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My favorite Frankentractor started acting up this week. Slow to crank sometimes, and shut off unexpectedly every 15-20 mins. Crank right back up and die 5 mins later. Swapped both magnetos, since both originals "tested" within specs. Best I can tell one of them flaked out when hot. Once again purrs like a kitten (a dang big one ) now. I really love this machine. It was my first Wheel Horse and it has been awesome for 30 years!

I look like a circus bear on my 551

Just do when she ain't lookin...

Gave the 257-H a good cleaning. 99 hours on it. Very underrated machines IMHO.

That paint is pretty reflective... Careful what the camera catches... Again with the visuals...!!! Beautiful work Dan!!!

April 19, 1987, Marge and Homer Simpson and their brood make their television debut in two-minute segment on "The Tracey Ullman Show." There will be 48 such episodes before they get their own show in 1989.

Shop rags can get expensive and I don’t like to put them in my washing machine. I’ve had this cement mixer around for a while now and figured I’d put it to good use IMG_4450.mov

I buy $5 packs of microfiber towels at Horror Fright, and wash them when I get a big pile dirty. If they get really nasty they go in the trash. They're cheap enough to be semi- reusable.

WE DO NOT SHIP ANYTHING. CASH ONLY AND PICK UP ONLY. Let me think this over, I want a new choke cable, I can buy it now on eBay and have it shipped or I can drive about 600 miles round trip and hope he is there and in a good mood when I get there. decisions, decisions.

Rather productive day today. Broke the axle shaft free of the hub with my 12 ton hobo freight press. Pulled the trans out of the 10-8, new axle shaft came in today for the 10-8 trans now just need to get the time to split it and repair it. Had my new tri-rib tires mounted yesterday and today threw them on the C120 for now to see how I like them since they’re for the 10-8. Then plowed out my new garden bed with the C120. All in all it was a good day.

Got the 48 all hooked up had to buy a new belt. 42 takes 102" 48 takes 103" Hard to believe it makes a difference...it does. To wet to start mowing the paths. I like the front mount as it knocks some of the Tics down before they hit my leg Already had one.. Going to need lots of DEET this year. Did a short test may have to get a bigger horse the 48 put a load on the 14hp.

When my work clothes reach the correct level, they become shop rags for a while, then go to the burn barrel. No grease in Mrs. Ks house or washing machine.

That's directly from the back yard hammer mechanic's school of hard knocks. It's under the chapter called trial and error! LOL It won't hurt anything to add another condenser for testing purposes. It's definitely a pain to keep disassembling to pull the flywheel so when you give the laziest man the toughest job, he'll find the easiest way to do it.

Literally as cheap as the paper shop towels. Just without the lint. If they are just dirty, I wash them. But if they are greasy that doesn't go in the washer. That is one thing my wife might actually hurt me over...

Got my first stripes of the season put down. 1967 model 867 with a 32” deck (I need to find a 36”)

Put steering wheel center cap on 520H thanks ti AtoZ tractor, also added cubic inches decals to air cleaner lid on same tractor.

I will not buy anymore Wheel Horse tractors I will not buy anymore Wheel Horse tractors I will not buy anymore Wheel Horse tractors I will not …..

"Doh!!"

You ? That 401 looks like a dingleberry on James!

That is a good idea ... Guess I gotta start with the old fashions to come up with that...

A temp battery ignition coil and condenser can be set up fairly easy without pulling the flywheel. If it runs well doing that then it would verify the problem is definitely in the original ignition system somewhere other than the points. Then verify each component one at a time. Check that points push rod too Connecting a long deck belt to another tractor PTO is easier than yanking that thing all day

Did you ever change the condenser as mentioned earlier? You can quick check that just by adding a known good one directly to the points wire on the points connection without pulling the flywheel. I've had a couple where the points setting was so touchie it took forever to adjust that gap. Drop the gap to 17 and see if it changes anything. Then adjust in tiny .001 increments you can try closing the plug gap a little. Weak spark would jump it easier. A bad plug wire would also cause those symptoms New Kohler coil https://davespartsworld.com/products/k90-91-kohler-ignition-coil-220435

Yep but the condenser ... which is brand new ... is behind the flywheel. Points which is like most others is right out front. He claims he played with everything ... including himself ... to get it to run right. Did you try tea bagging?!?!?!? I have no idea Dan but gotta be a a points/ condenser thing. Just don't see how it could be magneto related. I almost think you have two problems that are making diagnosis difficult. Maybe carb/ignition ? FYI guys it had a NOVAR pointless on it before resto and ran what Dan OK??

Crappy day out so got to work on her abit. The three piece RJ axle bushings from @wheelhorseman are always a little tight so got them honed down and the gearcase back together. Made the high level decision not to replace the axle and re-make the the pawl carriers. Bushed the wallowed out hole in the existing axle and calling it a day. This whole resto is going against my character of doing it right ... but I don't think what I am doing will take away from the value of the tractor. I'm not doing anything that is not reversible or made impossible to be done right. If this was a full blown paint might be a different story. To me that would be sacrilege tho. The plan is for this girl to get sold after this year's show circuit so let the next guy do it if he wants. Strictly a trailer queen anyway and will never get run around. I still get the joy of working on a tractor that the Ponds had their hands on. Rear wheels did come out nice with rear tear offs from the flame and the flat black . @Lane Ranger the originals were way beyond tire paint. Tubes bulging out thru side walls.

