What have you done to your Wheel Horse today?

[Racinbob 11,869]

Not that it looks like the issue with the 314H has been resolved I'm a little more motivated to tweak a few things on it. My wife will be pretty much the sole operator so I need to address things with that in mind. I prefer a foot control but she is fine with the hand thingy. Totally unacceptable was that you had to push the lever down and then back to reverse it. It was awkward. This bracket was the culprit. 

 

 

It served two purposes. To block the motion lever forcing you to push down to back up and to hold the neutral safety switch. If I was the only operator the bracket and switch would disappear. But remembering that she drove a hydro through a fence gate and managed to clean out the hinges I figured I should leave it on. I pulled it off and made the modification and this is the result.

 

 

Depressing the brake centers the rod on the switch arm. The result is a much smoother and easier forward/reverse motion. If I do put a foot control on it I would need this modification anyways.

Another thing I'd like to replace is the 'fat' steering wheel. She said she likes the feel. I'm here typing this so obviously I refrained from comment. 

[Ed Kennell 41,247]

34 minutes ago, Racinbob said:

 Totally unacceptable was that you had to push the lever down and then back to reverse it. It was awkward. 

Thanks for the fix Bob.    I got rid of several of these tractors with this awkward motion control lever.     I do a similar mod to all my hydro console cover plates when I add the foot control.

 

[Bill D 2,199]

2 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

Thanks for the fix Bob.    I got rid of several of these tractors with this awkward motion control lever.     I do a similar mod to all my hydro console cover plates when I add the foot control.

 

You can also scrap that bracket completely and add an 8 speed style clutch switch.  There is a cutout on the left side of the hoodstand for it.   Splice in some longer wires and your all set.  This forces you to press the brake to start the engine. 

[Lee1977 7,111]

 A modified hydro control to make it easer is always better. I did the same with my 89 520. Longer hand lever and straighten the pattern with just a half notch for natural.

 

[peter lena 9,184]

@Lee1977  nice save on that !  adapting  to a problem , is whats its all bout , once you verify  what's intended , your mod fit , is the deal , pete 

[Handy Don 13,612]

3 hours ago, Lee1977 said:

I've purchased pedal motion controls for our 312-H and 518-H++. When I install them, i plan to adopt the “modified plate” idea that @Lee1977 & @Ed Kennell have done while leaving a stubbed motion lever in place so the “neutral” switch won’t need a mod. 

[Racinbob 11,869]

1 hour ago, Handy Don said:

I've purchased pedal motion controls for our 312-H and 518-H++. When I install them, i plan to adopt the “modified plate” idea that @Lee1977 & @Ed Kennell have done while leaving a stubbed motion lever in place so the “neutral” switch won’t need a mod. 

Those options aren't available on a 96 314. 

 

5 hours ago, Bill D said:

You can also scrap that bracket completely and add an 8 speed style clutch switch.  There is a cutout on the left side of the hoodstand for it.   Splice in some longer wires and your all set.  This forces you to press the brake to start the engine. 

 

That would work but for me the only other option is remove the bracket and switch entirely. And maybe make sure the gates are open. 

[ebinmaine 71,720]

I got the balance gears ⚙️  outta the rebuilt K341 I picked up from @Bill D a few months ago. 

 

I had to clean out the holes 🕳 with a wire brush and drill bit. 

Then I used a 1/2" x 4" Grade 8 bolt as a driver. 

Worked SLICK. 

Gotta remember that.....

 

 

 

[Easton Rich 597]

@ebinmaine you’ve saved another one!

[ebinmaine 71,720]

24 minutes ago, Easton Rich said:

@ebinmaine you’ve saved another one!

 

I have 5 K341s and another coming soon. A 12 HP,  a Magnum 16. 

ALL will have the gears removed as I go through them in the next few years. 

 

I can certainly understand someone installing new shafts, bearings and gears. But I don't mind the change in vibration. 

 

 

[Easton Rich 597]

Holy cow! For sure, but if it was me and I was building a worker I would chuck em’

[Handy Don 13,612]

2 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Aren't those little bitty shafts cute? 

[ebinmaine 71,720]

1 hour ago, Handy Don said:

Aren't those little bitty shafts cute? 

 

Here's one with a Bear paw for reference.  

