Re: (ET) Service Manual for Wheel Horse B-145 Elec-Trak

[David C Robie <mycroftxx1 juno com>]

You will be able to pick up a service manual from others in the group -
mine is so grungy that it won't scan decently readable.

As to other questions.
Had to make my own crank and it's support mount.  I made it to 'stand
out' from the tractor instead of the cramped position of a U bolt on the
console side.  All it is is a chunk of 1/2" rebar bent to a crank with a
piece of EMT over the handle end to let it spin without tearing my gloves
up.  The other is a hoe madeU bolt fitting for the blower.  If I was on
the other computer would send a photo of both.
     You also may need the 'sort of triangular'  snowblower bar mount. 
Had to make one and at the time did a dwg of it with instructions of how
to make it out of diamond plate (which is real cheap in the cutoffs dept
of steel suppliers)  The bar is turned down from big rebar which was on
hand  (which I wouldn't do again, a real tough interrupted cut in hi
impurity hardspot laden garbage steel which strained my lathe to the
utmost)  Steel bar of good quality (std, nothing special)  is easy to get
from the same steel supplier as the plate

Motors:  Even if the bearings are stuck or tight, tthey are apt to be ok
once you free them up. I use Gibbs which is to me the greatest
rustbreaker and freer upper on the planet. The thing you may need is
motor brushes and brusholder mount assy as the assys in Some of these
(newer ones) are pot metal and may have evaporated.  Any GE motor
supplier will have that, but not by the numbers in the manual.  Bring in
the motor.  Perhaps someone has numbers for these from Holden's or some
such?   Best to replace holder assy not just the brushes.  Short brushes
not making contact can often be made to work by rerouting their pigtail
leads so they won't be held back by their pigtails. And if the commutator
is clean and not scored, will last that way for years.

Commutator.  It's a lot better to not touch it at all than to polish it
with steel wool or any such. Only a metal working lathe can do a good job
polishing a commutator, and the last step is not abrasive, but a clean
leather strap.  These motors are all new enough to have the newer type of
mica that wears at the same rate as copper so do not need undercutting. 

Getting em apart:  Use a rust breaker as above on their ends at the gap
with the motor barrel.  Same with the small nuts on the 2 studs.  Let the
rust breaker soak in a good bit
then loosen the nuts bout 4 turns.  With motor laying on the bench, whack
the shaft endwise sharply with a woodblock or a brass hammer.  It will
pop apart.  Then remove either studs or nuts, whichever way they want to
come out.   
   This has a notch in it and will only reassemble one way.  But you
might mark it with a magic marker before disassemble to make it easier to
find the notch.
    Reassembly.  You have to cock the brushes to do this and release em
after they are partly on the commutator.  If U don't know how to do this,
talk to some local guy who repairs industrial vac cleaner motors or some
such. You cannot successfully get this back together without cocking the
brushes.  Some people pull em back with string but it's the hard way.
BE CAREFUL not to damage the permanent magnets. these are eay to crack. 
When apart, clean out anything that is sticking to the magnets and scrape
out any paint that's starting to peel.  Repaint with spray can brown rust
primer, but mask the magnets.

These motors are well designed and reliable. If one won't work it is
likely to be a bad thermal relay (second cause, a sticky brushholder
caused by some hammerhead attempting to, without a brain, do a brush
replacement).  NEVER run a motor on a deck without a breaker (or at least
 30A fuse)  To do so will, if it jams on a branch or some such, burn out
the deck's wiring harness.  For thermals, I use a garden variety stud
terminal 25A  in the line.  The ones mtd on top are not set there to pick
up heat at the motor top, but to eliminate the extra cost of puttin em on
the side as with E8 decks.

Hope this gets you started at least.  When I get other computer online
will be sending you some photos of that blower crank and the triangular
mount plans.   If you don't hear from me for a while, send me an email to
remind me. 

Dave
Weymouth MA


On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 04:50:33 -0400 rwlinn aol com writes:
>  Hi. I am in need of a complete service manual and Owners manual for 
> a Wheel Horse B-145 Elec-Trak tractor or similar GE or Wheel Horse 
> tractors. I have just acquired my tractor that needs some work. Any 
> help would be appreciated. I might be in need of one to three motors 
> for the mower deck. I still have to figure out how to get them apart 
> to clean them up and replace bearings before I will know if they 
> need replaced. Any help locating other accessories for these 
> tractors would be nice also. I have the front mount deck and a snow 
> blower. I do need the crank rod for the blower chute and whatever 
> kind of support bracket that goes with it. Thanks for any and all 
> help that you folks can provide. Please respond here or directly to 
> me at rwlinn aol com.
> Thanks again,
> Ron in Michigan.
>  
> P.S. Are there any other Michiganders in this group? I would like to 
> here from you via my e-mail above.
>
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