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Page 867, so here's my old 867. It's so bleeping hot that I've done absolutely nothing with my Wheel Horses today!

His decals are top notch, how well they'll hold up to big bushes and low hanging trees scratching against them, only time will tell.

Mayrath Garden Tractor Mayrath Manufacturing of Dodge City, Kansas is best known today as a manufacturer of specialized agricultural equipment for bulk grain handling like augers and conveyors used to fill silos and grain bins. This was not always the case, from 1949 until 1952 they built tractors that were offered in three versions. The base model was a five horsepower, Briggs and Stratton engine and provided three forward speeds plus reverse. Forward speeds were two to 20 miles per hour. The price for this version was $295. For $15 more you could move up to an eight and a quarter horsepower Briggs engine. Attachments included power take-off with a separate clutch, $6.25. Forty-two-inch sickle bar mower, $87.50, and a moldboard plow for $29.50. Our own @tractorchick and @oliver2-44 both own Mayrath tractors and may be able to add some information about this rather obscure brand.

Went to a large 3 day antique engine & tractor show today. Scored both these for $40! Took my RJ & rat rod Suburban. I definitely had the nicest RJ there. Couldn't believe the attention the rat rod got, especially by the Amish. They really loved it. Mainly went to find/buy a hit/miss engine. Met a guy who lives close by & is downsizing his collection. Going to his place tomorrow to see what he has. (14 engines, all restored & running- all for sale) Just bought a media blaster so it looks like its gonna get used!

A couple more small adjustments and a road trip on the 551. I think it's Steam Pageant ready. The big test will be when I drive it to the farthest spot from my site. That always seems to reveal a bug or 2!

Neat!

Hi All, I repainted the hood and rear fender on my 92 312-8 Rustoleum Farm Implement IH Red again for the second time. it used to be Rustoleum Apple Red before I tried to consolidate how many different shades of red of paint I needed for it. And, I’ve been looking at some Redo Your Horse or custom Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator stickers for it so I figured I’d polish it up to eventually make/buy them. I’ve heard the Implement paint is tougher but we’ll see how it goes. After that, I stretched a deck belt mowing just enough to make the front slack adjuster useless. I got it tensioned back up but we’ll see how long it goes.

Hmm…good idea. My 867 —

Fuses even such with open contact ones should be included in a regular Service. What is there to Service? a gently brush with a tip of petrojelly ( or vaseline, or Battery pole grease) or however you called it and what is the same stuff tipped to the contact surfaces. Vaseline is newer day’s also available in rattlecans as a spray but most peoples don‘t like the gently grease film on the fuses. So they didn‘t use it and contact corrosion can occur. Especially after a high pressure cleaning and if the Horses running in winter Service this is highly recommended. That prevents contact corrosion from moisture and salty Water because it prevents the contacts get in touch with this Agressive medias. Fuses like your‘s are mostly based on corroded contacts with a to high resistance, what generate a lot of heat between contacts and the fuse while running the Load. So fuses can melt even if the Load is far from its load the fuse can take.

Ive have been wanting a 418 for a while now, never had a 400 series, and finally found one 40 mins from home. Wanted a better twin Kohler than the 17.5 hp Im use to. Although I really cant complain about them, my weekly mower C175 is my best friend. But wow I never knew these things are so much better and they steer so easy like a 520 with the gear reduction steering. At least this one does. The big Dico 23x10.5x12 are aggressive as hell. The 48" deck is really nice and quiet and no cracks or thin spots. I been looking for a good 48" for a little while too. Lol! Heres a few pics. I just got it today, changed oil and wash some bird poop off. Ill clean it more later. Not sure what exact year it is due to the stupid paper ID tags they used. If anyone can tell me precise let me know.

Take the tire and foot guard off the left side. Use a good small (Rigid) pipe wrench on the release stud.

Working on my sickle project today and I got a visitor

Could be. Should be a 2.5 inch OD pulley with the set screw in the groove. Brian said he is making more. They do ride tight in there but should leave about 1/8" of space for the belt to release from the pulley groove. Yes, the belt guide fingers would need to be removed to install it and the guard will then guide the belt instead. That belt appears to be riding a little high in the groove but maybe not. Does it seem to go a little faster that it should be?

How durable are the stickers? I didn’t go crazy with the paint, as I have a few big bush and low hanging trees to scrape by.

