RS-83 hasn't ran in >20 years

[Mike Van Eman 73]

Hello,

I'm new to the forum and to Wheelhorse so please correct the model if I've mislabeled. This was my wife's grandfather's tractor and has been sitting in her dad's garage for the past 21 years. Unfortunately her dad passed away last year and lot of the history of this tractor went with him. He and I did attempt to get it to start before he passed but we figured out there were several things that needed fixed.

 

work done so far: replaced spark plug, points & condenser, ignition coil, fuel sediment bowl, cleaned & rebuilt carburetor - it was pretty nasty with debris inside. 

I verified spark by grounding the plug to the frame and can see a spark in daylight when I turn the pulley and the magneto fires. I'm also getting fuel to the carburetor. Fuel had been leaking at the sediment bowl. 

 

current known issue: 0 psi compression according to my meter. I also put my thumb over the plug hole and while turning the pulley I don't feel any pressure. I poured a little oil down into the plug hole and it came pouring out of the exhaust. After doing this the pulley flywheel spun much easier when I wound and pulled the rope. I tried starter fluid and can get a pop once in a while but the engine won't fire. I'm not very experienced with taking apart engines so any advice or test ideas are welcome. 

 

There are a few implements I'll post pictures of: plow, cultivator, and a broken harrow. All anyone else can remember about this tractor was her dad needed to pull start it with his Ford 9N. 

 

Thanks!

Mike

[squonk 38,848]

Sounds like the exhaust valve is stuck open.

[SylvanLakeWH 24,093]

 

What a beautiful tractor!!! Great you’re keeping it in the family!

 

I am confident some of the resident experts will be along shortly…

[Pollack Pete 2,273]

With zero compression,it will never run.Like Squonk said,sounds like the exhaust valve is stuck open.Neat looking tractor.

[8ntruck 6,358]

  to the forum.  Bunch of good helpful folks here.  Someone will be along soon with more information for you.

 

That is a really nice tractor.  Don't give up on it.  If it were mine, I would see if it has some sort of valve cover that could be opened to observe the valve operation.  Lacking that, I would consider pulling the head to see if the valves work as they should.

 

Might want to go easy on the starting fluid.  It detonates hard enough that it could damage one of these small, old engines.  Carb cleaner is gentler.  

 

Good luck, have fun, and keep us posted.

[953 nut 51,541]

What a wonderful gift to remember your wife's grandfather by. That is one of the best looking RS-83 survivors I have ever seen.

I would suggest you turn the crank until the piston is near TDC (top dead center) and then fill the cylinder with some MMO. Let it set for a day or two and it may free up the rings and valves. I have had good results with it.

[Handy Don 10,567]

I feel for your sadness at losing some of the history of this tractor but it is great that you still have it! I hope you are able to gently coax it back into operation. 

A stuck exhaust valve does sound like the culprit and since it appears this machine was stored dry and under cover it may not be all that bad. Soaking the combustion area (via the spark plug hole) with a penetrating lubricant like Marvel Mystery Oil and leaving it to work is a good opening gambit. You won't be able to put much in without it coming out the exhaust, so several small doses over several days (or even weeks!) is the way to go. Patience will be key to not doing any new damage.

You have a model that many members here admire.

Edited August 28, 2021 by Handy Don

[Ed Kennell 35,629]

 to the  Mike.    

 

      You are in posession of one of  rarest most sought Wheel Horses.    It appears to be an all origonal.    Please do not alter the tractor or risk damage with starting fluid.

As Richard and Don have advised, try to loosen the rings and valves by soaking with MMO.

We will all be anxious to see this gem running at the 2022 Wheel Horse Collectors Club Show next spring in Arendtsville, Pa.      You are only 4 hours away.

 

[Mike in NC 318]

Welcome!!!  You have a very nice piece of history!  Keep it the way it is and enjoy it.

[troutbum70 857]

Beautiful piece of old iron,  how blessed you are to have it in your procession. Enjoy it cherish it and the rest of us will envy you.

[kpinnc 10,686]

Holy cow are those the original rear tires? I have only seen those on the old sales brochures. 

