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Hi all, Picked up a c175 at an estate sale a couple of weeks ago. Has always been kept inside, and has 885 hrs. In really nice shape besides the hood, no rust pits, or dents in anything else. Runs perfect, and the hydro is good and strong. Was not running when i bought it, but just took a battery and a shot of starting fluid and it purred to life. Came with a blower, 48" deck, and weights/chains. The sale it was at was a really cool place. The guy used to run a wheel horse dealer, but sold all his stuff about 10 yrs ago, this was his personal tractor. He did still have a few engine parts left over that I picked up, but nothing really special. There were 3 barns packed with stuff, you could hardly walk through, it was fun to dig through everything. Anyways, here's my tractor, never thought I would buy a horse this new, but this one is a keeper and I really like it. It will be my new blower tractor. Someday I might even do a quick repaint on it, as it would be an easy one to do. Also, I believe it is brand new in this picture of it at the dealer....

UH OH!!! Another bonafied 400-A-HOLIC I just did a report from my data base and the 3 and 400 series decals took a significate jump in the past year. I have had a number of customers asking about the infamous Onan as well. I just tell them to go to RedSquare and search for on an threads. The 312s still are the biggest seller but the 400s are quickly going traction. 500s have been steady for the past three years. About 3 orders a Month. My favorite of course is the 416-h. Only because I've had a couple of them and a 520. I think they will be strong for the next several years. Can't wait to see your pictures.

Had a better day today. Really needed it. Did one rear wheel and hub. Can you ever see the difference just a little WD40 and steel wool makes. A toothbrush is my new best friend. Can't wait to work my way around to the hood. I'm saving that for last. I'll post an update when I've finished. Everyone must be getting tired of all the photos. I'll tackle the engine - Kohler K-90? - when she's finally clean. John

I have been curious about having a tractor with a loader on it. I decided that what I really wanted was a four wheel drive unit with a loader so I passed on a number of Wheel Horse tractors with loaders. Then, this Kwik-Way loader showed up on eBay and not too far from me. I bid on it and won the auction for $869.03. I figured I could find out how well they work without having to lay out a lot more money. I have a 1997 520H with the heavy duty swept front axle and gear reduction steering that it will eventually go on. In the mean time I mounted it one of my C-175 Automatics just to see if it even worked. Well it does work and it is a nice set up. Things I ran into are the following. 1. The tolerances are very tight and a little extra paint made it hard to install. I had to scrape some excess paint off to get the front loader support piece to fit into the front tachmatic unit. The tight fit is a good thing since there will be no slop when using the loader. The fit to the tractor is excellent and the weigh box attaches to the rear of the loader frame under the tractor. 2. The pump belt runs very close to the PTO harp and I had to use a bungee cord to keep it from rubbing. I may be able adjust the pump to get a little more clearance. 3. The top hinge points are worn but that is not a problem for now. I may have the holes redone over the winter. 4. The pistons all leak down a little but not bad enough to interfere with getting some serious work done. 5. The traction of the rear turf tires and the lack of differential lock did give me some problems backing up a small incline with a load in the bucket. 6. The steering is not the easiest with the standard C-175 front end. The 520H with gear reduction should be much better. If I were to do it again I would pay more for a unit in a little better condition. It also has a lousy paint job on it. Now that I have this loader I will use it and hold out for a four wheel drive unit at a later date. Here are some pics.

Back in the 80's I had my black 79 Z-28 and the jacket. I was all set! (My wife was sittin next to me when I opened this thread and at first she thought that guy was me!)

Sound like you're on a roll... don't stop now.

nice old picture! looks like a Members only jacket all the rage in the mid-80's!

Started getting the Round Hoods ready for the 54th New York Pageant of Steam in a couple of weeks. A little touch up here a little cleaning there. A few adjustments. Putting the show ag's on the 704 (It's still a worker) Gettin the dust of the plow. Great way to spend a Sunday! What's not to like.

I line the inside of the hood where it meets the dash with the fuzzy side of self-adhesive Velcro.

Kohler painted their engines at the factor with a color that was close to, but not exactly like Wheel Horse red. If you notice, the color on the engines tend to stay red longer than the sheet metal on the tractor. Kohler also used gray primer under the paint on the sheet metal. Wheel Horse did not use primer at all. Most restorers just paint the engine with the same paint as the tractor, at least I do.

Wow Martin, Those look awesome. I know how difficult it was to get them applied. The thinner the decal the harder to apply without getting air pockets. I meant to work on the new hood decals to have them for you this weekend but somehow something seems to always come up. The good news is Lola and I got caught up with online orders and I will be able to work on the fun stuff this week. Thank you for all your insight and technical verification of dimensions. I found it interesting how the originals on the lower dash were not designed to fit properly so they simply applied the PTO decal over the right edge of the ignition switch and light switch decal? kind of sloppy for an expensive Garden tractor. Your work amazes me and your trouble shooting ability has been invaluable to me in development and improvement of the decals we make. Learning more and more about the differences in graphics from one year to the next on the 90s era Wheel horse tractors. These 3 and 400 series from the 90s are drawing more and more attention which is to be expected. Will contact you soon and get the last decals done so you can finish this awesome restore.

