This RJ turned up at the workshop today

[Ian 2,417]

 

Really moving on with the RJ rebuild now, the frame has been cleaned up, primered and the underside has been top coated hence why the frame is on it's side

 

 

 

Is this strange two part valve arrangement a USA thing?  We had never seen it before!

It turns out that the strange two part valve is to make it easier to ballast the tyres. Thank you Evanloock on RS for the answer

 

 

 

 

 

Top coat time,

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile I find this old WH rear wheel with bolts welded through from the outside (not by me I should add)... 

 

 

 

Makes a perfect tool to hole the RJ's front wheel for a clean up.  Note the crack in the paint...

 

 

 

Well, the crack is actually in filler!!   Someone did like the ol bondo in the past!

 

 

 

And to bring this build thread up to date, lot's of freshly painted panels and parts

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ian 2,417]

Yesterday the little RJ started going back together, lift cable first followed by the engine.

 

 

 

I put a couple of bit's of inner tube on the frame before dropping the engine on.. It makes it easy to line the bolt holes up and stops the frame getting scratched while moving the engine about.

 

 

 

Cleaning out the grease nipples in a little petrol

 

 

 

Pulleys and drive belts on.

 

 

 

Front axle and steering on.

 

 

 

The crowning moment..... The tank isn't fixed under the hood yet, but we just had to have a look

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not much left to do, the paint for the wheels and the fuel tank sealant should arrive tomorrow, and I need to sort the carb out now the rebuild kit has arrived..

[slf-uk 914]

It looks absolutely fabulous Ian, you are doing a great job. Are you using spraying with cellulose?

 

Iain

[Ian 2,417]

On 15/02/2017 at 5:18 PM, slf-uk said:

It looks absolutely fabulous Ian, you are doing a great job. Are you using spraying with cellulose?

 

Iain

 

Thanks Iain, it was painted with enamel.

 

 

Neil's RJ is so close to being done I can almost taste the first test drive

 

A few detail jobs, the points cover was missing a gasket so I had to make one...

 

 

 

The exhaust was missing a clamp and little doo dat that clamps between the exhaust and frame... Sorted

 

 

 

The foot pegs didn't have the optional? foot rest thingys (I don't even know if RJ's could be ordered with them?) so Nigel put some rubber shrink wrap stuff over the pegs to give a bit of grip and stop the paint wearing away.

 

 

 

Sorry Neil, a change of plan for the wheels... We thought gold would look much better and Nigel had all these cans of wheel paint kicking around you see..........

 

 

 

Only kidding

 

 

 

A second coat is needed at this point.. As is first coating the other side

 

 

 

Wheels second coated and bolted back on...... I can't help but grin every time I look at the RJ

 

 

 

[neil 524]

Looks like I need to book a trip to Kent very soon & maybe catch a bit of sight seeing at the same time .

quick favour chaps , had a little thought , instead of sticking the decals on is it possible to stick the decals to a piece of magnetic paper ,so that I can just flip them on and off , if that makes sense .

amazing job chaps, you should be very proud of yourselves , top draw .

[Ian 2,417]

Some machines just like to fight you, and the RJ has picked the very last stage to er.. Pick a fight!

 

With the fuel tank sealed up inside and painted, and the carb passing the leak test before it was installed the time had come to fire the RJ up and have a drive/adjust the shifter linkage..

I'm not sure if he didn't like coming off the bench or is just scared of being at ground level but the fighting started!

Problems with the pull start not being able to keep hold of the end of the cable and the re-coil wasn't!

Cable and re-coil eventually sorted only now the jaws bit that grabs hold of a hexagonal shaft on the engine wasn't grabbing any longer!

When the pull start is off the engine it works fine, but once fitted!!   

 

Sometimes walking away is the best option and go back to the problem with a fresh head.. Which will be happening tomorrow..

 

The dull weather makes the paint look darker than it actually is..

 

 

 

 

 

I almost forgot!!!

 

 

[neil 524]

She is looking awesome , I wished I gave you the dozer blade that I have for her to be painted the same colour , you both have done an amazing job and I can't wait to see her doing som MPH .

