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TRACTOR TRIVIA and other interesting stuff For the past few days we have covered “A” to “Y” brand tractors, now we lets go to the end of the alphabet. Zebra Tractors Zebra Tractors existed for only a short time in the USA, and was a distributor of tractors imported from India and Czechoslovakia. They were headquartered in Harrisburg, PA. Most of the tractors were built in India by HMT, which manufactured under license from Zetor. One model came from Czechoslovakia from Wikov. Zebra Tractors included a sub-compact 20 HP built in Czechoslovakia and compact and full size tractors ranging from 22 HP to 45 HP all built by HMT in India. Zebra was a division of American Jawa, the USA distributor of Zetor. They created the division to provide a lower-cost, and low horsepower alternative to the Zetor tractors. The tractors were only marketed for a few years, around 1992-1995. We will cover the Zetor Tractor Company in another thread. JAWA is a motorcycle and moped manufacturer founded in Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1929 by František Janeček, who bought the motorcycle division of Wanderer. The name JAWA was established by concatenating the first letters of Janeček and Wanderer

been dealing with spinal decompression lumbar , bone marrow issue , using GLOBUS ROBOTIC ASSISTANCE , to insure work. titanium grid mount , insures angularity and holding of bone marrow to assure connection growth , very common back correction today . had robotic work done on my knees 16 years ago , been solid no issues , going robotic , let you know , when back . neighbor helping me on lawn . keep up with issues , makes it easier to respond to problems , pete

Getting show ready for Pennsylvania.

Picked this B-80 up this morning. It's definitely in need of some TLC. I haven't been doing any resurrections for a LONG while (10 years + ?) and somehow now ended up with 2 in a month. IDK Pressure washed, removed mouse houses, oil change and got the engine running. Then spent most of the time sorting out the wiring and components to start from the key switch,

Have ‘em drill and tap a 1/4”-28 thread for you, somewhere you can toss in a grease zerk to keep you going!

Pulled out the gang to clean them up a bit and Changed the oil in one. Since I had them out figured I would clime the Electrical pole and get a Birds Eye pic…lol JK 😝 Looking forward to the big show coming up !

Our garden is now heading into its 3rd season. Creating a usable garden space here in the New England mountains is an extreme challenge involving a lot of extra work in comparison to most areas of the country. The entire region was once covered by ice over a mile thick. When the glaciers departed, the mountains were destroyed and tremendous rock waste fields left behind. We all joke about having rocks and stones in the soil. Here, it's a little (seriously little) soil.. in with the rocks. Over the last several years we cleared an area of forest. 3+ years ago we had an excavator come in to clear the ground surface and make it somewhat level. After that we added 14+ yards of loam, all by hand, tractors and small trailers, load by load, moved a couple hundred feet from the driveway to the garden. Since then we've been picking out rocks sticks etc using an 856 tractor with the ripper or by hand. @Handy Don and I have texted more than once about the possibilities involving the use of a single tooth ripper in our garden area to pop out the rocks sticks roots etc as they rise every year from the frost. In the future I would like to be able to use a rototiller but for now there's too many rocks and sticks. It seems the ripper is a feasible solution for the time being. This weekend we used my heavier 1974 C160-8 Cinnamon Horse for the ripper work. Wanting to be conservative at the beginning, I started poking into the soil about 2" and immediately realized that could be a little deeper. I tried a 4" cut. That was the ticket. I worked back n forth at many angles. Started at the fence all the way around. Pulled every which way but loose. We learned that the pulled materials really have a tendency to stack up towards the middle of the area, logically. We also learned that we could likely use 2 ripper teeth. Maybe 3 (??) 3 might be too much. (With only one tooth there were multiple occasions where the tractor was "high centered" on rocks.) Some of those rocks were pulled out. At least 2 or 3 are too big.

