Base-lining a newly acquired machine. What to do now and what to wait on.

[wheelwhores 107]

All,  I have found bits and pieces of this on the forum but no central thread, so if i missed it please post it here.  I just purchased my first WH, a pretty nice C175.  That said there are enough things wrong with it (rear tires on backwards on oil all over engine block as if the cap was not put on or maybe it was overfilled so my intention this summer is to go through and do all the regular maintenance in one shot so i know where things are at.  Here is what i am planning:

• Oil change...welcome everyone's thoughts on synthetic, blend, or conventional...and preferred weight.  I live in MN and our temps vary from 100 to -30.  I will change twice a year in spring and fall.
• Transmission fluid
• Lube wheel bearings
• Lube/grease spindles on mower deck and snow blower drive.
• Add weight to all four tires

 

If there are other things to do while i have her apart for the TCL i would love to hear any and all suggestions.  Don't worry about cost.  I'll either bite the bullet if i see value or find a way to do stretching a dime. 

[ebinmaine 67,265]

Seems like you've got a decent list there already. That's good.

 

Oil has about 50 million opinions. funny thing is pretty much all of them are correct as long as you CHANGE THE OIL..

I just did a thread on Kinetix brand oil. during my research about it I learned a fair amount about zinc and phosphorus and why it should matter.

 

I'll let you read down through the thread because there's a lot of very valuable information in there but the end result of it is CHANGE YOUR OIL.

 

Transmission oil. 8 speed or hydro?

8 speed. Pretty much any 90 weight or 80w 90.

hydro. I can't really answer that because I don't have any experience in it yet.

 

Wheel studs. For the sake of your sanity and ease of installation of the rear wheels. INSTALL REAR WHEEL STUDS.

 

Change ALL the fuel line.

Pop the carburetor off and clean it out and rebuild it. Easy job.

File the points.

I don't know enough about that later model C series wiring system but double check all your grounds and it never hurts to add extra ground. Make very sure that your battery ground is going directly to the engine.

 

 

 

I'm sure I'll have more things that come to mind as others post.

 

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,032]

A search for C-175 brings up 55 results on 3 pages. Look through them all because they are in no particular order.

https://www.wheelhorseforum.com/search/?q=c-175&type=downloads_file

 

A search using the model number would narrow down the possibilities.

Somewhere in there with the OM or IPL (operator manual or illustrated parts list) are lubrication charts that may differ from the manuals but are the most recent recommendations.

 

Garry

[peter lena 8,580]

wheelwhores, agree with a lot of above feedback. my first is a 5-30 engine oil over winter and a straight 30 over warmer months. another is to wire in a battery tender  , at battery posts and run plug in line on your choke cable , for easy plug in. i use a 60 watt bulb in a 8" reflector under my engines over winter ,right under techa matic lower frame hitch , for slight engine heat , instant start. i would dielectric grease every electrical connection , pull apart, lightly sand slide in and light grease , to stop corrosion ,and ensure connection. flushing/ draining hot oil should be done , till all the milky crud stops . that really helps . i use stabil in all my fuel with no issue at all, seafoam gas treatment will help clean out the crud. is there another  horse owner in your area ? that might give you insight ?, or scare the hell out of you ! detail all your good operational points , and steadily go after the  bad areas, pete

[oliver2-44 9,679]

It seems most of the tractors I find show 40+ years of use and some or a lot of neglect.  So I've  gradually developed this list that I call my Minor Overhaul. 

I usually don't do it all at once, its more of a progressive thing as I get it running, or go deeper to get it running. 

 

Clean, de-grease pressure wash complete tractor,. Possible remove seat, seat pan and hood if tractor was filthy.

1. Install new spark plug, start tractor and check if it made a difference.

2. With tractor running spray carb cleaner around base of carb and top of carb throttle shaft to check for air leaks. (if engine speeds up there is an air leak which effects performance)

3. Check fuel pump output (with hose to carb removed , open hose should spurt gas noticeable with each pump) a weak pump can be a symptom of hard to start after sitting a while.  

