What have you done to your Wheel Horse today?

[Achto 27,601]

Spent some more time on my Big Ugly D-160 today.  Installed the freshly rebuilt carb, put a few Band-Aids on the wiring, hooked up an IV bottle and gave the engine a spin.

 

I'm happy to report that this ole girl runs and drives exceptionally well. @WHX?? looks like we have a new show cruiser.  The front end was quite pigeon toed so I straightened that out a bit, still some fine tuning required there. The wiring is littered with the worst thing ever invented by man, "Scotch locks".  Despite the crappy wiring the lights work, as does the horn that some PO installed. It does not currently charge though. it will require a whole new wire harness before I will trust it to be reliable.

Edited April 28, 2022 by Achto

[CB520HC 61]

On 2/19/2022 at 11:17 PM, Horse Newbie said:

@kpinnc. I have been using non-ethanol in my equipment for years… and for what it’s worth, I put Stabil in my equipment gas too…

Do you think I need to cut off fuel at tank valve and let my carbs run dry every time.

 

They almost never sit more than 2 months or so…

i run 93 octane in my k341 and p220g through mowing season and ethanol free through the winter due to no guarantee when it'll come back out, 2 strokes get ethanol free year round for the extra $1 per gallon its worth not having the down time.

[WHX?? 48,828]

11 hours ago, Achto said:

looks like we have a new show cruiser.

 Just have to figure away to get it TO shows! Dang thing sure does chew up some real estate on a trailer. 

What's  the diagnosis on the gas tank? I've got a clean two gallon plastic square one we could bungee on the back. Just temporary ya know! 

 

[squonk 41,150]

11 hours ago, Achto said:

.

 

 

 the worst thing ever invented by man, "Scotch locks".  

Slotted screws are the worst. Followed by Scotch Locks. Spring clamp fuel line clamps 3rd.

[Achto 27,601]

18 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

What's  the diagnosis on the gas tank?

 

The float bowl on the carb had minimal staining on the inside, no heavy residue. Hoping that the tank will be the same, if so I'll flush it out and run it. Also found out that there is no fluid in the tires.

Edited April 28, 2022 by Achto

[WHX?? 48,828]

22 minutes ago, squonk said:

Slotted screws are the worst.

Your supposed to & helps  use a screwdriver with them not yer pocket knife! 

[squonk 41,150]

4 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

Your supposed to & helps  use a screwdriver with them not yer pocket knife! 

Torch or air chisel! 

[ebinmaine 67,592]

32 minutes ago, squonk said:

Slotted screws are the worst

Trina would agree with that.

That girl ain't got a negative bone in her body but if you present her with a flat head fastener of any kind that's mildly corroded, she will invent new words...

 

 

[johnnymag3 2,520]

Slotted @^%&^*&^(&)(&)*)(*_+_+((+(_(+_+_(_(  Screws??? 

[Lee1977 6,664]

49 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Trina would agree with that.

That girl ain't got a negative bone in her body but if you present her with a flat head fastener of any kind that's mildly corroded, she will invent new words...

 

 

There is a place for flat headed screws, might not come up often but I found one, neighbors Troybilt tiller. The original design was for a 4 or 5 HP engine with small circle PTO mounting and 3/4 PTO shaft. Troybilt never changed the transmission mounting just ordered bigger engines with the small mount and 3/4 shaft. I installed  a 10  HP with large bolt circle using flat head hex screws  and drilled and the 3/8" plate for the small circle. then had the pulley resized.. On a Troybilt tiller that is also the engine mount.

 

Edited April 28, 2022 by Lee1977

[peter lena 8,634]

@CB520HC  , @kpinnc  personally don't understand all the non ethanol hype , have not had a related issue , my fuel tanks are clean , 2 fuel filters  on each horse ,  1 close to tank , next close to carb , vertical fuel check valves  in place on my horses , just before carb. STA BIL  fuel treatment in every bit of my fuel , another thing is replacing the original black fuel hose with clear vinyl fuel rated hose . all my fuel bowls are clean , no debris or crud. regularly run my stuff , with instant starts , and no issues . just my 2 cents , pete

[Lee1977 6,664]

10 minutes ago, peter lena said:

@CB520HC  , @kpinnc  personally don't understand all the non ethanol hype , have not had a related issue , my fuel tanks are clean , 2 fuel filters  on each horse ,  1 close to tank , next close to carb , vertical fuel check valves  in place on my horses , just before carb. STA BIL  fuel treatment in every bit of my fuel , another thing is replacing the original black fuel hose with clear vinyl fuel rated hose . all my fuel bowls are clean , no debris or crud. regularly run my stuff , with instant starts , and no issues . just my 2 cents , pete

I'm happy you have had such good luck with ethanol. I guess you don't have any old engines with metal gas tanks, don't think STA BIL will stop the ethanol from rusting them. From what I have read they don't make enough ethanol for all the gas that is sold, but I'm not going to take the chance I'll stay with nonethanol in my lawn equipment and my old Toyota.

[Ed Kennell 38,209]

1 hour ago, WHX?? said:

  use a screwdriver with them not yer pocket knife!

I use mine for rebuilding engines and butchering deer, cleaning fish, peeling apples, and cleaning greasy finger nails.

