What have you done to your Wheel Horse today?

[kpinnc 12,910]

12 hours ago, Red Stallion said:

Might actually get around to using it in 2025!

 

An Onan P220 in the high temps of the land down under! 

 

Now that is a survival story if there ever was one! 

 

@Red Stallion- the cylinder closest to the driver on that engine has put many of those engines on the scrap heap. Many believe it has to do with restricted air flow over the back cylinder due to the Wheel Horse belt guard and mount bracket. As such, you'll find all sorts of modifications here for opening the belt guard to allow the air to flow better. Just something to consider...

 

But- you should make sure that you keep those cooling fins clean as has been said already. You should also ensure you always keep the oil filter grommet in place. 

 

Onan oil filter grommet

 

In other words, everything you can possibly do to keep that rear cylinder cool is massively beneficial to that particular engine. 

 

Good luck, and welcome to the sickness! 

Edited January 14 by kpinnc

[rjg854 11,630]

  @Red Stallion  I wonder how they drove that tractor across the ocean     Just how many hours are on that rig  

[kpinnc 12,910]

1 hour ago, rjg854 said:

wonder how they drove that tractor across the ocean  

 

 

[ebinmaine 69,275]

3 minutes ago, kpinnc said:

 

 

 

 

Me 🐻  was gonna go with big flotation tires but I like your answer much much better

[Red Stallion 66]

8 hours ago, kpinnc said:

 

An Onan P220 in the high temps of the land down under! 

 

Now that is a survival story if there ever was one! 

 

@Red Stallion- the cylinder closest to the driver on that engine has put many of those engines on the scrap heap. Many believe it has to do with restricted air flow over the back cylinder due to the Wheel Horse belt guard and mount bracket. As such, you'll find all sorts of modifications here for opening the belt guard to allow the air to flow better. Just something to consider...

 

But- you should make sure that you keep those cooling fins clean as has been said already. You should also ensure you always keep the oil filter grommet in place. 

 

Onan oil filter grommet

 

In other words, everything you can possibly do to keep that rear cylinder cool is massively beneficial to that particular engine. 

 

Good luck, and welcome to the sickness! 

 

Started having a poke arounnd for the gasket, but doesn't look like anyone stocks them in Australia, which is annoyong to say the least!

 

I've been looking at people's belt guard mod, and looks like I finally get to fire up the mill again to cut some slots! Any excuse to justify buying the toy.

[lynnmor 7,445]

7 minutes ago, Red Stallion said:

 

Started having a poke around for the gasket, but doesn't look like anyone stocks them in Australia, which is annoying to say the least!

 

I've been looking at people's belt guard mod, and looks like I finally get to fire up the mill again to cut some slots! Any excuse to justify buying the toy.

https://onanparts.com/ should have the parts, if you can get them shipped in a reasonable amount of time and for a reasonable cost.  At least you can find the Onan part numbers so you can search locally.

 

I have four 20 HP Onan tractors and see no reason to vent the guard, but I am in the minority here.  The flywheel is very large on these engines and will push the air thru just fine.  Just keep the fins clean and the gasket around the oil filter in place.  I use only Onan 122-0800 or Fleetguard LF3339 oil filters so that the gasket fits and I know that the proper filter is used.  Always run the engine at 3600 RPM when it is working hard, lower speed pushes less air.

[Red Stallion 66]

14 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

https://onanparts.com/ should have the parts, if you can get them shipped in a reasonable amount of time and for a reasonable cost.  At least you can find the Onan part numbers so you can search locally.

 

I have four 20 HP Onan tractors and see no reason to vent the guard, but I am in the minority here.  The flywheel is very large on these engines and will push the air thru just fine.  Just keep the fins clean and the gasket around the oil filter in place.  I use only Onan 122-0800 or Fleetguard LF3339 oil filters so that the gasket fits and I know that the proper filter is used.  Always run the engine at 3600 RPM when it is working hard, lower speed pushes less air.

$75 for shipping $10 worth of parts!

Welcome to Australia!

 

I'll keep looking around online, but most of my spares I'm buying through eBay, but even for this part it's only stocked in the US so far. Luckily I'm not in a rush.

[Handy Don 12,872]

25 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

but I am in the minority here

Two of us, at least. 😄

[Ed Kennell 39,449]

16 minutes ago, Red Stallion said:

$75 for shipping $10 worth of parts!

Make yer own mate.   A strip of 1/2" pipe insulation works.

 

I vented my belt guard.   Don't know if it helped, but I'm sure it didn't hurt.    It did make it easy to collect all that heat with a houser and pump it into my warm cab.

Edited January 14 by Ed Kennell

[lynnmor 7,445]

16 minutes ago, Red Stallion said:

$75 for shipping $10 worth of parts!

Welcome to Australia!

 

I'll keep looking around online, but most of my spares I'm buying through eBay, but even for this part it's only stocked in the US so far. Luckily I'm not in a rush.

I tried Cummins from this end but it may have just looped right back to this side of the pond.  https://www.cummins.com/en/au/cummins-australia

 

I guess that you are looking for 122-0502 and 122-0771.

[kpinnc 12,910]

1 hour ago, Red Stallion said:

Started having a poke arounnd for the gasket, but doesn't look like anyone stocks them in Australia, which is annoyong to say the least!

 

Check ebay as well. 

[kpinnc 12,910]

21 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

 

I vented my belt guard.

 

Heck I nearly cut mine in half! 

 

Can't verify it worked, but it sure seems like it. 