I picked this 854 up last fall, it had a valve stuck in the engine and the oil pan gasket needed replaced as well as the points. I also had to replace the gas tank gasket, sediment bowl, fuel pump diaphragm and rebuild the carb. The tranny had water in it so I replaced all the bearings and seals, replaced the brake band lining and added a rear hitch. The seat was cracked so I picked up a good one at a show and I bought a back rest and had that recovered. It's got the wrong ignition switch in it so I've ordered a new one and most of the wiring has been replaced. The motor generator was junk but I had a good one on the shelf so I replaced that. The frame plate that bolts to the tranny was cracked, the hood stand bracket that bolts to the tool box was broken off along with one of the tabs that hold the belt guard on so I welded those things. This tractor was pretty rusty when I got it and I wanted to keep the original paint so I lightly sanded it just to knock the rust down a little then I wiped a coat of "salad dressing" on the tins. I really like the way it turned out, thanks for the idea Stevebo. The tires are cracked pretty bad so I may replace those some day but other than that I think this ones done. This may be the best running tractor I have.

Hi All, For those that haven't seen on the MOM forum i have bought a 312-8. Almost exactly a year ago my Electro 12 arrived and everyone said they multiply in time. Refusing to believe it was just living in denial, as ive just bought a 1992 312-8 Sat in a barn for four years, half a days work cleaning the carb, doing some wiring, and building a front weight, the Magnum 12 purred sweetly. And did a full days hard work the following day shifting mud. cheers, Daniel

Needed some room in my shop so I sold my 1982 Suzuki and a Toro Bronco yesterday. Looked around and saw I had too much empty space so I started doing the Craig's list thing again. Scored another Wheel Horse 416H in really nice condition from the original owner. Been garage kept it's whole life. $400.00 and no holes in the deck but needs a battery. That's three Wheel Horse 417 tractors in two months. 2H's and an 8 speed. Will have photos tomorrow. I don't think my wife understands me.

Posted Today, 07:30 PM I don't remember ever having Jalapenos this big , this early . Y U M !

Thanks all, I don't know about the 520 club, but maybe someday if I find the right deal. Ken, the guy that owned all this stuff passed away a few years ago and was in charge of selling everything. My dad knew him from way back when. Everyone in the family were really nice people, and didn't want crazy money, just a fair price and someone that could use it. I spent about 3 days digging and then ended up going back in the middle of the week for a couple days and help them dig stuff out for the sale. I had a good time, and got to make sure nobody walked away with anything wheel horse. Anyways, enough with my story, but I looked up the guy on facebook, and he had a bunch of old pictures of the place from way back when and there this one was. But it is a cool photo, too bad that sign was gone, but I did score two original kohler signs for $5 Also another cool find were two tecumseh school patches, and an original 1982 wheel horse patch that I pulled out of a bin that was on its way to scrap. I'll put a couple more pictures of the stuff tomorrow for anyone that might want to see it.

Yeah - what AMC says!

Congrats! You'll like, even if its newer.

Just finished this up lastnight for the tiller, push mower, and trimmer. And a fresh shot of my old man. Pull start is removed because I need to replace the 3 prongs that engage the flywheel. Been rope starting in the mean time.

If the starter is working, but just not engaging the fly wheel...and the Bendix, spring and shaft are all clean and lubed...you might try shimming the starter where it mounts on the engine. Cut a piece of sheet metal to match the mount pattern (or 2) and bolt the starter back up. This worked on my Raider 10.

I do my browsing on my phone. I have to switch to the "full version" to see the manuals section. Hopefully, that's the problem.

Great tip Steve. And I guess I'll keep the photos coming. Can anyone identify the engine from the pics posted? Not showing , not attached, it came with one of those oil bath air cleaners. John

My security system is a Ruger Vaquero .45 Colt,

Very nice work! The 3/8" reinforcement rod on the footrests is a great idea! Goin' to get Terry's decals? The working Horse needs 'em!

Good attention to detail Mike! You were productive, and stayed out of trouble today! Win Win

You won't be able to fit anything in the back of that going by the SIZE of the "goodies" that you buy!

Beautiful, perfection, classic. Thanks for showing us those well groomed Stallions. I do keep my Horses, clean 'n ready to work but, yours are "Showtime!"

"Well I did not check the tractor model number. Since it's a manual I guess I am out in left field with that answer." Me too. Saw the '1100' in the title and I just 'assumed' the topic was about hydros.

Alright, having a hard time finishing up all the little things on this one. residing the house and work is getting in the way of working on it. got a few hours this morning to finally get the dash all back together. i wanted all the fasteners to be 'hidden' on the dash so i powder coated all the screws matt black that hold it all together, also the nut that holds the ignition switch on and i found a boot to cover the light switch. i am happy, its the look i was after and all the decals blend with the black and i think it turned out great..... i also added a new throttle knob and slip over cover for the brake release....... thanks for all your extra time on the decals Terry, you gave me exactly the look i was after.....

