Old Wheel Horse found in a barn!

[Hammerhead 817]

I met a young kid at the last tractor show of the year for me. He said he had a old one he wanted to sell, needed money for college. I went and looked it over and turned out to be a nice RJ58 in a barn! It has all the good stuff on it like the oil bath air cleaner, original engine, all 3 guards are there, original tires still holding air, Id. Tag Sticker w/RJ58 on it but no Serial #. Gas tank looks like new inside. Nice little mower deck, small butt seat, long exhuast pipe with tulip style muffler and it has a 1960 style rear hitch on it for some reason. Previous owner said it was repainted back in the 1970's, cool beans! I'll clean it up this weekend and see what happens . How's it look??? Price was $300.00

Hammerhead

[JackC 617]

Nice find. Looks to be in fantastic original condition.

[312Hydro 474]

Nice find! :thumbs2:

[rj35hunter 308]

Nice find! They just seem to keep popping up here recently! Could you post the serial & spec numbers off the engine ID plate so I can compare to mine. Thanks!

[Horse'n Around 22]

Way to go :thumbs2:

[COMMANDO6 20]

Nice find! It was waiting in the barn all those years just for you.

[AMC RULES 37,235]

PERFECT the way it is. :thumbs2:

[Coadster32 793]

Nice!! :thumbs2:

[wheelhorse656 20]

Dang some guys just have all the luck!!! Nice tractor are you planning on restoring this one or just keepin it how it is?

[71_Bronco 1,072]

NICE

I would have gotten a nice denim burn from pulling out the cash so fast lol.

If it was me, I would just leave it as is, maybe do maintenance to it make sure it runs fine, but I wouldn't restore it. Nice original piece of history there.

[MikesRJ 558]

Way cool~ :thumbs2:

[speedyleedy 205]

i think you must have a wheel horse magnet down in sunbury :thumbs2:

[Ken B 3,202]

It don't look to bad. Personally, I'd have no shame in repainting it, it looks like 30 yr. old Krylon job. Nice score, and we all thought you were trying to thin down.

[VinsRJ 723]

As always you find some nice stuff .... the muffler is the original Kohler muffler. Is there a cast code on the tranny case? With that seat it could be an earlier 58.

[Hammerhead 817]

Thanks for the replies guys! I didn't see a date code on the tranny yet, it had a single number stamped on top of it. I will get the Kohler engine numbers and post them for RJ35hunter. I will keep this in the same condition for as long as I own it. I'd rather keep a tractor in original condition or close as possible. They are my favorite tractors in my collection. I am going to take it apart Sunday and clean it, grease it and try to get it running. I'll post some more pics as it progresses. I did clean it up a little, I vacuumed the barn straw and cob webs off it and then washed it with a hose and bucket. It looks a little better. It does have some oil on it with dust settled into it. I'll have to clean it with gas or carb cleaner whichever works best. I also put a new gas cap on it .

Hammerhead

[rj35hunter 308]

Thanks! :thumbs2:

[Hammerhead 817]

So we tore apart my latest RJ58 down to the bare bones and cleaned every inch of it, greased it and changed the fuilds. Got it mostly put back together but it didn't have any spark so we installed new points and that didn't help. I'll have to take off the flywheel and check the coil and wiring for damage. Clean the rust off the inside of the flywheel and test it again. Alot of hours went into tear down, clean up and reassembly! Took 2 guys about 7 hours so far. It also had a stuck exhaust valve that we had to loosen up. Sounds good now when you pull the recoil starter. Lots of compression, seems like a nice tight engine with little wear! I will not reuse the mower deck, it was welded from here to there and all rigged up. I may try a snow blade on this oldie! Hammerhead

[HankB 16]

I may try a snow blade on this oldie!

It should be good for plowing snow. I think that engine placement will keep the family jewels warm.

Seriously, it's a great looking tractor.

[Hammerhead 817]

Nice find! They just seem to keep popping up here recently! Could you post the serial & spec numbers off the engine ID plate so I can compare to mine. Thanks!

Hey Clay, here's the numbers of the 4 hp. Kohler engine, it looks to be the original engine.

Model #K91-T

Serial # 404905

Spec. # 31107A

I'd like to see your list of these numbers you have collected over the years, if you don't mind. Thanks RJ35hunter!!!

I have other early WH's, maybe I should get the numbers off them?

Keith...

Hey Vin, I forgot to get the tranny code off the RJ58. It's not a one digit number like I thought but it is a date code. I may put that old style rear hitch I bought from you awhile back on this tractor, if it is an early production RJ. The hitch was the all welded together slabs of steel type, instead of the later curved peice of steel. KJ

[rj35hunter 308]

Hammerhead, these are the Kohler numbers I have so far. I have not been collecting them for a long time yet. They are RJ's & Suburbans. I have alot more Clinton numbers than Kohlers so far.

27107D 368704 K90T

31307A 382387 K91T

31107A 404905 K91T YOURS

31107A 411132 K91T

31388A 433148 K91T

31107A 465120 K91T

31482A 476549 K91T

31388B A86018 K91T

31388B C132752 K91T