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......what a little polish and buff wheel can do to tired old paint..... Still has a ways to go but should turn out pretty nice.

So i went to the WH dealer today and askd him about fixing my 520 and he said he could bit gonna be 2 weeks to get to me cause they were all backed up.. So i said ok i figure something out,, so i called my brother and we took the engine bolts out and lifted it up , took off old oil drain pipe and went to lowes and bought all new ,,nipples and a red shut off valve,, so when i wanna change oil i have a nipple with a hose on it , just screw it in open valve and walaa oil change done no tools !!! She all back together and puring like a kitten !! I feel so much better lol..

This is a 1957 RJ-35 project, lots of rust and a few parts that are beyond saving, but very complete all things considered.

Just another example of good shopping around. I used to support my local Toro dealer all the way, but some of the prices just made it an expensive proposition when rebuilding a whole tractor. I have learnt that its better to seek out the original manufacturers for a lot of these parts, Toro and Wheelhorse before them, didn't make everything. They used oem suppliers just like lots of other companies. I have found some real bargains by finding out which company made the part or had the contract for the part. Sometimes, its just a simple process of looking at the manufacturers name stamped or molded in the part and google searching. You would be amazed at what bargains can be had over Toro pricing. One such example that comes to mind is the rubber hood catches on the 3,4,500 series and many other 80s and 90s Wheel horse models. http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/topic/43225-416-adventures/?page=14#comment-438994

Gentlemen, Well, I knew these parts had to be "out there", it was just a matter of researching and pounding the keys, and to some extent the pavement to find them. Woodruff keys are a generic hardware type item, maybe not quite as everyday items as flat/lock washers, lag bolts, and 16d common nails, but widely used. Not being able to buy exactly what you need at your hometown corner hardware store, doesn't mean they are "unobtainium", you just have to keep digging until you uncover the Mother Lode. The Fastenal connection is without doubt the best choice for a supplier of these keys I have yet found, mostly because of their huge geographic reach with "2,700 stores spanning all 50 states and 20-plus nations". The beauty of this is most of the population here in the US have a Fastenal retail outlet within a reasonable distance of wherever they live. I have one within 1 1/2 miles of my house, and another about 10 miles away. So for me, is like going to Vegas and seeing how the dice roll......if things aren't working in one game room, I pick up my chips and go to "the other casino". If you communicate with a local store and they don't have the item you are seeking in stock, they'll get it shipped from another Fastenal outlet or warehouse to your local store. From what I can tell, shipping cost me absolutely nothing. I think this is true with a least items of reasonable size and weight......thus I avoided the dreaded shipping charge, which, as many of you know all too well when you buy from Toro, RCPW, eBay, or almost anywhere, which is the real "bummer" part of any deal. If you don't need much in the way of quantity or total cost, often the shipping and handling charges exceeds the cost of the items being purchased. I don't know about the rest of you, but I get absolutely steamed and go into a slow burn when that happens. Sometimes it's just absolutely ridiculous, but often you have no other options if you have to have the item. What's WRONG with this picture?.......you can buy almost anything you want, need, or could ever hope to find here in the continental US, but when shipping charges exceed purchases by sometimes as much as 3 times, there's either gross inefficiency ruling the day to cover glutenous infrastructure, or obscene and unashamed profit taking occurring. Just my , and one man's option. Anyway, I'll dismount my speech-making soapbox, relinquish my bullhorn, and present the facts......"just the facts, Mame". 1/4" x 2-3/4" Key No: RX Woodruff Key Fastenal Part No. (SKU): 69352 Grade:1035 Key Number:RX Length:2-3/4" Material:Steel Style:Half Moon Type:Woodruff Key Width:1/4" Product Weight:0.064 lbs. https://www.fastenal.com/products/raw-materials/keyed-shafts-keys/woodruff-keys?term=woodruff+key&r=~|categoryl1:%22600930%20Raw%20Materials%22|~%20~|categoryl2:%22612385%20Keyed%20Shafts%209and%20Keys%22|~%20~|categoryl3:%22601145%20Woodruff%20Keys%22|~%20~|sattr03:^1/4%22$|~%20~|attrlength:1610|~ Left: OEM installed woodruff key, left axle Right: Fastenal supplied duplicate woodruff key, # 69352 Find your local Fastenal store here: https://www.fastenal.com/locations Any questions, Gentlemen? Regards, Steve

The K-181 is an incredibly strong little engine. All K-181's are basically the same on the inside. Most differences are in the output size of the crankshaft. The "S" designation means electric start. My recommendation is to pull the crankshaft and have it mic'd. If it needs to be ground to the next undersize, do it. Let the machinist tell you what size replacement rod you need, and put it all back together. A rebuilt K-181 is better than any replacement you can find in today's market.