 

I have an old Toro Groundsmaster with a P220 in it with well over 3000 hours on it. But it has a remote oil cooler on it. I've often considered transplanting it to the Wheel Horse, but just never gone through with it. 

 

Edited January 14 by kpinnc

[Lee1977 6,895]

I cut my belt guard in two, you don't need it on a hydro like you do on an 8 speed.

[kpinnc 12,910]

V twins don't have this issue... 

 

Edited January 15 by kpinnc

[Red Stallion 66]

Helps when you can cut the lawn in 2/3rds of the time!

[8ntruck 7,217]

@kpinnc - what kind of V twinning is that?  I'm thinking ahead for a replacement of the KT19 in my C-195.  I've not got a good feeling about it - hopefully I'm wrong, though.

[JCM 9,776]

9 hours ago, Lee1977 said:

I cut my belt guard in two, you don't need it on a hydro like you do on an 8 speed.

Very nice first Gen 520-H  @Lee1977   

[Red Stallion 66]

On 1/14/2025 at 3:21 PM, Handy Don said:

Just to avoid any misunderstanding, @Ed Kennell’s word “tins” is referring to the metal shrouds on the engine, not the metalwork of the tractor body. It is no picnic removing and then remounting them on the Onans (enjoy the, but DON’T drop, the one bolt underneath the ignition coil, or the two bolts that are reached up through holes in the engine mounting plate on the flywheel side, and also disconnecting/reconnecting the fuel pump pulse feed hose 😄) but it is an absolute must for a new-to-you tractor to check for obstructions and oil filter seal leakage.

Do you mean these two bits that look like heat shields? Should I remove them completely, plus cut some speed holes in the belt guard?

[lynnmor 7,445]

1 hour ago, Red Stallion said:

Do you mean these two bits that look like heat shields? Should I remove them completely, plus cut some speed holes in the belt guard?

The one on the left is easy, it is a separate piece.  The one on the right is part of the shroud on the opposite side.  To remove the shroud, there are two bolts on the bottom that are accessed thru holes in the mounting plate, another bolt is in the ignition coil area, the rest are easy and not a problem.  Yes, it isn't an easy job but it rarely needs done IF you stop all oil leaks.

[kpinnc 12,910]

8 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

@kpinnc - what kind of V twinning is that?  I'm thinking ahead for a replacement of the KT19 in my C-195.  I've not got a good feeling about it - hopefully I'm wrong, though.

 

Vanguard 23hp. I also have a repower machine with a 14hp. 

[Ed Kennell 39,449]

11 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

The one on the left is easy, it is a separate piece.

Yes these thin metal engine shrouds are the "tins" that should  removed to effectively clean the cooling fins and to inspect and repair any oil leaks.    The fins on the left although dirty, do look dry.   There does appear to be a leak on the right.

As we all know, removing and installing all the engine tins is not easy, but it is necessary to properly maintain the engine.   This is also the time to remove the heads and decarbon the combustion chamber and adjust the valves.  Again,   I also stress this is the time be sure there is no oil seeping from the oil filter base plate.  This is in a critical location where any leaking oil is blown across the rear cooling fins causing the sticky mess that attracts the grass clippings that clog the fins.

[kpinnc 12,910]

1 hour ago, Ed Kennell said:

As we all know, removing and installing all the engine tins is not easy, but it is necessary to properly maintain the engine. 

 

I added a "peep hole" on my Onan just to make sure I could inspect the fins without removing all the tins. I just added snap-in plastic plugs to ensure airflow wasn't lost. Worked very well just to inspect between disassembly and cleaning. 

 

The hole is large enough to allow a compressed air nozzle to pass if debris needs removal in a pinch. 

 

@Red Stallion

 

All of this may seem a bit like overkill, but a good running Onan is worth the trouble. This is especially true if the machine will be mowing in hot weather. The Onan has massive air flow near the nose of the cutting deck and left wheel, and tends to ingest blown clippings regularly. 

 

But you can see the theme here: protect the cooling of the rear cylinder as much as possible. We'll never have confirmed test results, but every little bit helps to ensure you get more life from that engine. My 520-H carried a 60 inch deck in the hot humid summers I live in for several years without issue, and this engine was around 1,000 hours on the clock as well. 

 

Edited January 15 by kpinnc

[Ed Kennell 39,449]

53 minutes ago, kpinnc said:

 

I added a "peep hole" on my Onan

What a great idea.   If my engine tins ever need to come off,  several peep/cleanout holes will be punched.

[kpinnc 12,910]

29 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

What a great idea. 

 

Thank you!

 

Just wanted to have a way to lower my anxiety levels in July/August. You can purchase any number of plastic snap plug sizes on the Jungle site. 

[Handy Don 12,872]

2 hours ago, kpinnc said:

I added a "peep hole" on my Onan just to make sure I could inspect the fins without removing all the tins. I just added snap-in plastic plugs to ensure airflow wasn't lost. Worked very well just to inspect between disassembly and cleaning. 

 

The hole is large enough to allow a compressed air nozzle to pass if debris needs removal in a pinch. 

 

1 hour ago, Ed Kennell said:

What a great idea.   If my engine tins ever need to come off,  several peep/cleanout holes will be punched.

 

One of the reasons I wanted a good endoscope was to be able to get a good look in there without disassembly. I’d envisioned going in from the PTO side but adding the peepholes is brilliant both for inspection and cleaning. 

Maybe I should bring it to the Big Show and hand out an “Onan Fin Inspection” shingle!