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Both tractors could use a face lift on the leather seats and steering wheels from prior abuse. I do have a few leads on small local shops that I need to connect with too see if they would be interested in a Winter project. Any how I have been storing a very nice clean 1988 - 89 high back 520 original seat that is in mint condition and decided to install it on my recent second 420. Sure is comfortable and doesn't look too bad in my opinion.

Installed thrust bearings on the spindles today. Didn’t take long to do, made a big difference. Used two narrow hose clamps to use as a guide. Then started cutting with a part off blade, and finished the final depth of material removal with a flap disc wheel. Reassembled with a goodly amount of Red and Tacky grease. In disassembly I discovered the left side tie rod end was froze up. Replaced both sides with new spring loaded ones. Made setting the toe in easy.

Well, it is sunny today. Supposed to rain tonight but I took that as a good day to apply some paint. Top side of two hoods and two fenders got some red paint.

Type A, Type F, and the generic Dex/Merc are all pretty interchangeable these days.

Masking removed from bottom of hood. Red is now complete. There are some dust and bugs in the paint but I will clean that up later.

Pics from a couple weeks ago. Picked up a wheel horse cart from marketplace for a good deal. Managed to get some work out of the youngens utilizing it behind the 314-8.

I have to admit; I used several of my "nine lives" doing stupid c@#p and a few more that were out of my control. I am more careful now that I only have one or maybe two remaining.

That steering wheel appears to be an off the shelf Grant Industries Classic Series model. Probably faster & easier just to replace it with new. Years back, the overmolded Kelch lower hub cracked & broke on my C81 - while in use. The steering wheel came up & out in my Son's hands... I remedied that for good by machining up a 2-pc adapter and installing one of Grant's wheels.

Some pics of the redo project. Pics of the chrome split front rims had help from @ebinmaine Upper dash console has not had replacement decal as of yet. On the list.

I have owned this tractor for 38 years and finally got back to finishing it up at the same time I did a refurb on one of the 420-LSE'S. Nice to be able to see it moving again instead of it under a tarp. I would like to at least possibly keep it to plow with it this Winter to bring back memories moving snow with it. It has had a lot of work done to it recently. I think it is time to pass it on to someone who has an interest in the old stuff. Many attachments,manuals and small parts and a band new HD clutch and pressure plate etc,etc. Great all around tractor and fun to work it.

I have never seen those tie rod ends before.

Masking removed from bottom of hood. Red is now complete. There are some dust and bugs in the paint but I will clean that up later.

Well it's been a long time coming but I finally got the hood sanded, primed, and the bottom side painted. Top side red paint applied.

I don't think that the man lift device carries an OSHA certification. But then, there is the time I but a ladder on top of my CJ7's hard top to trim a tree...... No pictures, but the medical doctor who lived across the street saw me and commented on that - several times, over a couple of years.

September 6, 1916, Piggly-Wiggly, the first self-serve grocery store, opens in Memphis, Tennessee, ending the age when the only way to buy groceries was to have a clerk assemble your order behind a counter.

but not for me. If you've ever seen the folks that pick your stuff, you might think twice. I much prefer to pick my own. My daughter uses the grocery service from Walmart and is frequently complaining about meat and other items that are at, near, or beyond expiry dates. No sir. I'll do my own shopping if you please.

Just acquired a barn find B-115 from my Dad, Engine started first time although the silencer is straight through. Only thing missing is a mower deck, still trying to get it back in shape, its an old baby which my dad loved so well and thats one major reason i joined the forum, to get more parts and ideas to get this baby running again.

I didn't do any actual work on any of the tractors today, but the 1076 got to stretch it's legs today. I finally got time this morning to teach my daughter the controls, and then let her just run it around the yard to her heart's content. She came back to me for more fuel twice, and got yelled at for towing the neighbor girl on a skateboard once.

Yup... here's a way better idea...

If I want a large rock all I need do is buy a plant in that size pot and ask my wife where it should be planted. Guaranteed there will be a rock about the size of that pot.

The kill relay is necessary because the ignition switch has an "I" terminal intended for battery style ignition. The M-Series have magneto ignition so the battery style of ignition switch is necessary to control the magneto ignition by the use of a relay. Wheel Horse/Toro also use this configuation. The relay illustration is poor. When the relay coil is energized the relay contacts are open. When the relay coil is not energized the ignition wire is grounded.

I'm not very experienced with cosmetics, but I believe the average lipstick is around 2.5 to 3 inches in length.

I spy... Back window temp...

Those are quick disconnect tie rod ends.

Doner heart. Looks rough, but PO said it "ran when pulled" t Trimming the fat before clean up.

Used the aluminum one that is stock for the LSE. Bolts right up with the horn kit with chrome cap.

My yard is similar. The Dillsburg Brick Co. operated on and off for roughly a century. A house about 1/8 mile up from me was the main office. A 1/2 mile in the other direction is the quarry where they got the clay, on the ground of Camp Tuckahoe. Best I can figure from the maps I have my yard was in the brick drying yard.

This chrome wheel came from Summit Racing and it's on my first LSE. Spent some $$$$$ with them since the mid 70's on the muscle cars. Good products and great customer service. Didn't know Superior was still around. Not sure if they could replicate the same leather wrapped wheel ?? Good idea though.

Working out the bugs… trying to get rid of a little hesitation off idle has been fun. Adjusting the accelerator pump, idle mixture screws, idle adjustment… It’s a great day to cruise to the beach!

