OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions On Ride On Mowers Questions on Greenfield Ride On Mower Frames Greenfield HD8 - PhilipH - c1976

Hi fellow greenfield enthusiasts, I've recently acquired a HD8 about 1976 vintage.very interested in the discussion as I will most likely encounter similar tasks when I get a chance to tinker. I'll post some photos pictures as soon as I work out how.

Here's some pics of my greenfield HD8.8horse Honda electric start. Love to know more about it. Seems to be in good original condition, no issues at the moment.

Hello PhilipH

Welcome to these forums.
Mod Gadge has asked that your posts be moved to a new topic.
Your machine presents as a rare transitional model.

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Jack

Thanks gadge,I apologize for jumping in, i have realized since the proper procedure.I have just purchased the greeny recently for $450.Took a risk not knowing anything about it let alone if it functioned properly.Only had a couple of chances to ride it and can't fault it yet.love to know more about it.

No worries at all, PhippH.

I think your machine will attract quite a bit of attention, as it seems to be a 'transition model' that we haven't previously encountered here at ODK.

It combines features of the HD-8 and Tractor-8 models; and a factory electric start horizontal shaft Honda, also previously unknown on a Greenfield.

Now I am intrigued. Man I bought it off said the bonnet had to be lifted to access ignition, he moved it to the dash.that's the only modification from what I can gather. The fuel line runs between the engine block and the exhaust heat shield, only just enough room for it.Appears to be original setup. Man said he replaced clear hose as original had signs of scorching. I have fixed a fire extinguisher behind the seat,for obvious reasons. Mower is 140 kilometers away on east coast of tassie atm.I'll post more pics asap.

Rear axle is later as well those early ones had 3 nuts holding the wheels on, I'm not sure how they worked. It looks like an Anniversary shaft but the chain was on the opposite side. Lots of parts gets swapped around

I'm of the thought that it's a modified model, So many things different to my HD8, which has an old tractor style look with the Honda motor.
The steering & clutch engagement is set up very different as well.

Mmmmm Interesting.

Paul this is a later model than yours, there is always a number of these on ebay, but I thought they had vertical shaft motors but there seems to be a lot of crossover models, very hard to work out

G'day Gadge, PhippH and others,

I'm excited!!!

Gadge, not encountered??? Frankengreenie?!?!

Superdooper, if this is what I think it is, this is no bitsa.

PhippH, please, more photos? Especially details, under bonnet etc, please?

Perhaps someone with more computer savvy than I can link this to Frankengreenie?

V excited!

G'day Frankengreenie Lovers

Yes, prd, is noticeably excited.
I feel we need to have more images of the machine,
to document it more fully and keep the salivating punters at bay.

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Jack

There is another post with the very same style Greenfield...
Now I have to really look into these models..

More pics soon, can't leave you boy's hanging. I'll try to make a day trip to Swansea, might be a good idea to bring it back with me.

G'day PhippH,

I'm still intrigued by this beast. Can I ask where you got the year 1976 from? I'm not questioning it, I reckon it's about right. More interested in the source.

Cheers,

Pretty much a guess prd,give her a run on Thursday cannot find one fault.I checked the pulleys, belts etc,everything's spot on.I'm guessing due to magneto problem it sat in a shed for a long time.

This fuel line runs between the engine block and the exhaust shield, does anyone know if this was standard procedure back in the day,if so did it cause problems?

G'day, PhippH,

I'm assuming that the tank location on those brackets is a Greenfield thing so the engine fits under the cowl. If this is the case then given the likes of your machine has never been seen before in these here parts, we can't say for sure how that line was originally routed.

That said, the current routing is fundamentally dangerous and I find it highly unlikely that this is how Theo would have built it.

There must be some way to reroute it? Tucked under tank between the two brackets, maybe?

Perhaps another possibility is to flip the tank 180 degrees on the mount bolts? Is that possible or will it put the tap and filter over the exhaust- which is also less than ideal?