4, Clean fuel tank & check shutoff valve body and check hose flow to insure tank strainer isn't partially plugged (i have found the body of the valve/strainer can get scaled up so I hand ream it with a drill bit, or just replace it)  If you pulled gas tank to clean now is a good time to clean all around transmission and notice any leaks which might indicate a transmission seal needs replacing

5. While replacing hoses   with both hoses off pump, now is a good time to spray carb cleaner into each side of pump, sort of to flush it out. (try to get ethanol resistance hose)

6. With carb still installed) Pull the bottom bowl, if its full of gunk  move to pulling carb for a full disassembly cleaning, if bowl is clean or only has a slight amount of trash pull idle and main jet needle screws and spray carb cleaner through them. (As part of pulling jet screws, count the number of turns inward they will go until they stop so you can reinstall them in the same position) 

 7.Run tractor and see if fuel system work  improved running

8. If not much improvement,  pull the tractor hood, most of this work is on the front of the engine and this make sit so much easier.  (Pull battery cable for safety)

Pull the carb and since it is off do a full disassembly cleaning.  If throttle shaft is worn (wobbles or found during air leak test, install a bushing in the recess at the top of the carb.  Kohler makes a bushing for this but they are a little hard to find in stock. I stack 2 brass thrust washer I get from ACE Hardware in all those little drawers (Hillman part#  58087) Test the throttle shaft fit and if tight hand ream very slightly with a drill bit

9. With the carb off now is the time to get to do head and valve work.

10. Pull head and decarbon head and top of piston

11. Pull valve cover and internal baffel (note position of cover and baffle as they must be reinstalled in the same vertical position to vent properly)

12. Pull valves, and clean (I decarbon them using a wire wheel on a bench grinder)

13. Check valve stem diameter for wear and install in valve guide and check for excessive wear (wiggle)

14. Lap valves and check, adjust valve clearance

15. Measure cylinder wear top, and bottom of stroke (and compare to Kohler spec sheet

16. Drain engine oil, fill with diesel or kerosene, crank engine over for a minute to wash everything inside, drain ((I jack tractor to tip it slightly to the side to  make sure all the diesel is drained out overnight), refill oil, Mobil 1  

17. Reinstall head, with new gasket torque per Kohler spec sheet now, and retorque hot, after running engine 15 or so minutes

18. With engine tins off, use an air blow gun and blow/clean behind flywheel and all cylinder cooling fins, If really dirty/grease consider pulling flywheel and cleaning under it 

19. Now is a good time to find the timing marks on the flywheel. I sand and paint the area white, then when dry use a paint pen to mark the Timing mark and TDC mark

20. file or replace points and condenser..

21. Remove starter, clean gear and gear shaft, relube with dry graphite. if tractor was filthy, disassemble starter and clean/lube per procedure in Kohler Manuel, reinstall

22  Reinstall engine tins

23. Clean or replace battery positive cable and clean or replace all ground cables 

Service Transmission 

With tractor operational, check if any seals are leaking and need replacement

Drain transmission (jack up front of tractor to make sure oil trapped in front of hump drains out

(If oil showed indications of water or excessively dirty (milky, brown or white color, or clear water) 

Fill transmission with diesel or kerosene.  Drive tractor around, or jack up and run through all the gears)

Drains transmission again being sure to jack up to drain area trapped by hump

Replace filter if a Hydro

Clean hydro coling fins and all linkage, regrease linkage, replace coling fan if missing blades 

 Refill transmission with oil.

Replace shifter boot if cracked/broken/missing

 

Tractor Body

Pull front wheels, clean and re-grease wheel bearings

Grease steering shaft fitting and gear

Spray some white lithium grease in holes under clutch and brake pedal

Replace any missing bolts and tighten where needed.

