New B-80 owner, hauled one out of a field for $80 and have some questions

[Junkers88 68]

Hey folks, Richard here out of Adkins Texas.

 

I answered a Craigslist ad for a "lawn tractor, 100$" and it turned out to be a B-80 Wheel horse. I actually stumbled onto this site while trying to find out information on what a Wheel Horse was. So for $80 I pushed this one onto the trailer after the owner nicely sprayed some penetrating oil into the spark plug hole and turned it over with a set of jumper cables. I figured if it turned over $80 was a good enough deal for me. History on the tractor from the gentleman that sold it is that it was bought new in the mid 70's by a local school district  to mow the ball fields and drag the infield dirt. After it was retired one of the school grounds guys (the owners father in law) bought it from the school to restore it and use it. It sat in a barn for 15+ years and then was moved out to the pasture for a few more and that's when I bought it. Got it home and started looking into getting it running and was able to start it and keep it running within about an hour using starting fluid. I had to replace the solenoid and fuel line as well as buy a battery for it. Had some leaks in the carb so I pulled the bowl and got the float unstuck and the leak stopped.

 

This is where I'm at now. The ignition switch worked about a dozen times and then just quit. I cleaned the contacts to no avail and will need to replace it if I can find a factory part to put in there. Also the tractor will start and run with the PTO engaged but otherwise it will start and low low idle for about 7 seconds and then quit. Sounds to me like the carb needs to be rebuilt but to be honest I've never rebuilt one so I don't know what it entails, can't be too complicated though. It does need tires. I greased all the zerk fittings and checked all the fluids and will need to put some into the rear end. The deck spins nicely and looks to be newer as the paint isn't faded or too badly scratched and all the blades look either new or wilt little use.

 

Any advice or help on the tractor would be appreciated. We need one to work the family garden this spring and mow an acre of coastal grass that we have around the place.

 

Thank you in advance.

Richard.

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,498]

Hey Rich, a beauty. And                          to red square.

 

Glenn

[SylvanLakeWH 27,646]

 

Guys with lots more experience will chime in, but I would suggest:

 

New spark plug

Clean out gas tank (already new line)

New fuel filter

Seafoam in the gas

With engine running - spray numerous shots of carb cleaner (Seafoam is what I use) in air intake

Change engine oil and rear end oil 

Clean all ignition contacts (again)

 

Nice Find!

 

[AMC RULES 37,147]

[TIGman 2,006]

to 

I'm sure fellow forum members will have the answers you are looking for.

[Pollack Pete 2,273]

Doesn't seem like many Horse's made it to Texas.At least not Wheel Horse's.Nice find.Don't blame you for grabbing it.When you change the rear end oil,don't forget to change the shifter boot.I'm sure it's rotted.Ya don't want water to contaminate the new oil.Welcom to Red Square and have fun with your new toy.Love the old B series Horse's.

[Retired Wrencher 5,657]

Richard.    Nice find.  I would clean it up to see if anything leaks= oil. Then get some marvel mystery oil wipe everything down. Let it set for a day wipe it down again. this will bring what color you have and it will stop rusting. This will be a good start. Let us know about your progress.

[953 nut 58,153]

     Great find. These are tough little tractors, well worth saving! These manuals should be helpful.

Carburator Reference Manual TP-2377-E.pdf

 

[Wheel-N-It 2,971]

Ok, first thing is to remove the mowing deck and put it somewhere you won't trip over it. Now you can focus on the tractor, you will be working on the deck later. Remove the ignition switch and take it your small engine shop or NAPA and match it u p to a new one. Make sure it is for battery ignition only, not magneto ignition. 

While you are doing this let the oil drain out, I mean every drop. At the auto parts store get a couple of quarts of cheap oil to run the engine with for an hour or two and then you will need to change the oil again. From then on use straight 30weight oil. 

Don't try to rebuild the carb just yet. Remove it from the engine, put it on the workbench and carefully take it apart. Use a brass bristled brush and clean the bowl, the float and anything else you can clean. Then spray it all down with brake cleaner, reassemble and put it back on the engine and start it with carb cleaner not starting fluid. Use fresh non ethanol gasoline with one ounce marvel mystery oil per gallon to get the engine up and running for the first tankful.

All this is your second step.

[Texas Todd 1,025]

Hey Richard. You beat me to that one. I couldnt get a response from the seller.  Horses are few and far between herein Texas.

Good advice already given above.  Good luck with the new tractor and welcome to Redsquare. Many knowledgable and friendly folks are here. 

[Walt 339]

Welcome To Red Square

[Ed Kennell 40,628]

 to the   Richard.     Nice tractor....well worth saving.

 

You have already received some great advice and I will only add my .

My first step to get an engine running is to insure It has a good spark at the plug.

   This means cleaning and tightening all the connections and terminals involved in the ignition and starting circuits from the battery to the spark plug.  Trace every wire to it's end connection  including the ignition switch, the safety switches, the regulator, the voltmeter, the solenoid, the starter, the battery the coil, the points, etc. and remove, clean and retighten.  The plug in connectors can be cleaned by unplugging and replugging several times.     The points  should be replaced or at least cleaned and set to correct gap.    The condenser and spark plug should  be replaced.

 

The second step is to get fuel to the engine.

