“Ol’ Red” 1979 Wheel Horse C-81

Looks good! Sorry I missed it, we were at my in-laws visiting. They are finally back after 3 week vacation!

I was playing pubg with friends till 11, and completely forgot about your stream ....sorry, would have liked to see it.

The setup looks great Carl!

Nice lean install Carl.

The old belt on this thing was really wobbling around, hitting the belt guard, and causing the clutch pedal to pulse back and forth.  So I measured it at TSC and picked up a new 5/8 x 83" blue kevlar belt.  Seems to flap around a lot less. I adjusted my new gas pedal and replaced a bolt that's been missing from my hood mount since day one.



I really hope I don't have any belt or slippage issues at Haspin.  From what I've seen it's not a total mud bog, but there are some challenging muddy trails.  I really need to take this thing out for a real romp.  It hasn't been thoroughly tested since the pulley swap!

Does it have a belt adjustment pulley?

No it doesn't, but I have wondered if I could retrofit one in there, There just isn't a ton of space.

I like your gas pedal, may have to build something similar for my wheel horse. Also I would recommend a idler to adjust belt tension, I built one for mine, helps with a few issues, very simple to make. Ill see if I can find a picture.

@Creepycrawler Great thank you! I’d like to see what you came up with for an idler and this gas pedal was pretty simple and easy to make.

See if this works it’s my first time trying the new app

Edit, not sure why the picture didnt work, photobucket sucks and I cant get the app to work right, anyone know how to get a pic from your phone to here?

I use Safari and upload the picture like I would if I was using my laptop. The picture has to be saved on your phone though.

Creepycrawler wrote:

See if this works it’s my first time trying the new app

Edit, not sure why the picture didnt work, photobucket sucks and I cant get the app to work right, anyone know how to get a pic from your phone to here?

Using Topic'it? If so the camera button and select the image(s) from your phone. I'll see if I can update the how to for the app.

Minor update on this tractor.  I've purchased a fuel pump and carburetor from ebay to have as spares at Haspin.  Since this tractor has been a little tippy during my test drives after the latest pulley swap I've bought a set of 1.5" wheel spacers that will add 3" to my rear track width.  I want to paint them red before I put them on.


Those wrenches in the picture I picked up for $1.  I'm starting to put together a trail tool kit for Haspin.  I'll put it in the trunk of my ATC 200 or in a 50 cal ammo can on this rig somewhere.  Those are also some full bottles of gear lube in the picture.  I plan on changing the milky gear oil I have in this rig before I go to Haspin.

Nice, I had to put some spacers on Kal.  The rear tires were so tall, I was afraid of tipping and widened for the same reason.  My are 2" on each side.  You can see one in the doggie pic.

I almost went with 2" but I thought it was going to be too much, so I compromised between 1" and 2" and got 1.5". Do you mind measuring your overall track width in the rear. It would be a good number to know so we can compare handling characteristics of our garden tractors.

32 inches center-line to center-line, track width REAR.  42 inches outer width On the rear.

33 FRONT center to center, 41 outer.

As my tractor sits right now I’m at 28 inches centerline to centerline in the rear and 37 inches out to out, so I’ll be adding 3 inches to those numbers. Still not as wide as yours. Your tractor is a lot bigger than it looks in your pictures.


This parts machine I picked up(sabre by john deere) has already paid off. The gas cap from it fits ol red perfectly ! Gas cap problem solved!

Do you have a link to those spacers?

Crazy_Carl wrote:

As my  tractor sits right now I’m at 28 inches centerline to centerline in the rear and 37 inches out to out,  so I’ll be adding 3 inches to those numbers.   Still not as wide as yours.   Your tractor is a lot bigger than it looks in your pictures.


This parts machine I picked up(sabre by john deere) has already paid off.   The gas cap from it fits ol red perfectly ! Gas cap problem solved!

It is getting big. It started off pretty small. I'll post a pic of it next to my craftsman mower, a sears suburban and Red when It is done. Looks like you may have some other good parts in that parts tractor.

@Double W Cross Ranch

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-1-5-inch-Hubcentric-5x4-5-to-5x4-5-64-1mm-Hub-Wheel-Spacers-Adapters/232509985418?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

M12 x1.5 wheel studs so I might have to drill out the holes in my rims just a little bit.  Yes I bought new bullet lugs nuts too.

ouch those are $$$

Yes but you get 4 of them.  2 for Ol' Red and 2 for Mud Rat with lug nuts included

Actually not too bad. I paid 40 for 2.

Wheel spacers look good. Finally an application where I wont harass one for using them

@RichieRichOverdrive  What situation would deem harassment?  Using these on a steer axle or something?

Using it on a truck(mall crawlers) and ruining the scrub radius and whatnot lol