 

 

 

[davem1111 2,030]

16 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

I use mine for rebuilding engines and butchering deer, cleaning fish, peeling apples, and cleaning greasy finger nails.

 

 

 

 

You must have those cargo pants with the "extra large" pockets... 

 

[squonk 41,150]

Just now, davem1111 said:

 

You must have those cargo pants with the "extra large" pockets... 

 

He keeps it under his hat! 

[squonk 41,150]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

Trina would agree with that.

, she will invent new words...

 

 

[peter lena 8,634]

@Lee1977 , lee , no I don't have any  old engines or metal tanks , but if I did , I  would be looking for a  replacement that would work with it . just trying to keep them running , pete

[Handy Don 12,235]

3 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

I use mine for rebuilding engines and butchering deer, cleaning fish, peeling apples, and cleaning greasy finger nails.

 

Don't forget the toothpick and tweezers! 

[kpinnc 12,083]

4 hours ago, peter lena said:

@CB520HC  , @kpinnc  personally don't understand all the non ethanol hype

 

The problems may be more relevant depending where you are. Most of my tractors get little or no use in winter. There isn't enought snow here to use one. As such, there are some machines that have months without use. Ethanol wreaks havoc on old fuel systems, and it does so quickly.

 

In addition, anything with a carburetor simply does not run as well with ethanol. Having used it unwittingly several times before I stopped, I believe this to my bones. Poor starting and rought idle compared to non-ethanol on some engines. Feel free to call me crazy, I don't mind. I've been called worse, and wear it proudly. 

 

There is a theory down here: The quality of fuel differs wildly from one station to another. Some gas stations have such poor standards of fuel, that you really have to be careful. One in particular is so bad that both mine and my wife's truck run rough if we get gas there. Both vehicles are fuels injected. We avoid that place like the plague!

[squonk 41,150]

Remember. a lot depends on the condition of the station tanks ect. I think they are all fiberglass now but who know at some of these older stations. Ethanol sucks the moisture right out of the air so if you live in Florida for example you'd have more problems

[ebinmaine 67,592]

50 minutes ago, squonk said:

Remember. a lot depends on the condition of the station tanks ect. I think they are all fiberglass now but who know at some of these older stations. Ethanol sucks the moisture right out of the air so if you live in Florida for example you'd have more problems

 

Interesting point there Mike.

 

I've seen some carburetors here that had a good collection of ethanol pearls after as little as 3 or 4 months and if I remember right that was during the summer months when Maine has medium to high humidity all the time. 

 

Notwithstanding the humidity, condensation, collection of water, etc.....

 

 

5 hours ago, peter lena said:

personally don't understand all the non ethanol hype

Pete I have to respectfully disagree with you here...

There's no denying what alcohol will do to rubber. On an engine that has not yet had a carb rebuild with newer gaskets that tolerate the alcohol I've seen some very interesting twists turns and curls to the gaskets and seals.  

 

 

[METAL BENDER 25]

After reading in the forums and online I found more than not, The normal question is, "What's wrong with it and why did it just stop running".However, I'm now a proud owner of one red 32-year-old beast lol. So I get on her today hit the key and she said nope,,, today shes working me lol. After 8 hours of troubleshooting my new question is this." After 30 years what's not wrong with it and how the hell did she ever run after the dry rotted, rusting , missing parts, mouse house I just went thru lolo".This is not troubleshooting this is a complete electrical rebuild ground up to include the same for the fuel system starting with a new tank lol. It was like trying to baptize a cat lol.

[lynnmor 7,307]

If you ever had the occasion to pull a triple carburetor from a snowmobile with frozen hands in order to clean out the crud from ethanol, then it would be time to invent new words.  Yes, I am talking about trips to Maine where ethanol causes havoc with back country fuel stations on the trail.  While I do use ethanol laced fuels in my tractors, I do take care to run them regularly or run them dry, something that wouldn't be necessary if it weren't for the ethanol scam.  The reasons I use it is that there aren't any stations that have it near the Mason-Dixon line and I refuse to buy fuel in over taxed PA.

[Racinbob 11,088]

I agree 100% Eric. I just filled 5-5 gallon cans with ethanol free now that mowing season is here. 4 of my 5 tractors have Kohler K's and I won't let them drink the booze. The Command Pro in my 2005 would handle it better but it still gets the no booze as well as all the other small engines here.

Edited April 28, 2022 by Racinbob

[Ed Kennell 38,209]

1 hour ago, squonk said:

. I think they are all fiberglass

Not sure about that mike unless they are some kind of special alcohol proof material..

One of the biggest problems resulting from the addition of ethanol was to the fiberglas tanks in older boats.    The gasoline and alcohol seperated with time and the resulting pure alcohol dissolved the resin in the fiberglas tanks.  The tanks leaked filling the bilge.  When the bilge pump fired, the boats exploded.     If the tanks didn't leak and the alcohol or water entered the engines, they usually blew up also.

 

Luckily the boats I owned had SST tanks when ethanol started.   I use E-10 in all my engines/motors  and never have a problem.  My go to additive is Sea Foam, and I never leave fuel in a tank for more than a couple weeks.