    I usually pull the line off into the carb and while holding the line in a container, crank the engine.  You should get a good spurting supply of fuel. If you have good fuel to the carb, then clean , rebuild, or replace the carb as necessary.   Do not clean or replace the carb until you have a good clean fuel supply of fuel to the carb as you will only contaminate a new or cleaned carb.

 

If it isn't spurting, pull the line into the pump.   The fuel should run freely from the tank. If it doesn't, find the blockage in the  fuel lines, filter, tank shut off valve.  Clean or replace them all including cleaning the tank until you have a good clean free running  fuel supply to the pump.  Now crank the engine and check the supply from the pump. If it isn't spurting, rebuild or replace the pump.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 3, 2016 by Ed Kennell

[Tonyp 285]

Wheel Horse Rat Rod !   Excellent !

[WHX?? 50,805]

Other may have mentioned this that I missed but a get a good fuel filter installed in that new fuel line.

 

nice find and

[Tonyp 285]

Actually before you run it it, clean/flush the gas tank along with the new filter.

Edited October 3, 2016 by Tonyp

[DougC 2,642]

Hello and .     Enjoy the forum!   

[Junkers88 68]

9 hours ago, HD-Horse said:

Hey Richard. You beat me to that one. I couldnt get a response from the seller.  Horses are few and far between herein Texas.

Good advice already given above.  Good luck with the new tractor and welcome to Redsquare. Many knowledgable and friendly folks are here. 

 

I'd love to say I'm sorry HD but we really needed an inexpensive garden tractor. Good news is if the military decides that I need to move again it'll be for sale and you already know what I've got into it.

 

Richard

[Junkers88 68]

Thanks for the replies folks, I'll see if I can clear up anything. The tank is clean. The original fuel line fell apart at some point and whatever fuel was in there evaporated. It's a poly//plastic tank so I don't know if it's original. Nothing on the tractor leaks, not a drop. I will put a fuel filter inline as I'd not considered that. I'll also get some inexpensive oil to run it and change out a couple times. Spark plug and points are on the list to replace along with a carb rebuild kit and ignition switch. Will add MM oil to the fuel once I've got all the kinks worked out and it starts every time. Thanks for the hint on  using MM oil to help restore the paint Retired Wrencher! Oh and a new shift boot per Pete as I just went and looked and it is indeed destroyed.

 

Any recommendations on a good place online to order parts?

 

 

For your viewing pleasure. This is what it does with the PTO engaged. Will not run without.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHwI5NBshwR__4GjtDlHKYA

 

Richard.

 

Here is the video imbedded into your post.

 

 

[Texas Todd 1,025]

2 hours ago, Junkers88 said:

 

I'd love to say I'm sorry HD but we really needed an inexpensive garden tractor. Good news is if the military decides that I need to move again it'll be for sale and you already know what I've got into it.

 

Richard

Hah!

Thanks for your service! My boy is in as well and he moves around a bit. You know where to find a buyer anyway....

The pto is disengaged in that video. If the handle is back it hits a switch indicating the pto is disengaged. If its forward it moves the bell into the backplate and engages the pto....Its working as it should from what I see. 

[TDF5G 2,072]

18 hours ago, HD-Horse said:

Hah!

Thanks for your service! My boy is in as well and he moves around a bit. You know where to find a buyer anyway....

The pto is disengaged in that video. If the handle is back it hits a switch indicating the pto is disengaged. If its forward it moves the bell into the backplate and engages the pto....Its working as it should from what I see. 

it appears that your tractor is running very well in the video.  Does it konk out when you engage the PTO?

 

And

[JimmyJam 542]

Welcome to RedSquare!!!!! Enjoy your B-80! I do!

[Junkers88 68]

Good Lord, sometimes I'm so stupid I don't know how I breathe without help. I was looking at the sticker above the right hand lever that says "PTO engage/disengage" and assumed (we know what that does) that it referred to the throttle lever. Well it turns out I was trying to get it to run with the throttle lever all the way down (low idle) and the choke on the left side all the way up in what I thought was the high rpm setting. I just confused the two levers. I guess that means that I do not need  a carb kit and instead only need the ignition switch and tires.

 

That is so embarrassing.

 

(confused) Richard.

Edited October 4, 2016 by Junkers88

[BESTDOGEVER 218]

Got to love it when problems solve themselves and don't cost anything but a little blushing. My dad always said if haven't made any mistakes today  1 of 2 things have happened 1.you haven't done anything 

2. You died

[SylvanLakeWH 27,646]

1 hour ago, Junkers88 said:

Good Lord, sometimes I'm so stupid I don't know how I breathe without help. I was looking at the sticker above the right hand lever that says "PTO engage/disengage" and assumed (we know what that does) that it referred to the throttle lever. Well it turns out I was trying to get it to run with the throttle lever all the way down (low idle) and the choke on the left side all the way up in what I thought was the high rpm setting. I just confused the two levers. I guess that means that I do not need  a carb kit and instead only need the ignition switch and tires.

 

That is so embarrassing.

 

(confused) Richard.

 

Hey look on the bright side - EASY CHEAP FIX! 

[TDF5G 2,072]

16 hours ago, Junkers88 said:

That is so embarrassing.

 

(confused) Richard.

It happens.  I reckon  we've all done stuff like that.

15 hours ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

 

Hey look on the bright side - EASY CHEAP FIX! 

And, yep, that's a good thing!