What have you done to your Wheel Horse today?

[ebinmaine 67,540]

4 minutes ago, KrazeyOlDave said:

bling

Those black valve caps are wicked cute!!

[KrazeyOlDave 860]

48 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Those black valve caps are wicked cute!!

Thanks brother, I’m trying to get a larger quantity for a better selling price. As it is, I’m having to charge $25 shipped, that’s a bit steep for 4 caps and a keychain.

Edited June 14, 2021 by KrazeyOlDave

[8ntruck 7,010]

Did some trailer work with No Name today.  Moved the empty pontoon trailer into the summer parking spot, then got the Sears utility trailer to move the Jeep's summer shoes out of the shed, and move its winter boots back to the shed after changing them.  Figured we are safe from snow now, and the anti-snow insurance is no longer needed.  

 

Blew the accumulated dust off of the carb, battery, and fuel line while the little portable compressor was out and charged as well.

 

Current pet peeve - the plastic 3 gallon marine gas tank that came with the pontoon.  In the sunshine, it heats up and turns into a sphere.  When it cools off, it looks like an hour glass.  I don't find this comforting, remembering the old Johnson and Evenrude metal tanks.  Trying a new tactic with it this year.  While the boat is parked, I have loosened the gas cap about 1/2 turn, just enough to vent it so it can 'breathe'.  We will see how that works.

Edited June 14, 2021 by 8ntruck

[ebinmaine 67,540]

5 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

Current pet peeve - the plastic 3 gallon marine gas tank that came with the pontoon.  In the sunshine, it heats up and turns into a sphere.  When it cools off, it looks like an hour glass.  I don't find this comforting, remembering the old Johnson and Evenrude metal tanks.  Trying a new tactic with it this year.  While the boat is parked, I have loosened the gas cap about 1/2 turn, just enough to vent it so it can 'breathe'.  We will see how that works

We have several of the modern non vented fuel tanks here. 

They do the same. 

I bought some vent kits off the jungle site that arrived a few days ago. Haven't installed them yet but they look like they'll work to reduce that ballooning tendency. I'll just leave the vent open unless transporting the tank.  

[lynnmor 7,307]

55 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

I bought some vent kits off the jungle site that arrived a few days ago. Haven't installed them yet but they look like they'll work to reduce that ballooning tendency. I'll just leave the vent open unless transporting the tank.  

 

If you have ethanol laced fuel, never leave it exposed to the atmosphere because it will pull moisture out of the air.  I use the EZ_POUR vents and spouts with good success by just keeping the cans out of the sun.

[ebinmaine 67,540]

Just now, lynnmor said:

 

If you have ethanol laced fuel, never leave it exposed to the atmosphere because it will pull moisture out of the air.  I use the EZ_POUR vents and spouts with good success by just keeping the cans out of the sun.

No ethanol goes in any of our small engines. Good point for others to keep in mind.

 

I use those same cans with the push button pour spout but even though we keep them out of direct sunlight they still balloon up. Not as much. But they still do it.

 

We've gotten into the habit recently of leaving the poor spout cap just sitting on the can. That stops the expansion and contraction of the container itself but it's only going to be a matter of time before I forget that and dump gas out where I didn't really want it...

You would know that happens because you'd be able to hear the colorful language all the way at your place. 

[Maxwell-8 4,276]

27 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

even though we keep them out of direct sunlight they still balloon up.

I Always dent my gas cans in before closing them up. Don't like the look of ballooning gas cans Makes me think an explosion is on it's way.

[Ed Kennell 38,188]

9 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

  In the sunshine, it heats up and turns into a sphere. 

It helps if you can keep the tanks full.   Temperature change does not affect liquid volume as it does a gas.

[Shed 248]

I always thought it was just the ethanol in the fuel that hurt the motors that just bring water and drys the rubber it's the other stuff they put in there that really gums up the fuel in stuff that sits. For anything that's going to sit for time on end like over winter I buy that per made fuel and dump all the fuel out of what ever like the weed Wacker or hedge trimmer and pour some of the pre made expensive stuff and let it run a little then store it. Seems to be the best. But like my chainsaws I cut wood daily they just get what ever. 5 gallons of fuel mix doesn't last long for my saw. 

