Finally an older one

[hummod 0]

It took a while but I finally brought home an older Wheel Horse to

restore. It is a 1963 753. I have been working on it a few hours to see

what it needs. The shifter was broken off so I replaced it with one from a

416 parts tractor. I drained what seemed to be a quart of water out of the

transmission and got the shifter forks moving again. I filled the transmission

with some cheap motor oil to flush it out and found a large puddle of oil on the

floor the next day. Looks like I need some rear seals. The engine runs nice with

no smoke. I just have no operational governor. I may have an excuse to work

on a kohler engine now. Are K161 parts available? I have found gasket kits but

not much else. Would I probably need a replacement governor gear? The

governor shaft moves about 1/4 inch in and out of the engine and can be

rotated counter clockwise then stops. When it was running I unhooked the

governor arm and it had no force on it at all. I hoped that I would not need

to open the engine. I just finished assembling an Onan that had a valve seat

repaired. It shouldn't be much more difficult than that and I had no problems

with it.

Larry (hummod)

[buckrancher 2,679]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but check for a cracked transmission case

from being outside in the winter and water inside it.

The metal tang on the governor shaft may be broken off :banghead:

[hummod 0]

Oil is running down each wheel. More on the right than on the left.

[Crazywheelhorseman 67]

Good news is that parts are available. k161 and k1 81 are the same motor the only difference is the length of the connecting rod.

[hummod 0]

I thought that the K161 and K181 might have been similar. I just

didn't know by how much. I have been comparing it to the Commando

8 engine and it looks the same. A good reference to indicate what is missing

or installed wrong. The external governor linkage was cobbeled up to

compinsate for having no working governor. An extra spring was addd to

pull the governor arm toward the carb. I am missing the Engine belt cover

and the choke cable mount. Otherwise the tractor is complete. Even has a

mower deck in good shape. I guess it would be no fun if there was no work

to do or no parts to search for.

Larry (hummod)

[whfan74 2,066]

Good luck with your new project. Hopefully it will be an easy restore for you!

Keep us updated! :thumbs:

[rickv1957 72]

Sounds like a good tractor to restore,I have a 753 that needs the same,Rick

[hummod 0]

I thought I should add a few pictures. Fresh off the trailer. It is a little rusty, but there is no bad pitting. It should clean up nice with a little sand blasting.

Actually, a lot of sandblasting.

Larry (hummod)

[rmaynard 15,417]

Did you buy this one from the guy in Brookeville, PA, on eBay? If it's the same one, I came real close to out bidding you.

Bob

:thumbs:

[hummod 0]

Yes, I did. The previous owner was a real nice guy who could care less

about Wheel Horse tractors. He claims it was for sale locally for two weeks

previously with no takers. If it did not sell it was going to be parted out. He is

more into the early Honda ATC three wheelers. He is also the one that snapped

the shift lever off. He felt so bad that he said that he will send me another one

to replace it. After looking at the break and the rusty stress crack in the shifter

it was probably ready to go anyway. The two photos he posted were not very good. He did not help himself. At least it's in out of the weather now. It took

three days in the garage to dry off.

Larry (hummod)

[stevasaurus 22,698]

thanks for posting the pics...that is what I would be looking for to restore...something that had some damage and needed attention...perfect. May the force be with you...(sorry...watching old movies at the end of the year). :thumbs:

[rmaynard 15,417]

Larry,

I PM'd you.

Bob

[Kelly 1,029]

Rusty? that is clean - you should see the ones I have to deal with, only paint left on the is on the bottoms of everything.

Glad it went to a good home

[rickv1957 72]

That 753 will make a nice one!,Rick

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,330]

there is a bunch of 753 parts on ebay just listed tonight (new year's eve) including a motor and rear end. The entire tractor is being parted. Hopefully you can use some of those parts. Good luck

ps I just bought a 753 too. I need to go pick it up on Saturday ...

[hummod 0]

Thanks, I will have to check the eBay listings out. I did get out and tinkered

with it a little more and the governor is working now. It does seem lilke it may be leaking some compression around the head though. Maybe a blown head gasket.

Larry (hummod)

[bitten 134]

I like it, looks like a good one.

[Suburban 550 28]

Nice find Larry. Saw that one on E-bay and it was a little too far to go for me, so I didn't even bid. Glad it found a good home with one of our members. I got a 753 off E-bay in November that I'm currently workin' on. You just gotta love them round hoods. :WRS:

[squonk 41,016]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but check for a cracked transmission case

from being outside in the winter and water inside it.

The metal tang on the governor shaft may be broken off :angry

Brian, That's quite a collection you have there. I live just down the road in Waterloo. I'm looking to get another Horse, preferably with a loader if I either sell my Power King or I don't build one for the PK first. My first Horse as a kid was a 1964 604