Cheers,

Just had a look at the G65's I've got in the shed. If we assume your G80 has a similar layout I think the line is meant to run around the other side of the engine, around the front to the carb. Secured with tyraps or similar as required.

Do you reckon that will work?

And I think I'd be up for a nice piece of fuel grade rubber hose.

Thanks prd,that makes sense. I already have the fuel hose ready to go. I'm not sure if the muffler is the original apparently they wear out quickly. Another option would be to go under the muffler, although may not gravity feed the last litre or so from the tank.I could live with that.currently where the hose goes past the muffler there is a clamp that looks original so I'm thinking original muffler was further away from the block. Be good to see pics of the original.I'll have a look in this manual I picked up off fleabay.




Also original Honda key.

Greenfield rare transitional model. I worked at Greenfield for a few years. Often a prototype was sold to the bosses mates. A transitional model could easily be one of these. They would not have a had a serial number on the front axle frame pivot. I am considering restoring a super HD8 but have to use some parts of a different model. I put some posts of it in the 1966 Greenfield posts and called it Barnfind.

here's one get on you bloke's it would be in my work shop if it were closer!!


yepoon gumtree

G'day gml and geenhorn,

Thanks for the heads up gml!

It so close to me but l might let it go through to the keeper. Need to focus on what I have, I think.

If anyone else is interested and wants me to pick it up and store it for them, no worries. I can pick it up on the weekend. No pressure geenhorn

geenhorn, your comment about prototypes sneaking out to mates is interesting- especially in light of the 'curiosity' that crumpet showed us a couple of weeks ago.

Cheers,

I would love it but no spare money these days. It gives me lots of information if I restore barnfind. I posted on crumpets greenfield javelin that you thought was a prototype. Javellin was known as Kerr's Fauxpaux or another word starting with F. It finished production by 1979 and only ran for 2 years max.

Note for prd. Fibreglass nose cones were made for one year only and I calculate it as 1980 or 1981 as I worked there during the Fibreglass phase which also included the 5XL motor covers. Aluminium castings ended up cheaper than Fibreglass. The cowel for the 8xl was alloy. The 5xl cover resembled the duck tail of a Suzuki motorcycle on purpose.

The 8XL was due for release at the same time as Whitlams dismissal by GG John Kerr. They were going to nickname the 8XL as Kerr's Kerr.

Greenhorn, what was so bad about the 5XL. I rebuilt one last year and apart from the raising and lowering of the deck, which I completely remade to raise and lower as it should have, I thought it was a good little machine.

G'day geenhorn and folks,

Many Thanks for the info on the fibreglass nose.!!

G'day again geenhorn,

I'm more than a little confused. The patent information and advertising brochure that Jack has posted on this suggests the 5xl is from the very early eighties........'Kerr's cur' was 1975......

Cheers,

PRD
You are right, maybee it is the other way around, Javellin may have been Kerr's Kerr in 1975 hence dating the javellin and xl models might have been the fauxpaux. I am going back more than 30 years so things can get mixed up. Something came up in politics at around the release of 8XL and when it comes to me I will post it. I remember the tool makers shouting Kerr's Kerr at the release of 8XL maybe as a reminder of the javellin. I will stab at 8XL release in 1982.
NormK
The 5xl were the first of the folded box channel out of sheet metal with prepunched holes for the control pedals etc. The first lot of folding had the folds a few millimetres out putting the controlls a little scewed. They were a nightmare going down the production line. Only 20 per day went down the line to begin with whereas about 35 tractor 8's could go down the line in a day. There as strike action as well in its production and some sabotage from some workers. When we sorted a few problems out they ended up a good machine. I did the exploded views for the parts manual and I no longer have a copy. If I ever found one I would restore it.

Bob Hawke was installed as leader on 8 February 1983. I think this was the big political uprising at around release of 8XL and this was considered revenge for Kerr's curr so it all come flooding back. Anyone out there know when the release of Greenfield 8XL was?