New Member (1975 Wheel Horse C-160)

[55reasons 171]

Hello, and thank you for even having this forum!

 

The first thing I ever drove, as a child, was my Dads C-160.

 

Now, 40 years later, and having just retired after 22 years in the Marine Corps, I just picked up my own.

 

I remember that tractor getting beat like a red headed stepchild and it just kept going until one day my Mom ran it all day on the property with no oil.

 

It was like a death in the family.

 

Now I have an opportunity to set it right.  Lol.

 

Anyway, I’m going to have a lot of questions to get it up to “daily driver” condition.

 

To start with, I need an ignition switch and key. 
 

www.isavetractors.com has two versions.  I called them to ask, and nobody knew, so they forwarded it to the owners voicemail and I’m not sure how long, or if ever, I’ll get a return call.

 

So along with this introductory post, I’ll ask if anyone knows if this tractor has the battery ignition or the magneto ignition?

 

1975 C-160 with Kohler K346.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by 55reasons
typos

[ebinmaine 67,508]

 

 

You have a very desirable tractor there.

Excellent choice.

 

There are many places to get those ignition switches online.

I would highly recommend getting a good quality aftermarket brand such as Cole hersee, Standard, BWD. Something like that.

I believe the Toro number is 103990. BATTERY ignition.

 

 

[55reasons 171]

1 minute ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

You have a very desirable tractor there.

Excellent choice.

 

There are many places to get those ignition switches online.

I would highly recommend getting a good quality aftermarket brand such as Cole hersee, Standard, BWD. Something like that.

I believe the Toro number is 103990. BATTERY ignition.

 

 

 

Thank you very much!

 

I’ll try to keep the rest of the questions in the right sections of the forum! 

[bottjernat1 2,190]

First off  and thank you for your service isavetractors isnt shipping anything right now i would do ebay for the ignition switch they are common and easy to find. Then look at the manual section on here look for your year click the link and download the manual or manuals. This is the best forum for your wheelhorse needs!! Thanks for joining! Here is the manuals page for you! https://www.wheelhorseforum.com/files/category/9-1973-1977/ Also check out my youtube channel I have alot of helpful hints and tricks to fixing this old iron. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRboR0C2UE6bqALxax3_h8A

Edited May 19, 2020 by bottjernat1

[ebinmaine 67,508]

I may even have a good ignition switch for that. If you want I'll take a look when I get home.

 

I was keeping two or three spares because I have a b and a C Series.

 

[55reasons 171]

You guys are already impressive!

 

Thanks a ton!

[SylvanLakeWH 25,561]

 

Nice Tractor and associated stuff!

 

Thank you for your service! 

[ebinmaine 67,508]

1 hour ago, 55reasons said:

You guys are already impressive!

 

Thanks a ton!

Don't get too excited yet. You don't know how much I want for that switch.

 

[Herder 2,354]

Thank you for your service!   and a great choice in wheel horse tractors.

[stevasaurus 22,741]

Welcome to Red Square and Thank You for your service.  You can have one of the Admins put the Marine patch in your signature if you like.

@Sparky

Also, why don't we move this thread into the Restoration Section...that way you can keep all of your questions together in the same thread.??  

[55reasons 171]

39 minutes ago, stevasaurus said:

Welcome to Red Square and Thank You for your service.  You can have one of the Admins put the Marine patch in your signature if you like.

@Sparky

Also, why don't we move this thread into the Restoration Section...that way you can keep all of your questions together in the same thread.??  

Thanks!

[55reasons 171]

44 minutes ago, Herder said:

Thank you for your service!   and a great choice in wheel horse tractors.

Well, you opened a can of worms with that photo.

 

I have so many questions.

[jay bee 897]

 to    Glad you found us.  Lots of friendly help around here just for the asking.

[WHX?? 48,815]

[tunahead72 2,412]

Hey, I'm obviously late to this party, but I just saw your thread on the mower blade, and thought it best to post here instead of crowding that thread...

 

So, welcome aboard! 

 

And, that's a really nice looking Bug in your photo, you'll make sure to tell us about it someday, right? 

 

[55reasons 171]

Ok, so......

 

I decided to invest WAY TOO MUCH time and money into restoring/upgrading my original 48” mower deck.

 

I know some people will -GASP- at this, but I figure after new spindles ($450), sandblasting and Powdercoating, ($400), and all new stainless steel hardware, rollers, etc., I’ll probably be in this deck overhaul for something in the neighborhood of $1.5k or so....

 

Here’s my issue / question:

 

The Toro dealer says I can buy a BRAND NEW 5-1012 deck (deck housing only.  None of the spindles, rollers, etc, come

with it).   That would take my total expense up to $2.7k which is a little much.

