love the name!!! Maybe Terry can make you a custom graphic:

I have had good results using 3/8" thick hot rolled steel. Size it so the holes run up the middle so it is reversable. Holes - hot rolled is a total PITA to drill, so be advised. Check with McMaster-Carr..... Or if you have a local Metal Supermarket. Some folks have switched to urethane or plastic - your choice....

Thanks for bringing this thread up on my email Eric. We have been in Texas for the last three weeks on ministry meetings and there are SO MANY trucks in Texas. Because of the climate, many of them last for decades and we keep seeing cool examples like these… I loved the patina on this old Ford—just needs a new set of tires, a tune up, and drive it! spied this one across the road while we were out walking! Took the family to the birthplace of Dr. Pepper in Waco, and took a tour of the museum. Check out the old Chebby delivery truck! Visited my buddy Dave’s house earlier this week here in Garland and got a first hand look at his AWESOME 1969 Dodge short box resto mod. 632 CID BBC power rated at about 900hp! Hand built frame, custom 4L80 tranny, 9” Ford rear with 4.11 gearing and two 18.5” tires! Zach was totally into it and now wants to acquire uncle Ken’s ‘69 C20 and start rebuilding it🤔 who here can’t appreciate a square body? Pretty common down here! If I lived down in this climate, I wouldn’t own a vehicle newer than the 1980’s (although I may have a newer power plant/drivetrain)…

Three corners of this ride had metal on metal on the brakes and the rear calipers were hung up. I scoured the local U-Pick this week and managed to find good front pads and rotors, rear calipers, pads and rotors, and some wheels and tires from a Trailblazer that had better tread. I ordered a new shift cable bushing for $10 straight outta the jungle and so far have a total of $496 into this truck. The old tires are still in great shape so I’ll see if I can sell them for a few hundred. It would be sweet to have a running, driving vehicle for less than $200!

I saw this old cutie pie up in Bridgton Maine yesterday.

Hospital stuff ain’t cheap 😬

Just my but maybe just clean and fix what you need instead of repaint if that was in your plans.

Finally installed new throttle cable yesterday. Due to the bulkiness of the new type cable it was not possible to install it in original place without doing some physical alterations on tractor. Since I have never been a fan of where it was located originally , obstructed by steering wheel ,I decided to fabricate a bracket and install it in a more conveniently accessible place. Removed old cable and in its place installed an additional light switch which was in an awkward spot already so everything worked out great. Throttle cable is an absolute pleasure. It’s a precision instrument. Smooth precise operation. Can be vernier adjusted with just index finger. Can be stopped anywhere in its travel and it stays put. Using red bypass button it can be immediately pulled out or pushed in. Entire unit can also be totally locked with large black knob which is a bit redundant since cable positively stays on any position left. Extremely well made with a vinyl covered metal jacket which in turn has a slippery thick plastic jacket inside through which cable runs smoothly. Not sensitive to tight turns like regular solid throttle cable is. Great large easy to use knobs. Worked perfectly on first try. Night to day performance compared to original type cable. IMG_4990.mov

Stick to the non running rule of a Benny tops. It better be something rare or very special for me to break that rule.

Build your own tractor The Victor Traction Gear Company of Loudonville, Ohio developed a unique opportunity for farmers or others wanting a tractor to build their own. In 1913 they provided a KIT to allow you to use whatever engine (Primarily Hit & Miss at the time) you had and a bit if ingenuity to build a tractor. The kit weighed about a thousand pounds and would be shipped by rail. There were apparently no dealerships and the purchaser paid the freight charges. I haven’t been able to find any sales information or pricing. The kit consisted of differential and transmission gears, traction wheels, freight wheels, axles, steering gear parts, clutch sprockets, chain and other appliances for converting gasoline engines into tractors. You made your own wood frame and used whatever engine you wanted. The transmission had one forward speed and a reverse gear. It was not intended to be used in the fields for plowing although it could pull a heavy load. The Victor Tractor was a drivable self-propelled power source made for hay baling, grinding, threshing, filling silos, powering saw mills, and other belt work. Engines of that time had a belt pulley and clutch built in.

Hello again My 657 has the k181 engine. The fuel supply is straight from the fuel tank. There is not a fuel pump installed on the engine. The engine runs nice with the current system. Should I make new fuel lines and install a fuel pump or leave it be? I have started to research a new pump but not sure if the aftermarket pumps are worth the effort. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.. Thanks again!!

