What have you done to your Wheel Horse today?

[rjg854 12,666]

14 hours ago, sqrlgtr said:

Forgot to take pics of homemade gaskets so you will just have to take my word, they were beautiful .

You know the rule, no pictures   Then it didn't happen  

[Bar Nuthin 1,906]

After 2 failed attempts to get the transaxle case to seal up on "Johnny Cash", I decided to abandon the paper-thin gasket and go with Permatex Ultra-black. I also destroyed a couple 7475 seals at the hydro input shaft before I figured out I had a small bur on the lip of the housing.

 

Ran it up and down the driveway a few times last night and pulled it back in the garage. No visible signs of any leaks. I'm going to get a couple cups of coffee in me before I go out this morning and have a look  If it's dry underneath, I'll consider it my 2025 Christmas Miracle! 

[pfrederi 19,337]

5 minutes ago, Bar Nuthin said:

After 2 failed attempts to get the transaxle case to seal up on "Johnny Cash", I decided to abandon the paper-thin gasket and go with Permatex Ultra-black. I also destroyed a couple 7475 seals at the hydro input shaft before I figured out I had a small bur on the lip of the housing.

 

Ran it up and down the driveway a few times last night and pulled it back in the garage. No visible signs of any leaks. I'm going to get a couple cups of coffee in me before I go out this morning and have a look  If it's dry underneath, I'll consider it my 2025 Christmas Miracle! 

 

 

Hope that RTV doesn't come back to bite you by getting into acceleration valves.   I have good results spraying this stuff on the paper gasket.  

 

 

[Bar Nuthin 1,906]

11 minutes ago, pfrederi said:

Hope that RTV doesn't come back to bite you by getting into acceleration valves.   I have good results spraying this stuff on the paper gasket.  

 

I used that sealant on my second attempt. Improved but not cured my woes. This time I took particular care to lay a nice bead to minimize squeeze out from the RTV. Looking at the outside, I'd say I'm in good shape.  Now that I've had the hydro-pump and motor apart, I wouldn't be afraid to tackle it again, if needed. Much in part to some of your excellent posts.

 

Edit: the reason for the initial teardown was terrible leakage from both the input shaft and the casing sealed with blue RTV. Here's a photo of the filter I found once I had it apart!

Edited Wednesday at 03:59 PM by Bar Nuthin
more detail

[sqrlgtr 1,529]

1 hour ago, rjg854 said:

You know the rule, no pictures   Then it didn't happen  

You can clearly see were I traced around pump, the newly made gaskets are in there. 

Edited Wednesday at 04:05 PM by sqrlgtr

[sqrlgtr 1,529]

Weld da hood shut baby. No more trouble wid dis one. Dry as mojave and purring like a kitten.. 

[Dan 312-8 335]

On 12/13/2025 at 5:21 PM, Sparky said:

 Picked up these rubber tire chains at this summers Wheel Horse Show. Anyone use them? Thoughts? 
  Might set up a second plow rig with these on it, see how they “grip” 

 

I like them, had a set on my former 89 520-H, bought a new set for my 97 520-H, not near the grip as chains, but still adds good grip and saves the blacktop.

[sqrlgtr 1,529]

Made new plug wire for c160 in between family engagements’.

[ebinmaine 76,049]

3 minutes ago, sqrlgtr said:

Made new plug wire for c160 

 

Ratcheting plug wire crimpers ehh?

[PeacemakerJack 10,857]

Merry Christmas from the PeacemakerJack family.  This is Coulter Caleb’s new house and his fiancée Faith (sitting on her 314H) along with the rest of our family. We started taking these Christmas tractor pictures 11 years ago…a lot has changed since that first picture. I’m so thankful for the many memories made through the years.
 

As Tiny Tim observed, “God bless us…every one!” 

[Red Stallion 207]

After a year of sweat, tears, and help from the forum. I'm done (enough) for now.

 

After a few dicky electrical gremlins which I thought were solved, its not starting reliably, and ready to be put through it paces.

 

And then in a year, I'll fix all the other stuff I'm not happy with.

Edited Friday at 05:43 AM by Red Stallion
Found the original photo

[MainelyWheelhorse 2,268]

Today I towed the C-141 back home, from my brothers next door after the battery went dead. Everything went fine, and it just slid along on the snow. The gradual hill beside my brothers house was a bit tricky with brakes that stopped but the tires still slid, no mishaps though. The 308 with the plow came in handy getting it in the basement garage/workshop once I got there. Tomorrow I'll charge it up and test it out. I might get some seat time plowing on the 308 as we got a significant amount of snow since yesterday.