Thanks for all the responses guys, well i went to look at it today and it looked better in person than the pics, been garage kept since it was new, local shop preformed the maintance and everything look in great condition, no smoke on start up, trans did have a slit milky color, air filter was good. went ahead and brought it home. I think this will make a great addition.

So I finally got my D-200 put together. I decided to knock together some mufflers instead of trying to hunt down another nos muffler to match the one I have. I used the inner parts of the old mufflers some sheet metal and some 3inch exhaust pipe.

A few of mine

you can drop this off at my house parts have a way of being saved here Brian here's some of mine Brian

All fixed now ,, took engine bolts out and lifted up and spun off old nipples ,, amd went to lowes and got new with a shut off valve for changing oil red one to lol. But dealer said it was gonna be 2 weeks to get it in so i just saod screw it ,, called my brother and we knocked ot out , all done and shinny again..

My prayers go out to John and his family , as a quadriplegic I spent 4 months in a hospital and years in therapy . I've seen many casses of stroke and head trauma and witnessed to me looked like miracles . Seeing things first hand what can be accomplished through intensive therapy gives me hope that you can come through this . Listen and follow your doctors and therapists advice and if it doesn't seem to be working look elsewhere . There's always different approaches to the problem and don't let anyone tell you your done or there's nothing more thay can do . Always have a plan B . C ... ect. Hope to see you back on the soon .

How far can you recite Pi? Apple, cherry blueberry, peach, pecan...

From what I remember when rebuilding my 1054, The 953/1054 axles use the 2" long key as well. The 953/1054 and GT14 hubs look the same to me. They are also significantly longer (cover more length of the axle) than any of the standard size 5 bolt hubs.

So i decided with the extent of Google Searches i have been doing for weeks i caved and decided to join the Forums. My Situation, I have a old Wheel Horse B-80 I do not know the year i know they were made from 74-77, it has the K181S engine on it. has all the snowblower attachments and such, and it was my wife's grandpas (who has passed), and she wants this thing running. What happened? well it blew a rod, I took it all apart, not a total tear down. But it didn't go through the Block and the cylinder wall is still in good condition. So were do i go from here? I do not care to repower it, this is for basic use, snow blowin ( i have the attachments) Ive seen some posts about it possibly having a tiller? I like the idea of the 8hp engine being more Economical and still having the power to get the job down. Any rebuild kit i find online is for the K181, is it the same as the K181S, and most of the time i have 3 different sizes to choose from. Standard, +.010, +.020,+.030.. So if i did an engine swap, what engines would find without minor to none Modifications my wife likes to keep things original, remember this is not a repower. I can't find any used running k181 engines either. Hope I'm in the right place for this and put enough information.

I use two grandsons; Wax On and Wax Off. We're saving electricity but go through a ton of chocolate cake, brownies, Whoppers, French fries, milk shakes, and Milky Ways.

3.1416 Pi Day Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi) in the US. Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3/14 in themonth/day date format) since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant digits of π.[2][3][4][5] In 2009, the United States House of Representatives supported the designation of Pi Day.[6] Pi Approximation Day is observed on July 22 (22/7 in the day/month date format), since the fraction 22⁄7 is a commonapproximation of π, which is accurate to two decimal places and dates from Archimedes.[7] The earliest known official or large-scale celebration of Pi Day was organized by Larry Shaw in 1988 at the San Francisco Exploratorium,[8] where Shaw worked as a physicist,[9] with staff and public marching around one of its circular spaces, then consuming fruit pies.[10] The Exploratorium continues to hold Pi Day celebrations.[11] On March 12, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution (HRES 224),[6] recognizing March 14, 2009 as National Pi Day.[12] For Pi Day 2010, Google presented a Google Doodle celebrating the holiday, with the word Google laid over images of circles and pi symbols.[13] The entire month of March 2014 (3/14) was observed by some as "Pi Month".[14][15] In the year 2015, Pi Day had special significance on 3/14/15 (mm/dd/yy date format) at 9:26:53 a.m. and also at p.m., with the date and time representing the first 10 digits of π.[16]That same second also contained a precise instant corresponding to all of the digits of π

