Would a Wheel Horse 1056 Make a Good Puller

[Wheel Horse Collector 47]

Ok this is just an idea. I have this 1056 and the connecting rod to the piston broke and screwed up the piston    So I was thinking about boring it out and making it into a pulling tractor. Is that a good idea.     

[AMC RULES 37,130]

I don't know about pulling with it...

but, it would make for an awesome  candidate to get up and running again.    

[TT-(Moderator) 1,131]

You can make a "pulling tractor" out of most of these tractors, but they might not be very competitive.

 

You're only going to be able to bore the engine .030 over and unless you do a lot more work to it, it will still only be 10hp.

By the time you're done spending money to get 14 or 15 horsepower, you can probably buy a 14 or 16 horsepower stock engine that's running & still bolted to a tractor with an 8 pinion / 8 speed transaxle ~ which is proven to be the best stock tranz for pulling.

The current condition of the three speed transmission and your ability to drive will determine how long it will be until it breaks.

[Jtstraw 16]

When I build a 12hp sport stock motor I start with a 10hp block and offset bore it towards the valves and sleeve it. Then do some trick work to the head to really tighten up the combustion chamber. Works out well.

[TT-(Moderator) 1,131]

.........I start with a 10hp block and offset bore it towards the valves and sleeve it.........

 Why? 

[Jtstraw 16]

Horsepower!

[TT-(Moderator) 1,131]

OK, but why do you move the bore centerline towards the valves?

[Jtstraw 16]

To tighten up the combustion chamber, which increases the compression ratio.

[Jtstraw 16]

I used to pull stock altered and had a motor built for me by an engine builder in Illinois. The valves were very close to the cylinder bore and it made a bunch of hp. Of course these are aftermarket blocks where you have to put all the holes in it. Bore and valves so kind of doing the same thing making a 12 out of a 10

[TT-(Moderator) 1,131]

You could use aftermarket blocks in stock-altered?    They'd never allow that around here.

I'm not sure why you'd want to limit the size of the valves by the bore proximity, but it's your story.

My point was that the early 241 used in the 1056 above is a thinwall casting. They are already prone to splitting across the top between the bore and the valve pockets. They are not a good candidate for exotic machine work.

[Jtstraw 16]

We use the cub cadet blocks. We have done several of them around here. In sport stock we were limited to stock valve size in stock location. Stock altered has to use stock valve size any location just have to maintain the 11 degree angle. Not until you get into prostock can you run any size valve you want to stuff in the block.