1955 RS-83 Resto Begins

[HorseFixer 2,012]

Last fall I Acquired a 1955 RS-83. It is in terrible shape and has been sitting in a WH Dealership Storage Building for 30 years. After getting her Home and giving it a bath I discovered that the rims are in exceptionally bad shape    as is the tires and there seems to be a lot of gaskets that need replacing as the tractor has been leaking and seeping oil all over, and the whole tractor looks like it pretty much needs some attention.  After thinking it over for a couple months I have decided to give it the once over and give it a facelift. By the time I get the Tractor Mechanically in shape much of the Patina will be jacked with and how is the tractor going to look with new rubber and fixed up rims?  With all things considered the best thing for this one in my opinion would be a Resto.    More to come.    ~Duke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,544]

There is no doubt in my mind that this will be a sharp looking machine when yer done Duke!

Mike.............

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,363]

I am not a big fan of restoration on these old girls but I know that you will do it right!! Looking forward to watching the progress. 

[AMC RULES 37,141]

Long awaited, much anticipated...go Duke!     

[neil 2,410]

This is one restoration  that i wanna watch , good luck with everything & i hope you dont find too much else  wrong with her .

Think you made the right choice Duke

[Stigian 1,234]

Ouch!  Those tires are a little bit past their best!

 

I just know your going to do a fantastic restoration on her Duke

[Ken B 3,164]

I've been waiting to hear what your plans are on this one. This is going to be a real fun one to watch. With the old girl in your capable hands it will be done right that is a given. She's going to be one big sexy mama when yer done!

[VinsRJ 723]

I agree... resto would be the best path... can't wait to see it all shiny and new!

[ol550 830]

Knew this was going to happen.all along.    The tires look to be beyond booting but I bet you

already knew that and have a new set on hold.  Just promise one thing... no led lighting.

I'll be watching, closer, if I can get a drone in your shop.

[HorseFixer 2,012]

As mentioned earlier after getting her home and getting what seemed like the inch of dust on it washed off her. I removed the hood and examined the engine.    I was able to date the engine to be manufactured in January of 1955 so being the engine was MFG in Jan, I would say this is most likely an early to mid 1955 Tractor. I always like models of these tractors where something had changed and there was history involved for example: 1955 the name switched to Wheel Horse, in 1960 the 550 was the first production electric start and in 1961 the 701 went to the first front mount engine on the small tractors, In this case I like the fact that it is a 1955 because that was the first year that the Ponds changed the Companies name to Wheel Horse and this tractors factory ID# numbers switched from being a (4 wheel w/steering wheel) to a Ride-Away Senior. I would guess that was done because they named the small ones to Jr. so it would only make since that the large ones would be Sr's.

 

 

I continued to examine the condition and a look in the fuel tank and I was surprised how clean it looked!     At least something started going my way and was good news. Well that didn't last long because When cleaning out the glass bowl & fuel petcock I discovered the needle was all froze up and once I got everything flowing the float was stuck    and the gasket on the Float bowl was Foo Barred and gas went right on the floor.    At that point Sluggo came to mind but I had to exercise due restraint!  I decided then not to even remotely try to get the engine started and decided to ck other componnents.  I sprayed some AMSOIL engine fogging oil down the cylinder and cranked it over several times and it seemed to have good compression. I then removed the head & head gasket and examined the cylinder walls and they looked in pretty fair shape. I deglazed and cleaned the head and examined the spark plug and it appeared the engine was burning cleanly Reinstalled the head gasket and head and re-torqued. Moving along I then cked for spark and I had plenty. I have since  ordered a Carb Kit and have removed the carb and have soaked and cleaned it.

 

During this time one night I was talking to Brian (buckrancher) on the phone and he told me about a Wisconsin engine on fleebay. I made an offer to the guy and one thing led to another as it was the holidays and to be honest I forgot about it. A couple months went by and for grins and giggles I was on Fleebay I checked and couldn't believe the guy still had the engine and had dropped the price!     I then counter offered and got him to $165.00 So I figure that was cheap enough I have dated this engine as a 1953.   More Later.

 

~Duke  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 29, 2014 by HorseFixer

[HorseFixer 2,012]

Since the rubber is bad it needed to come off the rims, The rears were easy to get off but the fronts really puzzled me for a bit.    I reached out to a couple senior owners on how the fronts were removed. Then while standing at the sink washing my hands it came to me. Under this flat cap on the front wheel that was depressed all the way into the rim was a brazed on nut on the outer center of this cap through that nut was a 1/4" stove bolt with only a 1/4" of threads that really did nothing other than blocking off this open area from getting dirt in. The brazed on nut however was for a different purpose.  thought I bet if I take out that spindley Stove Bolt and crank in a longer bolt it will drive against the axel and push the cap off to gain access to a threaded on axel nut keeping the wheel on like any other tractor.   Sometime the obvious is right in front of you.... Is that called Old Age?     The rear rims had an inner tube but the chloride inside was leaking through the valve stems which is what was rusting corroding the outside of the rims.