 

What an awesome machine! I'm 100% sure your grandfather in law would be proud to see you following in his footsteps. What a piece of history- both for you and the folks like us who love these little red tractors!

[Mike Van Eman 73]

Thanks everyone! I will be starting MMO treatment tomorrow and go from there. And thanks for letting me know about starting fluid, didn't know it was a bad idea for old engines but makes sense. Maybe having the exhaust valve stuck open saved my bacon. 

 

I'm not sure if the tires are original but maybe somebody will know. The rear are BF Goodrich Silvertown Super hi-cleat 8-16 and the front are Goodyear 3.00-12 tractor

[Jeff-C175 7,195]

If you're thinking of painting it...  IMO don't!  It looks beautiful just as it sits.

 

2 hours ago, Mike in NC said:

Keep it the way it is and enjoy it.

 

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by Jeff-C175

[Horse Newbie 6,855]

@Mike Van Eman

to the 

[Gregor 4,838]

If by chance you become overwhelmingly frustrated with it ! Ready to pull your hair out !  Don't want to fight it anymore !  Hit your thumb with a hammer while working on it, and generally just don't want to mess with it !  I could probably drive to PA and take it off your hands. Compensating you of course for the time and headaches you have already invested in it. Am I a nice guy or what? 

 

[Tuneup 1,416]

HaHa - ditto! I'm sure most of us would drive across the country to put this one on a trailer. Hold it tight! Looking forward to seeing the implements and hearing that old Wisconsin engine turning and burning.

[AMC RULES 36,945]

Feature tractor at the next big show.

[peter lena 8,038]

@Mike Van Eman , terrific piece you have there , my experience with these small engines is a collective VARNISH BUILD UP ,throughout the internals , due to a build up of the wrong oils and the failure to drain them out regularly . the stickiness of the used dirty oil , jams valves and also fowls piston rings. dare I suggest  going over to a rislone based product , that will help speed up the process. think if you can just turn that by hand and concentrate a varnish cutter in the valve area , I  would remove the spark plug , so you can increase the ease of turn over , just getting a cleaner in there and being able to rock it back and forth , might get get you , some movement . this procedure has worked for me , also ran it on a separate fuel supply , loaded with sea foam and other cleaners , just my experience , wake it up slowly . pete 

[953 nut 51,541]

47 minutes ago, peter lena said:

VARNISH BUILD UP

I doubt that there is a VARNISH build up, though it seems that way.

The term "varnish build up" is somewhat misleading as there isn't any resin in engine oil.  When I was working in a service station, while in high school, we had a customer who was told he had a varnish build up in his engine. He want to the hardware store and bought a quart of varnish remover, added it to his oil and drove the car a couple of days until the knocking became deafening. The engine smelled awful and was obviously beyond repair. Out of curiosity we put it on the lift and removed the oil pan. There were strings of stuff hanging from the internals and chunks floating in the oil that hadn't drained because of the crud in the pan.

[AMC RULES 36,945]

Here's betting...

Rislone could fix that too!  

[Gregor 4,838]

Just now, AMC RULES said:

Here's betting...

Rislone could fix that too!  

I have Rislone !

[squonk 38,848]

Drain oil. Put in 2 qts of Kerosene. Set engine on the back of a Harley and let Harley idle for an hour. Drain kerosene on the ground to clean ground. Fill engine and run Harley at idle again. Drain engine again and refill. Engine is now clean inside. Clean up Kerosene.  (I suggested a Harley, If you can find a paint shaker big enough, use that!) 

Edited August 29, 2021 by squonk

[AMC RULES 36,945]

Here's betting...

Rislone will save your paint shaker too!!!  

[Jeff-C175 7,195]

 

 

1 hour ago, squonk said:

Fill [Harley] engine and run Harley at idle again.

 

There, I fixed that for ya!

Edited August 29, 2021 by Jeff-C175

[Jeff-C175 7,195]

1 hour ago, squonk said:

Drain kerosene on the ground to clean ground {of the oil that leaked out of the Harley}.

 

That one too...