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I had a Kohler #30 carb for my own C160-8 Cinnamon Horse on the bench today. This one's been soaking in the lacquer thinner for several weeks along with quite a few sessions in the ultrasonic cleaner. Here's a couple "before" pics. I use a combination of the above soak & ultrasonic cleaner intermixed with wire brushing by hand and machine. VERY.... CAREFUL.... USAGE.... of the machine spun brush. I also use a small pick and/or screwdriver and/or whatever's to hand for cleaning the grit and muck from orifices and corners. After the greatest part of the grime is gone I use a series of drills in the Dremel tool to bore a 1/8" hole in the welch plug on the side. Pop that out with whatever levering tool is close and works. More cleaning. More scraping. More brushing. Repeat. Repeat. Intermix as needed. Be sure to get in the area behind the welch plug and clean carefully. Also clean the tiny holes the feed fuel to the main bore. I use a tiny drill bit. Carefully. All the small pieces also need de-grubbing and anti tarnish treatment. I use a 3-48 tap to clean the threads of all 4 holes from the throttle and choke shafts. Once the body is clean.. I start reassembly. Here's the complete exploded parts assortment sans the 3/8" welch plug I forgot to set there. Welch plug hole shown empty. Plug setting in but not driven/flattened. Post flatten. I use the bit that's on the carb to indent the plug. Anything roundish and 1/4" or so diameter can be used. The larger bar in my hand is the "hammer/ hammah". Procedure for driving in the upper throttle shaft bore repair washer is similar. One of two in place. Both set in. Here's a closeup. You can see the two washers stacked and stuffed. Now I move to installing the throttle and choke shafts and blades. I use Blue Loctite. Brand name only. Four new screws. These are usually 3-48. Just the tiniest little dab of Loctite on each screw. Get the screws in place loosely then verify proper movement and placement of the blades. Each blade will usually need a little coaxing to set just right. Once that's satisfactory, tighten the screws. Now I install the 3 exterior screws. 1. Idle speed control. Small silver colored one. I always start high and adjust the RPM down later. 2. Upper RPM mixture. Coincidentally that's also the uppermost positioned screw. 3. Low RPM or idle air mixture screw. Be sure to set the above screws to the factory settings before starting the engine. The fuel inlet seat is threaded in next. I have a special nut driver I've modified by grinding down the circumference so it fits in the limited space. Drop the needle in and slide the float pin through. Check the adjustment. I set floats for these carbs about parallel with the body. Install the bowl gasket, then the fuel baffle. Center the bowl. Install the gasket and bowl retaining nut. Snug that up well but use caution to not overtighten particularly on original aluminum bowls. I most often replace the bowl with a Briggs and Stratton steel bowl. The older aluminum bowls are almost always crushed and deformed around the bolt hole. A few more pictures as completed.

Dug a couple of amber marker lamps out of a bucket of old tractor lights I was given and decided to throw a wig-wag controller on them to go with the fronts. They have to be 40+ years old. I'll speed up the flash once I get some LED replacement bulbs to put in them.

I've never seen the black cover. It looks very nice. I have the original red version (wife bought it for my birthday before we were married 20+ years ago) and the second with the recorded intro from Cecil. He was at the PA show with Mike when that version was released, and they both autographed a lot of these. I hate to be this way, but a local buddy asked to “borrow” these to read, and I said NO. I told him he can read them all he wants right here, but these do not leave my house!

I got this here book to peruse at leisure.

I have never even removed the dust covers from mine to see what color the binding is. I bought the third edition when it came out in 2015, love it. I had the first edition on my watch list to see how high people would bid on it, some of them go for stupid money. The auction ended while I was in the hospital and my wife thought I must want it real badly to have it on the watch list so she got into the last minute bidding frenzy and bought it for me. I won't tell you what she paid and I know her intentions were the best. It should have been gold plated gota love her.

