My first 'Horse - 854

[dtallon 320]

Two years ago I got bit by the garden tractor bug. At that time, I saw some at a show and was on the fence between a JD 110 and a Wheel Horse. A nice JD 110 found me first, so I went that route. I love my 110, but still liked those WH round hoods too. When a 854 came up for sale locally last week, I couldn't resist. It seems to be a nice complete 854 (it has a seat, just not in the picture), always locally owned, and as a bonus has a functional slot hitch and a blade mount on the rear axle.

It was a non-runner when I got it, but after cleaning it up and changing the spark plug, I got it running. Unfortunately, it is a smoker. No smoke at startup or at idle, but give it much throttle at all and it blows smoke, pretty much continuously. The fuel tank leaks, as do the rear axle seals, so I didn't run/drive it for that long. My 110 had a short block'd K181 Kohler when I got it, and runs excellent with no smoke, so this WH is new territory for me. I checked the breather and it is not plugged. I'm not sure what my next steps should be. I read a post that I should run it with some Sea Foam added to the gas to clean things out a bit and maybe add some additive to try to reduce the smoke. Is that worth a try, or do I risk further damaging the engine and should just rebuild it before running it much more?

Thanks,

Dave

[Ken B 3,164]

Nice 854. You could try the Sea Foam but I'm betting it needs a rebuild. I restored a 66 John Deere 110 about 10 yrs. ago. If there is one off topic tractor I wish I had kept it is that one.

[jbumgarner 12]

I think I emailed that previous owner on that tractor. I think you did good with it. I would try the sea foam, but don't get your hopes up. Nice tractor and welcome to RS.

[Wheel Horse Kid 105]

Great looking 854 and Welcome to RedSquare! I am glad that you crossed over to the good side! :)

[hcminis 1,557]

Great to see you posted the pics Dave. Any luck with the seat? The tank is two pieces and I have the top piece if needed. Just let me know.

Looks like a really nice tractor.

Thanks for sharing.

D. J.

[dtallon 320]

Thanks for the comments guys. I should have mentioned in my first post a big thank you to the information on here. It is so nice to have such a vast amount of information available to help evaluate a tractor.

DJ - I did get the extra seat he had. It is black, and has a round mounting hole instead of square for a carriage bolt, but the seat pan is otherwise very similar to the original one that was on the tractor. No luck on finding a snow plow buried in the barn to go with the mount on the tractor though.

I'll keep you in mind for that tank top piece. I think the tank seeps fuel at the seam, and there are a few mismatched screws there so I'm guessing it has been apart and resealed at some point in the past. I read on here that it can be tricky to get the bolts out to get them apart, and even with a new gasket it might still seep. Unless I find a crack in it when I take it off, I'm thinking I might just try to seal it with red-kote.

Thanks,

Dave

[Jake Kuhn 1,556]

Very nice tractor you acquired! ~Jake

[bowtieguy 334]

Here is my recent "barn find"...an 854 w/HY system and internal rear wheel weights...(interesting to see Dave's 854 has a red engine like mine???)..ie, not faded red like tractor.

[4xfourfun 30]

Love the 854's! I grew up on one that started my love for the old Horses.

You could always remove the head and check out the piston play and see what shape the cylinder is in. The Kohlers really are pretty easy to rebuild in my opinion.

[Coadster32 793]

Welcome to RS. Nice 854, and thanks for sharing the pics. I had a fuel pump leaking gas internally into the block that caused alot of smoking. Check to see if your oil is thin. I bypassed the pump, gravity fed, changed the oil, and my smoking went away. Might not be your problem, but easy to check. Good luck with it.

[hcminis 1,557]

Sounds good Dave, let me know and keep us updating on the progress.

[krazy_horse 59]

The little boy is saying "some day that will be mine". Nice tractor

[dtallon 320]

He was thinking we were going to need a little more than just soap and water to make this one look "pretty". He is a very good helper with the tractors. He was in charge rinsing off the parts after I washed them that day, and was sitting on my lap when we took it for its first lap around the house.

I've notice some other tractors where the engine paint is in better shape than the rest of the tractor. Maybe Kohler used better paint or did better prep than WH did.

[AMC RULES 37,134]

Great way ot start him young.

[bowtiebutler956 650]

:WRS: Very solid looking old 854!

Matt :flags-texas: