D - Series Questions

[coldone 35]

That was a great write up on the Ds.

 

I do believe that the weak link in the Ds is the transaxle. If they would have made it a 2 speed rearend, they would not have seen half the problems that they did. I am no expert on WH, but it appears that the transaxle was not upgraded to handle the addition stresses of the bigger D tractor. If they would have made it 2 speed,like most other Hydro GTs, it would be an unstoppable tank.

 

I have often played with the idea of transplanting a Case hydraulic drive system on to a D.

[JackC 617]

Steve, thanks for the info.

[Torino 14]

Really good info.  I think if they would have spent more time on the grill it could have been a great looking tractor.

[Trouty56 567]

Really good info.  I think if they would have spent more time on the grill it could have been a great looking tractor.

 

Sho nuff Torino.....

[Torino 14]

It's as if they put a lot of thought in the tractor and none in the grill.  It's like the drawings have got to be in by tomorrow I wonder if any one is still at work.  I will call.  No one there but the janitor.  Hey, Ralph (janitors name) could you draw a grill on a sheet of paper and put it in the folder with D series wrote on it and drop it in the interoffice  mail?  Of course Ralph thought he meant a grill that you cook hotdogs on.  And that is the story of how Dora got her ugly face. 

[lee 0]

J

Can anyone tell me a fair value of my D160 tractor?

1976 twin Onan in good shape, with mower deck

Also have Wheel Horse sweep, spreaders & cart

[cazngz 19]

 Old thread but if anyone is still watching here's a bit of info and a question. I have a D-180 Auto for almost 19 years. Traded the mower deck ( 48 inch for a used rider mower )  This tractor has been an absolute brute for me. Handled the 54 inch dirt/snow blade through foot deep snow with ease although if it was heavy I had to make a V pattern out to the main road before I then take a third or a half blade at a time. Light snow would easily go over the top of the blade. Moving dirt required nipping part of the blade contacting the dirt ( these aren't bulldozers ) but would move anything I asked. The last ten years had it just used as a snowmover and towing a log splitter down in the woods. Before then it also saw duty pulling a 3 ft by 4ft by 3 ft high trailer loaded with hardwood cut and split logs for the OWB. Fresh cut stuff may have weighed 400 to 600 lbs ? up a 12 degree hill for 100 or so feet. I changed engine oil twice a year mainly because this one didn't have an oil filter. Strangely it did have an oil filter

attached to the rear transaxle which was changed once a year along with the oil which happened to be Dextron automatic trans oil. My steering is actually pretty tight and with the addition of a spooners knob on the steering wheel it was pretty easy to turn. I do agree the turning radius was on the wide side. I did have problems with the A frame for the blade coming out of one of the brackets ( no fun in the middle of the winter in snow ) but that was solved with a bit of welding lengthening the shafts on both sides and also adding extra bracket to keep it in the slot.  All in all, a very good and dependable tractor for 19 years....

 

  Question...  after all that praise something apparently snapped just in back of the engine. When the engine ir running there is a rattling sound which might be metallic. The tractor will not move in forward or reverse. When I opened the valve to tow the tractor back to the garage I restarted it for my neighbor to get his opinion. The noise seemed not to rattle as much but maybe that was just my imagination. Any thoughts on what might have happened ??

["D"- Man 827]

I would assume you have already checked the engine to hydro pump shaft coupling(s)  rubber and cast, as well as the pump shaft itself.  Did you check to see if the lift works?  I don't really know very much about these tractors, Mark.

[cazngz 19]

  I have a neighbor coming over tomorrow morning. He's leaning towards a shaft or coupler. The lift does not work nor does the tractor move. I'm OK

changing plugs wires oil changes and welding and burning when necessary even fabricating tow hitches and such, however,   I'm completely lost when

it comes to the innards of most machinery.  Hopefully this can be repaired w/in my budget. I'm not ready to retire this to a scrapyard.

[pfrederi 17,886]

I agree most likely a broken coupler or pump shaft stripped/broken.  Always have to wonder why the coupler broke...  Anyway replacing it is not a terrible project but you have to move the engine forward.  (see page 27 of the Sundstrand Hydro manual you can download from here.  If the pump shaft is stripped/broken the project becomes more involved but is also in that manual.  (If you have a rear PTO the job is a bit harder yet as it makes access tot eh pump manifold bolts even harder).

["D"- Man 827]

I took some pics of the area mentioned above.  The first is how it looks on my D-180 the following are the succession of parts from the flywheel to the pump.  Hope this helps, Mark. 

[cazngz 19]

   Thanks for the help guys.. both for the pics and the heads up on the Sundstrand manual. The neighbor came over. He will tow to his garage tomorrow. He's a mechanic and is familiar with this tractor. Its not the coupler, so next best I guess is a sheared keyway ?  Anyway, should know in a few days. 

   Thanks again for the help. I'll post the results/info as it becomes available if anyone's interested. Might help someone in the future. These tractors, hopefully, will be around working for another 20 years.    

[pfrederi 17,886]

The pump shaft is splined (as is the inside of the coupler) on the D series there is no key way.  The splines may have gone south, in which case you will be probably be looking for a new pump shaft and the fun of pulling the pump. (I swear when WH built D series tractors they started with a guy holding the pump in mid-air then built the tractor around it...at least it seems that way

[cazngz 19]

   Well.. its over at the neighbor. We started it up and one of the guys noticed that that coupler was turning but the shaft wasn't.  He has a J.D. big garden tractor like the Horse and he said J.D. used  a rolling type pin setup in his. They seem to think the spline is stripped and maybe they can use a similar setup to repair it.

   Any thoughts out there ?

["D"- Man 827]

If after inspection it is determined that the pump shaft splines are stripped, and no other option proves practical, there was a thread on here of a suggested alternative.  Bryan, initiated a topic back on June 23 2013 titled "D-180 motor to pump problems" in which there is a link posted by Wmanning416 in regards to a solution that worked for him, Mark.

[alswagg 128]

I have spun the splines on one of my D's.  I simply drilled and tapped threads for a set screw.  I drilled on the down or power side of the shaft, both sides.  I used a 3/8 long set screw.  I actually drilled and tapped both the coupler and shaft.  Since the repair, I have loaded the pump at WOT with no issues.  Oh, I also have weighted ag tires pushing dirt and pulling tree trunks.  The little D's are so much better than any C series as for power and extream use. 

Al

[cazngz 19]

   Good to know. Hopefully at worst, it is a stripped spline. That way I know there is a fix that will work..  Soon as I know more I'll post the results.  Maybe I can get over to snap a few pics for posterity...    

[elliot ness 1,916]

I've owned all of the D-auto models at one time or another but only kept the 1973 18-Auto as my "collectable."  So I'll toss my 2 cents in the fountain...

 

I've never been overly impressed with the abilities of the D-autos compared to the C-series, but they certainly have their following.  I always felt that they wanted for traction, especially when equipped with the floatation turf tires on the rear.  I tried plowing snow with a 56" blade on my D160-K and didn't find it very satisfactory.  On my D180 the snowthrower was so heavy on the front that even with wheel weights and extra ballast hanging on the hitch I couldn't get back up my driveway when the blower was lifted.  Both tractors had weights and chains.

 

They're also not particularly manueverable.  They have a wide turning radius and slow steering that made them uncomfortable (for me) to use for mowing.  I'm not sure if the available turning brakes improve this much.

 

The engines used seem to put out obscene amounts of power, so you'll seldom overwork the engine on a D.

 

The tractors were decent machines, but they did have some problems that years of (mis)use can highlight.  For example, the early D's and all of the 18-Autos had 3/4" diameter front spindles.  These were prone to breaking even without the added stress of front implements.  Retrofits to 1" spindles and axles cured that.

 

The steering boxes seem to get very loosy-goosey over time.

 

The transmission itself seems to be a bit undersized for the tractor.  The hydro used was also used on much smaller C-series tractors and seems more vulnerable to overheating and premature wear in the D-autos.  Transmission temperature gauges were fitted after the 1974 revision and later a transmission cooling fan was added to help alleviate the heat.  I think the size of the tractor and its big implements (like the 56" blade or the loader) set these things up for abuse.  At some point, 1975 or 1976 I think, Wheel Horse added a pressure relief valve to the transmission bolted to the frame behind the left rear tire to help absorb spikes (and damage) from hard use.

 

These improvements, I think, indicated that the hydro unit was a bit marginal for some applications.

 

The divorced hydro pump and motor was actually, in my opinion, a brilliant idea.  Why run a long shaft or belt from the engine to the transmission when a couple of pipes could do the same thing?  Simple and effective. 

 

The differential bolts have already been mentioned.  It's not terribly uncommon to find a tractor with a welded transaxle casing from one of these errant bolts getting pushed through the cast iron.

 

Speaking of transaxles; in/around 1976 Wheel Horse relocated the parking brake control from a separate control on the dashboard to the Direction Control Lever (DCL).  The DCL, then, had the obvious positions of Fwd-N-Reverse but also added a Park position accessed by pulling the DCL rearward into a separate slot near the Reverse position.  The Park position engaged the parking pawl inside the transaxle (another weak spot). 

 

Anyway, apparently this reconfiguration caused problems with operators shifting into Park while still on the move which, of course, introduced the possibility of causing internal transaxle damage.  One guy I talked to who has scrapped probably a couple hundred D-autos over the years said it could even cause the transaxle to drop out of the tractor if the loads were high enough and the traction was good enough. 

 

The Parking brake control was later moved back to the dashboard and the extra slot was filled with a bolt-on plate.  Eventually, a contracting band on an external drum replaced the internal pawl on all Wheel Horse hydros including the D.

 

But they did offer some big attachments and a lot of guys really like them.  Strangely, the biggest belly deck ever offered was a 48" unit.  But 60" and even a 72" rear mower (from Woods) was offered.  The 72-incher is exceedingly rare and I've only ever known of one of them that Jim M had.  54" and 56" front blades, 50" mid blades, Ark 550 loaders, 48" thrower, and - of course - the backhoe attachments were offered.  You can see that the dreams and plans for the D-autos were big.

 

The 50" tiller is a brute.  Early versions were actually 38" in width with optional extensions for the total 50" width.  But be advised that the input gear tends to be a bit weak and the tiller should NEVER be used with the 3pt hitch set up to provide down pressure.  It can overload the tiller and can lift the rear of the tractor enough to propel it forward with considerable and uncontrollable eagerness.

 

The market was for "estate" owners and pretty much whomever now would be buying a Sub Compact Utility Tractor.  They remained in the lineup a long time and must have acheived pretty good sales considering how expensive they were. 

 

1973 marked the introduction of the series with the 18-Automatic.  In 1974, the tractor was mildly changed (the dashboard changed to include more gauges, the parking brake lever moved from the "hump" to the dash, and the space under the hood grew taller by about an inch) and the D160 with a Kohler k341 single cylinder joined the lineup, the D180 with a Kohler k482 replaced the 18-Auto, and the D200 with a k532 was added.  The D160K was a stripper tractor with no headlights, a simple seat, and smaller engine.  The top line D200 was fully dressed with PTO/3pt/and turning brakes.  D180's and D200's had a "suspension seat" mounted on a big spring and easily adjusted forward and aft.  I think the seats themselves were different.  And the D200 had a 5-gallon gas tank whereas the others were smaller.

 

In 1978 (I think) the 16-kohler was dumped for the Onan 16 horse twin BF-something.  The D180 was dropped.  And the D200 soldiered on.  I think eventually the 3pt was added as standard to all D's.   Probably to use up parts or something.  The C195 and D250 experiments and the end of the run for the D-autos put the nail in the coffin for WH dipping a toe in the larger tractor market.

 

I too found implements hard to find, but 3pt/PTO attachments can be had if you look outside the WH family.  The 2000 rpm rear PTO and the cat 0 hitch really became the standard for many garden tractors up through the 1980's or 1990's.  Deere and Cub Cadet (probably others) offered 2000 rpm bush hogs, tillers, and finish mowers.  The location of the PTO shaft itself was a bit goofy on some Cubs that might make their implements hard to interchange, but there is more out there than I first realized.  The D250, on the other hand, is really wacky with a 1000 RPM PTO that spins in the opposite direction (CCW).

 

The D-autos were GOOD tractors.   But not great.  The C-series were GREAT tractors.

 

Wow, that's a lot of typing for 2 cents.  Not necessarily much value though.