Funny you should mention about the axle pivot pin on a diesel Wh.. I was contacted yesterday by a chap looking for help.. He has a Raider fitted with a diesel that his son decided to drop the clutch in 3rd gear at full revs!! 5 sec's later he had rammed the poor Raider into a tree resulting in a busted axle pin, but he also managed to really bend the inner mount for the axle pin!! This has also got me thinking on how wise it is for me to use the original axle and pin on Project "Why Not"!!

Took a Zero tun weight that I got in a $10.00 lot at the Mansfield Pa. auction, a clapped out Mule Drive I got at the Big Show and Presto! a snap on 18 lb. frt weight!

I had some TSC rubber mat left over from the rear discharge deck modification. Hopefully the right rear rim/tire won't be all grassed up! plus it it will flex if I hit that tree!

Some photos of the beginning Started with two front wheels and axle The difference is remarkable. It is very disconcerting at first to see exposed metal beside paint. I stopped a few times to makes sure I was only removing dirt. But as you can see from photos removing some paint is inevitable. Actually looking at the photos now I see I removed more than I thought I had. Think round two will be somewhere less conspicuous while I refine the technique. It feels a lot like polishing furniture Things I learned on my first attempt {in hopes others will share} 1. never used compressed air. You remove more paint than dirt. 2. try not to scrub - which is hard especially when trying to remove caked on grease. More to follow. Also, is that really a grease nipple on the front wheel? John

Making a something, from nothing... priceless.

Here are some pics of a couple WH's that I have used WD40 and 4 ott- 0000 steel wool on for paint restoration. The first one is a 1967 Model #857 that I cleaned half of the hood to demonstrate how much paint is hiding under the rust. The 2nd machine is my early production 1955 RJ35 that was pretty much totally fried with rust. I couldn't see any red paint no where on this old girl. The after pics are quite amazing to see how much red paint is underneath the rust! So just spray the machine with WD40 and lightly rub it down with 4-0000 steel wool, that is the finest abrasiveness they make and I don't use any other size! So I hope this will help out guys who don't want to restore a nice original condition WH but just leave it in as found condition!! I think they look just fine the way they turn out with just a good cleaning. You can keep the oiled look on it year round with a few shots of WD40 later in the year too. I usually wipe it down with a towel type of rag just to keep it dry to the touch.

Well I've alway's wanted the post hole auger for the GT14.

Sounds like you may have internal leakage in your hydraulic valves. SO that when you are shifting the valve the the contract position some fluid is leaking into the extend end of the cylinders and fighting against you. A couple of tests to confirm this would be to change the hoses so that they are backwards and see if the problem reverses itself or stays the same. One could also put a pressure guage on each line and record the differences between the two modes of operation. They should read nearly the same. It may also be that there is a restriction in the return line to tank (marked T on the valve) not letting fluid out fast enough.

Reverse would be nice to have.. Toying with the idea of an electric reverse using the motor from a mobility scooter.. If it can be made to work remains to be seen! So with the drive train plan now changed a bit I needed the swing arm and mountings from the Honda's frame.. So I chopped this large lump of metal from the frame which also has the engine mounts making life a little easier er.. Mounting the engine While I was in the shed lookiing for a cardboard box I found a pair of "deep dish" late C series front wheels.. These should widen the front wheel base a bit Some more mocking-up, but this time a bit more serious so I could start taking lot's of measurements.. The front of the chassis is 4 inches off the deck, the rear 4 1/2 which gives it a nice little bit of stance. Throw it in a pile and work it out from there I also had a flash of inspiration about the steering.. With a new mounting plate made this right angled drive box thingy that was going to be used as part of the drive train, can be bolted to the chassis and run the steering shaft under the engine.. The UJ's will come in handy for connecting it to the steering coloum And then just as I thought the plan was coming along quite well I hit rather a large problem.... I just could not find a kart axle or the like that was A - Strong enough.. B - Within my price range... And C - Not hollow! I even started looking into using a car IRS setup, at least the axles could be narrowed to get the with I wanted!! And then while looking through Fleabay I found the answer... A shaft drive Qwackasaki quad rear end It solves a lot of problems in one hit as it comes with brakes built in and as an added bonus it also has a diff lock So currently somewhere between Scotland and Hawkhurst, Kent is a truck with a large parcel containing the back half of a quad including prop shaft Once the parcel arrives I can really get into this build rather than just piling bits together on the bench and grinning at the beast I will be creating To give you a few more photo's to look at I went in search of metal to use as chassis extensions etc.. Buried in nettles and only on one wheel was the filming trailer I built quite a while ago! As it has never been used since it was built, I decided it's time was up... And I needed the steel I might have a use for the wheel hubs as well. Now available in kit form

Here's what you've all been waiting for: VIDEO ! ! !

pretty well every horse I've had has either a sticky solenoid or sticky start bendix. They've all had dings in the cowl where someone has used a hammer!!!! It's only a 10 minute job to fix too

It does sound like the Bendix assembly is hanging up. Dry lubricants work best as they don't attract dirt.

You might oil the shaft or use a dry lubricant to see if that helps. I think the drive engages with centrifugal force as the starter motor turns.

Did you run it there?

$20 a piece is really a bargain. Tools are outrageous so at $20 that would be a great bargain.