I think the first printing was not as well known when it came out, because it didn’t have the social media machine to advertise. Then it gained a big following and Mr Martino had a second version published. I haven’t kept up much since then. Funny- my original was $27 when my wife bought it. Online bookstore as I recall. Some people had a bit of heartburn over the book because it does in fact have a few errors in it. To me, I think it’s awesome that it even exists. No other publication has ever been so popular that was exclusively about Wheel Horse and it’s history. And I have never met a collector who doesn’t have their own “theory” here and there about some machines. Some are way off, but most are just fun points of discussion. This isn’t military doctrine, it’s a bleeping hobby primarily made up of old farts who inherited it from older farts. We just talk a lot!

Headlight bezels ready to install. Thanks to Wheelhorsepartsandmore for these. Bezels installed. These snapped into place perfectly and fit exactly and with no play. These are the headlights I am using. Since I basically never use them I felt switching to LED to not be a big priority. Headlights ready to install. Headlights installed.

Yes, that is Eldon. He had a kitchen supply company, and made various aftermarket parts for Wheel Horses. Among other things, he had custom hoses, footrest mats, etc. He used to be on the board of the WHCC, but after a rift with some of the other board members, I haven't seen him at the show for years. Overall good (and talented) guy in my opinion.

Finished page 900 of this thread. I’m a bit behind I suppose. I read @JCM’s post about the brochures/ads from the days of old. Link Here. I love the structure of these ads. Real words, making up sentences, who’da thunk that would work? Most ads these days, I don’t even want to spend my time inquiring, knowing they will respond with some hieroglyphics!

Three left here today headed for where the sun always shines and the weather is always nice. Met a great pair of guys. I’m not gonna divulge who they’re following home. Maybe they’ll chime in when they hit their destination. Safe travels 5xi fleet…and new stewards. Steve

Back during my early days in the Army, I (and a couple others) was working on replacing the TADS turret on an AH-64 during a 500 hour phase inspection. As with most military equipment, we had break out boxes to duplicate many functions. On this particular day we were using a little box that supplied low DC voltage to the turret so it could be manually rotated in azimuth. All it did was release the mag brake. Anyway, it used a 10-amp barrel fuse, and it was blown when we opened it up. Of course we didn’t have a fuse. So my buddy stuck a Phillips screwdriver in the barrel and it worked. When the shop supervisor saw it, he scolded us for such a stupid decision. Without missing a beat, my buddy disagreed and said “Boss, it would take a couple hundred amps to burn that screwdriver out”… The supervisor shook his head and walked away. You could hear him grinding his teeth from the opposite side of the hangar… Point being? Never use a fuse that can handle more amps than the wiring it is attached to. It’s meant to be the weak point in the circuit for a reason!

That machine was gorgeous. Eldon could turn a restoration faster than anyone I’ve ever seen, and they were absolutely as nice as the day they came off the assembly line. The story on that machine started as just any other mod, but quickly developed into a bit of a practical joke- complete with some fuzzy old pictures of another 595HD found in the woods to add to the “validity” of the supposed rare model. It even had faded paint and decals to add to the authenticity. Of course it was all in fun, but was a very nice tractor regardless. If you look close- you’ll see D series hubs and rear wheels, and a 60-inch deck. Everything looked factory.

Got a couple of inches of snow today. C-145 still isn’t winter ready but will put the blower on this week However the C-121 has been ready since thanksgiving and has already been used twice this snow season. So once again used that. And got a pretty cool pic with it too IMG_0028.mov

Plowed bout 8-10" of snow today. Again, I'm impressed at how much snow that little 654 will push. VID_20241221_140052.mp4

Possibly this is a plethora of pictures...

1977 C-120 Bought from the original owner. Didn't look like this when I got it. Cleaned it up a bit. Nice solid tractor.

My 1971 Bronco, and my FILs 1972 Charger.

