520H Followed me Home

[bds1984 1,429]

Yep, I got another.  I wasn't really planning on adding another member to the heard, but here we are.  A garage kept 1995 520H with just shy of 700 hours.  The deck is toast but everything else is very clean and the bagger functions just fine (anyone need one?).  One of the headlights had a broken terminal on it so I soldered it back on, it worked for a few seconds and now none of the lights work yet no fuses are blown.  Gotta love electrical gremlins.  Other than that, everything works great and purrs happily along.  I think I may replace the tires after I service it out and this will be my main mowing machine.  

[Pullstart 62,834]

Now that it’s off the trailer, go get that 1054!  

[davem1111 2,030]

8 hours ago, bds1984 said:

Yep, I got another.  I wasn't really planning on adding another member to the heard, but here we are.  A garage kept 1995 520H with just shy of 700 hours.  The deck is toast but everything else is very clean and the bagger functions just fine (anyone need one?).  One of the headlights had a broken terminal on it so I soldered it back on, it worked for a few seconds and now none of the lights work yet no fuses are blown.  Gotta love electrical gremlins.  Other than that, everything works great and purrs happily along.  I think I may replace the tires after I service it out and this will be my main mowing machine.  

 

 

That's got a beautiful set of hubcaps on it - I'm envious of those.  I only have to rusty rear ones at present.  And only my 312-A has the chrome muffler guard. I need to find or make a few of those. They add a lot to the look on these, in my opinion.

 

Love that seat, too.  Looks like a great tractor.   What does the deck need?  Is it a 42" with 5/8" spindle tops?  Odd that they have the double pulley on the side there - what does the rest look like?

 

[lynnmor 7,305]

1 hour ago, davem1111 said:

 

Odd that they have the double pulley on the side there - what does the rest look like?

 

 

The pulley on the side runs the bagger blower.

[bds1984 1,429]

Random update.  The culprit was the fuse block; I had never seen one as crispy as this one.  A few minutes of soldering in a new one and we're back to no electrical problems.  Everyone suspected the 9-pin connector but that looked nearly new.  After mowing the remainder of the summer it is clear I prefer the hydro, although I wish it had a dual pedal set up like a JD or Simplicity.  One issue I do not like is the fuel consumption.  Wow is she thirsty.  I can mow three/four times with my 315-8 and use as much fuel versus mowing once with the 520H.  

[RED-Z06 2,221]

11 hours ago, bds1984 said:

Random update.  The culprit was the fuse block; I had never seen one as crispy as this one.  A few minutes of soldering in a new one and we're back to no electrical problems.  Everyone suspected the 9-pin connector but that looked nearly new.  After mowing the remainder of the summer it is clear I prefer the hydro, although I wish it had a dual pedal set up like a JD or Simplicity.  One issue I do not like is the fuel consumption.  Wow is she thirsty.  I can mow three/four times with my 315-8 and use as much fuel versus mowing once with the 520H.  

Onans have a serious drinking problem and it made it worse that WH refused to address the tiny gas tank.  Other tractors with these engines had 5 to 6.5 gallons of capacity...while these were at 3 gallons.

[lynnmor 7,305]

10 hours ago, RED-Z06 said:

Onans have a serious drinking problem and it made it worse that WH refused to address the tiny gas tank.  Other tractors with these engines had 5 to 6.5 gallons of capacity...while these were at 3 gallons.

My owners manual says 9 quarts which is 2.25 gallon.  There was an auxiliary fuel tank that could be added on the rear, they turn up occasionally.

 

Maybe Wheel Horse was thinking ahead so we wouldn't have so much ethanol fuel aging in a large tank. 

[RED-Z06 2,221]

29 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

My owners manual says 9 quarts which is 2.25 gallon.  There was an auxiliary fuel tank that could be added on the rear, they turn up occasionally.

 

Maybe Wheel Horse was thinking ahead so we wouldn't have so much ethanol fuel aging in a large tank. 

My 416-H with the Onan doesn't even hold 2 gallons, i can mow about an acre on a fill up.

[Bill D 1,916]

On 2/24/2023 at 11:12 AM, bds1984 said:

Random update.  The culprit was the fuse block; I had never seen one as crispy as this one.  A few minutes of soldering in a new one and we're back to no electrical problems.  Everyone suspected the 9-pin connector but that looked nearly new.  After mowing the remainder of the summer it is clear I prefer the hydro, although I wish it had a dual pedal set up like a JD or Simplicity.  One issue I do not like is the fuel consumption.  Wow is she thirsty.  I can mow three/four times with my 315-8 and use as much fuel versus mowing once with the 520H.  

I'd recommend running a wire from the battery post on the starter solenoid to the voltage regulator.  Add a second fuse for safety.  This takes the charging load off the 9 pin. The wire can be snaked thru the wire loom of the engine wiring harness.  Use 14 gauge wire.  Also, replace all the lights with LED bulbs.  This takes additional load off the 9 pin.  The pin for the charging circuit and the pin for the battery positive are the two pins in the 9 pin connector that are most likely to burn up.  Third most likely pin to burn up is the headlight pin which also runs through the 9 pin connector.  If the connector is in great shape, clean and grease it to keep it that way.