Original engine?

[Joe leonardo 164]

People said this engine is not original for my mower

[wallfish 16,994]

PLEASE. It's always best to keep posting questions under the same thread you started about the tractor just like pullstart mentioned before. 20 different posts about the same exact tractor and engine are completely unnecessary here and it's always best to keep posting questions under the same thread about the same tractor in order to get the best response and info. I'm not sure about others, but I tend to ignore the stuff that has  20 different posts about the same tractor or engine because it always gets super confusing on what's been answered, what hasn't been answered, what's already been solved and what was already answered a whole bunch of times. By keeping everything consolidated in the same thread it gives a full history for much better responses and internet diagnosis and info. Not trying to be a D!ck here but just trying to help you get the proper info and attention and most importantly, the proper and right answers to your questions without confusion. Multiple different posts on the same tractor and engine will not get any more attention than the people who are already vested in helping you on your main thread. This forum doesn't scroll through questions like facebook does where the old stuff is basically lost forever down in a list if you don't post to keep it current. Every time you post something in your original thread it will bring that thread back to the top.  Most important is that continuous thread will have all of that background info posted from the beginning. All of that background info is what actually gets you the best advice. 

[Joe leonardo 164]

1 minute ago, wallfish said:

PLEASE. It's always best to keep posting questions under the same thread you started about the tractor just like pullstart mentioned before. 20 different posts about the same exact tractor and engine are completely unnecessary here and it's always best to keep posting questions under the same thread about the same tractor in order to get the best response and info. I'm not sure about others, but I tend to ignore the stuff that has  20 different posts about the same tractor or engine because it always gets super confusing on what's been answered, what hasn't been answered, what's already been solved and what was already answered a whole bunch of times. By keeping everything consolidated in the same thread it gives a full history for much better responses and internet diagnosis and info. Not trying to be a D!ck here but just trying to help you get the proper info and attention and most importantly, the proper and right answers to your questions without confusion. Multiple different posts on the same tractor and engine will not get any more attention than the people who are already vested in helping you on your main thread. This forum doesn't scroll through questions like facebook does where the old stuff is basically lost forever down in a list if you don't post to keep it current. Every time you post something in your original thread it will bring that thread back to the top.  Most important is that continuous thread will have all of that background info posted from the beginning. All of that background info is what actually gets you the best advice. 

I have no clue how to do a thread it's whatever I have my dad to help me

[J854D 137]

Going by your tractor model & serial number in your picture your Wheel Horse is a 1969 Charger 12. The original engine would have been a Kohler K301S-47147B. The Kohler engine numbers in your pic are from an early production 1968 Charger 12. Going by the numbers it appears like there has been an engine change on your Charger 12. Or possibly there is a remote chance there was a 1968/1969 production carryover. 🤔 -JD-

[ebinmaine 67,439]

5 hours ago, Joe leonardo said:

I have no clue how to do a thread it's whatever I have my dad to help me

Just keep track of the original thread and keep posting to it. 

 

That way all your own information is in your own thread.  

 

 

 

5 hours ago, J854D said:

Going by your tractor model & serial number in your picture your Wheel Horse is a 1969 Charger 12. The original engine would have been a Kohler K301S-47147B. The Kohler engine numbers in your pic are from an early production 1968 Charger 12. Going by the numbers it appears like there has been an engine change on your Charger 12. Or possibly there is a remote chance there was a 1968/1969 production carryover. 🤔 -JD-

 

 

Earlier engine on a later tractor is most certainly possible. 

 

Wheelhorse was well known for using all the old stock of anything before switching to a different or newer thing. 

 

They were also known for frugality.  

If there was an engine setting up on a shelf unused for a few months and it was from the previous model year they'd use it, not toss it. 

 

My own 1974 C160-8 with a Kohler engine was purchased from the 2nd owner. 

They knew and/or worked for the first owner.  

They had no knowledge or reason to believe this engine had been swapped but it's from a '73. 

 

[953 nut 55,194]

8 hours ago, Joe leonardo said:

I have no clue how to do a thread it's whatever I have my dad to help me

We want to help you along and learning your way around the Red Square site will take some practice but you can do it. We have a section called Finding Your Way Around Red Square that will give you a lot of information about postings. Spend some time learning how the site works and you will become proficient at it.

https://www.wheelhorseforum.com/forum/56-finding-your-way-around-in-redsquare/

Your first thread was titled Is this a Wheel Horse?  If you type those words into the Search box near the top right corner the Search in dropdown will appear, scroll down until you see content titles only and click on that, npw go back up to the Search box and click on the little magnifying glass and it will bring you to your first post.

Another method is to click on the Activity Bar near the top of the page, a drop down will come up and you can click on the Content I Started which will give you a list of the posts you have started, 

[Ed Kennell 38,146]

11 hours ago, Joe leonardo said:

I have no clue how to do a thread

Hey Joe,  you actually started a thread when you made your first posting on your tractor.        Just scroll below the last post and  left click in the open space above the submit reply box to continue adding to the thread.    After you have typed your comment or question, left click in the submit reply box to add your post.

Edited November 27, 2023 by Ed Kennell

[ebinmaine 67,439]

1 minute ago, Ed Kennell said:

Hey Joe,  you actually started a thread when you made your first posting on your tractor.        Just left click in the reply box below the last post to continue adding to the thread.

 

Or if you're on a mobile phone like I am most of the time, just poke the word or a button.  

 

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,041]

Bit bit of Trivia

If you take the 1-7241 tractor model number and add 5 to the 4th digit you get the model year = 1969

The 4712b spec number was used on 1-7231 so 3+5= 1968.

It was also used in 1966 and 1967.

[davem1111 2,030]

6 minutes ago, gwest_ca said:

Bit bit of Trivia

If you take the 1-7241 tractor model number and add 5 to the 4th digit you get the model year = 1969

The 4712b spec number was used on 1-7231 so 3+5= 1968.

It was also used in 1966 and 1967.

 

Anyone know why WH did this?   I'm puzzled and intrigued by this "secret code" of sorts. Were they trying to make the year obscure in the model number, and if so, who were they trying to hide it from?  Or was it a mischievous joker thinking, "hey, this will be fun and cool"  or a cantankerous old fart doing it out of meanness, spite, or something like that?  It just seems odd, like if there was something to hide, they didn't put much effort into hiding it.  Why not just use the actual year in the model number?  

 

On the topic though, it seems more likely that it was a leftover engine from the previous year than it was repowered with an older engine. Who knows?

[pfrederi 17,729]

10 minutes ago, davem1111 said:

 

Anyone know why WH did this?   I'm puzzled and intrigued by this "secret code" of sorts. Were they trying to make the year obscure in the model number, and if so, who were they trying to hide it from?  Or was it a mischievous joker thinking, "hey, this will be fun and cool"  or a cantankerous old fart doing it out of meanness, spite, or something like that?  It just seems odd, like if there was something to hide, they didn't put much effort into hiding it.  Why not just use the actual year in the model number?  

 

On the topic though, it seems more likely that it was a leftover engine from the previous year than it was repowered with an older engine. Who knows?

 

 

The semi secret code method was used by other manufactures who knows why.  For instance Case Tractors prior to 1938 Use the first and 4th digit of the serial number and subtract 3 to get the year.  1938-1953 you subtract 4 from the first two digits to get the year....

[953 nut 55,194]

8 hours ago, davem1111 said:

On the topic though, it seems more likely that it was a leftover engine from the previous year than it was repowered with an older engine. Who knows?

The Ponds were notoriously thrifty so I'm willing to bet that you are correct.