[Ian 2,417]

On 08/03/2017 at 7:53 PM, neil said:

She is looking awesome , I wished I gave you the dozer blade that I have for her to be painted the same colour , you both have done an amazing job and I can't wait to see her doing som MPH .

 

Thanks mate, were still waiting to drive the RJ as you will see..

 

So what can I say about the RJ... I think AARRGGHHH sums it up quite well!

 

I don't know what the RJ has against us but it's really fighting us at the very last stage!!

 

You would think something as simple as putting the steering wheel on would be easy, but no!

When the RJ arrived the steering wheel was held on with a bent nail.. Now most of the time it's because the original roll pin? has been lost at some point in time..

Not this time.. The holes in the wheel and column didn't actually line up very well so a nail was the only thing that would fit in!

I guess the steering wheel isn't the original!

Anyway, some very careful drilling and the wheel is now held on with a custom made quick release clip thingy 

 

 

 

"Deep breath"... Now onto the engine..

 

The very nice looking Schmacke or is it Schmacko? (It's hard to read on the photo's) has been driving us nuts!

The recoil didn't want to which was eventually sorted, the the "gripping" bits that grip the hexagonal shaft on the engine decided it didn't want to to the gripping bit!

Quite why we just can't work out, nothing is broken and it works 90% of the time when not fitted to the engine..

Fit it to the engine however and it will work for a couple of pulls then stop again!

If I had to count the amount of time the recoil unit has been on and off the engine both Nigel and I would have to remove our boots and socks as we would run out of fingers to count on very quickly!!!!

 

In the end for the sake of our sanity we decided to swap the recoil until over for one that works the more normal way, which in it's self is almost a straight forward swap...

Woo-Hoo we can pull the engine over again.... But why is the engine cover moving around so much???

 

That would be because there should be a bolt where this hole is... The trouble is the backing plate is missing most of the threaded bolt hole as it had been broken off at some point in it's life!

We do have another good backing plate to swap over, but that involves a lot of stripping two engine down to swap parts..

 

Forward one step, back two or is it four?

 

 

 

It's not all bad news though, we have had the engine running.. For a short while anyway..   Once started it would run quite nice for a few mins, then start running rough, then eventually it would stop!

 

Best have a look at the carb again, pulling the pin out that holds the float in place was nerve wracking as the casting one side which holds the pin in place isn't as strong as it should be..

 

Can you spot a problem?

 

 

 

Yep the new O ring doesn't like petrol and has grown somewhat!

 

 

 

No chance what so ever of getting this jet thingy out!!!

 

 

 

It looks like someone has been at the float valve thingy already!

 

 

 

Getting it out was er... Shall we say interesting!

 

 

 

 

The carb has now been put back together and will be going back on the engine once the backing plate has been swapped over (tomorrow hopefully) and the "will it run ok?" sequence can start over again..

 

 

[neil 524]

Oh dear chaps ,sound like junior has been given you a good work out , I will ask Michael if he knows anything about the shnake engine pull , he did say I could exchange it if there were any problems as I payed him extra for that . He also said that the tank was possibly  leaking and he may have another replacement . 

Thank you sooooo much for your perseverance on this , I hope things start to get on your side soon .

[Ian 2,417]

23 hours ago, neil said:

Oh dear chaps ,sound like junior has been given you a good work out , I will ask Michael if he knows anything about the shnake engine pull , he did say I could exchange it if there were any problems as I payed him extra for that . He also said that the tank was possibly  leaking and he may have another replacement . 

Thank you sooooo much for your perseverance on this , I hope things start to get on your side soon .

 

A good workout isn't the word for it, kicking us in the teeth more like!     The pull start is now the least of the worries!

 

What a day it has been in RJ land, the first job was to swap the engine backing plate over.

I didn't get any photo's of the new backing plate in place, but here's the old one against the donor engine.

 

 

 

Along with the new backing plate came updated electrics as there didn't seem and point in swapping the parts between plates....

 

So, with the engine bolted back together again it was time to see if it would run...