 

Steve   Steve, very good article, you summed up my thoughts on all the D's and I to have owned them all at one time, Big, clumsy ,bad steering, But manly gas tanks,    

[cazngz 19]

   This was really a hard fix       the neighbor drilled thru the coupler and the shaft and knocked a roll pin in it.  Fixed..   I have no idea how long or how sturdy this fix is but from another post I see someone else had the same idea only they used a set screw..  The only issue this tractor has had is a slight gas tank leak a couple inches up from the bottom.  Steering is perfect, nice and tight, engine old but still works fine with a twice a year oil change w/ 15/40 semi synthetic oil, and pushes snow like a dream ( old set of michelin 15 inch car tires with chains w/ links about 3 to four inches apart )   No idea what this would cost in today's dollars but I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.

 

  Forgot, I also change the auto oil filter once a year and the whole rear every five. And the life cylinder must have started leaking a bit from the inside since there's no oil coming from the cylinder. It is however getting a bit weak. Still lifts the plow fine but upon testing it, it wouldn't lift the plow and a neighbor that was standing in the middle of the blade. Its only job anymore is pulling a 27 ton log splitter down in the woods where I split the wood for an OWB and back home again. That and the snow is what it does in its " Golden years "          

 

    Thanks for the input guys  

[Molon_Labe 731]

I've owned all of the D-auto models at one time or another but only kept the 1973 18-Auto as my "collectable."  So I'll toss my 2 cents in the fountain...

 

I've never been overly impressed with the abilities of the D-autos compared to the C-series, but they certainly have their following.  I always felt that they wanted for traction, especially when equipped with the floatation turf tires on the rear.  I tried plowing snow with a 56" blade on my D160-K and didn't find it very satisfactory.  On my D180 the snowthrower was so heavy on the front that even with wheel weights and extra ballast hanging on the hitch I couldn't get back up my driveway when the blower was lifted.  Both tractors had weights and chains.

 

They're also not particularly manueverable.  They have a wide turning radius and slow steering that made them uncomfortable (for me) to use for mowing.  I'm not sure if the available turning brakes improve this much.

 

The engines used seem to put out obscene amounts of power, so you'll seldom overwork the engine on a D.

 

The tractors were decent machines, but they did have some problems that years of (mis)use can highlight.  For example, the early D's and all of the 18-Autos had 3/4" diameter front spindles.  These were prone to breaking even without the added stress of front implements.  Retrofits to 1" spindles and axles cured that.

 

The steering boxes seem to get very loosy-goosey over time.

 

The transmission itself seems to be a bit undersized for the tractor.  The hydro used was also used on much smaller C-series tractors and seems more vulnerable to overheating and premature wear in the D-autos.  Transmission temperature gauges were fitted after the 1974 revision and later a transmission cooling fan was added to help alleviate the heat.  I think the size of the tractor and its big implements (like the 56" blade or the loader) set these things up for abuse.  At some point, 1975 or 1976 I think, Wheel Horse added a pressure relief valve to the transmission bolted to the frame behind the left rear tire to help absorb spikes (and damage) from hard use.

 

These improvements, I think, indicated that the hydro unit was a bit marginal for some applications.

 

The divorced hydro pump and motor was actually, in my opinion, a brilliant idea.  Why run a long shaft or belt from the engine to the transmission when a couple of pipes could do the same thing?  Simple and effective. 

 

The differential bolts have already been mentioned.  It's not terribly uncommon to find a tractor with a welded transaxle casing from one of these errant bolts getting pushed through the cast iron.

 

Speaking of transaxles; in/around 1976 Wheel Horse relocated the parking brake control from a separate control on the dashboard to the Direction Control Lever (DCL).  The DCL, then, had the obvious positions of Fwd-N-Reverse but also added a Park position accessed by pulling the DCL rearward into a separate slot near the Reverse position.  The Park position engaged the parking pawl inside the transaxle (another weak spot). 

 

Anyway, apparently this reconfiguration caused problems with operators shifting into Park while still on the move which, of course, introduced the possibility of causing internal transaxle damage.  One guy I talked to who has scrapped probably a couple hundred D-autos over the years said it could even cause the transaxle to drop out of the tractor if the loads were high enough and the traction was good enough. 

 

The Parking brake control was later moved back to the dashboard and the extra slot was filled with a bolt-on plate.  Eventually, a contracting band on an external drum replaced the internal pawl on all Wheel Horse hydros including the D.