 

I know that pre made fuels expensive but I only put that in the rjs because they sit and least it keeps everything wet and that fuel lasts 3 years before it goes bad. My house back up generator has that in it only too. And the stuff smells like race fuel burning 

[bigcreek 205]

Nice wood lot, running that much saw fuel, how do you keep up with your chains? We heat with wood and i have hard time keeping chains sharp 

[Maxwell-8 4,276]

4 minutes ago, bigcreek said:

Nice wood lot, running that much saw fuel, how do you keep up with your chains? We heat with wood and i have hard time keeping chains sharp 

Avoid hitting the ground. Protip. Use Bar and chainoil, not used motoroil  My square tooth chains last a long time, but I avoid the ground or dirty wood

Edited June 14, 2021 by Maxwell-8

[Shed 248]

I have about 14 chains on cycle and 10 in the box new. And 2 bars on backup. I sharpen a lot. Full chisel 3/8th chain. I do use bar oil never used motor oil too. But one log I was cutting I went through 3 chains in 15mins there was so much metal inside, steel cable spikes you name it. I use a husky 372 with a 20 and try to keep from hitting dirt bit if it's in the wood you'll find it. 

The wood trailers a little to heavy for the wheel horse and the splitter is to high to hitch so can't pull with them. 

 

That piles only half of what I have. I burn ae year round with out door stove 

[bigcreek 205]

Yes those out door stoves heat a lot 

we rent this place here it has fireplace and wood stove

For saws i run a mix, Echo 590c Husky 450 but i love older Poulan the Made in America saws. have a Poulan 3400, or two actually and a 361. 

All my wood i get for free so makes it nice. and i love playing chainsaw 

 

[ebinmaine 67,540]

1 hour ago, Shed said:

splitter is to high to hitch

Trina and I do all of our cutting and splitting out in the forest because we find it's easier to bring the splitter close to the tree after it's been felled.

 

I had the same issue with the splitter being too tall for a Wheelhorse. I can't get any bigger equipment into my Forest unless I build a much wider bridge over an Old logging twitch trail that is filled with rotting corduroy logs and mud and muck. About 25 or 30 ft long.

 

I went and got a drop hitch and flipped it upside down so I could pull our beast of a splitter out into the forest. 

 

[squonk 41,130]

4 hours ago, Shed said:

I always thought it was just the ethanol in the fuel that hurt the motors that just bring water and drys the rubber it's the other stuff they put in there that really gums up the fuel in stuff that sits. For anything that's going to sit for time on end like over winter I buy that per made fuel and dump all the fuel out of what ever like the weed Wacker or hedge trimmer and pour some of the pre made expensive stuff and let it run a little then store it. Seems to be the best. But like my chainsaws I cut wood daily they just get what ever. 5 gallons of fuel mix doesn't last long for my saw. 

 

I know that pre made fuels expensive but I only put that in the rjs because they sit and least it keeps everything wet and that fuel lasts 3 years before it goes bad. My house back up generator has that in it only too. And the stuff smells like race fuel burning 

 

I use the VP 94 octane. It smells like Cam2 when it burns! 

[Shed 248]

5 hours ago, bigcreek said:

Yes those out door stoves heat a lot 

we rent this place here it has fireplace and wood stove

For saws i run a mix, Echo 590c Husky 450 but i love older Poulan the Made in America saws. have a Poulan 3400, or two actually and a 361. 

All my wood i get for free so makes it nice. and i love playing chainsaw 

 

Free wood is great I burn 90 percent pine 

 

And all chainsaws are fun 

[Pullstart 62,904]

5 o clock traffic in Pullstart Stables...  shuffling things around gets other things jammed up quick!

 

 

[Daron1965 644]

34 minutes ago, pullstart said:

5 o clock traffic in Pullstart Stables...  shuffling things around gets other things jammed up quick!

 

 

Time for more stables.   A good problem.

[Pullstart 62,904]

I changed the oil and flushed the system in the FEL before it’s Big Show departure.  I can’t believe it’ll be leaving to another member... and my new FEL isn’t complete!
 

