Buying 520h in three days

[kwksand 9]

Hi there,

I'm new to the forum. I come from a family of tractor enthusiasts, but I am currently just looking for a dependable mower. I know very little about wheel horses, other than I was impressed by one I used when I was a teenager. I am hoping to get advice about a 520h in my area. I checked it out tonight in the dark. It is very clean, and appears to have been maintained by a careful old man (RIP). The son in law started it after I struggled with the choke. It was chilly out, and I thought I heard a little tick in the onan 20hp. I took it for a short ride. Everything works. Hydro deck lift, pto, gauges, lights all seem good. The 48" deck sounded different than I expected, but keep in mind I haven't used a riding mower for years. After the ride I idled it down and she purred without the tick I heard upon starting. I did a final walk around and noticed a little grease shining from the left transaxle. Right side looked clean and dry. I don't have a trailer, so I left it there until Thursday. I am a little concerned about the engine tick, the left transaxle grease, and the general reliability of all this hydro. I am not shopping for a collection piece, so I would rather go simple if the hydraulics are prone to problems. We agreed on $1,000 final price. Am I worrying too much about the (very quiet) engine tick and the transaxle grease? Thank you

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,497]

First off, welcome to red square. I am by far no 520 expert I had one, about 260 hours on it, wish I still had it. The Onan engine can be prone to problems, I guess like any mechanical motor can. Most luv em, how many hours? Important, how did the oil look?, clean, full, the transaxle oil to? They are a power house, use the gas pretty good to, A picture might help. Search Back a day or 2, on the threads, another fella asked the same question, on a VERY LOW hour original owner 520 machine. Also what year? You will be interested reading the replies he got, go find it, read it. Other fellas will chime in on that tic etc. Best of luck to you.

 

Glenn

[Phatboy 565]

Ok from my extensive Reasearch i can tell you this,,, the tick you heard at start up bit was gone after running ,, forget you heard it ,, when the engine is cold and oil has dripped of all the parts your gonna have a small tick.. When the engine heats up and the metal expands and it reaches proper operating temperature ,, the valve clearances titghten up to within specs ,, remember these are not hydrolic lifters ,, they are solid lifters a whole other animal.. So everything os fine as far as that,, now as to the axel seal,, i have been told by my WH dealer (now kubota/ WH) that wheel horse designed those seals to seap slightly to help keep dirt off of the seals he actually had a service bulitin saying that,, however maybe because of customers complaining about it one can only guess they put 2 seals in later models so that they would no longer seap.. So the question here is ,,, does any of the oil hit the floor ? If it just has the appearance of wetness dont worry about it .. Now if a drop hits the floor that is to much ,, at any case a oil seal change on a wheel horse is extremely easy remove wheel,,remove wheel hub set screws,, remove hub use 2 "O" ring hooks to pull old seal out slide off axel then make sure axel is clear of all dirt etc.. Pit a little bit of clean oil on axel to help slide seal into place then use a socket same size as seall to gently put into place ,,put hub on torque set screws to 28 to 32 ft lbs,, put wheel on ,,, waalaaa all done ..hope that helps..

Edited March 21, 2016 by Phatboy

[Tankman 3,518]

Welcome to the forums,  lots of Horse crazy members here.

 

The 520 is a fine Horse! I, and my grandsons, find the 520 a go-to machine. The two problems you noted don't seem too big a deal.

 

[kwksand 9]

Wow thanks for the quick relies guys. Glenn, I will look for that similar post after work. Phatboy, thanks for putting me at ease about the tick and the seal. I'm not afraid of that seal now, if it gets to the point that it needs done. Tankman, I will post photos Thursday or Friday. Too dark last night, and they already took down the pics online. Glad I asked! 

[Ed Kennell 38,326]

The 520H is a great tractor with the big tractor sound and feel. 

    They are noted for several problems:

1.  the wiring is riddled with many connectors, fuse blocks , and wire connections that are subject to corrosion , overheating and failure.  This is mainly a problem with tractors that are stored outside under a tarp with no ventilation.

2. the rear cylinder does not receive as much cooling air as the front cylinder due to the air being blocked by the drive belt guard.  This low air flow allows the grass clipping to accumulate in the cooling fins resulting in overheating of the rear cylinder and a loosening of the valve seat.

These problems can be serious, but are relatively easy to prevent with a few modifications and proper maintenance.  There are many posts on here describing in detail how to resolve and prevent these problems.

Pictures, # of hours, maintenance records,  and serial number would help to determine  if $1000 is the correct value of this machine.

 

Best of luck and

[WHX?? 48,851]

Welcome to Red Square and enjoy the forum. Do a search here on 520H and you will find more info on the ins and outs of these tractors than you can digest in a month! Questions start a thread and many 520 pros will chime in.

 

Just a word of warning we do like our photos here so consider on of these http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/store/product/2-1-year-redsquare-support/ it will make uploading pictures much easier!

[Retired Sparky 526]

   TO

[DougC 2,641]

I love both of my 520H machines. I'm sure you will love yours too. A front plow is a must have as well. It works on lots of things besides snow. Enjoy the forum and 

[Wishin4a416 2,191]

and don't forget the pictures.

[cheesegrader 433]

I love 520's.  My brother wants one now.  I have four, and he won't get any of mine.

The one you are looking at sounds interesting.

In order of expense to fix, here is what I would look for.

1) Rear cylinder valve seat--Compression should be the same in both cylinders, at about 120psi.  Rear cooling fins should be free of grass, oil and debris.  Crud on those fins always makes me worry about the dreaded thrown rear valve seat due to overheating.  If you buy it, vent the belt guard to let air flow across the rear cylinder, and decarb the heads and adjust the valves every 500 hours.