I just took mine off that came on the 416. It was quite rusty and pulleys turned roughly. I sprayed the shaft with Kroil then put the nut almost all the way back on. After that using a pair of leather gloves, hang onto the outer flat pulley and bang the end of the shaft with the nut protecting the threads onto an anvil or other flat heavy metal plate as if you are trying to bang the nut through the plate. After a few hits mine came off. I could then slide off the spacer, spray on more Kroil, put the nut back to protect the threads and repeat. I then got lucky and needed to only pry the seal out of one side of each pulley, wash out with brake cleaner, blow dry, and repack with grease. Put the seals back in, polish the shaft, apply never seize and reassemble.

I think you guys should make an exception and leave this post under Wheelhorse Tractors where it gets the most coverage. Many of us don't go past that section. And Brrly is as Wheelhorse as you can get.

3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679821480865132823066470938446095505822317253594081284811174502841027019385211055596446229489549303819644288109756659334461284756482337867831652712019091456485669234603486104543266482133936072602491412737245870066063155881748815209209628292540917153643678925903600113305305488204665213841469519415116094330572703657595919530921861173819326117931051185480744623799627495673518857527248912279381830119491298336733624406566430860213949463952247371907021798609437027705392171762931767523846748184676694051320005681271452635608277857713427577896091736371787214684409012249534301465495853710507922796892589235420199561121290219608640344181598136297747713099605187072113499999983729780499510597317328160963185950244594553469083026425223082533446850352619311881710100031378387528865875332083814206171776691473035982534904287554687311595628638823537875937519577818577805321712268066130019278766111959092164201989380952572010654858632788659361533818279682303019520353018529689957736225994138912497217752834791315155748572424541506959508295331168617278558890750983817546374649393192550604009277016711390098488240128583616035637076601047101819429555961989467678374494482553797747268471040475346462080466842590694912933136770289891521047521620569660240580381501935112533824300355876402474964732639141992726042699227967823547816360093417216412199245863150302861829745557067498385054945885869269956909272107975093029553211653449872027559602364806654991198818347977535663698074265425278625518184175746728909777727938000816470600161452491921732172147723501414419735685481613611573525521334757418494684385233239073941433345477624168625189835694855620992192221842725502542568876717904946016534668049886272327917860857843838279679766814541009538837863609506800642251252051173929848960841284886269456042419652850222106611863067442786220391949450471237137869609563643719172874677646575739624138908658326459958133904780275900994657640789512694683983525957098258226205224894077267194782684826014769909026401363944374553050682034962524517493996514314298091906592509372216964615157098583874105978859597729754989301617539284681382686838689427741559918559252459539594310499725246808459872736446958486538367362226260991246080512438843904512441365497627807977156914359977001296160894416948685558484063534220722258284886481584560285060168427394522674676788952521385225499546667278239864565961163548862305774564980355936345681743241125150760694794510965960940252288797108931456691368672287489405601015033086179286809208747609178249385890097149096759852613655497818931297848216829989487226588048575640142704775551323796414515237462343645428584447952658678210511413547357395231134271661021359695362314429524849371871101457654035902799344037420073105785390621983874478084784896833214457138687519435064302184531910484810053706146806749192781911979399520614196634287544406437451237181921799983910159195618146751426912397489409071864942319 How is that....1,000,000 digits!

not to be negative but that looks like a lot of blow by on the skirt of the piston,which means rings are worn,which usually means piston will be worn and the cylinder,I would rebuild it proper if you want it to be reliable and last,after all its 40 years old,she deserves that,and it was your wifes grandpas,so you get the go ahead to make it right,of coarse that's my opinion only,but rebuild kit for 100,and 150 machine shop makes for a cheap but amazing engine that will last along time

For that price you might want to get a few more and squirrel them away..