 

 

 

[peter lena 9,184]

@ebinmaine  @Easton Rich functional detailing is what I  regularly  come too on a repetitive issue , that will always  point to another stress transfer spot , the DISCOLORATION   on the small shafts point to heat / stress issue , check out related lubricants  for heat / stress ratings . years back now, tried rislone , zinc , in my oils , the running ease is very apparent , realise this is a very  confrontational issue , but it eliminated engine effort / easy operation issue , good exchange , pete     

[ineedanother 1,650]

Trying to knock out a few of those save it or toss it things in the shop and this 8-speed just needed a wheel bearing...well, the story of my life is that things are rarely that easy. Picked up a pair of bearings and seals so I could put a spare on the shelf. De-grease, pressure wash and time to address the existing bearing, or more accurately, bearing housing. No needles left of that one and I'm just going to drive it in and press in a new one. Went to Ace and got a 1" x 5" galvanized nipple and cap. Ground the end of my new "driver" down to 1 1/4 O.D. and flattened the end. Worked perfectly!

 

[lynnmor 7,692]

2 hours ago, ineedanother said:

No needles left of that one and I'm just going to drive it in and press in a new one. Went to Ace and got a 1" x 5" galvanized nipple and cap. Ground the end of my new "driver" down to 1 1/4 O.D. and flattened the end. Worked perfectly!

 

So how did you remove the needles and debris?  How did you check the axle where the failed bearing might have wasted it?  I guess that you had the cases split and the axles out before you started?

[WHX?? 51,329]

On 5/30/2025 at 5:34 PM, ebinmaine said:

I got the balance gears ⚙️  outta the rebuilt K341

What did the bearings look like? 

[ineedanother 1,650]

1 hour ago, lynnmor said:

So how did you remove the needles and debris?  How did you check the axle where the failed bearing might have wasted it?  I guess that you had the cases split and the axles out before you started?

That's really intuitive for you to ask and those were some of my initial questions as well. I'll say up front that I really didn't want to have to split the case and didn't find any evidence to lead me there. The gears shift smoothly. The oil I drained was clean. The axle looks fine. It appears from what I can surmise, is that they dug the oil seal out and attempted to remove the bearing from the outside and managed to peel the front of the bearing off and extract the needles but couldn't pull it out in one piece so left it and slid what's in the picture below onto the axle. I don't think it was run much from that point. That's the best explanation I can come up with for what happened. I've never seen such but that's what I've accepted as a plausible history.

 

[ineedanother 1,650]

7 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

What did the bearings look like? 

I wish I could have gotten a good picture of it but it was essentially the outside casing of the bearing with the majority of the inside "rim" of the race still in tact. The needles and the outside of the bearing had been removed. Some of the bearing housing was clearly "torn" and I drove that in on the axle to make room for the new one.

[ebinmaine 71,720]

14 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

What did the bearings look like? 

 

Toast 🍞

 

 

[WHX?? 51,329]

1 minute ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Toast 🍞

 

 

Another good reason to yank them then. 

[ebinmaine 71,720]

11 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

Another good reason to yank them then. 

 

Yessir.  

 

I don't like toast in my engines.  

[ineedanother 1,650]

1 minute ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Yessir.  

 

I don't like toast in my engines.  

Absolutely agreed but in this case the front lip of the bearing had been removed along with the needles. I would have been more concerned if the internal lip of the bearing had been gone, but with that still there, there would have been no way for anything to contaminate the gearbox. I just rinsed that section with WD before driving the bearing housing in on the axle. It looked to have been little more than an aborted attempt to remove the bearing.

[WHX?? 51,329]

58 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

What did the bearings look like? 

 

48 minutes ago, ineedanother said:

I wish I could have gotten a good picture of it but it was essentially the outside casing of the bearing with the majority of the inside "rim" of the race still in tact. The needles and the outside of the bearing had been removed. Some of the bearing housing was clearly "torn" and I drove that in on the axle to make room for the new one.

 

I was asking about EB's balance gear bearings Ineed but it's all good 

[ineedanother 1,650]

1 minute ago, WHX?? said:

I was asking about EB's balance gear bearings Ineed but it's all good 

 kinda like a bunch of conversations at the dinner table, or at the bar  All good. Thanks Jim