Finally able to wrap this project up. Well, almost. will get into that at the end of this post. First we'll take a look back at where I started. And finally some pictures after a few hours work. Thanks for following along. Sure looks purty, just wish I could get it running right. I spent a fair amount of time trying different things with the engine today, but I just can't seem to get it to run good at high RPMs. Been a while since I've had an engine kick my but like this. I know that I have to be missing something, just wish that some type of epiphany would hurry up & hit me.

Plug wires on those K91 coils can be changed without changing the coil

I mostly use these. https://www.homedepot.com/p/TOOLBOX-Professional-White-Rags-200-Sheets-10-in-W-x-11-in-L-Sheet-Size-Disposable-Painter-s-Rags-Natural-Fibers-5820208/203776822 The cheaper HDX brand aren't very absorbent and just smear crap around. I don't like leaving ANY gas soaked rags around because there's always sparks flying. Grinding welding torches etc. I use old Tshirts too as more permanent type rags but just toss those when there isn't anymore clean spots on them.

That kinda why I was leaning to the coil. ( bad plug wire)

I just take them into work and dump them in the dirty bin, then "borrow" a similar number. I let the uniform company worry about washing them.

I know what you mean, it got up to 74 degrees F. yesterday and I felt like I was in an oven. Still used to winter temps I guess. Well, I should have kept my mouth shut. It's snowing heavily right now. Summer and winter all in one weekend.

Yup Horror fright has the towels in Micro and your std. cotton white and red variety. Almost not worth washing them.

I'm thinking the Mag coil itself. Or is there a spark advance system on these little Kohl-aires?

Vinyl roof coverings of the 70’s which caused rust out was next in the dumb line

FWIW — I had my mitral and aortic valves replaced 28 years ago. My surgery was NOT “minimally invasive”; 6-8 inch opening in my chest which was wired back together (makes for really impressive chest x-rays). I would not be here now without that surgery; in my case my left ventricle was to the point of losing pumping efficiency due to enlargement (leaking mitral valve). I was only 46 at the time and feeling fine but on restricted activity; took 2-3 months of recovery which didn’t feel good; several trips back to the hospital for some know postoperative issues (chest congestion). My layman’s understanding was that the open thoracic surgery was a major factor in my extended recovery. Your minimally invasive procedure should lessen those. Get the valve replaced!! I went from restricted activity pre-surgery to being told by my heart doctor to get off my butt and do whatever I wanted (back to playing basketball for me).

I'm a bit too big to comfortably drive a Surburban, which is why I sold my RJ and my 551. Your restoration makes me question my decision. It looks awesome!

Ok not sorry here Bro but looking at the before pics how could you have stripped that girl from her working cloths? Oh that's right you like seeing girls naked ... need I drop a pic of the Saturn?

Well if you two cant digure it out Im probably of no use to ya. Coil?

He is Richard. I called on him a couple a years ago lookin for parts for a RJ and he was a real Dink with a capital D. I take that back all CAPS! Sounded like he was God's gift to horses. Hey guess what? I found the parts here ... good old Racin Bob saved my rear. Silly me for being the prodigal son. Hey ' Fish I got a '55 RJ for ya you wear that get up at the BS...

Ok, well… decided to drop the engine in for fit, and everything‘s looking good. Going to start snugging things up a little and then continuing with dressing the engine with all of the freshly painted and prepped accessories.

I'm going to guess more people would have glass or easy access to it vs a 12x12 piece of thick steel plate. Wet sanding clears the dust out of fine grit paper to prevent clogging

Ready for work.

The GT1800/1848 gives the best of both worlds. Simple wiring, Eaton 1100 transmission with faster gearing. If you like the look of the 300/400 series but don't want complex wiring, that's the machine for you.

Worked the 654 hard today. We've had tons of rain so far this spring. Have an 81yr old neighbor lady. Her landscape guy hasn't shown up to cut her lawn. I told her I'd mow before the city cites her. We had rain this morning so it was very wet & muddy. Her grass was at least 6-8" tall.

All you need is the Handy Don's secret weapon!

Hang in there. I got to wanting a 520 a while back, then bamm had two fall in my lap, really couldn't afford both but.... Wheel Horses have always been pretty scarce around here, and most people that do have them are pretty proud of them.

What about a hand truck and a helper? You could probably lift the rear end up with a decent hand truck and doesn't need to be 2 ft in the air. What about removing the blade from the frame and using that frame end to lift and move it? Bring a battery and some carb spray and run it like that Spit balling again to what sticks

And a lot of times I do, but then other times I'm kicking ideas around in my head while tending to and doing other things and don't have the time at that moment, but still have a train of thought with a hole in it.

I do remember it seeming slow, but - compared to my pewter Horse - they all are! 😁 Here's the reason I swapped transaxles in your 522..... a really nasty right axle: For those who are curious...... the layout of the innards of the xi tranz: Input bevel gears, hi-lo cluster, and primary reduction shaft: With the exception of the square vs. woodruff key, the axles appear to be the same as the "classic" 8 speed and Eaton hydro tranz 1.125" pieces.