 

Third pull it started right up ticked over well, revved up well and sounded generally very good..

To celebrate having finally got the engine sorted on went the kettle....

It was while the kettle was boiling that I noticed bubbling oil coming out from the head gasket! No photo but it will be on the next video..

 

Anyway, as the head has a slightly chewed up spark plug thread...

 

 

 

We thought we would swap heads over as well as sorting he gasket..  Off it comes.

 

 

 

HHmm, interesting.. The piston looks quite clean, but the amount of oil on the piston is a worry!

 

 

 

I'd say that's a new piston which explains why the little engine has such good/high compresson which is also why the head gasket went pop!!

 

 

 

The new cylinder head has a slight recess about the inlet valve and slightly different fins but it bolted right on..

 

 

 

The engine now felt to have a lot less compression when pulling it over, it also ran very rough!!

Back off with the head to find it was oil coated!

 

 

 

Does the exhaust valve look like it has had a hardened insert er.. inserted?    The exhaust valve is where all the oil is coming from which means the guides/seals are shot!!

 

 

 

Oil was also bubbling out from around the exhaust itself, as you can see at some point it had been broken off and wound back in at a pished angle!

 

 

 

Quite where to go from here I'm not sure, Nigel and I did have a natter about swapping the RJ's crankshaft into the donor engine as it ran quite well and doesn't blow oil but the end of the crank is tapered not straight!!

 

 

 

So close but yet so far!! Sigh!!

[nigel 1,877]

I think Ian is trying to be very mature here with his description, he's my take on it.              ITS BEEN A BASTA-D two weeks we have been trying to sort this engine it's been hour after hour spent on it we have thought a few times that it was sorted it would run nice then it wouldn't, it's a pig, course I got the hump with it wanted to destroy it quite a few times but typical Ian would say calm down dear ave a coffee and a smoke, so I had coffees I smoked, now my eyes feel like they on storks and ime wheezing like I've got emphysema and the bloody engine still don't go, hay ho tomorrow's another day 😏

[neil 524]

Wow, this is upsetting news, Ian, I have sent you a PM about another engine that I have  that may solve the problem, 

I am currently in Snowdonia at the moment , will get back to you tomorrow , Saturday! 

 

[neil 524]

Hi chaps,

just returned home from Snowdonia , I have a couple of pics of the K91T engine that I have ,  I have never tried the engine but it has been repainted by previous owner who was also a Wheelhorse fanatic ,it has very good compression and I don't see why it shouldn't be a good doner aperture from the exhaust doesn't have a thread in the exhaust outlet so I'm not sure if the exhaust pipe that you have would fit . It would be a shame not to keep it as original as possible .  I will take a look today at the other engines that I have to see if they would be more suitable 

[Wallfish 698]

That sucks to see all those problems with an old K90. Not too many of those around over here let alone over there. The head with the curved cooling fins is from a K90 and straight fins are a K91.

The exhaust port for that replacement engine can easily be threaded with 1/2" - 14 NPT tap to fit 1/2" NPT pipe. Original Wheel Horse spec engines used 3/4" pipe but the 1/2 works perfectly fine. Hard to tell from the pics which size pipe you have but it looks like 1/2", I'd imagine NPT pipe is an American thing so not sure what access you guys have to it.

https://drillsandcutters.com/1-2-14-npt-carbon-steel-pipe-tap/?utm_medium=googleshopping&utm_source=bc&gclid=COPwl5GG4NICFQS2wAodSfcKxw

Let me know if I can help with shipping pipe parts if needed.

 

[neil 524]

Thanx for that information John, I have had a look in  the Wheel horse  dungeon n I have three other potential donors , one. Of which I bought off of Joe Papke from Michigan USA , it was bought as a spair for my RJ 58 but it could be used and does have the threaded exhaust section but it will need to be painted . So I think we may be able to solve the problem ,as for the old engineers concerned,we could use the shnake pull on new engine &  I could do with a new paper weight anyway.

[Ian 2,417]

On 17/03/2017 at 9:12 AM, neil said:

Wow, this is upsetting news, Ian, I have sent you a PM about another engine that I have  that may solve the problem, 

I am currently in Snowdonia at the moment , will get back to you tomorrow , Saturday! 

