What have you done to your Wheel Horse today?

[EricF 589]

The 520H has been in storage for a year and a half -- stored in a moving pod the whole time because COVID wreaked havoc on moving cross country from NH to the South Bend area and getting a house. After renting all last year, we finally moved into a house around Christmas, and then dealt with all kinds of hassles getting our stuff shipped out, apparently because the pods company's nearest location in Fort Wayne is a franchise -- not a company-owned office-- and they've got some issues. We had to go back to the east coast to move three containers worth of stuff ourselves in trucks, and the Fort Wayne location office finally accepted the last container with the tractor and all my tools and outdoor things in it. But they still wouldn't deliver it to the house like they're supposed to -- we had to go out with another truck and my trailer to load up and bring it all back. What a mess, but after a year and a half, I'll finally have some seat time soon.

 

Took off the 2-stage snowthrower while we had good weather on Saturday; had it attached for storage and shipping since it's easier to move the snowthrower with the tractor than by itself. Ignore the oil spots under the tractor -- It's sitting where my old truck parks, and the truck has a tendency to "mark its territory". 

 

 

House has a third garage bay, which will be the workshop and home for the Horse and whatever implements happen to be attached at the time.

 

 

Apparently I'm not the only one in the neighborhood with a bit of local history in the garage. Last week, one of the neighbors was airing out a gorgeous restored, Studebaker GT Hawk. Beautiful car.

 

 

Edited March 28, 2021 by EricF

[Gregor 4,846]

Since I can't find my Lawn Boy parts, and I'm sitting here waiting on parts for the 181, and parts from the stripper, and doing nothing, I replaced the cheap $14 fuel pump on the 141, with this one, suggested by another member. I didn't have a lot of faith in the other one. Not much to write home about, but it's something.

I forgot to ask. Do you use tape on fuel lines? The only reason I do is because I saw Taryl Dactl do it. I don't know if it stands up to gas or not.

Edited March 28, 2021 by Gregor

[lynnmor 7,308]

1 hour ago, Gregor said:

Do you use tape on fuel lines? The only reason I do is because I saw Taryl Dactl do it. I don't know if it stands up to gas or not.

I use Teflon tape on the threaded fittings with no problem, be careful to not add it to the end of the threads to keep it from getting shreds in the gas.  I see you have fuel filters before and after the pump.

[OldWorkHorse 3,045]

Its raining out so cant paint, so started making couple tie rods for the 1257Heavy. 

[Ed Kennell 38,227]

Looks like a good way to add some weight to the front end.     

[ebinmaine 67,628]

2 hours ago, OldWorkHorse said:

Its raining out so cant paint, so started making couple tie rods for the 1257Heavy. 

Nice work mistah. 

Align the piece in the drill press ok??

 

[Pullstart 62,912]

Working on the Xi...

 

 

[OldWorkHorse 3,045]

22 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Nice work mistah. 

Align the piece in the drill press ok??

 

Yeah drilled like buttah, that hex shape really helps! Also unique and looks awesome probly adds like 2hp!

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

End of last mowing season I thought..." Gee, that mower deck don't sound too good... must have a bad bearing.. "   So I investigated today.

 

Turns out that the idler pulley was rubbing on the deck because the plastic bushings were shot and the idler support bar all worn out.

 

Got a new bar coming from Brian.  I had a couple of the bushings and plastic washers I bought a few years ago 'in stock'.  Lucky I found them!  (But Brian has those too...)

 

Last week I painted  the rear wheels that I got from Lincoln with the first coat.  Ya know how you always mess up that nice new paint job when you mount the tires?  Well, I had what I thought a clever idea.  I mounted the tires before the second coat.  I then recycled some brown packing paper material and masked the entire-tire.  Now I can do the second coat and touch up the boogered areas without having to 'hang' the wheels.  I can just roll 'em around to paint them!   Should work out nice.  When paint cures I'll air them up and should be good t o go.

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,628]

Trina and I took a trip up to Augusta today to have our friend help us with a few metal working projects. 

 

Here's pics of the plow blade (skid steer blade) I got from the jungle site. 

 

This is HARD metal. 

 

Our friend has been at this job doing commercial truck building and repair for decades. Never seen the Piranha metal puncher smash a bit. 

 

This is the scrap bucket...

 

Here's the machine. 

 

 

 

 

We ended up using a plasma cutter to start the holes and air tools to finish to size. 