 

[johnnymag3 2,520]

To make room for the new the old have to go......Its all good !!!!

[Wheel Horse 3D 3,795]

Still prepping Dug..got the wheel weight hubcaps done, but made a mis calculation in the depth or diameter

Either way it came out even better with teeth that adjust for tightness and depth.and the cap sits INSIDE the weight.

The plastic provides the spring. Went ahead and painted the front bearing caps red too. Ill put those on once they dry.

Edited June 15, 2021 by Wheel Horse 3D

[D_Mac 8,619]

As long as we are talking hub caps, I ordered a set for the trailer. They didn't fit on the trailer wheels. I might have got them to go on with some cutting and grinding but I chose to just put them on the fronts of the 857. Have I mentioned how much I like that little tractor?

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

I know some of you think that I have vanished into thin air but my new ministry (job/work/calling) has me doing LOTS of traveling.  I do lurk and follow what is going on here but I haven’t done much  related in the several months.  That changed today...

Kelli’s raspberry patch is about 12 years old and just kinda unruly.  So, my buddy Zach and I, decided to open up a new bed.

We grabbed Kelli’s Big Red and @Coulter Caleb‘s Comanche (854) to do the work.  I hooked up the 8” Sod Bottom (love the new stickers from @Vinylguy) 

This is the area that Kelli wanted them and so I got to work. The ground is a sandy loam mix but we haven’t had much for rain here lately and it plowed in big slabs of sod.

Not the prettiest job of plowing I’ve ever done but it did exactly what I needed it to do.

Love this action shot that Zach captured😎

After breaking everything, we used the old walk behind Troy-bilt tiller to grind it down and lots of rake work to separate out the weeds and grass.

Finally, I had Zach drive back and forth across it to pack it down some before the transplant would take place.

Zach was very hands on throughout this project.  I was not only glad to have his help but also have him doing something that is productive, for the mind and body!

there’s a happy young man—played in the dirt and got the opportunity to drive several of his favorite brand of tractors around.  

All in days work!

[Tractorhead 9,064]

Great Pictures of a proud young man after great Work, he can be proud of.

 

👍

[Snoopy11 5,714]

Howdy guys!

 

So, after a long build on my Duromax engine, I have it on the tractor. I used a 65 inch belt made my own top-plate and belt stops on the motor housing. I ground down the cam, bored out the wrist pin section of the billet rod. I installed stainless pushrods. I had to use my die grinder to grind down part of the block inside the motor so the rod would rotate. I fabricated my own air intake. I custom made an adapter for my header pipe on the exhaust. Obviously, I attached my throttle cable. The Billet rod I went with is +.045 which took some 'doing' to make work.

 

Here is the deal with the Billet rods on Duromax engines. If you do not have a die grinder, you cannot get a predator 420 rod to work in a Duromax 457. The wrist pin of the Duromax is slightly larger than that of a predator engine... so you have to grind out the inside of the rod to get the Duromax wrist pin to fit. The crankshaft journal fits just fine. The other thing is the cam. Not only do you have to grind down the cam between the lobes... you also have to grind part of the outside of the rod... very slightly because you have to have .080 clearance between the rod and cam. Again, my rotary die grinder got to do some work on this build.

 

After speaking with ARC racing about this build, ARC told me that they dyno tested an engine that is comparable to mine, and it made 51 horsepower.

Whether my engine is making that kind of power is up for debate... but it is making well over 40 hp.

 

I will say, this motor growls like a hellion. It sounds WAY different than my Tillotson 25 horse engines. The Duromax engine literally sounds like a coyote 5.0. It really isn't as jerky as you would think with this much power. As long as you release the clutch slowly and give it a little throttle, it is actually really smooth... although when you even slightly mash the throttle... it rips.

 

I did go with Mobil 1 oil for this motor, as I do with all my high power builds. Absolutely no oil is going by the breather, so that tells you what a good build this is.

 

Aside from working on the engine, I also got some lights for the '67. These are lithium battery powered lights (since my engine does not have a charge coil, I went with some called Victagen). These lights are very bright and can last many hours without needing a charge. I am very happy with them.

 

 

Don

 

Edited June 16, 2021 by Snoopy11
added pictures