 

~Duke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,363]

Duke-

Do you think there is anyway to save the rear rims? Maybe some sort of filler like a jb weld or other??

[Jake Kuhn 1,556]

Looks like your off to a good start duke, love watching your resto threads!

[Desko 610]

This is a good candidate for a resto I have never seen a SR wheel horse before. For the rims you might have to cut out where the steam goes drill it out and weld another piece in if there's enough metal left.

[neil 2,410]

That is a real shame about those Rims , I agree with SteveBo , from the pics that we see they almost look salvagable .

 

 

Duke , This pic of the senior on your workshop is just awesome , reminds me of how it must have been back in 1955 when Cecil was building these tractors in his Garage .

Also looks like a Hospital operating  theatre. 

 

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,498]

Duke, cant wait till its finished all ready. In all her glory.

 

Glenn

[HorseFixer 2,012]

Duke-

Do you think there is anyway to save the rear rims? Maybe some sort of filler like a jb weld or other??

 

Damn Chloride  That stuff really knows how to muck up a tractor!   Well stevebo I figure after I get the fronts off I would take them all over to Brian My Master Blaster Buddy and let him do his thing and see how bad they are. I know they make some glass or puttys that can go on and if any Body shop guys want to chime in and tell me what's available please do. Jake ask yer dad what he thinks?

 

 

That is a real shame about those Rims , I agree with SteveBo , from the pics that we see they almost look salvagable .

 

 

Duke , This pic of the senior on your workshop is just awesome , reminds me of how it must have been back in 1955 when Cecil was building these tractors in his Garage .

Also looks like a Hospital operating  theatre. 

 

DSCN6398.jpg

 

Thanks Neil,   I'm fixin to go out and turn on the furnace as it got down to 26 deg last night. I then plan on doing a photo shoot on the ole girl taking a zillion  pictures as reference like I do on any resto before I start to take things apart. Neil, Per your comment She does look pretty good in that shop if I do say so myself!   Maybe this afternoon I will crack open a Cold one    sit back in that plastic Lawn Chair and admire her!      Below Is My Buddy Brian the Master Blaster and His Shop. He Has 4 of these Building's And I Ran The Air Lines Between Them Years Ago.  He was Blasting My RJ-56 in these pics, Sure is good having Blokes like this. You can bet when he calls me for anything I am there!

 

~Duke

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 30, 2014 by HorseFixer

[rmaynard 15,724]

Okay Bob, there's a lot of work you have to get done to have it ready June 21 for the big show.

[JC 1965 1,530]

Getter done Duke, and keep the pics coming.  

[neil 2,410]

Now ,if that Rj 35 is anything to go buy I am sooooooooooooooo looking forward to seeing this finished , infact so much so that i may even ship my RS83 back to US so that you can  do mine .

Looking forward to having a chat in June at the big show ,

Hope you manage to save those rims .

[shorts 182]

Ya Duke, it's like the old timer told me many years ago, Just look at it, it will tell you what it wants/needs to make it right or how to fix it.  Those front hub caps sure look like cup style freeze plugs with nuts brazed on and then installed backwards.

[HorseFixer 2,012]

Tonight I removed the second front rim and then demounted the tires. I took them over to my Pal's Brian's Shop And the MASTER BLASTER gave them a blast from the past.  The two fronts came out beautiful    the rears were a different story. One of the rims will need a WHOLE LOTTA LOVIN to bring it back.   I will need to love it real good with the tig welder, then I'm gonna love it real good with Some Lab Metal. All I can say is there is gonna be a whole lotta lovin going on over at the Duke's Place.     Here's some pic's of the Master Blaster at work and the rims.

 

~Duke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAB METAL LINK BELOW

 

 

 

[neil 2,410]

Bob, Hmmm the bottom rim looks quite sad but the one above looks salavagable , not teaching you to suck eggs, but could`nt you just weld some steel bands on the inside of the rims to strengthen the rim up then tidy up things on the outside by  spot welding then grinding back to shape???? the strength will be on the inside of the rim and the outside could cosmetically be doctored up , i know this would not be ideal but it may get you by  until another rim shows up in the future .

Fortunatley these tractors are not high speed tractors so i dont think it would impede on the safety element to much .

 

Still , im sure you know the best way to attack this problem , just though i would chuck a few ideas out there    

[HorseFixer 2,012]

Neil, Great Minds thinks Alike     I Intended to Weld the Holes up and do a little reinforcing in some way.   I like your idea maybe Ole Duke will shoot sherbert to her Herbert!    Stay Tuned.

 

~Duke

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,363]

I know this is NOTHING that you would do with this project however this is how I did a repair job on my 953 rim that was rotted around the original valve stem hole.... 

 

A little JB weld with a quarter covering the old hole and rust and drilled a new hole in a solid spot then tubed it.