I don’t remember specifics at the moment, but anything some folks brought up were minimal. I think some mentions of numbers produced and/or how long it took things to be rolled out were questioned. I also remember some folks saying that a couple entries in the tables in the back of the books weren’t always 100% accurate. The fact that Mr Martino took the time to research what he did is in my mind- exceptional. And I have really enjoyed the books. What he published absolutely exceeded my own knowledge base, and is good enough for me. I believe that many of the “points” some people talk about these tractors have a degree of mythology baked in. I question things like “only 200 produced” of the 520-8 and such. Now something like the 420LSE that had a serialized run? Of course that is documented. But that is just me. The fact of the matter is that Wheel Horse was like any other company in that they had to react to engine/ other suppliers inventory as well as many other things, and they were in business to stay in business. They had to adjust to the market and competitors. If they didn’t document everything and some urban myths were created at sales meetings doesn’t bother me.

I am still amazed at that finish on the hood. Can’t wait to see the finished tractor. I still say this thread should be pinned as the “proper” method of restoration… Of which not one of my tractors come close to matching! I mean, you gotta have standards… Regardless of whether the rest of us keep them!

I used RV antifreeze in mine, the 8.50 X 15 tires on the GT-14 took 8 gallons each adding about 70 pounds each. It is best to have innertubes in the tires so the fluid won't tend to rust the rims since there is water in the fluid and the tire will have some air in it.

Hood latches ready to install. All of my other machines use 2 rivets per latch but these only use one each and have a raised bump on the back side that fits into the upper hole in the console. A backup washer is not really needed but I used one anyways. Right side hood latch installed. Left side hood latch installed. Left side hood latch installed inside view. Don't mind the dust, it will get cleaned up.

And now spent some time this quiet Sunday morning catching up the rest of what did you do to your wheel horse (on and off topic) today? Check that off the list before we head to our wrestling tournament! @Blasterdad we’ll be in Plainwell all day at the high school!

On tonight's menu we have: hydro pedal and reciever hitch install, with 2 sides of foot rest repair, not the correct red, but red and close enough to keep this unit working.

'76 C-120 work in progress

I got mine for my birthday too! On my birthday as a matter of fact! Signed by Cecil himself ! I’ve got all three, two signed to me by Cecil and Mike, and the last one signed by Mike.Pictures to document as well. It’s part of my collection that I’m honored and proud of own.

To be fair, I've designed, built, and managed a few CMS forums in the past. Mostly poker related. But this one tops them all as far as member participation!!! Luckily there's no chat rooms, or none of us would get our tractors finished

Please do tell, what errors are in the book? I haven’t ever heard that… but I did read it in one day when I got it for my birthday once upon a time…. It’s an awesome story!

I mean this in all sincerity: You now have graduated and are officially sickness-infested as a member here. In other words, the litmus test is that you used the search feature! If you weren’t hooked before, you are now!

Try Rubber-Cal. The product is called ramp cleat, 1/8". They sell direct and through Amazon.

Must have been a pretty popular book with so many different printings! ($109 on eekbay)

Hopefully the whining pitch isn't on the same frequency as my wife's. Those hearing receptors have been disconnected for years!

I plan on doing just that.. after my last experience… lol

Could this be as simple as swapping oil pans??

C-195 frame!

So did anyone ever tell the pilots? When I was young I could not understand why so many of my classmates had trouble with math and science and technical concepts. I assumed (yes, pun intended) that they were just not putting in the effort to learn. Only much later did I realize how significant it was that different people: a) learn in different ways, 2) have different aptitudes, and 3) were not exposed, as I was, to math, mechanics, construction, literature, and technology at home. The revelation has influenced my relationships ever since. I am not smarter than others, I probably do know different things.

IMHO.... Get em OUT while you can. It's a good running engine. Keep it that way!!