With a battery ignition system, the ignition points are closed the majority of the time. With the points closed and the ignition switch ON the primary windings of the ignition coil have current flowing through them and are developing a magnetic field in the iron core of the ignition coil. The moment the ignition points open the magnetic field collapses and induces a momentary high voltage pulse in the secondary windings of the coil which goes through the spark plug wire and arcs across the gap of the spark plug. If this occurs in the presence of a compressed fuel/air mixture of the proper ratio an explosion will occur within the cylinder. If this explosion occurs at the proper time in the engine’s cycle there will be pressure applied to the piston forcing it downward on the power stroke. The ignition points will continue to open further after this has occurred. How far they open is immaterial, their work has been done for that cycle of engine operation. What is important is when they open relative to the position of the piston on its compression/power revolution. If it occurs too soon there will be backfiring, too late and there will be a reduction of power. In the case of our Kohler engines the sweet spot is twenty degrees Before Top Dead Center, that is what the “SP” mark on the flywheel is set. At the moment the points open the condenser quenches the arc across the points extending their life, the rest of the time it just sits there. Static timing can be done with Kohler engines that do not have a Spark Advance camshaft. The instructions in the Kohler Engine Service Manual for static timing of the later ACR camshaft engines calls for an Ohm Meter to be used. I prefer a 12 Volt Test Light. The light will be connected between the battery “+” terminal and the lead that connects the points to the coil (disconnected from the coil). When the points are closed the light will be on, the moment the points open the light will go off. You don’t have to be focused on it like you would on a meter. With the test light situated near the sight hole for the flywheel (spark plug out so the engine will turn with ease), turn the flywheel slowly by hand in the clockwise direction (counter-clockwise if on the PTO end) until the moment the light goes out. If the “SP” mark is centered in the hole you are done, if not you have a little work to do. If the points are opening too late, they need to be opened further, if it occurs too early they need to be closed up some. Make gradual adjustments until the “SP” mark on the flywheel is centered in the sight hole at the moment the light goes out. Now tighten the screw securely and turn the engine over several revolutions to be sure the points are consistently opening at the proper moment.

After reading so many of @953 nut’s write-ups, I’d love to meet & speak with some of the WH engineers and product designers. They must have some terrific stories.

Sorry, no pics, I didn’t happen I made a quick trip down to South Bend Clutch, in Mishawaka, IN this morning for some Norman upgrades. I was less than 5 miles from 515 W. Ireland Rd, where our beloved machines were built. I had an appointment with a friend in Elkhart and was pressed for time, so I didn’t get to swing by for pictures. At my buddie’s work, he was showing me around a minute and I ran into John, from Sherwood Forest (Nottingham, England). Yes, they call him Little John. He moved to South Bend in 1966 and recalls the wonderfully kept lawn in front of Wheel Horse Products on Ireland Rd! He was always so fond of the lawn, he knew they must have made amazing products!

And I might add, if you have lined up the crank and cam properly, the SP or S mark will be in the right place when the points, set to .020, open. If the SP or S mark is way off, you may have assembled the engine wrong. Also, don't make the mistake of rotating the engine in the wrong direction. Checking the timing must be done rotating the engine in the clockwise direction if viewing from the flywheel side, or counter-clockwise rotating from the PTO side.

Looks like the mission I'm getting ready for! 'Cept to level for a new stable for the Horses and other equipment. Have to bring the right front corner inside that fence up about a foot or more and level all to within 3 inches for a new 12 x 41 will extend from that front corner back toward the materials pile in back. Dug got muddy today, but never got me stuck! I shoulda took a pic before the rinse off!

Within the past couple of months a photo of a crushed AC unit outside someone's home was posted here. Well that got me thinking and yesterday I took a step so my children and neighbors will not be able to point their fingers and say "Look at what that dumb old guy did." Fences make good neighbors.

@Sparky Skeeter fogger!!

Well guys this tractor seems to be the go to worker this year. I picked it up two years ago for a nephew, but the Kohler Magnum 14 is just such a torque monster. I started to take down some pasture with the 48 inch deck. With freshly sharpened blades it did a nice job mowing as high as possible and moderating the throttle it mowed real decent in second gear low range. The tractor has a thousand plus hours on it and the only real issue it had was a bad ignition switch. I see no difference in the tractor to a 416 as far as the carriage and wheels go. I have a preference for the Kohler over the Onan as well. This machine was steering pretty stiff as well so I used some old oil as well as grease to see what could happen. I am down to my last deck drive belt and not sure what length it takes. Thinking a 101 or 102 but not sure. She has nicer original paint but a few rub marks on the hood and hood decals. Bought it from Derek in Fountain City IN at a fair price. That's the news from Deploraville Ohio

good luck Pete -- back and neck issues no fun !!! UGH !!

It's mostly BBT.

Here in this county, there is only one rock: about 6 inches deep everywhere... It's not uncommon to see boulders here in someone's yard the size of a Volkswagen. Point being, I understand how much work a garden can be. I also know how protective a person can get over a good spot. My hat is off to Eric (ebinmaine) and all the work that goes into that garden!

1. did you get the crank timed correctly to the camshaft? 2. are the vales good, and are they adjusted correctly? 3. do you have a temporary ground ties to the engine block ( on a bare spot) so that your ign system is operating correctly?