 

 

Hi Neil, sorry to of broke the news to you while you were still on holiday.. Had I of known I'd of waited a few days..

 

I think the best way forward is for you to send us all the engines you have and we will work out the best one to put in the RJ.. A bit of mix and matching may or may not be needed... Don't worry about the different exhaust fitments, that can be sorted easy enough

 

 

[neil 524]

oh FFSake , that's disappointing , I know you and Nigel have been fettling with this patiently and it really sucks to get to this point of the resto to end up with a major problem like this , fear not guys I have a few extra engines that I could use , give me a little time and I will get something down to you , hopefully this will solve the problems and we will get to see Junior running around shortly 

thanks for all your efforts Nigel ,Ian  I do appreciate what you have done . Hugs n kisses 

[Ian 2,417]

So are we expecting a random pallet to turn up one day with a few engines on it?

 

[nigel 1,877]

I hope so cos if not I've just bought a 16hp khola and that stuffed in it will make it interesting 

[neil 524]

I'm on it chaps , been very busy recently trying to get my holiday cottage ready for rental so that has taken up a lot of my time , 

i am hoping to have a tinker with a couple of engine over the next few day and then send you what I have , thanx for your patience .

[the showman 4,074]

11 hours ago, nigel said:

I hope so cos if not I've just bought a 16hp khola and that stuffed in it will make it interesting 

Should i google Khola ?

[Alan 1,273]

2 hours ago, the showman said:

Should i google Khola ?

No need to Chris.  Nigel just spelt it wrong.  Should be KOALA. 

[Ian 2,417]

Morning all, time for a long over due RJ update, and unlike my last post this one has a happy ending

 

Monday morning Nigel and I had a visit from Neil, it was good to catch up again mate, it's been a while..

Not only has Neil got a huge amount of Wheel Horse history stashed away in he's head, but he also came with gifts... 2 engines

 

Here's the top half of Neil..

 

 

 

The bottom half of Neil was busy controling the rev's of a very nice looking engine that ran as good as it looks..

The blue engine has carb and spark issues as we found out, so that's a job for another day.

 

 

 

So with a quick pulley swap the new engine went in the RJ.

 

 

 

The shade of engine red is so close to the rest of the RJ we saw no point in repainting it match 100%.. It's looks good as it is.

 

 

 

One slight problem with the new engine is the exhaust port had two studs rather than the port itself having internal threads so swapping the  exaust over wouldn't be a bolt on swap.

 

 

 

Not a problem, take a flat bit of thick-ish steel and drill three holes in the right places... A quick test fit.

 

 

 

Trim a bit of the RJ's exhaust down to size them grind the thread of it so it fit's in the flange leaving plenty of space to weld it up from the inside. (No idea why this photo won't upload the right way up!)

 

 

 

Welded up, cleaned up and trimmed to shape.

 

 

 

 

And a coat of the black stuff to make it look good.

 

 

 

Exhaust on.

 

 

 

You can remove an RJ engine without taking the hood off, but you need to remove the spark plug.

Then once the engine is back in the spark plug has to go back in using a very special tool that won't scratch the paint on the hood

 

 

 

Knowing the engine is a good, the time had come to fire the little fella up and go for a drive..

Knowing the gear shift would need a bit of adjusting to get it to shift right and even though it should of been in netural but possibly wasn't the rear wheels where jacked up before starting..

 

 

 

A running issue was soon soted by putting some petrol in the tank, so I climbed aboard and Dennis lowered the jack, and off I trundled

 

 

 

 

After so long it was nice to finally drive the RJ, but as you will hear in the video (coming soon to a YouTube page near you) the gear selector needs some adjustment so it get's all gears and the selctor bar does not rub against the reverse disc.

Also the engine governor need a tweak to stop the engine from trying to over rev..

 

So not much to do and the RJ will soon done

 

Told you this update would have a happy ending

 

[Cub Cadet 613]

Nice job there 

[meadowfield 1,900]

sweet!