[sqrlgtr 1,529]

Put new 24-12-12 tires on C160. They are Horseshoe brand will try and post more info on them in lets talk tire thread.

[Red Stallion 207]

Off the trailer and a quick hoon up and down the driveway. Forward, reverse, and now brakes!

 

Starts after a few cranks, and cranks every time now.

 

(Also stuck the tail sticker on)

[My_horse 56]

Yesterday I brought the 314-8 into the garage, after not wanting to start or run right.  Didn’t want to throttle up or move at anything above idle.  Had it running outside the garage for a bit, then it cleared up. First thing I did was check the fuel. Almost empty. Well that was probably it. That tank went fast in 2 plowings.
 

Dumped half a can of seafoam in the tank. Ran it back over to the shed and filled it up with non ethanol gas. Ran great since.  Greased the tractor, and oiled up all the moving parts of the plow. 
 

plowed the driveway today with no issues. 

[Handy Don 15,343]

Bad news. Good news. So-so news.

Yesterday only a couple minutes after I started up the tractor to do some touch-up plowing, I saw something leaking from near the carb on the 854. I quickly parked it and shut the fuel petcock to await time for diagnostics. This afternoon I had a couple of free hours (company went sightseeing in NYC!)

Bad news: Started it up easily and within a minute or so saw gas-laced oil dripping from the breather and the governor shaft. Fuel pump diaphragm was the suspect.

Drained the crankcase and stashed the output for the hazardous chemical pickup day. (Also the dots connected: yesterday after the 1st session I had a little fuel on the bottom of the tank but when I went to top off before starting the second session, it was dry. Duh, it was dripping into the crankcase!)

Removed the fuel pump and with output plugged could easily blow through the (definitely holed) diaphragm. 

Good news: Had a spare diaphragm and put it in after touching up flatness of the mating pump halves. Garage was 30º but with the heat gun I was able to gently warm the fuel lines to get them back onto the pump without damage.

So-so news: Went to grab the 30w oil off the shelf and I only had 10W-30. Yeah, that’d be ok for the next cold months, but I’ll just as soon be patient for a day until I can get my preferred stuff. 

[ebinmaine 76,049]

20 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

10W-30

 

Regular or synthetic? 

 

10w 30 is what I use in the Big Blocks here for half the year.  

[sqrlgtr 1,529]

19 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

(definitely holed) diaphragm. 

I'm running out of metal fuel pumps so probably will start going to electric pumps if I have any problems out of the 3 I've rebuilt in the last year. Had two that was dumping fuel in crankcase, and the last one was just weak and probably on the edge of dumping fuel .

[ebinmaine 76,049]

13 minutes ago, sqrlgtr said:

I'm running out of metal fuel pumps so probably will start going to electric pumps if I have any problems out of the 3 I've rebuilt in the last year. Had two that was dumping fuel in crankcase, and the last one was just weak and probably on the edge of dumping fuel .

 

 

I won't put a plastic one on. 

 

I've used a couple Facet brand fuel pumps.  Can recommend.  

[sqrlgtr 1,529]

9 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

I won't put a plastic one on. 

 

I've used a couple Facet brand fuel pumps.  Can recommend.  

Yeah, I got a facet e pump put back for emergencies. I got it to use on a 312-8 that has tank under the seat that I was going to redo next but seems like every other horse keeps jumping line. Maybe this winter.

[Handy Don 15,343]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

Regular or synthetic? 

10w 30 is what I use in the Big Blocks here for half the year.  

I've been using Rotella 30w year round in the K181. Not always in stock, though, so I’ll have to see. 

On re-think, though, I’ll put the synthetic 10w-30 in and plan for a change when I mount the mower deck. It’ll only get a few hours use before then, unless we get bombarded with snow!

[Easton Rich 775]

On 12/16/2025 at 3:10 PM, dmoore said:

Nothing left to do on either 3 of mine! I need another!

I can help with that!

[ebinmaine 76,049]

59 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

I've been using Rotella 30w year round in the K181. Not always in stock, though, so I’ll have to see. 

On re-think, though, I’ll put the synthetic 10w-30 in and plan for a change when I mount the mower deck. It’ll only get a few hours use before then, unless we get bombarded with snow!

 

From everything I've been reading of late, you'll do just fine with the synthetic for the full 25 hours.  

 

I'll be switching to synthetic oil after I use up our current stock. 

[pfrederi 19,337]

Dedicated tractors solve the oil issue.  Snow horses get 5w-30 Synthetic...depending on use may go a year or two..