Charles Krill - Actually, yes, the 1282 was never built by IHC, it was produced by CCC/MTD, For IHC, but really there's not much difference between a 1282 and a 129 IH CC. Same engine, transmission, just the paint and some sheet metal & trim differences. Plus the elec. PTO clutch on the 1282.
I hope you put a Champion H10C plug in the engine, which is a K301 Kohler. The J8C Champion plugs fit the K91/141/161/181 Kohlers, 4,6,7,&8 HP. The H prefix denotes 14 MM threads 7/16" long, the J prefix denotes 14 mm threads only 3/8" long. They sorta "interchange" but shouldn't be.
BRIAN W. - I think you're trying to get WAY too much of the side play out of the bearings. Those ball bearings hate running too tight axially, like I said last time. If the wheel has between .003" of side to side movement, or an eighth of an inch you'll never be able to tell from the seat. The bearings are trying to force the balls out of the radial grooves in the races and putting tremendous stress on the races & balls themselves. The capscrew and washer you lost and found has to tighten up securely on to the end of the frt spindle, the inner race of the bearings should not touch them. By tightening the bearing the way you are, your siezing the bearing, and causing the inner race to turn with the wheel on the spindle, which turns the washer and loosens the capscrew. Remove some of those shims from each wheel and you'll be fine. The bearings themselves are just a somewhat loose press fit into the bore of the wheels, they should push in with your fingers, then a tap or two with a small hammer seats the flange on the outer race against the end of the bore of the wheel. I've had wheels where the bearings "fell" in, which allows them to fall out too, but wrapping some .005" thk brass shim stock around the outside of the outer race and tapping them in tightens them right up. And is much cheaper than new wheels. Length of the strip of shim stock determined by how much clearance you're trying to take up.