Hi all, been following this forum for quite a while. Finally have time to dive into my addiction to these awesome tractors. Now that I've sold my business and retired, I'm catching up on things that I had to sideline, due to so many commitments. I've picked up a wealth of great info here, really helpful on my first restoration, an 856 that was a rustbucket, with a blown engine. I'll post some pics of that project, (Now complete) and my next one, a C120 I just picked up at auction, as it progresses. My first, a C121, I've had for twenty years, and still looks and runs perfectly. I'll be looking for a few attachments for that one soon. 20240112_141919.mp4

@squonk I’m doing a ‘refresh’ of a C-105 and I’d like to paint the hood the color of your 145. Looks awesome. What brand/color paint did you use? Thx!

@BillD made this one on his Kohler. Far better than rebuilding one IMO, and these are reliable pulse setups. There are kits on Ebay for similar setup, but they are $85! Just seach "Kohler fuel pump mod". But Bill's looks better...

I sent a screenshot of that to Trina. She loves it! Make sure you take that for exactly what it's worth. She is NOT into excess stickers, graphics or decoration of any kind. Well done.

I have an update on my 704 work. Checked the bore and it appears to be a k-141 with all measurements at 2.875 inches. Taper varied only .0004 and Out of Round .0007 so I think I am good to go there. Pulled the valves and here are pictures of them after good cleaning on the wire wheel and some 1000 polishing on the exhaust valve. Do you think they are good to go? The exhaust valve has an indented part (see pics). Is that normal? They both fit quite snug in the valve guides so hope I can use them as they are. Also I have hardly any valve lash at the tappets. Is that OK on the K-141? Kohler manual doesn't give any data on the K-141 or is same as 161 except for bore size? Thoughts all you re builders??? Having some fun now!!

Looking in the Kohler service manual it shows that as the valve rotator on the exhaust valve. Also stated there may be one on the intake valve as well.

I'm glad I only had to programme it for steering, throttle and two switches o the lights and sound. Any more than that and I'd have been stumped lol.

This discussion came up years back. The consensus was that an older 4 speed could handle more input torque because the pulley shaft was 3/4, and the 6/8 speeds use a 5/8 shaft. The ultimate was decided as drilling out the axle housings to accommodate 1.125 axles on a 4 speed, and install the 8 pinion differential and heavy axles. And to answer the original question: at the 2008 PA show, there was a puller that had a 65 hp motorcycle V-twin on it, coupled to an 8 speed with chain drive. It had supposedly been in competition several times. Can't speak for longevity, but these trannies can handle way more than stock horsepower that the tractors came with. Of course a full rebuild (all new bearings) would be a good idea if you plan to push the limit.

Bought my first Wheel Horse here. Anyone else remember their first dealer?

For this tractor with this type of linkage perfect fit. On other photo of left over cable cutoff a little mangled but you can see the 3 part cable sheath.

The one I picked up, probably restore in the fall

I agree! I would pay up to a bill for it for fun. They are asking ten times that. I am out Thanks gentlemen!

Got it for free needs a few things lol. hoping to find a SR-64 kit for it, serial # is A5972. Anyone sell patch panels for the hoods?

I remember the name of it now, Hank’s on the River! Funny story, we had my buddy Hank (Henry the 4th) and his son Henry (Five) with us at Hank’s on the River. We informed the waitress that the rest of the Hanks were here and she laughed, the owner was actually James or something but there was another in-law who already took James so the father in law dubbed him Hank.

@loudtractor We were in Three Rivers not that long ago for school sports. Good food at that dive bar on the river….

Looks like I have another quick project. My wife was offered this today for $100. The shifter cable popped off the linkage on the transmission. I sip tied the cable towards the front driveshaft, holding it onto the shifter linkage today and drove it home in about 6 minutes from point of sale. 2002 Olds Bravada, Vortec 4200 in-line 6, all wheel drive.

13" wet snow. I installed the weight box, have 175# in box , plus the wheel weights. It made a HUGE difference. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DeQBavempsA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWB6m-gh5Zo

When you speak of your oil burner, are you talking about your home heating system, or your daily-driver Wheel Horse that needs a ring job?

With more and more companies putting focus on older trucks and rebuilding them as they go, scenes like this are occurring a little more often. Even the newest truck on the far right. The white Peterbilt. I believe that's just old enough that it does not have a DEF system. The brown Peterbilt 359 in the middle. Definitely a favorite body style of mine.

added teflon and steel washers to pto lever start mount ,along side lower battery tray, this firms up movement and draws in pto lever close to side of dash console, ist and 3 photos. just lucas greased pto bell needle bearings on all 3 of my horses,regular maintenance . battery tender plug in is attached to choke cable , for easy mounted plug in point. just a few changes that make things easier , and insure smooth operation,