It still has a little smoke on acceleration but not a big deal and could possibly clear up with some run time on those idle rings. It'll look OK. Yeah, ALL of it looks like it was outside for 40 years but actually not as bad as it first appeared. Still rough just like that Commando 800 was. The running engines are the bonus. Haven't spent anytime on the attachments yet but I can see the blower auger needs some bending back to proper. It turns I didn't bother to look up the numbers for a year, it's old is all I know.

I gotta try that!! I have a couple of those V shapes about half the size of that. Seems they'd work well for us.

FullSizeRender.MOV

Sometimes, they don’t make ‘em like they used to,..

Got the sheet metal painted yesterday for my C-175 restoration.After much preparation we were finally ready to paint. We have a little thing worked out, he sprays, I sand!! He will not paint until the primer is sanded perfectly, so I sand and sand! I think on the hood alone I sanded over two hours. I really have to thank my brother for this, without him this restoration would not turn out the way it’s going to. We (by that I mean he!) will paint the black on the hood next weekend. I’d like to use gloss, he wants semi gloss, but the proper color is satin. I’ll probably go with his recommendation. By the way this is Rustoleum Sunrise Red which he hates spraying but I can’t really afford to go with a two stage PPG paint. I’d love to but it’s EXPENSIVE. Anyway I’m super happy with the results!

Make sure to create at least one secret compartment or passageway!

Should we take a donation for a tube Lucas Red & Tacky for our ole buddy? Best of wishes Pete. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Best wishes Pete. Mrs K had 3,4,and 5 fused around 6 years ago. Piece of cake compared to the foot surgery she had 7 weeks ago...still in the wheel chair for one more week.

Richie sent ya a message

Agreed - the cost of prevention is a lot cheaper than the cost of replacement....

Good Luck Pete, make sure the robotics are greased up good. I know you will. All the best

Nothing big to report. Just bead blasting and painting a lot of little parts. Here are a few. I have several boxes filled with little parts that have been restored and bagged. Just getting painting done now so it will be well set by next winter for assembly.

The wood bearing blocks are legit, or someone up here built one just like it!

Pull behind disc. Not sure of brand. Has wood blocks around the “axle” shafts between the discs. Not sure if this is the way it is supposed to be. I bought it a while back and probably will never use it. Will get better pics after I get it out of storage. $100obo. (SOLD TO MONSTROSITY)

@WH1618speed regularly use , BOLT ON ELECTRICAL LUGS , on my engine / frame to battery ground point , never count on the AIR COOLING TINS to carry a ground , ant rusty point will limit current , also use a dielectric lube on threading , also helps headlight grounding , pete

Maybe get the engine builder involved?

That deck looks like a 42". The spindle belt is 1/2" x 86".

Always a good idea when these engines begin to sputter and act up. Plastic fuel tanks always sweat, so it's a good idea to regularly do this. Also, 6 ounces of extra oil in a splash lube engine won't harm anything. When using on steep inclines, we sometimes overfill a little on purpose to prevent oil starvation.

Guys gotta wonder then if not off a tooth since you didn't set it. Done it myself once... Guessing you tried the points a couple thousand either side of .020? Maybe try static timing?

Try a new condenser just for giggles, and make sure the clip grounds well. They can make an engine run really rough.

This ripper is a 16" version. Here's a few pics showing some measurements.

Yup, probably had some water in the bottom of the container. An extra 6 OZ of oil ain't the issue

If I want a rock of a particular size I just buy a plant that is in a pot the size of the rock I want, ask my wife where I should plant it and you can rest assured there will ba a rock the size of the pot right there. For gardening (which I no longer do because the deer were eating everything) I used a middle row buster then fill the trench with compost.

She doesn’t really smoke to much after warming up. Its original engine and carburetor and really haven’t been touched. Amazing how it still runs as good as it does 59yrs old

Having cookout later w/family. Decided to pull a few tractors out as part of Memorial Day display w/flags.

Got done a little early at work today got to burn in some brackets for the tank quickly, need to tweek just a bit and she be straight! Also made the bracket for the compressor from an old c series seat pan that will mount to the front still need to fab that up but for today i quickly wanted to get the majority of the welding done be fore 5pm.

No Problem 👍🤪😎😂😇 Somebody told me i‘m not normal, my question against is - who defines „ normal“

Sounds like it runs pretty good. Nobody said she's gotta be a beauty queen! I know what yer saying tho. Did you get the tub & blower too? Is it a '74?

Especially with Chumponions. Some guys here don't like them & prefer Autolites. Personally I have never had issues with Chumps. mismatched plug could be in the wrong heat range Says he is using H 10s.