Bringing back an 854

[Handy Don 12,232]

1 hour ago, Pullstart said:

Look at the shaft of the brake drum.  The 6 speed will be on the 3 speed drum.  The 8 speed is on a different shaft

Found @stevasaurus's video and your note, it looks like the 6-speed brake drum is close to the rear axle (as it on is the 3-speed) and on the 8-speed its more toward the front of the tractor.

Do these shafts spin at different speeds/directions? Is braking performance affected? Why were 6-speeds so short-lived in production?

And finally, do I have to buy a parts tractor to get one?!

[Pullstart 62,889]

I think the last 6 speed I purchased outright, I paid more for it than a 6 speed equipped complete tractor.  With that said, I’d say look for a machine with a 6 speed in it.  

[Handy Don 12,232]

33 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

I think the last 6 speed I purchased outright, I paid more for it than a 6 speed equipped complete tractor.  With that said, I’d say look for a machine with a 6 speed in it.  

Hmm. Interesting. So a cheap '67 (or other year?) with a savable transmission seems like the way to go but it could get costly.

Tonight got under it to find that the F plate is definitely cracked. The rust really hid it until I sprayed some carb cleaner at it. Also looked in the box of bits and the mounting plate for the air cleaner is missing, though the cover is there. 

Starting to wonder if this will be a bigger project that I bargained for. Sigh.

[Pullstart 62,889]

If you decide to junk the plans…. Well… see you in PA!

[Handy Don 12,232]

13 hours ago, Pullstart said:

If you decide to junk the plans…. Well… see you in PA!

Too soon to throw in the towel, but I'm looking forward to seeing you either way. 

[AMC RULES 37,130]

When you need help,

just let me know.  

[squonk 41,118]

Take your time and find out what you need. Make a list. Plenty of parts at the big show. No sense giving up on it. Doesn't look like it really needs a lot and is easy to work on.

[Handy Don 12,232]

1 hour ago, squonk said:

Take your time and find out what you need. Make a list. Plenty of parts at the big show. No sense giving up on it. Doesn't look like it really needs a lot and is easy to work on.

Good advice thanks,

[rjg854 11,362]

They sure are a great little tractor.

Here's mine 

 

A little incentive to keep working on it, you really be happy you did.  

[Handy Don 12,232]

1 hour ago, rjg854 said:

They sure are a great little tractor.

Here's mine 

 

A little incentive to keep working on it, you really be happy you did.  

That IS a nice incentive. I got a good look at an 854 at last year's BS. It made a great impression for its size and capacity and I'm sure seeing the possibilities was in the back of my head when I saw this one for sale.

On the plus side, a friend offered me garage space to store the Lawn Ranger for as long as I need it, so today I moved it. Car back in garage, 854 in the shop, "Clyde" tucked away in the corner and snow tomorrow! Things are looking up.

[kpinnc 12,062]

3 hours ago, Handy Don said:

last year's BS

 

...wait a minute, what? 

 

Sorry, I am fighting my inner 5 year old.

 

 

Edited January 7, 2022 by kpinnc

[Handy Don 12,232]

46 minutes ago, kpinnc said:

 

...wait a minute, what? 

 

Sorry, I am fighting my inner 5 year old.

Enjoy! 

Last year I had several people make comments to me like "Wait, what? You're going to Pennsylvania for 3 days to look at old garden tractors?! Seriously?"

 

[ebinmaine 67,508]

2 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

Enjoy! 

Last year I had several people make comments to me like "Wait, what? You're going to Pennsylvania for 3 days to look at old garden tractors?! Seriously?"

 

Well. Uhh. Yeah.  

 

 

[kpinnc 12,062]

1 hour ago, Handy Don said:

Last year I had several people make comments to me like "Wait, what? You're going to Pennsylvania for 3 days to look at old garden tractors?! Seriously?"

 

Oh I love the big show. I was caught off guard by "last years BS", because it covered such a lot of possibilities. 

[Handy Don 12,232]

 

I'm kinda working along on the 854 in between other projects. Slowish going but there really isn't a deadline.

 

Anyway, it rained Thursday so I transferred the engine to a work table and went to start in on the broken (so I thought) exhaust pipe that had been knocked off while moving in in the basement.

I assumed that there was a stub of the nipple in there so I started to lightly wire wheel and then grind a bit with a Dremel looking for the tops of the block threads to emerge so I could poke out the rest. After a few minutes, I sensed something was wrong. No threads only clean metal under a lot of rust.

 

Went back to the "broken" muffler, hit the end of the nipple with a wire brush for a couple minutes and found this:

Yeah, not broken, as far as I can tell.

 

Back to the exhaust port, which now looks like this:

         

So now I'm thinking that the port threads had rusted away because the nipple wasn't all the way in (and my light grinding didn't help). Probably the muffler was only threaded in at most one or two threads. And that when it got knocked out, it broke off a thread from the block at the edge of the port. I can see the "seat" at the back of the port where the nipple should reach (or come close at least) and what looks like a chip at the rim of the port (second picture, top left of the port)

 

So I tried threading the nipple in and it does start for about ¼ turn and then hangs up. Haven't tried wrenching it in any further. At this point I'm gun-shy.

 

I'm discouraged by this. I know I didn't do much "extra" damage, but I'm not sure at all how to fix this. I'd appreciate thoughts from folks who've maybe seen this before and what course they took to salvage the engine like: @WHX??, @richmondred01 , @Oldskool, @wallfish, @squonk, @Shynon, @pfrederi, @kpinnc, @JPWH, @Achto (and anyone I forgot to mention 

 

 

 

•  

Edited March 19, 2022 by Handy Don

[wallfish 17,000]

Hmmm, never seen that before. Usually there's something left of the threads

If it doesn't just slide right into that hole then that tells me there's probably enough metal to tap new threads. I would just go with a cheap 1 inch NPT tap off Amazon. Not like you're going to use that every day

Other option would be to make a flange, drill and tap holes into the head to attach that way

[Achto 27,577]

I'm with John on this. Try running a 1" pipe tap in there or drill & tap the 2 ear spaces for a mounting flange to mount the exhaust,

[squonk 41,118]

You would think there would be some trace of threads in there. Are you sure there isn't a bunch of carbon filling the threads in?

[oliver2-44 9,755]

13 minutes ago, squonk said:

You would think there would be some trace of threads in there. Are you sure there isn't a bunch of carbon filling the threads in?

Well @WHX?? but I’m with @squonk on this one. I had one that looked smooth and there were worn but enough threads there to tap a little deeper and make it work. 

[kpinnc 12,062]

I agree with the others here: Get or make a flange and drill and tap the area around the exhaust to support it. Many old Kohlers used a flange anyway, and there should be enough material already cast for one.

 

You shouldn't have to go very deep to get enough threads to hold it. 

 

Edited March 19, 2022 by kpinnc

[JPWH 6,034]

I would try tapping with a 1" pipe tap first and if it does not work then you could proceed with mounting a flange.

[richmondred01 2,237]

27 minutes ago, JPWH said:

I would try tapping with a 1" pipe tap first and if it does not work then you could proceed with mounting a flange.

i agree. 
If you mess it up give me a call, I’ve got several wheel horse spec k181 blocks.

[sjoemie himself 3,068]

 what they said. Try a tap first and if that doesn't work go the flange route 

[Oldskool 6,644]

I agree with the guys. Try retapping it. Maybe take it to a plumber to get it retapped if you don't have the tools?

 

I can send you this if it will help you out.

[ebinmaine 67,508]

I tried to tell @Handy Don Gorilla glue would work but my advice  "didn't stick"....