reginab 56 #1 Posted April 20, 2021 (edited) I know others have asked this question before but can someone help me identify the date of my RJ 58 / 59 transmission please! The stamp is E2-9. The serial number on the RJ sticker is worn off. Thanks! Edited April 21, 2021 by reginab Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reginab 56 #2 Posted April 22, 2021 (edited) Is is safe to say that the transmission date of E2-9 means it was built on May 2,1959? I found a thread that showed someone that D was April but hope someone can tell me for sure please. The confusing part is that the serial number is rubbed off the paper/silver tag says 1958. Were the tags for 58 and 59 stick on and does anyone know if the serial number could have been stamped in place? It might be worth me checking the paint/frame for a transfer of the number. This also looks like there was a tag behind this one at some point in its life. Thanks! -bob Edited April 22, 2021 by reginab 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 49,157 #3 Posted April 22, 2021 Bob Our transmission expert @stevasaurus will be along to help you id it. There will me numbers cast into the transmission he is likely going to want. Pic would be best of those numbers. Yours is most likely a 5003 but not impossible to be a 5010 model. look at where the brake band mounts. Is it strait up and down or angled? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reginab 56 #4 Posted April 22, 2021 Thanks Jim! I've attached the brake band picture, the cast numbers and the engine plate for the K 91 T too! -bob 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevasaurus 22,863 #5 Posted April 22, 2021 Correct, the transmission case was cast in May 2, 1959. It is a #5003 transmission because of the brake band mount. Obviously, it would be impossible to put a 1959 transmission in a 1958 RJ at the factory. Here is how I look at it... If transmission is original, your horse was put together in 1959. I think Wheel Horse did not look at it that way. These are not Corvettes, they are Garden Tractors. The 1958 and 1959 made RJ's are identical. I think Wheel Horse looked at this like it was a 1958 RJ that they made for 2 years. So, you have a 1958 RJ that was put together in 1959. I'm not the only one that thinks this. I remember a thread from maybe 10 years ago where the guys were talking about this. When one of them said, "I have never seen a RJ 59 tag". No one has ever seen a RJ 59 tag. OH, I'm sure some have been made, but I bet they are not factory. Think about the Wheel Horse (Pond) Seniors...every one that has one wants to put a date on it, but no 2 are alike. They were made one at a time. Try dating one of the 1955,6,7 RJ's. The color of the wheel rims, either black, silver or beige is one way to distinguish...cast steering wheel and a few other things. But some of those things didn't change on January 1st. Some things changed mid-year. It wasn't until 1960, that Wheel Horse kind of got into a yearly thing, and even then, the name of the horses is incongruent. For instance...702 is an electric start. So is a 552. The 1st number is horse power, the 3rd number is year, but the middle number...5 is electric start, but so is "0" in some cases...most cases "0" means pull start / no battery. "7" is automatic transmission. Not sure what a 633 is. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reginab 56 #6 Posted April 22, 2021 Jim, Thank you for this great information and perspective on how they were put together. I was lucky enough to obtain this one last week and I'm looking forward to rebuilding it and keeping it running. This is all new to me and I'm hooked now! Thank you for your service too! -bob 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wheelhorseman 3,211 #7 Posted April 30, 2021 (edited) On 4/22/2021 at 11:27 AM, stevasaurus said: Correct, the transmission case was cast in May 2, 1959. It is a #5003 transmission because of the brake band mount. Obviously, it would be impossible to put a 1959 transmission in a 1958 RJ at the factory. Here is how I look at it... If transmission is original, your horse was put together in 1959. I think Wheel Horse did not look at it that way. These are not Corvettes, they are Garden Tractors. The 1958 and 1959 made RJ's are identical. I think Wheel Horse looked at this like it was a 1958 RJ that they made for 2 years. So, you have a 1958 RJ that was put together in 1959. I'm not the only one that thinks this. I remember a thread from maybe 10 years ago where the guys were talking about this. When one of them said, "I have never seen a RJ 59 tag". No one has ever seen a RJ 59 tag. OH, I'm sure some have been made, but I bet they are not factory. Think about the Wheel Horse (Pond) Seniors...every one that has one wants to put a date on it, but no 2 are alike. They were made one at a time. Try dating one of the 1955,6,7 RJ's. The color of the wheel rims, either black, silver or beige is one way to distinguish...cast steering wheel and a few other things. But some of those things didn't change on January 1st. Some things changed mid-year. It wasn't until 1960, that Wheel Horse kind of got into a yearly thing, and even then, the name of the horses is incongruent. For instance...702 is an electric start. So is a 552. The 1st number is horse power, the 3rd number is year, but the middle number...5 is electric start, but so is "0" in some cases...most cases "0" means pull start / no battery. "7" is automatic transmission. Not sure what a 633 is. They never made a RJ59 tag however many pieces of literture reference RJ59 along with RJ58 on old wheel horse letter head. I have 4 or 5 sheets that reference this. Edited April 30, 2021 by wheelhorseman 3 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevasaurus 22,863 #8 Posted May 2, 2021 @wheelhorseman Exactly...if they only would have put RJ-59 tags on those RJ's. RJ-59's are out there...the casting date on the transmission cases prove that. Hi Lowell...how are you doing buddy?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