Replace any missing/worn rubber hood,seat, etc rubber bumpers 

Rebuild front hood hinge with brass bushings

 

Parts Possible Needed

Spark Plug

Air cleaner (if needed)

Fuel hose and if needed new clamps 

(optional) tank shut off valve with filter screen  and rubber tank bushing

Carb cleaner spray can

Carb base and air cleaner gasket

carb overhaul kit

If needed, fuel pump overhaul kit, or new mechanical or electric fuel pump

If carb throttle shaft is worn 2 Hillman brass washers part#  58087 (or you may decide to buy a new aftermarket carb)

Valve cover gasket, mesh filter, red rubber spacer, baffle gasket

Head gasket

Diesel or kerosene

Engine oil

Valve lapping compound and valve suction cup stick

Transmission seals

Transmission gear oil

Shifter boot

Anti-seize compound (I like to put this on head bolts and any bolts/nuts in hot area

Rubber bumpers

Hood Bushings (hillman #     brass)

Tractor drive belt

Hydro cooling fan

Dialectric grease

 

Electrical

If it works and wire terminals are not rusted/corroded, I leave it alone .

If I have to diagnose a electrical problem, I start by removing each wire, cleaning terminal with a brush in Dremel and reinstalling (use dialectric grease) one by one.  (This has cured some electrical problems without ever having to trouble shoot further)  

 

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

All I can add is congratulations and enjoy the tractor! But as always 

[wheelwhores 107]

27 minutes ago, oliver2-44 said:

It seems most of the tractors I find show 40+ years of use and some or a lot of neglect.  So I've  gradually developed this list that I call my Minor Overhaul. 

I usually don't do it all at once, its more of a progressive thing as I get it running, or go deeper to get it running. 

 

Clean, de-grease pressure wash complete tractor,. Possible remove seat, seat pan and hood if tractor was filthy.

1. Install new spark plug, start tractor and check if it made a difference.

2. With tractor running spray carb cleaner around base of carb and top of carb throttle shaft to check for air leaks. (if engine speeds up there is an air leak which effects performance)

3. Check fuel pump output (with hose to carb removed , open hose should spurt gas noticeable with each pump) a weak pump can be a symptom of hard to start after sitting a while.  

4, Clean fuel tank & check shutoff valve body and check hose flow to insure tank strainer isn't partially plugged (i have found the body of the valve/strainer can get scaled up so I hand ream it with a drill bit, or just replace it)  If you pulled gas tank to clean now is a good time to clean all around transmission and notice any leaks which might indicate a transmission seal needs replacing

5. While replacing hoses   with both hoses off pump, now is a good time to spray carb cleaner into each side of pump, sort of to flush it out. (try to get ethanol resistance hose)

6. With carb still installed) Pull the bottom bowl, if its full of gunk  move to pulling carb for a full disassembly cleaning, if bowl is clean or only has a slight amount of trash pull idle and main jet needle screws and spray carb cleaner through them. (As part of pulling jet screws, count the number of turns inward they will go until they stop so you can reinstall them in the same position) 

 7.Run tractor and see if fuel system work  improved running

8. If not much improvement,  pull the tractor hood, most of this work is on the front of the engine and this make sit so much easier.  (Pull battery cable for safety)

Pull the carb and since it is off do a full disassembly cleaning.  If throttle shaft is worn (wobbles or found during air leak test, install a bushing in the recess at the top of the carb.  Kohler makes a bushing for this but they are a little hard to find in stock. I stack 2 brass thrust washer I get from ACE Hardware in all those little drawers (Hillman part#  58087) Test the throttle shaft fit and if tight hand ream very slightly with a drill bit

9. With the carb off now is the time to get to do head and valve work.

10. Pull head and decarbon head and top of piston

11. Pull valve cover and internal baffel (note position of cover and baffle as they must be reinstalled in the same vertical position to vent properly)

12. Pull valves, and clean (I decarbon them using a wire wheel on a bench grinder)

13. Check valve stem diameter for wear and install in valve guide and check for excessive wear (wiggle)

14. Lap valves and check, adjust valve clearance

15. Measure cylinder wear top, and bottom of stroke (and compare to Kohler spec sheet

16. Drain engine oil, fill with diesel or kerosene, crank engine over for a minute to wash everything inside, drain ((I jack tractor to tip it slightly to the side to  make sure all the diesel is drained out overnight), refill oil, Mobil 1  