Steve, Pays to shop around.Sounds like you are on your way.Luck,JAinVA JimAnderson

Well she was out yesterday for a couple hours. This is her tree, right next to my driveway. You can see her right below where the tree 'Ys' at the top of the pic. And a close-up. She's very tolerant of us but we make sure to never get too close and never take up too much of her time.

Garry, I will concede you are right.....those woodruff keys are in the diagrams and in the numerical parts list.........I just plain missed them. Duh! I will agree wholeheartedly TORO is extremely proud of those woodruff keys when they are priced at $7.30 each. https://www.torodealer.com/en-us/Pages/Search.aspx?k=937046 RCPW is nearly as proud of their keys also, when priced at $6.31 each. https://www.rcpw.com/search/?quest=937046 The good news this morning for me is Fastenal finally shipped a sample key to a local store within my county which I picked up and just verified it is the same key as OEM, and it fits perfectly in the axle key slot. Price including 7% IN sales tax: $1.31 each. More detail to follow later. Steve

One has been in the sun and weather elements longer than the other

I have learned over the years of playing with tractors and many other hobbies. Perfect is very hard to acheive or find and one can go crazy over it. Sometimes the cream of the crop paint wise have mechanical issues to be dealt with and others that look abused turn out to be mechanically sound. Its a toss up and perfect should be left for the trailer queens. If you are not comfortable with the repair , taking it to a reputable mechanic is a wise choice. In my opinion, once you learn to pull that engine, it makes working on the onan ten fold easier. I can pull an engine off a 520H in about fiften, twenty minutes. Then its up on the bench and smooth sailing. Fighting that darn thing on the tractor, forget it.

Love the look of Fresh RED paint!

More parts came in this week, took the block and crank to the machine shop hope to get back in a few weeks. Spent a late night last night getting some more painting done. It's getting closer.

Hello, I'm new here. So go easy on me... I purchased my first garden tractor, and I've attached pics. I don't know much about it, and I'm hoping some of you guys can help me with the specs. It looks early '60s to me, and the tires seem a little small. Anyway, any info is greatly appreciated. I found the remnants of a sticker on the tractor that reads: Serial Number 8496, and one on the mower deck that reads: Serial Number 9822 Thanks!

Starting to build a tool box for my 18 Automatic resto-mod. I have cut some used rear channels, to form the front and back sides, and two half channel pieces to form the left and right side pieces. I could have used two fender supports for the bottom plate, and the hinge attachment strip, {by simply having them welded together, cut to fit and fill the tank holes} but instead I just bought some sheet metal that was close to the right gauge. I still need to have a hole or two filled, and a lid cut, bent and welded. I will then be using two buckles from the tins of a Kohler K482 for keeping the lid closed. I have ordered some hinges and hope to have them here this week. Finally, after primer and paint, I would ultimately like to find some rubber mat material close to the original footrest pads to line the inside, and a knob from a grill to lift the lid. As a finishing touch I may see how some edge-trim {like what is used on the tank sides and dash} would look. This addition of a toolbox will require elevating the gas tank as well as placing it in a more forward posision, so that a portion of the tool box can be tucked under the tank. I haven't got it all sorted out just yet, but may need to add the elongated "U" shaped seat springs to raise the seat in order to allow a bit more clearance for the tank. Here are some pics of my progress so far. I should have removed the wooden strip before taking the pictures.

I have been working all winter on and off restoring this blade. It has been upgraded to have 5 positions instead of 3. All pivot points and latches have been returned to like new. All hardware replaced. New decals from Terry. The only thing left is to replace the grip next time I place an order to mowerpartpros.com It will be a shame to scratch the paint but I will be grading the driveway soon.

You have "the touch". Oh yea, don't forget the buffer and polish. Lookin sweet. Glenn

ztnoo, Thanks for sharing the quest with us all.I would never have believed that something as simple as a woodruff key would generate this much interest or discussion.I guess it proves that its the little things in life that matter.I look forward to seeing your future posts here and am truly happy that you got your Moby Dick after all. Luck,JAinVa JimAnderson Gloucester,Va

Holy cow , why don't you come do to my house for a visit with your polish and buffer ,my El Camino is looking a little dull .