Not quite correct. When capacitors are placed in parallel the capacitance of each is added together putting it high, out of the desired range. If the old condenser has shored out putting a new one parallel to it won't change a thing. The unit of measure for a condenser is the Farad. Many electronic components like radios and TVs use capacitors that are in the microfarad range (ten to the minus six power Farads) and our small engines use a condenser that is in the nanofarad range (ten to the minus ninth power Farads) which is based on the voltage range they work in. A magneto ignition system uses a 100 to 250 nF condenser The coil and capacitor (Condenser) live behind the flywheel mounted to the bearing plate. Though one of these may be the problem I would start on the outside before pulling the flywheel. The majority of problems are a matter of a wire being accidently shorted out to ground preventing the magneto from producing spark. I too would begin with a known good spark plug as @Keaton suggested, if spark returns you have to go no further, but cleaning the points would be a good thing too. As Mike @squonk suggested you can disconnect the wire to the switch but also disconnect the wire going to the points, this will remove all external grounds from the primary winding of the coil.. Check the insulation on both wires where they enter the engine. Now turn the engine over and see if you have spark at the plug. A magneto will produce spark at the plug without the points connected, the points setting adjusts the timing of the spark. If you have no spark it is time to remove the flywheel, however if there is spark then connect the wire to your points (you already cleaned and adjusted them before). Now turn the engine over to verify spark is present. If there was no spark with all external grounds removed then I would suspect the condenser has failed, the replacement (Kohler 235786) can be mounted on the outside of the engine and the lead wire connected to the points and the old one removed completely.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND that fella. Terry is one of our own vendors. Like any spray can it'll take a few weeks or months to fully cure. We've never used it here but I've heard/read the same.

Remove the wire at the switch. Then check for continuity at the wire to ground. You do not want that. That is how you shut the engine off. By grounding the mag coil. Perhaps a mouse got in there and chewed some insulation off of the wire or water/ dirt got into the switch.

Here's my 1976 B-80 with a K-341 16hp. It's a simple swap as the 76 and 77 B's were basically the same as the C's. As far as the PTO goes you'll need to swap the bearing race for the 1.125" shaft. The spring is different but will work fine. The engine bracket is different but easily modified. Other than that it will fit seamlessly. The frame, transmission, sheetmetal, etc. are identical. All the K-Series Kohler big blocks hang over on the right side making a lot of folks think it's too big but actually it's normal. On the Wheel Horse spec oil pan there's two threaded holes where a bolt runs into from under the frame. I think most of them have the holes. The 341 I used was purchased from WW Grainger new and it had them. I've heard some people use J bolts instead but I've never seen that.

Acme Fuses QA / QC Department hidden camera:

Here is a e-bay cover I picked up for my 312-8 It fits well and hope it makes the seat last longer than me.

VERY interesting. For mowing and light towing I'd run it. But DO CHECK the rear plate.

I'd replace that frame instead even attempting to straighten it. Those mid 70s C series frames are easy to find and you're almost all the way there to removal. The tow valve will sometimes come undone with penetrating oil. Avoid heat because there's a nylon Oring and a rubber Oring in there. Remove the wheel for better acces. Sometimes a good grip with vise grips and an extension on that will do it. But it takes a knowing hand to feel for breakage. Remember.... it took decades to rust in there. It won't come out in a few minutes.

Imagine just reaching over and grabbing that instead of the belt or an air hose! LOL

It’s the little things…didn’t like how the PO painted the lugs but ignored the hubs . Luckily I have a coffee can full of unpainted lugs. Shot the hubs with dark red primer, goes well with the patina.

All great questions. I also am usually not a fan of the shaker plate, but if there is one place I can see it's value, it is with a k341... Great tractor.

You need to get that belt guard mounted. Doesn't that hole in the guard line up with the bolt holding the trans halves together? I forget as it's been a long while since working a 551

They might not start, but hardly ever break right out side of the garage.

Follow that wire all the way under the flywheel and look for a chafed wire like Bob found on his.

I refuse to fight flora on my own acreage. If a tree or other plant is in the way of a tractor the plant is removed, trimmed, cut down etc.

Pull the heads off the engine to do an autopsy. If you are very lucky the valves are stuck open. If the pistons don't move when turning the engine then it is time to look for a replacement engine.

