entropy 104 #1 Posted October 30, 2016 Picked this up today on CL. Wanted the plow and wheel weights and after some negotiating ended up with entire thing. I was wondering what is a ball park value for this mower? Engine burns oil, has 1060hrs, no deck and paint is crap but original. I am debating whether I should sell it while keeping snow blade and weights or tear it down for spare parts for my 520 HC. Parts such as starter, coil, tranny (eaton 1100) etc etc. Motor needs rebuild as guy said it goes through a 1/4qt of oil each time he uses it to plow. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky-(Admin) 21,444 #2 Posted October 30, 2016 The tranny is not the Eaton 1100.....it's the light duty Eaton 700. Mike..... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muz123 1,192 #3 Posted October 30, 2016 I would part it out, sell the transmission and get the stuff you need off the engine. Lots of good parts for your 520HC. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BESTDOGEVER 218 #4 Posted October 30, 2016 All the external engine parts (coil carb alternator heads muffler) would total up to 5-6 hundred dollars to replace and will fit your 520 . Strip everything you might ever need for the good tractor & sell off what's left. The 700 hydro is worth money if it works that is not a lot of hours my 518h has 1700 and the trans is still going strong. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GMan 82 #5 Posted October 30, 2016 Entropy, Do with it what you feel you must, but I can't bring myself to part out tractors that are in that condition. Probably because of my age but they aren't making them anymore. I've brought back many that were not in as good of condiiton as the one you have there. I haven't found an Onan yet with the hours you have spoken about that needed much else than honing, new rings, grinding the valves and installing new seals to make it run very well again. But that depends solely on how it has been maintained. Now having said that, there are only two things that differ between "P" series18 and 20 HP Onans. That is the carburetors and the cams. All else is the same (ref: bore, stroke, block, pistons, rods, heads, intake manifold, crankshafts, timing gears,etc. So you would indeed have many spare parts that would likely work on your 520HC......................Gary 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BESTDOGEVER 218 #6 Posted October 30, 2016 Flywheel and drive pulleys,pto parts are also quite valuable check price on parts tree they are worth the time to pull off. Or check out how much to repair the oil usage problem either way Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
entropy 104 #7 Posted October 30, 2016 Not to piss anyone off, but I got it for a song and dance. Guy had it listed for $350 and I asked if he would sell plow separate. He texts back make me a fair offer. I said $100 for blade and weights. He texts back "how about $250 and I will throw in tractor. I was tempted, but decided to counter offer saying I did not need tractor, just plow. But if he wanted it gone today I would give him $200. About 5 minutes later he says yup..... get it today and I will take the $200. I had the money and was at his house in 30 minutes. I could not believe he sold it for $200. But after talking to him he was sick and tired of the craigslist BS and said I caught him at a good time...... I agree with him! 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BESTDOGEVER 218 #8 Posted October 30, 2016 Wow I paid twice that for mine with a known bad engine you did GOOD. Do what you think is best you only paid for the plow and weights Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Walt 339 #9 Posted October 30, 2016 (edited) It's yours you're free to do as you want with it. But like many have said they aren't making them any more. Maybe there is a member close to you that would like to rebuild motor and have it as a worker ( hell most of the paint looks nicer than mine). If sold for your cost it could net you free chains and weights. Just some thing to think about. Edited October 30, 2016 by Walt 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,513 #10 Posted October 30, 2016 7 hours ago, Walt said: It's yours you're free to do as you want with it. But like many have said they aren't making them any more. Maybe there is a member close to you that would like to rebuild motor and have it as a worker ( hell most of the paint looks nicer than mine). If sold for your cost it could net you free chains and weights. Just some thing to think about. Agreed. As mentioned, it's your tractor now and whatever you decide to do, it's your choice and your decision only. I would love to have it, but distance is a factor. Put a for sale ad here and see if you can sell it whole. Once you go down the road of parting it, then most of the time, there is no going back. And you will find parting a tractor isn't as easy as you got to remove things, packaged them, shipped them and then find buyers for it. Yeah, it can make you more money, but it does require more effort and time on your part. Again, it's yours so whatever you decide, it's your decision and your decision only. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
varosd 1,185 #11 Posted October 30, 2016 I would investigate the "burning 1/4 qt of oil" first. Do compression check, change fluids, clean carb etc etc Winter is coming, just throw a tarp over it since it's all ready for snow. I would add front wheel weights but I love those knobby front wheels! watch your legs with those "Chariot shredder" bolts on the rear wheel weights! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DougC 2,641 #12 Posted October 30, 2016 Nice negotiating. You found the right guy on the right day and had the cash in your pocket to make it all happen! Congratulations! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wishin4a416 2,191 #13 Posted October 30, 2016 Great deal and not a bad machine. I would keep everything. Well maybe not the seat. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
