Got an old Wheel Horse!

[Platefire]

I've always been a DIY lawnmower mechanic since I was young---now I'm old ---but anyway I've  admired a Wheel Horse since seeing one for the first time about 15 or 20 years ago. I had never seen a lawnmore built so heavy duty and with extras bells and whistles you never see on other mowers at that time. I understand that Wheel Horse sold out to Troy in the late 80's and the new ones became Troy Wheel horses.

I had an opprotunity this weekend to get a free Original(before Troy) Wheel Horse so I went and picked it up. It turned out to be a 520-H. The owner said it had been sitting up a couple of years not being run. The serial and Model number is wore off the tag on the frame so it's hard to nail down exact date. I think 1987-1989??? I didn't manage to fire the engine up Monday by jumping it off with my truck plus priming the carburator and drove it a trip around the house. It appears to be pretty intact parts-wise but needs a lot of TLC. Platefire  

[Jack_Hester]

I have a 520H, but mine is a Torro-Wheelhorse, '96 model.  It's a shame that you can't get a model number or serial number from the tag.  They have a good source of parts and service manuals available for download.  Partstree.com has all the parts by the T-WH numbers.

Jack

[PRR]

> I think 1987-1989???

Youngster.

My Craftsman (Roper) is 1974. Serial number still clear. Much else is gone: hood was annoying, I'm on the second seat and at least the fourth throttle lever/cable.... also the gas-tank was gunky and the fuel-pump pooped so here is the latest mod:

[Platefire]

Jack, I've got a little more WH educated--joined a WH forum. I gave them the numbers I could read(last four) and they helped me put the rest together. It's a 1989 Model P2206-1/10540B. So it actually is a Troy before they started putting the Troy name on it. Troy bought WH out in 1986 and didn't start putting the Troy name on it until 1990. I've already got several manuals from the Troy site but still lacking a user manual but now have a source through a user group as soon as I am approved. So I'm making progress. I will post some pixs soon.

PRR-Have you been to war? Looks like you took a few hits!   I've got no room to talk. You should of seen some of my patch jobs on my old Murreys. I ran them until the decks desintegrated and all patches failed. I had two Murreys and one White out back and a guy came by and wanted them, so I gave them away because the wife had been complaining about my junk yard. Now I'm down to one Murrey, One Wheel Horse and a more modern Sears 2000.

On your Sears I see you use the same bug/spider spray I use. Very inventive--gravity flow never fails unless the line gets stopped up--best fuel pump ever. That looks like a pretty hefty 2 cylinder engine in there! There is somewhat of a great satisfaction in keeping a mower going in spite of all the odds, boy are we satisfied!! Platefire    

[Platefire]

Here is my Wheel Horse Barn Fresh!

[PRR]

> satisfaction in keeping a mower going

AND.... I got it free (when I bought this house) AND it "worked".

Supposedly it belongs to the seller's ex-wife. He called her twice to come take it, she didn't.

I had to jump the battery but that batt kept working with few jumps for another 3+ years.

It only ran at 5/8 choke and 2/3 throttle.

I tarped it the first winter. When spring came, I ordered a carb-kit and some blades. The carb was dirty, yes, but the fuel flow was not right. I blew the line and heard a pint-size clump of crud come loose in the under-seat tank. I even got the tank out and shook it. Because the tank sits low and the carb sits high, it needs a pump. The original was vacuum-driven, but was leaking suction. I hammered the rivets and it worked another couple years. Then I got an electric pump off eBay: that worked for about an hour. Frustrated in high grass, I realized the Bug-Stop had a bottom outlet and the rest was obvious (drywall screws and scrap wire).

> a pretty hefty 2 cylinder engine in there!

That was really a top-line machine.

Chrome wing-nut! Chrome air-cleaner! (The tin is rusting but that nut sure caught the camera flash.)

The PTO is electric! A car A/C clutch. That's become common but is very advanced for 1974.

The 2-lunger is rated an absurd 18 HorsePower. Now, the drive-belt and the mower belt will burn-up at 5HP each, so there's no way to get 18 horses hitched-up to loads. It is not as good a mower as my old Simplicity 10HP. However it is much smoother than the Simplicity's one-banger, smoother even than my last Murray which was 1-cyl with a reciprocating (not just rotating) balance-weight. The displacement is larger than a classic Triumph: 42CID, 690cc. The same "2 cyl L-head" base engine is still in production at B&S.

