50 Dollar 310-8 Speed

[boovuc 1,090]

It's rusty but the deck aside from surface rust is solid as a rock and the blades are newer.

Motor has compression. PM said it wouldn't start so it sat for over a year. Muffler is surface rusted but still solid. (Bet it's a maraca inside)

The tranny has some water in it. Emulsified gear oil smells like crap!. Axle seal leak also. The steering is really tight from sitting. Barely turns! Tires hold air, rubber is great but as usual, there is some weather checking.

I have a drop-in K301 for this if the 10 horse needs a rebuild. Can't make out anything on the ID label. Either way, it's a 1985 or 1986 since it has the K241 in it. I even found out it was owned for many years by one of my childhood friends. It was going to be taken to the scrapper if I didn't get it and we can't have any of that! I have my over-winter project!

 

 

[Ed Kennell 35,602]

Nuther one saved. 

[stratostar250 919]

I'm pretty sure it is a 1986, because I think all the 85's had silver stickers and an all red hood.  Nice find though! 

[Jparkes43 329]

Wow that's amazing for that money, boy do I wosh I was in the us right now.

James

[Tankman 3,515]

Great save!

 

Wonderful Horse and, for the price, all of us would have mounted right up!  

[Geno 1,928]

Very nice score, can't wait to see her all fixed up.  

[rick 215]

Good save! My 1989 310-8 cost $150.00, with a 37" deck that needed rust repair. PO sold it because "the fuel pump is bad, and costs too much".

Turns out the Walbro carb was assembled w/o the inlet needle clip. A carb kit, a good clean up and deck repair, and I had my first Wheel Horse cutting grass!

I have five now, but the 310-8 is one of my favorites.

[boovuc 1,090]

This may be easier than I thought. I had time to play with the K Series on this tractor! The PM said it wouldn't start. He didn't say how, why or what the failure mode was. It just wouldn't start.

Well it sat for a year in the elements and I don't think he garaged it all the time he owned it so after cleaning a mouse nest out of the top of the flywheel, I had to take every connector apart and clean them. The key switch was the worse. (Also found that the tiny wires to the Low Oil Light were corroded off making that light non-repairable).

The solenoid was also rusted so no power was going through it. The ground off the battery was also not making good contact. An hour into it, I had juice to the starter and the voltage gauge. Pulled what was left of a badly fouled spark plug and replaced with a new one and tested for spark which I had.

Motor oil actually looked good and was at the full mark!

Popped the plug in and gave it a shot of ether and it fired.

Next was to see what the fuel lines were like. I barely touched an in-line fuel filter at the fuel pump inlet and the fuel filter fell apart along with real dark gasoline in the lines. I siphoned the fuel that was left in the tank and it was totally black. Not gummy or foul smelling. Just black. So I know I need to flush the tank and replace the fuel line but I needed to know if the engine would run!

I put a small 4 inch piece of fuel line on the fuel pump inlet and filled it with gas and leaving it higher than the inlet and then gave it another shot of ether and it fired right up and ran nice as could be. No knocks or weird sounds other than the drive belt banging around under the belt guard. (Probably a rusted idler).

A little smoke when I cranked up the RPM's all the way but it was only during the transition. Not bad for as long as it sat!

I'm happy. I already know I'll have a Bi*#@ of a time tearing everything apart. I had to use my easy-outs on three of the four bolts holding the tunnel cover on to get to the key switch and clutch switch. All in all, not too bad for fifty bucks!