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I was at an auction yesterday and bought this... It fired right up, blower works, and it moves fine. I did some reading and i just want your opinion on how decent of a mower it is? Its a 314A. I bought it to blow snow as itll be eaiser to do my sidewalks and stuff with then my quad. I gave 230bucks for it.

September 8, 1960, Alfred Hitchcock's classic film Psycho was released in the USA on September 8, 1960, debuting in New York City and becoming a massive cultural and financial success, establishing new standards in horror and cinema.

Thankss Randy. This pic just showed up on my FB memories.

Had a great Labor Day family picnic. We picked the blue claws, then burgers, corn, potato salad, baked beans, and apple pie. Then played Bocce Ball, corn hole and tractor rides with my favorite Grand Nephew.

And 3 years later, September 8 1963 was the best day of my life.. She said "I do".

I don’t want to question my spouse, but she thinks highly of my “tractor friends.”

My wife and I always compromise: I admit I'm wrong, and she agrees with me.

Thanks, now you got me started. This reminds me of a problem I had when I was still working. One of my 10 ton 600hp dynos lost a bearing and needed to be removed from the lab for rebuild. The problem was the dyno was installed before the roof was put on the building. I had a 20 ton bridge crane but the top of the dyno was above the crane hook. When I told the VP I would have to remove the roof and get a mobile crane, he stared at me for a few minutes and replied, If 10,000 Egyptians and a couple hundred donkeys can build a pyramid, you can remove that dyno without removing the roof. He was right, with four 25 ton chain falls mounted to the crane bridge I was able to lift it out of the centering joint and lower it enough to get it rigged to the crane hook.

Lip stick on the dip ... never mind Howard I'll clue you in 30 years... or shortly after you get your DL ... which ever comes first. Guessing you changed the filter too that will add a bit but yes some times new fluid can be tough to read. Dan's trick sandblasting trick works but with fresh clean oil can still be abit sketchy. 875 is a bucket lister for many of us (Squonky doesn't deserve one) and I must have missed your thread with all the I got blind out house lucky and scored this one for chump change.

Put my second coat of boiled linseed oil on my 1958 patina Wheel Horse RJ i bought last August in Indianapolis! i really love this one! Joe Papke just finished redoing the Schnacke recoil o put back on with one of my stainless steel hex nuts i had made for a Kohler Schnacke application. I had the Hex nut made so you could reverse it if it wears groves in the hex from The three metal dogs in the recoil! This one has the original oil bath air cleaner and amazingly a hood with no cracks in the metal around the gas tank neck hole! Yes motor smokes some and i really have not run it much but thats ok with me! It started on the very first pull of the Schnacke after i turned the gas line valve open and set the choke door on the carburetor! IMG_4493.mov IMG_4495.mov IMG_4492.mov

These are the photos I have so far, I need to get another one later of how it looks after sos pad wash and marvel mystery oil rub down and sun soak This photo is how it looked the day i brough it home. This photo is how it looked after scrubbing with the sos pad while it was still damp from the water And the video is from the first time I drove it after getting it rewired and running and washed 20260904_193920.mp4

Nice! You bought a snowblower and got a free tractor!

Great deal. the working tall chute blowers sell for $200. Just a word of caution, the 314A has the weaker Eaton 700 hydro transmission that is not approved for ground engaging implements like a dirt plow or disc or grader blade. It should work fine with the blower or a mowing deck. Another quirk with the 700 hydros is the engine is not running, they can not be rolled. Do not attempt to tow as the transmission may be damaged.

Congratulations to both you and your bride.

What day do potatoes hate the most? Fry-day!

since you will replacing the seal and bearings maybe some heat on the pully hub will expand it enough, along with your favorite penetrating oil or wax. Bob

What you talkin about Willis? I rescued this 875. Installed the lift arm, replaced the worn out engine, fixed the tranny leak, fixed the broken frame, made the fan screen, installed Town and Country's and front knobbies, painted the wheels and added the comfy but patched seat and springs.