Hey KC9...You transposed an 8 and a 1 in line 23...

Made some progress today. Tack welded the arm mounts on, and drilled the ends of the arms that mount to the pedestals. I learned my lesson, I am tacking everything until I am sure it fits How much can I lift with wood? I also dropped off a deposit to a local fab shop to make the bucket. I was considering one from the place Andy got his, but the local guy was roughly the same price.

I agree , the picture does indicate blow by. That is why I asked if it ran good without smoke. If you do use any of the existing old parts , I repeat, they must be cleaned properly and inspected carefully to determine if they are within specs. One caution, If you do buy a new piston, do not machine the bore until you have the new piston in hand so the bore can be machined to match the piston. New pistons are not always in spec... especially those from our friends on the other side of planet earth.

I found a K-181 on an air compressor that had a leaking tank. It might be worth while searching through some construction type ads on craigslist or otherwise... Best of luck!

one qt of oil for every tank of gas...You should be using her to combat the mosquitoes causing Zika Virus..

This is the show list put out every year buy the Scantic Valley Engine Club. LLC. Just thought some of you would like to see this in our area. Enjoy and have a good time at the shows. Gary B...

Red seems to be very susceptible to fading. In the '70s I was working a construction job at a paper mill in Gorham NH and a few days after starting work it occurred to me that I had the only red vehicle in the parking lot. I was told that none of the dealers would sell a red vehicle because the chemicals in the air caused it to fade rapidly; no other color, just red.

Well I've seen a lot of you guys doing it and I kept forgetting to get ethanol free gas to get mine going and out.. Well finally got some and today as me and the wife cleaned shed out more and condensed stuff up getting ready to move I found the time to get my two horses out to stretch there legs. They are the only tractors I'm taking with me on my move south so my other two I got out and sent to my parents garage until later date..

I always love to hear that someone is eager to have Grandpa's working again. The only difference between the K181 and K181S is the "S" has a starter. If the engine is in real good condition as you said, a rebuild kit should do the trick, your piston probably will have a "S" stamped in the top indicating Standard, if not it will need to be measured prior to ordering a kit. You could also consider the K241 (10 HP) or K301 (12 HP) as direct replacements. There are several engine rebuild threads on this site that have a lot of great information. One thing we expect from new members here,

Nice tractor .I'm close by .Just down the road in Stillwater.I'd pay 300 dollars for it if you're interested.

That drain design has been used on many models since the 60s so it is not a design that is just limited to the 520 or Onan in general. I agree it is not the best design and looks ugly with all the fittings. The easiest way to deal with this (something that you can fix yourself, very easily) is to remove the drain pipes (nipples) and elbow, piece by piece and seal it as you reinstall. First, drain the oil from the engine. Next, you will have to deal with the 4 engine pan bolts that attach the engine to the plate on tractor frame, loosen the front ones until the nuts are flush with the ends of the bolts, take the rear ones out all together. Now raise the rear of the engine and place a wedge of wood or similar block of something under the pan to provide just enough clearance to get that elbow to rotate without hitting the plate. Now remove all of the drain pipe components, piece by piece. Clean old thread sealant from pipes and oil pan. Check threads for any damage or stripped condition. Hopefully over the years the nipple that threads into the engine pan hasn't been tightened so much as to damage the oil pan. The two pipe nipples are easily bought new if they need replacing as is the elbow and cap. Most times all that is needed is to clean the threads and reinstall piece by piece using thread sealant that is oil resistant. More than half of my horses (from the 1965 875 right up to the 1995 416s) have been purchased with this design of drain leaking. The biggest problem with the Onan engine is that it is aluminum, the pipes come loose more often than the cast iron pans of the Kohlers. With the aluminum though, the threads are more susceptible to loosening and damage.

Yes it would, but would not move the rest of the linkage to get the rpm out of the engine.

Well I'll be dipped in dog sh*t..... Never saw that one.

yes, I remember all too well the holding power of those long hubs!!