jimt1971 236 #26 Posted November 30, 2012 Steve awesome tractor to pick up. Can we see a SR slow drag race at the big show? Or maybe a contest to see who could get theirs to stop closest to a line. I will bring the four wheel wagon next year so you can give us SR rides. Jim Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lars 526 #27 Posted November 30, 2012 Awesome.. that is a realy nice find Steve.. congrats.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KATO 115 #28 Posted November 30, 2012 I WISH !!!! :woohoo: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fireman 1,021 #29 Posted November 30, 2012 (edited) Steve and I are working on the Senior right now (Friday at 11:45am). I used my video camera bore scope and managed to get the camera end in under the hood far enough to read the engine i.d. plate. Got the serial number and went to the Wisconsin site to check the date of manufacture. Turns out the engine was made in the month of January 1956. That makes his tractor definitely a 1956 RS-83 . We cleaned the fuel system and made a new gasket for the fuel bowl. Changed all the fluid in the entire tractor and are now getting ready to fire it up. Will post the results after we see what happens! Edited November 30, 2012 by fireman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nylyon-(Admin) 7,121 #30 Posted November 30, 2012 I had off today too! I'd have loved to see that and hear it run, never seen one up close like that! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fireman 1,021 #31 Posted November 30, 2012 (edited) IT'S ALIVE !!!!!!! Had to clean the points in order to get spark. Here is a video of it running for the first time. Edited November 30, 2012 by fireman 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wallfish 15,933 #32 Posted November 30, 2012 NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ken B 3,116 #33 Posted November 30, 2012 I wish I could have gotten outta here earlier today. Hey Steve, did you ruin another pair of Calvins? :ychain: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky-(Admin) 19,563 #34 Posted November 30, 2012 Awsome progress guys! I see the rear wheels-a-turning! She just wants to cruise again.. .. Mike............ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Riley088 63 #35 Posted November 30, 2012 Nice job guys. That's got o be a nice feeling bringing it back to life. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebo-(Moderator) 8,041 #36 Posted November 30, 2012 Well tires are off the economy and the tire shop has them mounted on the SR rims. We took the tires off of ourselves using tires spoons. I was very concerned about breaking the nuts loose holding the rims to the brake drums however after soaking them for a while they came off like butter!! Momma is on her way to pick up the newly mounted tires from the tire shop now and should be back around 830 ish. I will mount them back on and be ready for a ride in morning. I need to thank Jeff (Fireman) for putting is a lot of his time today to help me get this going. I also need to thank KenB for hooking me up with a set of turf tires and rims for the economy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fireman 1,021 #37 Posted November 30, 2012 I didn't want to tell Steve that when I first turned the engine over with my hands by the starter pulley, it felt very different than mine. I was skeptical that it would start without major intervention. We got to the point where we were ready to fire it up. Wrapped the rope around and gave it a pull. At first it was very hard to pull. After a few times it seemed to get easier but were weren't even getting a cough out of it. Steve went to get a tractor as our arms were getting tired and I had already whipped myself across the face once. We figured we use the pto from ones of his others to turn over the engine with a v-belt. In the mean time I pulled the plug wire and checked for spark. There was none. Steve pulled the cover off the magneto and we cleaned and re-gapped the points. Put it back together and she fired off with very next pull of the rope. Man we were ecstatic! Let it run at a low idle for a while seeing as the engine hadn't been run in 3 years. It really sounds great. We had it up on jack stands in the rear and let it run for a few minutes in all 3 forward gears and reverse just to get everything moving inside with the fresh fluids. We shut it down and moved it back inside and back up on Jack stands. Removed the rear tires which came unbolted like a dream. Then took the old tires off the rims the old fashioned way with spoons and muscle. Low and behold when we had the tire and tube removed, we found some of the original paint in perfect condition on the inside of the rim. We dropped the rims and another set of tire and rims off at the local tire shop so they could swap them over. Steve will be getting these back at 9:00pm tonight and i'm sure he will have it out for a moonlight ride!!! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebo-(Moderator) 8,041 #38 Posted November 30, 2012 Since we found out this is a 56 and not a 55 I changed the topic title :) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fireman 1,021 #39 Posted December 1, 2012 (edited) I don't know Matt. He probably is for the moment. But just like once the weddings over and the new-ness where's off, you start second guessing yourself. I know a few months after I dropped a wod of cash for mine, I started wondering if it was really worth it. Then I kept reminding myself about the rarity of it and think of it as an investment. Not only monetarily but for my own mental well being! In this day and age of the world we live in now, these old tractors help me to remember how our country once was and how I wish it could be again. A slow and easy paced life with not much a care. I sometimes just go into my shop and sit and stare at both my 55's and wish I could be back in that two car garage with Elmer and Cecil making these tractors. When it comes down to it, this is what keeps me going (of-course with a little help from SteveBo once in a while pulling me back from the edge!). Today only made what I said previously true! Here we were, working on this 57 year old tractor in a two car garage without a care in the world. All that mattered was getting this tractor ready and running. For a few hours I truly felt like I had stepped through a time warp! On I side note, we have mentioned it before but Steve and I had known each other only for one short little league baseball season back around 1980 when we both played for my Dad's companies little league baseball team. His Dad was our coach. After that year Steve and I never saw each other again even though we lived in the same town. Fast forward to about 4 or 5 years ago and we meet up again here on Red Square! Not only that, but after talking we discovered that our lives had nearly paralleled each others. Talk about coincidence! Any way, I actually found our team photo from that year. It's a little sun faded from hanging on the wall in my bedroom when I grew up and was across from a window that always had the sun shinning right in for most of the day. I'm sure you'll all get a laugh. Edited December 1, 2012 by fireman 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ken B 3,116 #40 Posted December 1, 2012 Man that is an awesome picture Jeff! Today was a real hectic day at work for me. I should have said the hell with it all and made the ten minute ride up to the Ponderosa. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fireman 1,021 #41 Posted December 1, 2012 Well Ken there's still a ton of work to do to the Senior! Check with Steve and pick a day. I'll take that trip through the time warp anytime!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebo-(Moderator) 8,041 #42 Posted December 1, 2012 Here are some pictures of it with the newly mounted rear skins... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
buckrancher 2,675 #43 Posted December 1, 2012 congrats Steve thats a nice tractor glad you didn't get it from NY maybe I can find one someday hope to see it at the next WH show Brian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fireman 1,021 #44 Posted December 1, 2012 I know you are stoked to take it out for a ride!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebo-(Moderator) 8,041 #45 Posted December 1, 2012 Perhaps I will wake the neighbors up around 8am tomorrow .... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ken B 3,116 #46 Posted December 1, 2012 Perhaps I will wake the neighbors up around 8am tomorrow .... Do it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheel-N-It 2,967 #47 Posted December 1, 2012 Congragulations guys! You did a great job of getting that old horse running again. I would be grinning from ear to ear if I had been part of that effort:) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WheelHorseSteve 48 #48 Posted December 1, 2012 Congrats Steve! What a great piece of history to own! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowtiebutler956 649 #49 Posted December 1, 2012 Very nice find Steve!! Matt :flags-texas: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SPINJIM 1,978 #50 Posted December 1, 2012 Nice tractor. I look forward to seeing in next June. My wife's birthday is June 21st, and she lets me go to the Arendtsvile, PA show every year. Wheel Horse collectors attract good women. Jim Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
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