Here are a few photos of said tractor. I see nothing that would make me believe it is not an actual 754. I will be picking it up from @Just getting started in a couple weeks when my work takes me to Minnesota. It will mostly be for shows, parades, and joy rides - though I do have a nice period correct snowblade and enough parts to make one (if not two) nice mower decks. The tower looks like it may have had an HY-2 at one time, unless there is some other explanation for holes (last photo). This old plow may have found its special purpose!

Got it off Took my BFH and whacked it a few times after soaking it a few hours in Kroil and heat with a propane torch

Already on the serial number list but do not know when it landed there

Make four wooden wedges, place two on each side of the pulley and drive them evenly under both sides to apply upward pressure then use a piece of hardwood over the shaft and apply the BFH tool.

Mrs Sylvan says you are very wise... I told her what about your questionable choice of friends... She gave me the look... So i compromised...

First use of a trail cam to monitor a construction site- I think I see you Ed in the bottom right corner of the picture...?

All of our older warships were limited to 108' beam as that was the max you could get through the original locks...Created some design challenges...

Looks like great day...but as I get older having Mr. Chervy coal come and dump 5 tons into my coal bin looks a lot easier

That's a good question. I left the PC-7 to dry overnight. I feel like doing bodywork with Bondo, if you caught it earlier, it would sand faster. I used 80 grit on a DA sander to somewhat shape it first. Then I used 180 grit not staying in one place too long. The hard part was the area where there was no bakelite at all. It was built up so thick that it took a lot of hand sanding. Now, about 2 small places on the bottom and one low spot I still need to put some more PC-7 on. This will be hand sanded since it won't be so thick. Then, adhesion promoter and flexible primer and I'll spray on the Rust Oleum truck bed liner. Dave

#restrictorplates I can’t say my butt dyno has ever felt the dIfference between 7 and 8 horsepowers.

Rear wheels have been wire brushed and sanded. Prime and paint will happen after the tires are mounted. Front wheels have been wire wheeled, sanded, and primed on the tire side as they are very rusty in spots. These will get tubes for sure. Front wheels have been painted on the tire side. All four wheels now ready for the tires to be installed.

Is there room to slide a couple pieces of 1/4" flat stock onder the two holes in the pulley. Mark the hole then d&t for two long threaded rods. Screw them down tight against the deck as jack screws and add the puller bar across the shaft. Get max force on the rods and use your biggest BFH.

Not trying to scare you off, but horses are herd animals. I hope you have lots of shed room. Now that you have one, MANY more will follow.

My buddy picked me up in an MG Midget he restored. I'm 5'10" 200LBS. I could have used a shoe horn getting in. Got out the same way as you!

Never doubted that. I continue to stand in awe of your automotive machinery knowledge and skills. I asked out of curiosity. I got to drive a friend’s “larger" TR6 once and was amazed at how tiny and lightweight it was. If I recall, total weight capacity was around 500 lbs, which seemed a lot to me! Your Spitfire would be less and so the potential for 50 or 100 pounds of front-leaning extra weight could really affect a lot of engineering! Embarrassingly, I was 6’3” and I actually needed help to get out of the car it was so constrained. I ended up rolling out sideways onto my hands and then sliding my legs free. Being tall is not a universal blessing.

Congratulations!!! Crab for dinner?

@cafoose you have to cut into that bind fit , couple of band saw cuts on that sleeve , should get you going , pete