Anybody else ever notice how often there seems to be one of those order pickers and their truck sized cart right in front of the shelf location of the very item you are wanting? On the other hand, those order pickers know the store well and are a good resource to ask when something can't be found.

It wasn't easier. With a single piece rim and correct lube I've never seen a front tire that didn't just slip right on. Interesting part was we tried to install the tires while the wheels were bolted together. NOT happening by hand and I'm a Bear with more than average leverage. We disassembled them and mulled over what to do. Once we figured out how to get a bolt started near the valve stem, they went together OK. Still quite a challenge to work around the 5 bolts AND keep the tube out from between the two wheel pieces. @JCM Absolutely happy to help out. The tractor is looking good!

The info stamped on the original steering wheel is The 500r Superior Performance Products Made in Canada 03886CT. The OD is 15 1/2''. @ri702bill

I did not know those tractors had split front rims

Not mentioned in any WH brochure I’ve seen. Give that girl a job in marketing!

Ran it around for about an hour today. So far no drips or odd noises. Feeling pretty good about it!

@Pullstart @WHX??

I’d say it looks great!! 👍🏻 The whole tractor looks great Jim 👍🏻👍🏻

I've mentioned elsewhere on the site that I've been messing around with a few chainsaws this year. This Echo CS490 is the only one I've bought new. I believe that was 2017. This year I decided to do a couple upgrades on it. A muffler modification or "mod" is basically when you remove the restrictions of the stock exhaust by either modifying the existing muffler or replacing it with an aftermarket option. On this particular saw there's a good addition in HP and torque if one removes the internal screen and restrictor pipe. I did that a couple months ago and was instantly impressed. As part of that process you have to richen the mixture. For that reason I removed the carb adjustment limiter cover caps. The next thing is to increase intake capacity. This kit is 3D printed by a company called A2D. (See the sticker.) It's a super simple completely bolt on kit. The biggest benefit is MUCH better air filtration. A side benefit is a little better breathing. Before. Original air filter. Original air filter base. Parts removed down to the carb. The original air filter and base on the right. Replacement base, filter, and top holder on the left. The new air filter is actually a stock replacement filter for a different Echo model. The kit maker recommends a thin layer of grease between the new base and carb, and on both sides of the new air filter. Note the large black surround piece. That stabilizes the filter base and raises the stock lid for space to install the new filter. It also allows a huge improvement in breathing capability by allowing air flow from the sides. There's a solid piece available for very cold weather operation. New filter in place. All cinched up. The kit even comes with a rub on decal to identify the modifications. I took the saw out to the side forest for a few minutes. Power level seems a tad higher. Definitely runs nice and smooth and has a very quick throttle response. I was unable to run it long because that saw needs a new bar. That's been ordered.

When I replaced the diff & axles in my C-120 last winter I did it in a rush to get back to plowing snow. I didn't get a good seal around the case and It's had a slow leak that's gotten worse little by little. The last month or so it picked up a rolling whine (from a bearing I'm guessing) I had a C-160 Auto trans I picked up for $50 to steal the hydro lift off of it. A few weeks ago, I decided to break it down and go through the transaxle proper. Tonight I made the swap. No initial leaks or weird noises from a few test laps in the back yard. Tomorrow, I'll give a full shakedown and see how well the hydro performs and what leaks develop. I'm guessing axle seals at a minimum.

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In this neck of the woods it's like trying to dig in a barrel of bowling balls!

Years ago, when battery cables were built as one piece and the end couldn't be easily unbolted like a lot can today, I would do something like this for draw tests. I'd put one grip on the battery, and then use a second to hold the cable to the first so I could go drive it, and then set up my meter and jumpers between the first grip and the cable and use the second one as the disconnect. Got me plenty of looks from the other guys in the shop, but it worked.

There's an upholstery shop next to my work up in Portland.

That would sure make installing the front tires easier. I wish they were all that way.

At one time the tractor had a deuce on it.

I did some more firewood processing today. A little testing on the newly modified Echo CS490 chainsaw. There's a thread about that. Also used my Jonsered 2054 49cc. That has a new 20 inch bar. Other than idling a little high, that went well. I adjusted it later. Here's one load of four that Trina and her momma hauled out and stacked in preparation for splitting it. Maybe tomorrow.

1960 550 and 61 551. First time these 2 have been run in awhile but both fired right up. I had forgotten how much easier these are to mount and dismount than the horses with running boards.

I was rummaging through old posts and realized this thread deserved an update. Last series of posts here concerned attaching a muffler nipple to a K181 exhaust port that had no threads due to rust and exhaust erosion. I was successful with using an NPT tap to get some threading and then reinforced it with JB Weld Steel epoxy. Update... After about a year of use, the epoxy softened and the muffler stared to wobble. (as @WHX?? predicted just after I’d finished the repair ). Acetone and careful scraping removed the old epoxy. Then I went through most of the sequence again but this time using the white JB Weld High Temperature epoxy that @squonk suggested (also a bit after I’d finished the first repair 😉). I was concerned that this epoxy cures to a more brittle composition (somewhat akin to ceramics) but after more than three years the muffler is still solidly in place. The 854 is alive and well as my worker for mowing (36” gear deck), towing, and plowing (42”). I’ve posted about these implements elsewhere. Full repaint. F-plate reinforcement, 6-speed, one-piece gas tank, custom dash with volt and amp meters, front attach-a-matic, solenoid start, new rubber (Carlisle and Firestone), and a couple new decals!