> Here is my Wheel Horse

Nice.

It still has the rock-deflector on the mower deck? Not used to seeing that.

FWIW: my neighbor accidently got a very-wrong mower. You know the strip of un-cut grass when a multi-blade mower goes around a curve? Because the blades can't hit? They can stagger over-lap going straight or left, but leave gaps going right. For 2 years John Deere made a mower where the blades DO over-lap in all conditions, by using a cog-belt to keep them from hitting. This and a deluxe suspension gives a putting-green cut, really nice. However the ground here is all rocks and chuckholes. Putting-green isn't going to happen. You can't even raise the deck enough to do imperfect ground. So the cogs rip off the belt, the blades clash, repairs are VERY costly, the machine waits behind the garage forever.... a good idea but too over-sold, too many unhappy buyers who should have got a more conventional mower, Deere gave up. Jimmi got it cheap, is into it for $200 of belt, and is trying to find someone who could actually use it.

[Jack_Hester]

Platefire -

Your model looks very much like mine.  Except yours has way more covers on it than mine.  Whenever I needed to get to something, and a cover was in the way, it came off and was stored away.  There's one grease fitting on the center blade spindle that is extremely hard to get to.  I couldn't get to mine this year.  I'm thinking something has changed about the deck.  I certainly haven't changed. 

Jack

[EL34]

When I moved away from Florida in 2001, I said I would never mow grass again.

I gave away all my mowing crap before I left

Up here in the mountains of NC I planted low growing red fescue grasses on the banks that do not need to be mowed

I have never been happier. 

[Platefire]

Doug----Different strokes for diffent Folks but to me mowing grass in kind of therapeatic. Some of lifes greatest issues can be worked out while riding a lawn mower    Honestly there are sometimes I don't want to be bothered with it but sometime I really look forward to it. 

Jack---with the covers, you must of taken the same approch as PRR on his 74 Sears--if it's in the way, chunk it. Them grease fitting are bad about swapping holes, kinda like them pistons;>/. Anyway you'll find it next year and everything will be fine & lubed.

PRR-Most all of those older Sears mowers were build heavy Duty compared to now days. On your bug spray Gas can, I was wondering how you made an adiquite line connection in the bottom, but it already had one--so that's why you used it. My next door neighbor has the "0" Turn mower---don't know what brand. I haven't graduated to such yet. The problem around my place is not rocks but roots. I have to constanly keep my hand on the deck lift handle--up and down. I've got two sets of blades and keep one sharp ready to install. Don't take long to dull! We have lots of Bahia Grass here that is tough as nails and without sharp blades, it will just beat it down and it will spring up the next day.

On my Wheelhorse is a 20 HP Onan engine. It had a great heafty sound also. Sounds different than anything I got--in a good way. Platefire

[Platefire]

Spent about 3 hours working on the WH Saturday. I wanted to run the engine to evaluate it a little. Had to do a little prep to get ready---cleaning the old air filter/filter housing, doing that discovered the carburator was loose, tightened that, then dicovered the engine was moving and checked further and found a bottom engine plate the engine was mounted on was broke. This was what was causing the problem of the main drive pully getting into a side belt cover throwing sparks. I also took the plugs out and checked them--no fouling or carbon build up pretty clean.

In spite of all that, I jumped it off with my truck. Run it for about 30 minuets riding around the yard. The transmission works good. Mowed a short path and it pretty much scalped the turf leaveing gaps between each of the three blades. The motor was running rough I think I would attribute to a dead miss--valve? plug? Ignition? It caught up one time and both cylinders were running smooth for about 30 seconds and then went back into missing. It actually runs fair on one cylinder! Seems the more I dig the issues I find. I would have to pull the engine to correct that broken engine plate.

It's evaluations time, do I want to accept this assignment? Platefire


BTW-Attached is a pix othe main dirve pully but if you look just below that you can see the broken engine mounting plate I was talkeing about.

