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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!

Front End Funday?

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.

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.

Looonng first post.... LOTS to write.... For several years we've been considering an upgrade to our old wood splitter. It's a very well (re)built decades old unit that was home shop rebuilt in 2012 by a local logger. After 14 seasons of splitting it's understandably getting tired. We started a thread here, got some great info. We researched on other sites and spoke to our favorite small engine repair place. We decided that it would need the entire hydraulic system replaced and a new larger engine to meet the goals. Not at all opposed to this but it would easily cost $2,000 +. While doing research online we found a couple dual action splitters. Very intriguing. We started a thread on that here: ..... And again learned some great information along with creating some additional thought processes. We decided to get the Boss model over the HF model because of several factors. 1. Kohler engine on the Boss. 2. Too many pivot/ wear points on the HF. 3. Hydraulic control lever is centered on the Boss vs one sided operation in the HF. This is a very convenient feature for Trina in particular because she's prone to jumping around wherever the workload can be accomplished the best. 4. Overall frame strength and build quality appears better on the Boss than the HF according to multiple online sources. 5. The Boss is certified for road towing. The HF is not. (We'll visit that below) The new Boss splitter arrived this week. Overall it looks good. I agree with #4 above. The welds are solid. The frame is good thick steel. The cylinder is encapsulated in a square slider tube which is encapsulated in the frame. Purely a flat surface sliding design with no bearings. @Ed Kennell Grease will be applied. Often. @peter lena North American design but made in china. Build quality is reasonable except for a few things. The trailer tongue mount is too narrow for the main frame. We had to use washers to set the tongue to one side and add longer bolts to the other side. I WOULD NOT tow this unit on the road the way it's sent. IMHO it was not safe. That - quite frankly - pi$$ed me off. This side is flush. This side is not. See the space difference... Now imagine trying to "tighten" that enough to close the space using low quality hardware... or even great quality hardware. Not happening buster. The entire hardware package is the unfortunate cheap trash we see all too often on cheap items. Nut & bolt head sizes are inconsistent (WTH??) and lacking quality. I upgraded several bolts, added washers, and replaced the disgustingly lightweight axle castle nuts with better quality pieces. We were unable to drive the steel press fit axle dust caps in so we popped the plastic ones back on. This is fine unless/until we ever need to road tow it. The axle inner seal surface isn't even properly machined. If this was going to be towed often or long distance it would eat seals. Fast. After using it for only a few minutes it's developed an issue already. Like many splitters, It has a two stage hydraulic system. When the pressure reaches a certain level the system changes from high speed low pressure to low speed high pressure. This one WAS working like that. Now it starts high speed. Goes low speed and stays there. Shut it off and move the lever to release system pressure. Restart and repeat. I'm hoping it's an adjustment, not a defective part. We've run some decent sized beech wood through it. That went well. Power level seems good. We're thinking it should be faster though. That may be related to the above issue or possibly because it's new and needs to break in. Or.... it's just slower than we hoped. Again, overall I believe it'll be a good addition once the bugs are worked out. The work habits obviously are very different from a single action to this dual action. The fact that one can use both directions is very nice. Very weird at first too. Once a different and properly adjusted set of habits is developed we can see a new kind of usefulness. We did get the additional cross piece to split horizontally. It has its place but also has its challenges. The second split is nice IF the pieces of wood separate correctly. Because we use a lot of beech wood, that isn't practical much of the time. I'll document repairs and changes in this thread. Some changes we figured on making even before purchase, no matter what splitter we got. 1. Wheel size, tongue height & length increase. The OE tires are 4.00/4.80 x 8. Seems most splitters are standard at that. I'd likely add a set of 5 lug hubs and increase to a full size tire like we did on the other splitter. Tongue height and length will be adjusted to level and to compensate for the additional table length..(Next comment) 2. Larger flat work table. As you can see in the last picture above there are small catch shelves on the sides. The principal is good. The upward angle is actually a bit of a challenge to work with. The wood pieces want to fall back into the work area. Remember gravity? We're thinking about adding a much larger, flat work table to catch the pieces on both sides. Start the split. Set one half aside. Work with the other. Have plenty of space to move the shrinking pieces around and off the table.

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

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.

You ? That 401 looks like a dingleberry on James!

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

I kept our old wash machine when we upgraded. It likes to spill the bleach over a few loads, but I don’t use bleach. It’s in the basement to do my dirty laundry out of sight, out of mind.

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.

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.

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??

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.

Most engines don't like that.... 🙄

An old picture of my 1257 when my dad got it many years ago.

Great idea. Looks like it works great.When I had race horses back in the 70's washing the leg wraps was an issue. They got very dirty and stinky. We picked up an old maytag washer with the ringer and kept it at the track.

17HP Kawasaki

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!!"

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

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.

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.

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.

Ready for work.

With the "Ejector Seat" lever on the lower left!!

I have 17 and 22 Kaw's on a standup and zero turn mower and have had real good luck with them. Have a neighbor that hates them, but I think he tries to run them on the oilless plan .

Fire it up and running at idle, use your finger to open the throttle. You should feel the governor arm pushing back to try and close the carb. This isn't a guess thing as it should push fairly hard and a noticeable force. Most likely good if it's just creeping up instead of full blast high RPM Without loosening the clamp try holding the pin with pliers and try to move the gov arm. It needs to be locked tight to the pin Make sure the throttle cable conduit is locked tight.

I soak my coveralls in a Home Depot bucket with dawn soap... then squish them around a bit... rinse and dry... degreases enough for my needs... Old tshirts etc. for rags. When life expectancy reached (dirty beyond continued use) they get tossed...

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

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

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.

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

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?

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.