entropy 104 #14 Posted October 31, 2016 Oh my, I may be having second thoughts. I will have to price out gaskets, rings, valves and valve seats. I did enjoy the winter I spent dismantling my 520 HC, cleaning it up and painting, but I never dug into deep mechanicals on that light resto (peripheral motor stuff was torn off and refurbed, did not crack open motor to trans). How hard is it to rebuild these engines? I have not done the compression check but the oil burning is EPIC and I believe it when the guy told me how much oil it went through. I figure it has to be the rings on back piston in order to go through that much oil. When it is running it sounds good, hitting on both cylinders and smooth...if it was not burning oil you would think it was a low hour motor. I basically got the tractor for free so I have nothing to lose at this point either way I go. Plows alone average &150-250 depending on condition without the wheel weights 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Walt 339 #15 Posted October 31, 2016 I notice the oil pan under tractor in your pictures how much leaks and is leak faster when running and oil is under pressure it may not burn as much as PO was thinking it is. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
entropy 104 #16 Posted October 31, 2016 That was just me draining old out and putting fresh in to see if it made a difference. Been pricing out parts and costs for rebuilding and that is quite the shocker as far as $$$ goes. If I had all the tools and supplies as a starting point it could be worth it to tear into motor, but starting out from nothing the price is prohibitive for rebuild. Perhaps if I found a good deal on a used motor a transplant would make sense, otherwise it seems to steep. A rebuilt motor is ~$1500......good lord! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BESTDOGEVER 218 #17 Posted October 31, 2016 As a side note if you are going to use it as a plow tractor just about any 14 +hp engine would be a candidate for the repower then it's just the electrical changes to sort out Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shallowwatersailor 3,213 #18 Posted October 31, 2016 (edited) Heresy probably, but a 13 hp Predator would do for a snow plow tractor. One of our members did that last year for a plow tractor with the smaller engine and the 8 speed transmission. Edited October 31, 2016 by shallowwatersailor 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #19 Posted November 1, 2016 Heck! My C-85 and plow is awesome! Not sure what I would do with more HP other than spin my tires with chains. Don't underestimate what an 8hp dozer will do! I need more weight not more hp. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ken B 3,164 #20 Posted November 1, 2016 If it were me and I decided I wanted another tractor I'd try to determine where that oil is going and if it needed a rebuild. It would be much cheaper to put a good used Kohler on it then to rebuild that Onan. That would also only make sense if the Eaton 700 is still strong.. I had a 518 H that I bought before I knew they had the weaker hydro in them. The hydro worked good at the time but I knew it wouldn't hold up to my preferred style of pushing snow, which could probably be best described as hot n heavy... I like to go in hot and I like to push heavy snow. I'm not the type that enjoys plowing with the storm. I enjoy it most when the tractor has to really work so I typically wait until the storm is over... At the end of the day do what ever makes the most sense for you.. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
entropy 104 #21 Posted November 6, 2016 Made my decision. Lower compression on rear cylinder. Valves and whatnot look OK from an eyeball perspective. When it was running sounded smooth, no piston slap or such. I am going to just remove motor, drop oil pan and pull the one piston and head, hone and new rings and see what happens. If I feel adventurous may remove other piston as well and do same as other side. If motor is trashed( do not think so as it runs well, just burns oil) then I will keep wear parts and part out rest. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
entropy 104 #22 Posted November 7, 2016 Getting ready to crak open motor and see what is what. Have all the tools I need thanks to neighbor who is a mechanic. I will hone and rering if it looks good when I open it 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
entropy 104 #23 Posted November 8, 2016 Just pulled head and do not want to be dramatic but, UH OH! This does not look promising........ Going to drop oil pan and pull out and see what I have. There was a bunch of motor oil coating cylinder as well. If I am lucky maybe it will be the type of piston where you can just replace the one and not unbalance motor. Not sure of the roundness of cylinder either as you can see light on area near valves when piston is bottomed out in cylinder...... That would be the end of this onan for sure Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BESTDOGEVER 218 #24 Posted November 8, 2016 That looks like my onan p218 looked the piston was shot rod was broken crank had aluminum stuck to it. Biggest problem is that the rods now are different so if 1 is broken you may need to get 2 but you can try contacting Boomer if you are lucky he might have one that matches yours if the bore is not scored it might be salvageable Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
entropy 104 #25 Posted November 8, 2016 After going to onanparts.com I have found that both pistons should be replaced to keep motor balanced. The con rods have to be done in pairs(not a biggie since i believe con rods are intact), and I have scoring on cylinder wall at base. If cylinder wall was intact I would probably go for a re-piston/ring on both cylinders, Considering the depth of scoring I am not so sure anymore. In fact I may have 518H parts for sale soon....... maybe Wishin4a416 will start the bidding on the seat..... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
