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I asked CoPilot about my recollection and here's what it had to offer: What these red sealing sticks were Before liquid chemical sealers became common, mechanics and welders used torch‑applied copper sealing sticks to fix porosity, seepage, and pinholes in cast iron—especially on tractor housings, transmission cases, and engine blocks. They were: Red or reddish‑copper in color Very hard, almost like a metal crayon Applied by heating the casting with a torch until just below dull red Then rubbing/melting the stick into the pores, where the copper alloy wicked in and sealed the leak Often burnished or lightly peened afterward These were not welding rods—they were low‑temperature copper‑alloy sealing sticks, sometimes with small percentages of tin, phosphorus, or proprietary binders to improve flow into porous cast iron. They were extremely common in the 1970s–1990s in farm shops, radiator shops, and small engine rebuilders. Why you used them Cast iron—especially older tractor castings—often has graphite‑flake porosity or develops micro‑cracks after welding. Even when welded with nickel rods, you could still get: Weeping oil Coolant seepage Hydraulic fluid sweating through pores The red sealing sticks were a post‑weld porosity fix, not a structural repair. Why they disappeared By the late 1990s, these sticks were largely replaced by: Anaerobic penetrating sealers (e.g., SAF‑T‑LOK S90) that wick into pores at ~120–200°F and cure chemically. [^1] Metal‑filled epoxies (Devcon, Belzona, JB Weld) Better casting quality and machining practices Torch‑applied copper sticks are still made, but they’re niche and harder to find. What it wasn’t Just to rule out the common alternatives: Not brazing rod — brazing rod is yellow/gold, not red. Not nickel welding rod — nickel rods are silver/gray and used for structural welds. Not chemical sealers — those are liquids, not sticks. Your memory of a tough red stick that melted into hot cast iron matches the old‑school copper porosity‑sealing sticks exactly. If you want to track them down today They’re often sold under terms like: Copper sealing stick Cast iron porosity sealer stick Copper‑bond repair stick Low‑temp copper repair rod They still exist in welding‑supply catalogs, though not as common as they once were. If you want, I can help you identify the closest modern equivalent—or find a supplier that still sells the old‑style sticks. References (1) [^1]: Welds and Castings Porosities Sealing - SAF-T-LOK. https://www.saftlok.com/stl/Casting_Weld_Porosity_Sealing_Method.htm
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I think it would show up in WHeel HOrse TSB's - Its been over 30 years since I worked at wheel horse shop so memory's fuzzy but I seem to recall they used nylock nuts a while, there were some production differentials where they had a common failure with the bolts and/or nuts and a service bulletin came out to re-do the affected production range whenever the transmission came apart and we had a bolt kit to replace all the bolts and nuts in those particular differentials - the common failure was when the nuts came loose allowing bolts to shift out and tangle in the gears.. we had a couple where they actually broke the cast iron housings, however in out of warranty situations we were able to rescue a couple with cast iron welding rods and a sort of specialized cast iron block sealer (it was red, very tough, you'd heat it with a torch and melt the stick into the affected areas and it actually bonded in some way to the cast iron to seal things up - we used the same stuff to save a few cast iron engine blocks that had catastrophic failures resulting in cracks in the side of the blocks... ) Like I said it has been many many moons since, but I recall the welding and sealer and the bolt kits, just not the nitty gritty details..
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Disassembly continues on the C160…
RoubaixRider replied to RoubaixRider's topic in Restorations, Modifications, & Customizations
Just found this documentary in the Wheel Horse history. Enjoyed learning about the history! J -
A big factor in deck build-up is blade sharpness. Blunt or ragged blades pulverize the grass releasing a lot of moisture making the “clippings” sticky. Sharp blades cut cleanly, and require less power, too. With only 8hp, I can tell when the blades on my deck have become dull when the engine gets into the governor on even the gradual slopes.
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Exactly
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@Brockport Bill like the guard ! especially like the breathing / discharge room you gave it ? that release of cuttings , is vital to minimise deck build up , also a big fan of regular look see , deck inspection , being addicted to lubrication benefits , all my decks are underside , sprayed and sun baked lubrication , hours of propped up , to sun , that heat setting really integrates into the deck , all my decks are oil stained and rust free ./ slick , years out . add Lucas X TRA HD green chassis grease , change out To EVERY RELATED BEARING . guess what ? no bearing whine or related failure , end of issue . love repetitive problems , make a change , pete
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I was wondering about the use of sand over sawdust. That makes sense now
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Putting the diesel back together
JoeM replied to mudmowerdiesel's topic in Restorations, Modifications, & Customizations
I like it, need some action shots when it is all done. Those polished engine parts is real nice. -
Worked in an old mine, (opened in 1889 ish), that had underground horse stables and those floors were oak wood block. It was walk through time looking at stables and the old steam powered equipment. The mine when started required no outside power. The burned their own coal for steam pumps and winches. Hand dug coal seam. Of course later converted over to modern equipment and power.
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Someone getting ideas?
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Better that he used sand instead of sawdust! I did not see any "No Smoking" signage....
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That sounds like them's wuz cousins!!
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For sale Denny? You know how I like buying tractors from you!!!
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No "Prom Queens" here..... they all wear their working clothes for all the 4 seasons to get a spot in the garage.
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That makes a lot more sense
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I believe WH's can do both .
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Just to clear up the confusion in this thread. He has a 1057 with a Kohler 10 start gen that he feels the motor is “all-done”. The Kohler 12 he is considering is gear start and he wants to eliminate that and swap over all the start gen components from his 10 to the 12.
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Happy Birthday 953 Nut
Sparky-(Admin) replied to SylvanLakeWH's topic in non tractor related discussion
Shoot! I’m a day late! Happy birthday AND thanks for all you do here at RS -
Betcha y’all didn’t know 121
Sparky-(Admin) replied to 953 nut's topic in non tractor related discussion
14 and 24…yikes -
867 refresh
Thegearhead0324 replied to dclarke's topic in Restorations, Modifications, & Customizations
Very good job, all important things fixed and redone, neat and nicely put together, great original patina. All that’s left is to enjoy it . -
May 1, 1967, in an intimate wedding before only 14 guests, music sensation Elvis Presley marries Priscilla Beaulieu in an eight-minute civil ceremony in a private suite at Las Vegas’ famed Aladdin Hotel. The couple wants to keep the nuptials very private, so they ditch reporters by flying on a private jet from Palm Springs in the wee hours and arriving in Las Vegas at 4 a.m. The couple met in 1959 while Elvis, 24, was stationed in Germany, where Priscilla’s father was stationed as a U.S. Air Force officer. Their seven-year courtship—she was only 14 when they met—culminated when he gave her a three-karat diamond engagement ring.
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Nope! They were all intended to be "Workin' Girls". It's what they do best. The way Cecil & Elmer envisioned...
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Brake seal on an 8 speed transmission
ri702bill replied to AHS's topic in Transmissions and transaxles
Strap in, Enjoy the Ride!!