2) Bad hydro pump-- Get the hydro warm after running for 10-15 minutes.  Drive uphill.  You may not notice a weak pump when it is cold, but loss of power as the hydro heats is a sign of a problem.  Used pump=$250

3) Tire dry rot--These are old machines, and a new set of tires is $400.  Ugh!

4)Frame damage--look at the plate where the frame and rear bolt together.  Check for cracks at the bolt holes.  Check for frame welds, and cracks at the mid-mount, especially if it was running a 60" deck.  Can be welded/reinforced for not much money.

5) Hydro leaks--I have not had issues with hoses, but I have had two bad control valves and one leaky ram.  About $50 each to replace

6) Electrical gremlins--You have some, you just don't know it yet!  They aren't expensive, but they are a pain to track down.  Plan on replacing the fuse holder block, a couple of burnt out bulbs, and at least one safety switch.

7) Fuel/carb--Surging is common if the tractor has been sitting.  Almost always varnish in the carb.  Not a bad job to get apart and cleaned, but plan on cleaning it more than once to get it working properly.  Hope for an adjustable pre-'94 Nikki carb, not the crappy California emission '95-97 version.  Fuel lines might need replacing, fuel tank might need a cleaning, especially if it has the screen at the shut-off valve.  Not expesive at all, and worth doing just as maintenance on a 25 year old tractor.

 

I think you are getting a very good deal at $1000 if there are no major failures.

Good Luck

 

 

[kwksand 9]

Thanks for your patience and additional information, folks. I will post a few photos now, and take more upon request. After playing with the tractor a few days, I feel much better about the engine tick. I really haven't heard it again at all. The deck sounds like a racket, and before a close inspection I am 75% sure I'm going to need more than grease to fix it. There is some gunk under the engine, but nothing that scared me. The rear cylinder fins look like they have been kept clean as well.

[kwksand 9]

The meter reads 318 hours. I think I forgot to mention that. Also, that bolt on the deck cover looks out of place. Maybe it has had issues in the past.

Edited March 31, 2016 by kwksand

[WNYPCRepair 1,921]

I'm no expert, but I don't see any problem with that bolt. 

[Ed Kennell 38,326]

Brian's right, that deck should have angle welded across the top with tapped holes for the belt cover bolts.

[cleat 6,097]

The 48" decks have a large plate on the top to re-enforce it and the guards bolt to that.

 

Everything looks good in your pics that way.

 

Noisy bearings in the deck can be replaced, not a large deal (as long as the pulleys come off).

 

Oil leak at the engine could be simply sloppy oil filter changes or a loose drain pipe. Might also need a gasket where the oil filter block bolts to the engine itself.

 

None of these things is a big deal, but can work in your favor in negotiating a price.

[elliot ness 1,916]

I love the 520's, I have 4 right now and by 5pm this evening I will have 5 of them. I have one with a loader.  They have all the power you will ever need. The rear ends are bullet proof. The steering is effortless. Enjoy you 520 new friend. and welcome to the Red Square !

[Phatboy 565]

13 hours ago, kwksand said:

Thanks for your patience and additional information, folks. I will post a few photos now, and take more upon request. After playing with the tractor a few days, I feel much better about the engine tick. I really haven't heard it again at all. The deck sounds like a racket, and before a close inspection I am 75% sure I'm going to need more than grease to fix it. There is some gunk under the engine, but nothing that scared me. The rear cylinder fins look like they have been kept clean as well.

Buddy with almost 90% certainty i can tell ya that oil you are seeing is from the drain tube,, do like i did on my 400 hour machine ,take shrowd off and use some brake clean and clean engine off real good , then go to lowes or wherever and get some new black iron pipe and some yellow oil proof teflon tape and re-do oil drain and you will be just fine,, the fan just blows the oil from drain around and adds a little dust and makes a hell of a mess,,,but its nothing,, shrowd is a pain the in butt first time ,, god knows i know that lol.. I would swipe up that machine in a minute.. 

[Vixmith 25]

For that noisy mower deck, the first thing I would check is the deck v_belt that is under the cover plates on top of the deck.  Be sure the belt has no cracks, missing chunks, and that it is fitted properly to the V pulleys and the spring-loaded idler pulley.  That idler pulley needs to be clean and moving back and forth freely with its spring attached.  I had one go bad and it would twist when I engaged the mower.  Had a hidden break on one edge.  Found the correct belt at a local hardware store.  Low cost.

New belt quieted the deck and made it run very well.

Easier and cheaper than the spindle bearings.  From looks of this 520H I would guess PO kept the bearings greased, too.

 

Great Looking Tractor !  Good Luck !

Edited April 9, 2016 by Vixmith
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[Tankman 3,518]

Looks great kwksand! Be sure to update the nosey forum members too.

 

We need to know! 

[608KEB 795]

Looks like a nice machine. The 520H is my favorite next to the 420LSE. I was going to sell my only 520H at that time, 3 years ago. Now I have 5. You'll like the power!

[kwksand 9]

Hello everyone, I've decided to sell this one. I've used it to run the kids around the neighborhood. I never addressed the deck noise, and today I discovered that the slow oil leak has made a spot on my garage floor. First $1,000 takes it! Thanks again for the information and advice earlier this year.

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,352]

7 minutes ago, kwksand said:

Hello everyone, I've decided to sell this one. I've used it to run the kids around the neighborhood. I never addressed the deck noise, and today I discovered that the slow oil leak has made a spot on my garage floor. First $1,000 takes it! Thanks again for the information and advice earlier this year.

Please post your tractor in the classifieds.....thanks!

  Mike....

[kwksand 9]

Thanks Mike, I'm writing it now.