 

[peter lena 8,634]

tech-a-maticdropped two plows today , heating up mower deck in the sun , after check over to install , do that tomorrow and install the other deck , then , do a rotella o/c , 30 wt  on the last one before hooking up deck. upper 60,s today , nice warming sun . long range weather calls for a much hotter longer summer , hope we get some rain with that heat , pete 

[peter lena 8,634]

tractorhead  , why not put a ball hitch on the lower flat bar ? since changing over all 3 of mine , with matching quick release receiver cup , I regularly quickly and easily swap attachments without a lifting issue . also like your synthetic decking on the trailer , bombproof stuff, and zero maintenance, good idea pete 

[peter lena 8,634]

oldworkhorse, like the tye rod make up, been using heim joints for years on any movement point, with zero  maintenance failures. like , pto lever rod, clutch linkage, snow plow lever swing arm , steering quadrant , makes any unstable swing point a very smooth and solid movement point , why not improve a problem area ? pete 

[AMC RULES 37,130]

14 hours ago, OldWorkHorse said:

Its raining out so cant paint, so started making couple tie rods for the 1257Heavy. 

 

 Definitely wanting a set of those! 👍👍

[OldWorkHorse 3,045]

2 minutes ago, peter lena said:

 why not improve a problem area ? pete 

For sure it's a quick simple fix! They seem to move much more freely then the stock tie rods plus ones that were on this 1257 are about 50+ years old and the socket was badly worn. So figured I'd seen alot of people upgrade the stock tie rods don't think I'll have to worrie about these anytime soon

[peter lena 8,634]

tech-a-maticdropped two plows today , heating up mower deck in the sun , after check over to install , do that tomorrow and install the other deck , then , do a rotella o/c , 30 wt  on the last one before hooking up deck. upper 60,s today , nice warming sun . long range weather calls for a much hotter longer summer , hope we get some rain with that heat , pete 

[OldWorkHorse 3,045]

1 minute ago, AMC RULES said:

 

 Definitely wanting a set of those! 👍👍

This my 1st time attempting them but I think each tie rod with 7/8 hex and 2 7/16x20 heim joints cost me $20? Not a bad investment of I say so. 

[peter lena 8,634]

oldworkhorse, 

improvement areas, note elastic lock nut on left, 2 bolt steering flange bearing , in addition to grounding additions as well as heim jiont , quick battery tender plug in , just changing things that were a pita , to a non issue , pete 

[OldWorkHorse 3,045]

4 minutes ago, peter lena said:

oldworkhorse, 

improvement areas, note elastic lock nut on left, 2 bolt steering flange bearing , in addition to grounding additions as well as heim jiont , quick battery tender plug in , just changing things that were a pita , to a non issue , pete 

I actually stumbled onto thst post yesterday! Great idea! Thsnk you

[AMC RULES 37,130]

10 minutes ago, OldWorkHorse said:

This my 1st time attempting them but I think each tie rod with 7/8 hex and 2 7/16x20 heim joints cost me $20? Not a bad investment of I say so. 

Sign me up please!

[Pullstart 62,912]

@peter lena if you type “@“ then start typing a name, you could tag the person you mention, without just hoping they’ll see it.  

[OldWorkHorse 3,045]

Just now, AMC RULES said:

Sign me up please!

For sure my 1st attempt so let me make sure my math works and the tie rods work dnt wanna mail paper weights lol 

[AMC RULES 37,130]

Perfect for my W-H snow blower application.  

[peter lena 8,634]

oldworkhorse, first picture , note the horizontal stack of washers coming from under the ground rail ? is your pto lever handle sloppy ?, there is your fix ! there is at least 3/8" of play on that set up , found that eliminating that play , with teflon and steel washers and lubrication , makes it work with a solid smoothness , that combined with the heim joint end , makes it work  ridiculously easy. that ground rail is also the point to ground cable to the corner of your engine block, 4 ga cable , insuring your dash area electrical flow, pete 

[OldWorkHorse 3,045]

3 minutes ago, peter lena said:

oldworkhorse, first picture , note the horizontal stack of washers coming from under the ground rail ? is your pto lever handle sloppy ?, there is your fix ! 

For sure my 314 does have some play when engaging the pto and that heim joint on the end looks like a big improvement over the stock rod end. Once get this project done my 314 going to get a second overhaul new axles seals and gonna try tightening up the pto with this idea!