 

But they did offer some big attachments and a lot of guys really like them.  Strangely, the biggest belly deck ever offered was a 48" unit.  But 60" and even a 72" rear mower (from Woods) was offered.  The 72-incher is exceedingly rare and I've only ever known of one of them that Jim M had.  54" and 56" front blades, 50" mid blades, Ark 550 loaders, 48" thrower, and - of course - the backhoe attachments were offered.  You can see that the dreams and plans for the D-autos were big.

 

The 50" tiller is a brute.  Early versions were actually 38" in width with optional extensions for the total 50" width.  But be advised that the input gear tends to be a bit weak and the tiller should NEVER be used with the 3pt hitch set up to provide down pressure.  It can overload the tiller and can lift the rear of the tractor enough to propel it forward with considerable and uncontrollable eagerness.

 

The market was for "estate" owners and pretty much whomever now would be buying a Sub Compact Utility Tractor.  They remained in the lineup a long time and must have acheived pretty good sales considering how expensive they were. 

 

1973 marked the introduction of the series with the 18-Automatic.  In 1974, the tractor was mildly changed (the dashboard changed to include more gauges, the parking brake lever moved from the "hump" to the dash, and the space under the hood grew taller by about an inch) and the D160 with a Kohler k341 single cylinder joined the lineup, the D180 with a Kohler k482 replaced the 18-Auto, and the D200 with a k532 was added.  The D160K was a stripper tractor with no headlights, a simple seat, and smaller engine.  The top line D200 was fully dressed with PTO/3pt/and turning brakes.  D180's and D200's had a "suspension seat" mounted on a big spring and easily adjusted forward and aft.  I think the seats themselves were different.  And the D200 had a 5-gallon gas tank whereas the others were smaller.

 

In 1978 (I think) the 16-kohler was dumped for the Onan 16 horse twin BF-something.  The D180 was dropped.  And the D200 soldiered on.  I think eventually the 3pt was added as standard to all D's.   Probably to use up parts or something.  The C195 and D250 experiments and the end of the run for the D-autos put the nail in the coffin for WH dipping a toe in the larger tractor market.

 

I too found implements hard to find, but 3pt/PTO attachments can be had if you look outside the WH family.  The 2000 rpm rear PTO and the cat 0 hitch really became the standard for many garden tractors up through the 1980's or 1990's.  Deere and Cub Cadet (probably others) offered 2000 rpm bush hogs, tillers, and finish mowers.  The location of the PTO shaft itself was a bit goofy on some Cubs that might make their implements hard to interchange, but there is more out there than I first realized.  The D250, on the other hand, is really wacky with a 1000 RPM PTO that spins in the opposite direction (CCW).

 

The D-autos were GOOD tractors.   But not great.  The C-series were GREAT tractors.

 

Wow, that's a lot of typing for 2 cents.  Not necessarily much value though.

 

Steve

Great post, thanks!

[MichWheelGuy 1]

Hi, I'm in Michigan and I'm looking for a gas tank and straps for my 1974 D-180.   I have a D-200 Large gas tank that was on it when I bought i, but it's  developed a leak on the bottom of this tan.  I'm looking for the correct tank for my D-180, any ideas where I can find one ?  Appreciate it.

My 1974 D-180 also has a very sloppy steering box, is there any way to fix this ?

[TDF5G 2,069]

14 hours ago, MichWheelGuy said:

Hi, I'm in Michigan and I'm looking for a gas tank and straps for my 1974 D-180.   I have a D-200 Large gas tank that was on it when I bought i, but it's  developed a leak on the bottom of this tan.  I'm looking for the correct tank for my D-180, any ideas where I can find one ?  Appreciate it.

My 1974 D-180 also has a very sloppy steering box, is there any way to fix this ?

You should create an ad in the Classified section under Wanted. 

[MichWheelGuy 1]

Thank you I am a new to this site, still trying to figure it out.  I tried to put an ad on but it wouldn't work, not sure what I was doing wrong, I will try again now.  Thank you.

[MichWheelGuy 1]

On 4/11/2016 at 8:16 PM, Shuboxlover said:

I have a good used tank with nice straps and mounting bolts.   Send me your email address and I'll get you pics and a price. 

 

Best regards, 

Tyson

 

[Texas Todd 1,025]

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