@Sailman im not the best at this, but first off I would take your points off and file them with a fingernail file and do you have a feeler gauge, some way, set them at 20 tho, and if that does not work I would pop the flywheel off and see if the coil is clean and if the magnet is clean. rust free, if not sand a bit with some finer sand paper, but before you do any of this I would steal a plug out of another mechine and make Shure the plug is good, I have had that happen before. and make Shure you have a good ground or apart tester, if none of that works, I would un Hook the switch and put the end of the ground wire on and off the frame to cross out the kill swich. that would be my suggestion, or that is what I would do in a order if that makes any sense, good luck 1 different plug 2 test kill swich 3 clean and set points 4 take flywheel off and sand coil and magnets

All I can say about this is that it’s not too often that you see an original unmolested example of a C-series tractor like that. Plastic fenders or not, you can tell just by looking at it that this is a preserved part of Wheel Horse history. Unless this tractor has a broken rod or something like that (which I highly doubt) I’d agree with @WHX?? it’s worth at least a thousand dollars. I’m basically out of indoor storage space nearing the twenty Wheel Horse mark or I’d probably would have beat Steve to the punch and put in an offer. I’d love to have that in my collection. That tractor deserves to be stored inside like it has been. Steve has one of the best barns for this horse to live in.

Those fuse holders are junk. Just cut it out and go with a weatherproof holder.

Got the Brinley hitch I bought at the big show on the 953. This weekend there's a large antique engine & tractor show near me. Plan to go tomorrow. Just deciding what tractor to take????? My car can only really tow 1 tractor. Mostly I'm going there cause I'm looking for a hit/miss engine.

Steam Pageant prep has begun. Penetrol Flood on the rear half of the 551. Painting the 953 wheels I got from @19richie66. 3 coats of Rust-Oleum Almond and 2 coats of Rust-Oleum Chrystal Clear.

Getting a little closer to the new shoes. Going to let these 90+ degrees days bake the paint. Sprayed with Rust O canvas white.

Scratch that. I see the solid oil pan PTO hoop bracket. That’s much earlier than 60” decks…

The resistance of the secondary should be around 8k to 10k ohms. The resistance of the primary should be around 1.0 ohm. You need a good digital meter to tell the difference between a shorted primary and a good primary. If it really is shorted (unlikely) check the wiring harness where it enters the stator plate and under the clamp for a pinched or bare wire. Both the primary and secondary coils surround an iron core and are grounded through the core to the stator plate. While the points are closed the rotating flywheel magnets induce a voltage and current flow through the primary coil which is made up of a few hundred turns of heavy wire. This current flow creates a magnetic field. When the points open the current flow stops and the field collapses through the secondary coil which is made up of thousands of turns of fine wire. This collapsing magnetic field creates a very high voltage in the secondary due to transformer action and the high voltage arcs across the electrodes in the spark plug. The resistance of the primary is measured between ground (engine, or stator plate if the stator is dismounted) and the wire from the points and condenser. Resistance of the secondary is measured between ground and the spark plug connector at the end of the plug wire

I have rebuilt / overhauled a dozen or more of the Sundstrand power units. The C-160 s/b model 90-1140, if original. There is NOTHING DIFFICULT about doing this...if you know what a wrench is...you can do it. I've prepared and posted a .pdf file for your guidance. Here it is.... NOTE--- it is pointless to rebuild just the Hyd PUMP--- you must also rebuild the Hyd MOTOR. I say that because they share the same contaminated fluid and microscopic debris in that fluid damages similar soft brass parts in the Hyd MOTOR. SUNDSTRAND-Piston-Piston-PUMP-MOTOR-Refurb.pdf

I will watch the videos tonight

Read and watch videos;

Spring item # 34 https://www.partstree.com/models/857-toro-lawn-tractor-1967/parts-list-for-5053-transmission-0/

And failure would probably occur about one week after the warrantee had expired.

Note, not all Blackhoods came with the plastic fender. I have a 1984 that has the original metal fender on it. There appears to be a WH logo on the seat in the square on the backrest part. I agree the fender appears to be slightly a different shade of red. Who knows. Nice looking WH though.

I blame a lot of it on what fuel we have now a days....... Todays fuels are hard on fuel lines also, hard to keep all the drugs out of them carbs.

Pulled the carb for the zillionth time (ok twice today and maybe two other times) . Also cut in an in-line fuel filter. Cleaned, reassembled and seems to be running great now. Hopefully it stays that way!

Thre wire from campaign signs, left abandoned after election season, works for this as well.

Well in my case, Its climbing my fat azz on the tractor by grabbing the steering wheel for a ally-op to get on Chasm