[Platefire]

Got that old 20HP Onan engine purring now. The dead miss was the rear cylinder spark plug wire. Pulled the wire completely off the engine while it was running and it didn't effect the running, so I knew then I had found the culprit. Took the wire inside and did a continuity check with my MM--no continuity. I put my alligator clip on my red MM lead, took it out side, opened the clip, put it on the spark plug and put the 90 degree end in the coil and the engine leveled out immediatly. I rode around for a while in the yard enjoying my new found performance. Now I just need to locate a real spark plug wire. Platefire

[PRR]

> Now I just need to locate a real spark plug wire

My Honda minivan has 4 spark-wires (no coil-wire).

The replacement wire-set came with _five_ wires.

You are welcome to look in my trash, but I bet if you ask around garages you can find 1 or 2 new-surplus good and 20-50 used wires mostly-good. (When a V-8 gets 2 bad wires you replace all 8/9; also a wire that fails in a hi-compression engine may do OK in a mower.)

[Platefire]

Well PRR, I used to save all my old spark plug wires when I put new sets on but after many years of doing that and never re-using any of them, I started throwing them away. I thought for sure I would have an old set stashed somewhere but I was so thorough on my cleaning out and throwing away---nothing!

I did run into town today to my local auto parts Wix Dealer and got a new air filter with foam surround and a plug wire. So I came home, installed my parts and fired it up(jumped it off). It cranked so much easier with the other cylinder firing. I indullged myself and took several spins around the property and when I got through pulled the battery. Next time I go to town I'll get a new one. Platefire 

[cbass]

Nice lookin machine.Imiss stuff made like that.

I almost bought and old lawn boy tractor.Then I thought what the hell am idoin I've got 2 teenage boys to push a mower.

[Platefire]

We'll I'm a born tinkerer. I would rather tinker with some old tractor and do all the other stuff I need to be doing. So when I foolen around with something like this, I have to pourposely and intentionally limit myself on how much time I spend on it. The old 20HP two cylinder Onan Engine on this WH sounds different than any tractor/mower that I've ever had--got that big sound/tone. I just enjoy hearing it run. I've got quiet a bit of work to do on if before I can start mowing with it. Platefire

[PRR]

> low growing red fescue grasses on the banks that do not need to be mowed

What do I look for in store or catalog?

How low? My dog is very low-slung. She don't mind forcing her way through the 2-foot tallgrass in the rough, but if I don't mow her yard before it gets 3" tall she comes in sopping wet on the belly.

I'm running good northern mixes, blue fescue rye blends. In the sun I do get good bluegrass; in shade the rye runneth-over. It takes a dose of nitrogen and some herbicide to keep the clover, crab, and plantain from taking over again.

[cbass]

Creeping Red fescue groes very slowand kinda tends to layover when it gets longer.Around here it thrives in shadey areas  And burns up in the sun not sure how it does up north.

[jeff967]

still use both of granddaddy's old girls   

[Platefire]

So is that a Cub tractor and either a GMC or Cherolet Truck? Looks good! Grandpa would be proud!

My Wheel Horse broke a drive belt this last week. I think it also needs a Regulator/Rectifier so I've been priceing. Original Equipment RR is $94.00 and generic is about $18.00 to  $40.00. Drive belt from toro site is $28.00. Lets see   just installed a new battery for $30.00 and got a new air filter plus spark plug wire for $25.00---Gosh I believe building amps is cheaper  

[jeff967]

1200 IH cub, and a '66 chevy. part do get up there on some stuff but I think the old iron is the best!

[Platefire]

Last week my WH broke the main drive belt. Ever since then my starter would not turn over. First thing I thought was some kind of safety switch has been tripped. I've been trying stuff off and on for days trying to figure it out with no success. Finally located a schematic on the starter circuit---The PTO engage arm has a switch and the neutral gear shift position has a switch on it. Checked voltage through both switches with my multimeter and it was good. Finally traced it from the neutral switch to the relay switch and located a loose white wire close by with a connector--did a continuity test from neutral switch and sure enough got continuity---finally found the connector at the base of the relay, connected it and now it's cranking fine! I guess the belt when it broke and decentigrated must have somehow grabbed that wire loose? Anyway glad it's cranking again---just need to get a belt now. Plate