 

The remaining options are:

 

Locate a good 48” shell with no rust, or:

 

Have a new blade surround cut on a water jet, and bent to replace the existing one.  This would require cutting the tack welds out from under the deck, etc...

 

Has anyone done the latter?

 

Does anyone know where to possibly locate a CORRECT 48” deck housing?

 

Does anyone have a stash of extra deck parts laying around?

 

I could a short list (and photos) of items I need.

 

 

[WHX?? 48,815]

1 hour ago, 55reasons said:

GASP- at this

Not in a million 55 ... I'm almost ashamed to say how much I got in some of my restos. BUT you can't buy this kind of quality any more sooooo. 

Forty eights like that are around tho ..heck if you were closer I sell ya one reasonable. Spindles if the housing ain't toast can be rebuilt. 

I have rebuilt a few decks in my time and way less than what you are thinking. 

The shell is the kicker ... if rusted out that bad yep she might be scrap. 

One of my deck restos... these  here like their pics! Bet I ain't got much over 100 in this one. Older deck but principles the same.

[55reasons 171]

4 hours ago, WHX24 said:

Not in a million 55 ... I'm almost ashamed to say how much I got in some of my restos. BUT you can't buy this kind of quality any more sooooo. 

Forty eights like that are around tho ..heck if you were closer I sell ya one reasonable. Spindles if the housing ain't toast can be rebuilt. 

I have rebuilt a few decks in my time and way less than what you are thinking. 

The shell is the kicker ... if rusted out that bad yep she might be scrap. 

One of my deck restos... these  here like their pics! Bet I ain't got much over 100 in this one. Older deck but principles the same.

The spindles were completely shot and a decent attempt at sourcing blades for the roll-pin design was a complete circus.  Need to upgrade the spindles so that future blade replacements are easy to do without looking for an elusive NOS box in some dark corner of the internet.

 

I don’t know how you could build that deck for $100.  I know that it can’t be powder coated for that price, lol..

 

Replacement carriage bolts (cadmium plated or 316SS) range at $.51 per bolt, and the same for a nut, more for the locknuts.  There are about 40 of those which brings hardware cost to over $100 alone.

 

Then there are some obscure items like the bar for the tensioner pulley.  Where did you source that, or did you cut a piece of flat bar, drill and weld a bolt in for the pulley?

 

What about the urethane guides (top and bottom) for that bar?

Rubber squares?

 

Wheels and rollers?

 

...I guess that’s my question.  I’m mystified at how it can be done for something like $100 when I can’t even source quality nuts and bolts for $100, and that’s before all of the unique parts.

[55reasons 171]

Ok.  Well, it has been near impossible to find a 5-1012 deck.  (48” for my 74 C160 Auto)

 

I found one, finally, I think, but I can’t really tell, and the seller is totally unhelpful.

 

I asked if it was a 5-1012 and his response was “ok, good luck to you then”

🤷‍♂️
 

Anyway, he wants $350 for this deck, and the only thing I need is the deck SHELL, etc....

 

Can anyone tell from the ONLY photo he is willing to share, if this is a 48” deck?

 

I’m really between a rock and a hard place trying to get my hands on one as soon as possible.

 

 

Edited March 28, 2021 by 55reasons
Typos.

[ebinmaine 67,508]

I don't run any decks so have limited knowledge..  

Maybe @953 nut @pfrederi. 

could help you out. 

 

 

[55reasons 171]

Everything looks the same except one glaring difference.  My original deck does not have a roller here, nor does it have holes in the deck shell to attach that bracket.

 

 

Edited March 29, 2021 by 55reasons

[55reasons 171]

On 3/28/2021 at 9:06 PM, 55reasons said:

Everything looks the same except one glaring difference.  My original deck does not have a roller here, nor does it have holes in the deck shell to attach that bracket.

 

 

 

Well, apparently the dude decided to sell the deck, or take down the listing the same day I was supposed to pick it up.

 

He didn’t even bother to send a message.

 

Strange group of people, Wheel Horse owners can be.

[Handy Don 12,232]

16 minutes ago, 55reasons said:

 

 

Strange group of people, Wheel Horse owners can be.

Wouldn't be the first time a buyer encountered someone who knew what they were looking at and pulled back before being called on being overpriced.

[55reasons 171]

Well, back to the issue with the mower deck.

 

I finally got around to doing the repairs to the deck.

 

Dropped everything off for powdercoat today.

 

Everything except the pulley guard / cover as I’m pretty sure I’ll have to drill holes in it to fit the updated spindles.

 

Question, with the newer spindles, I understand the pulleys sit slightly higher?  Will I need to modify the cover for the pulley clearance also, or just the spindles?

 

 

[55reasons 171]