Update: So it was another busy weekend. Friday/saturday/sunday: I tore apart the whole deck apart. I then replaced the bearings in the spindles, cleaned up the shaft treads, replaced the idler, welded a small patch over the largest of the holes in the deck (still need more practice on the stick welder. Its been a while since i have used anything other than the mig at work.) , tightened some loose nuts and fixed the rear wheel support rod brackets so it doesn't have so much slop in it. I even touched up the blades as I must have hit some rocks with them as they were not the best looking after about 2 hours of use. Monday, the fun day.. I started mowing the fields. About 15min into it, the engine just shut off. Puzzled, I looked it over. Finally, I found on of the original wires on the engine harness going to the coil was broken off. I did the walk of shame to the house, grabbed some tools and the connector, then I repaired the machine in the field. I then started mowing and 1.5 sections of the whole field done. I then hit a massive rock which caused the center spindle to loose tension on the blade nut and allowing the blades to spin. I figured it out after about 5 mins but the damage was already done, the threads were harmed along with the nut. So, after doing the drive of shame, I got it back to the house. I cleaned up the threads again, swapped nuts around from different spindles and all is good again. Yes the blades look horrible once more, but it will cut for now. Then I completed the sections I wanted to mow in the field. Now the whole thing is mowed as I wanted it to be and I have finally completed this project I have a total of 6 hours on the machine, and every time something breaks or becomes a problem, I correct it and hopefully make it better. Like the spindle shaft, I will machine them over the winter to redo the threads and make it all good again. Right now, it will mow the grass and hopefully I only have one more mowing. Now, back to the story, as I was leaving the fields to head home, I saw a stick on the mower deck and stopped the mower to clean it all off. I got back on and then engine would not start. it didn't spin over nothing. So, tired, I did the second walk of shame to the house, grab my son and the other tractor and towed it back home. Later, after a motorcycle ride, I dug into the issue some more. I have determined its the starter somehow. Its getting 12.5v but not spinning the motor. The starter paw clutch may be slipping as it would engage but just stay stuck and make the engine seemed to be locked up. Its super weird. So, off came the starter and I took it to work so we can see whats wrong with it. Overall, I'm pleased with the way the horse project came out. It made me feel good to use the old tractor again for some series work. Future plans are for me to replace the front steering rod bearing, front wheel bearings, and then tires. For now, it will work and become a dedicated mower for the field.

Happy Birthday @HyperPete, we are glad you were born.

Happy Birthday Steve!

The stator will recharge the battery, your ignition coil needs a wire from the "-" side going to the ignition points and condenser and a wire from the ignition switch to the "+" side to produce spark. Here is a wiring system guide for your , it has each system including the ignition shown sepertely.

Thanks for all the replies. I am going to rebuild both and just keep them on the shelf until my Chinese replacement (currently working well) decides to take a dump.

Happy Birthday

The glass bowl will leak, either at the valve which has a seal, or the bowl itself which has a gasket on top. The aftermarket sediment bowls are notorious for leaking at the valve. Sometimes you have to buy a few to find one that don't leak.

Blade looks like a BD-4264 with that serial number 35250

I guess tomorrow when I get a chance I need to upload some photos that I've taken since I've gotten the tractor

I gave him the tractor 'cause I already have a 856 so what comes around goes around. Thanks Ed Dog ... I took a peek at the one on a 520 and all I could see is it did bolt from the top so I think it's the one. She is strictly a snow machine now the way she is decked out put I did till with it at one time.

Happy Birthday, Steve!!! sorry about being late to the party!!🎉

I really debated on getting a genny. Haven't really needed one in 38 years. I went to get ice and was going back and forth about it. When I got the last of the ice the store had I said to my self, ok I'm going to try to get one figuring they were all gone. So after putting oil in it I realize I have no gas!!! I have 3 cans and when 2 get empty I go fill them. I have no idea how this happened so I went and filled 3 cans back at the place I got the ice. I'm filling the cans and I hear my phone go off in the car. I'm thinking my wife is texting me that the power was on. but no it was just hurricane activity on my weather app. I filled that genny to the top. It ran 4 hours. When I went to drain out the gas the fuel level was still in the filler neck!

Needed is the key word on this one.... Not sure if it had the longer hood or not. While repairing the original hood on my 854, I ran a shorter K161 air cleaner and 702 hood, still using the K181...

Just going to go ahead and say if anyone else has any Onan's they are going to throw out holler at me first please.