Look down the oil fill with a bore scope of sorts??? Another million dollar ? I vote leave them in unless a noise. But then again they could go at any time with out a notable noise. . We've had this discussion before and I think the general consensus was pull the motor and just do it. A motor @Achto put on his puller we pulled them out. Didn't hear the motor run before hand but the needles looked shaky when out. Run the spec number then is what your saying. I would agree. I posted this in another thread but worth repeating here. https://origin.kohlerenginesparts.com/oemparts/c/kohler_engines_k_series_k91_662_kt17_21/parts https://origin.kohlerenginesparts.com/oemparts/c/kohler_engines_magnum_m_mv8_20/parts

No one sells it here in RI - guess you need to live further North were there are there are only 3 Seasons - Winter, Bad Sledding, & 4th of July...

I've gotten several questions and requests for information over the years about this small shed. Here's a video 'splainin it.

Here in Indiana, I only use wood for campfires in our Solo Stove. A lot of the wood comes from my oak trees after high winds. I threw this rack up using some scrap pallets and some corrugated metal. I got tired of trying to keep it covered with a tarp and my wife was pleased with the upgrade.

You can set your watch by it. Put the snow plow or blower on then wait. And wait. and wait some more. Finally get some snow. Not a lot but like 3-4 inches. So I have to take my coonhound Bella for her walk that she demands every morning. I decide by the amount of snow on the ground I will plow the driveway when we get back. Besides it's a good idea to clean the carbunkles out of the tractor once in a while. The excitement builds as I crank over the K321 on the 953. It has sat since late Oct. when I put the plow on. It put puts to life! let it warm up. Put my plowing coat on and merrily head out to make a few passes. Mostly for where my wife parks and the sidewalk so she doesn't have to plod thru the snow and to keep the potential for ice build up down. Make a few passes and all of a sudden I notice the plow won't go down all the way. In fact if I hold the lever in the down position, it starts to go up! I'm like What in the Wide Wide World of Sports is a goin on here? Did one of those @WHX?? or @elcamino/wheelhorse put a hex on this tractor? So back into the shop I go. The left arm is all the way down but the chain is tight??? One in a million shot. Didn't get a pic but the pin on the hydraulic cylinder can move in and out and it moved enough to catch a link midway on the chain. The chain got wedged on the pin pretty good. Took a lot of prying to get it off. I added a spacer to the opposite side of the pin to keep it from getting close to that chain. The worst that ever happened was when I was snow blowing with Marvin the C145 I had. The T bar for the mower deck was still on and the nut for the bolt that held the bar to the lift chain backed off. I was going along and that bar caught a side walk crack and lifted the whole rear of the tractor off the ground! Had to drag the jack thru the snow to get that one remedied!

Absolutely not! It’s fun to pull a moldboard in spring too! Or run the tiller, or cultivator, and occasionally even run a mower! We just don’t get the amount of snow here you do. Plowing a driveway just looks like a lot of fun.

That's exceptional work, Eric, nicely done!

He told me he didn't like the exhaust fumes coming back at him. After 35 years on different WH's I have never had that bother me or really notice it.

Going through loose leaf binders today that I keep a lot of WH info in I came across these adds and thought I'd pass it along. These were back in 2010 & 2012. I'll call these the one's that slipped away. After relocating to Maine the WH funds were almost non existent and I just couldn't pull it together. The 2 420's and the 418-A were reasonably priced I thought. The 516-H was mint. Original owner who I knew always stored and maintained and kept in a heated garage on battery tenders. The only reason I didn't pull the trigger on that one was the Eaton was a 700 not 1100. Word has it it was getting a bit week, something I didn't want to mess with. It was used to mow grass on a Christmas tree farm and never saw snow. What do you guy's think about the custom exhaust on the 516 ? A Midas muffler job.

What's that?? I have never taken out the welsh plug. Figured if you was supposed to there would be one in the kit. Now you know why I sent you a box of carbs to play with ...

Is this the member that did the build @rmaynard Bob. Eldon ? I believe it is a 20 HP Onan. @8ntruck

Installation of the new spring was accomplished today. Testing and further checking to follow. New spring on top.