17. Reinstall head, with new gasket torque per Kohler spec sheet now, and retorque hot, after running engine 15 or so minutes

18. With engine tins off, use an air blow gun and blow/clean behind flywheel and all cylinder cooling fins, If really dirty/grease consider pulling flywheel and cleaning under it 

19. Now is a good time to find the timing marks on the flywheel. I sand and paint the area white, then when dry use a paint pen to mark the Timing mark and TDC mark

20. file or replace points and condenser..

21. Remove starter, clean gear and gear shaft, relube with dry graphite. if tractor was filthy, disassemble starter and clean/lube per procedure in Kohler Manuel, reinstall

22  Reinstall engine tins

23. Clean or replace battery positive cable and clean or replace all ground cables 

Service Transmission 

With tractor operational, check if any seals are leaking and need replacement

Drain transmission (jack up front of tractor to make sure oil trapped in front of hump drains out

(If oil showed indications of water or excessively dirty (milky, brown or white color, or clear water) 

Fill transmission with diesel or kerosene.  Drive tractor around, or jack up and run through all the gears)

Drains transmission again being sure to jack up to drain area trapped by hump

Replace filter if a Hydro

Clean hydro coling fins and all linkage, regrease linkage, replace coling fan if missing blades 

 Refill transmission with oil.

Replace shifter boot if cracked/broken/missing

 

Tractor Body

Pull front wheels, clean and re-grease wheel bearings

Grease steering shaft fitting and gear

Spray some white lithium grease in holes under clutch and brake pedal

Replace any missing bolts and tighten where needed.

Replace any missing/worn rubber hood,seat, etc rubber bumpers 

Rebuild front hood hinge with brass bushings

 

Parts Possible Needed

Spark Plug

Air cleaner (if needed)

Fuel hose and if needed new clamps 

(optional) tank shut off valve with filter screen  and rubber tank bushing

Carb cleaner spray can

Carb base and air cleaner gasket

carb overhaul kit

If needed, fuel pump overhaul kit, or new mechanical or electric fuel pump

If carb throttle shaft is worn 2 Hillman brass washers part#  58087 (or you may decide to buy a new aftermarket carb)

Valve cover gasket, mesh filter, red rubber spacer, baffle gasket

Head gasket

Diesel or kerosene

Engine oil

Valve lapping compound and valve suction cup stick

Transmission seals

Transmission gear oil

Shifter boot

Anti-seize compound (I like to put this on head bolts and any bolts/nuts in hot area

Rubber bumpers

Hood Bushings (hillman #     brass)

Tractor drive belt

Hydro cooling fan

Dialectric grease

 

Electrical

If it works and wire terminals are not rusted/corroded, I leave it alone .

If I have to diagnose a electrical problem, I start by removing each wire, cleaning terminal with a brush in Dremel and reinstalling (use dialectric grease) one by one.  (This has cured some electrical problems without ever having to trouble shoot further)  

 

wow this is exactly what i was hoping for from you guys...all great info!  Related to the degrease and pressure washing.  Is there anything that can't get water on it?  Obiously i would stear clear of instrument panel and air filter case/carb.

[ebinmaine 67,265]

25 minutes ago, wheelwhores said:

wow this is exactly what i was hoping for from you guys...all great info!  Related to the degrease and pressure washing.  Is there anything that can't get water on it?  Obiously i would stear clear of instrument panel and air filter case/carb.

 

 

Avoid a starter/generator and it's external voltage regulator

[oliver2-44 9,679]

Transmissions can be greasy area that need a good cleaning, so I like to tie a wrap or plastic bag around the shifters time help keep water out.  

[ohiofarmer 3,265]

 I hereby nominate Oliver2-44's checklist for a STICKY   Put it in a place of honor!