310-8 With a nice story.

[D_Mac 8,223]

So my morning started with a call from a friend of mine asking me if I was interested in WH parts. My friend was a small engine mechanic for many years and I bring him all my small engine repair work. I have said many times I am not a good mechanic.  He has been retired for many years. So he tells me he sold a WH tractor to a man close to 20 yrs ago and the guy called him so see if he was interested in any parts. My friend said no as he dosnt do much work any more as his health is declining. He told the man I might be interested and would it be ok if I called him. That was all the conversation they had. He gave me the number and I called him asking what parts he had and what he wanted for them. Turns out it's the whole tractor my friend sold him close to 20 yrs ago. He told me that he took it to a repair shop and dosnt want to put the money into repairing it he is going to buy new. He told me the repair shop told him needed a starter as the bendix was sticking and something wrong with the carb but he put a brand new seat on it last year. I tell him I am a WH lover and have no need for a tractor but I have 3 WH's in my garage. Then I ask .... " how much are you looking to get for it ?". He tells me I can have it for FREE if I pick it up from the repair shop. He would call the shop and tell them I'm coming to get it. I jump in my truck and race over to get it. While driving there I called my friend. Turns out my friend got the tractor with a broken piston rod. The engine he rebuilt 30 yrs ago. New everything. I said great if it was 20 yrs ago but I wonder what kind of shape it's in now. Well here are the photos. He kept it in great shape. 310-8 with a 48 inch deck that's as solid as it was when new. I took it over to my buddies house who did all the work many years ago. We tinkered with it a few minutes. Turns out the throttle plate had fallen off inside the carb. The plate was just laying in there. One screw was still attached to the stem the other missing. Wondering what kind of damage that tiny brass screw can cause if it got sucked into the engine. Plan is to rebuild the carb and he was going to see if he could find a screw and reattach the plate. Anyone ever come across this issue ever ? My buddy says he never seen that happen before. Then I will either get a new starter or maybe repair the one in there.  Has anyone ever see a throttle plate fall off in a carb before ? What do you think happened to the screw? I can't read the ID tag on the tractor. I don't want to buy a Chinese carb either. Might be looking to replace the whole carb. Suggestions??? Comments??

Edited May 19, 2023 by D_Mac

[Sparky-(Admin) 19,554]

Awesome story…a tractor with some history! 
  Does look to be in great shape 

[kpinnc 10,736]

16 minutes ago, D_Mac said:

Wondering what kind of damage that tiny brass screw can cause if it got sucked into the engine.

 

You'll know if it happens. My 310-8 sucked in a brass crew from a carb rebuild that the dingbat owner (me) didn't swedge them because he ASSUMEd Loctite would suffice. 

 

Anyway- it didn't crack the head, but it sounded like two hammers in a clothes dryer. When I removed the head, the brass screw was flat as a pancake. Luckily nothing was broken, and the Magnum 10 ran fine for another 15 years. 

 

So- remove the head. If the screw isn't there, check closely in the intake. Maybe you got lucky and it's in the muffler. 

[ineedanother 1,365]

Great story and a decent price too  I've never seen a throttle plate fall off and finding it would be a priority. If it was in fact the throttle plate, it wouldn't have run for long which is a good thing. If it was the choke plate, well it might have run a bit and my hope would be that it never made it past the intake valve. Definitely pull the carb first, then the head to see if it's still there and what potential damage there might have been if it made it's way into the cylinder. Those screws are soft and if it made it that far I suspect it got spit out the muffler pretty quickly.

[D_Mac 8,223]

All we saw so far was just the throttle plate laying unattached in the carb. One of the 2 screws missing that hold the plate. My buddy said same thing. Hopefully it's in the muffler and not the engine but no way of really saying without pulling the head. 

[mrc 727]

you should change your name from D Mac to   'LUCKY' 

 

 great score!

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 10,499]

If the serial number is 21377 it is likely a 1987 model 21-10K804

[WHGuy413 2,506]

I love a good horse story. Glad you were able to save it and in such great shape too. 

[oliver2-44 8,852]

I have a kohler 14hp off a JD that I picked up as a complete/parts engine with a new Chinese carb on it.
Opened it up and the top of the piston had a lot of little dents. 

I'm guessing the original carb lost some screws and it made noise so they scrapped it. No sign of the screw.

It would probable run like it is, but I'll at least replace the piston if I were to put it in a worker tractor.  

 

As others said, I would pull the head for and inspection.  Get some new screws for the carb and repair it.

A 48" deck seems large for a 10hp!  PO must have really kept his grass mowed!

Edited May 12, 2023 by oliver2-44

[Wheel-N-It 2,967]

Thats the nicest free Wheel horse I've ever seen !!!  Congratulations, you must be living right 

And a 48" SD deck to boot !  Good score

[D_Mac 8,223]

Update on the free 310-8. I called the previous owner last night to thank him again for giving it to me. We talked about why he brought it into the shop. He told me that it was able to run in its condition but the engine raced with the throttle being wide open. He said it didn't make any funny noise only that it was running full throttle. Like I said I have not even tried to start it yet. Going to remove the head and check for damage first. He also said he installed that push button on the dash to start it because sometimes the key switch didn't work. We Will look into that as well. More to come.

Edited May 12, 2023 by D_Mac

[Skwerl58 634]

Great story! I had a 1971 Sears Custom 10 with a 10 hp Techumseh that the plate screw came off of and bent a valve. The valve was stainless and and cost $30+ probably 35 years ago. I installed the new valve, replaced the screw and it ran well until parked by my son about 8 years ago. My grandson wants to get it going so it is on my summer list of things to get done!

[D_Mac 8,223]

So we removed the head today. All looks well inside. The screw must have passed out the exhaust. The bad news is there is no saving the carb. The hole where the throttle shaft passes through is all whollowed out at the top. Same with the plate holes. Relief to know there was no damage to the inside of the engine. Will look for a carb and do some other maintenance in the mean time.

[D_Mac 8,223]

So head gasket ordered, looking for a carb. If everything goes right I might consider trading this 48inch deck for a 42. Thoughts on running a 48 on a 10hp ? I know the PO did fir many years with no issue. I would swap mainly for storage reasons. I have little space.

 

[squonk 38,937]

Go to Ace Hardware. Pick up 2  7/16" x 1/4" x 1/16" bushing/washer  from their pull out drawers. Stack them on top of each other in the counter bore. Then you will need 2 3-48 screws if you have a Carter carb or 2 4-40 screws if it's a Walbro. Some loctite thread locker and peen the threaded ends after installing the plate. 

[Wheel-N-It 2,967]

You can try running the 48, but the blades will have to be sharp, and the grass not too tall. I have mowed with a 48 inch deck on a 12hp hydro Wheel Horse, and thats pushing the limits. Yours is a gear drive, so you don't have to use any of that power/torque to spin a hydro pump. Also set the rpms on that Kohler with a tachometer. You want to have all the rpm's that Kohler is designed to run at.

[D_Mac 8,223]

55 minutes ago, squonk said:

Go to Ace Hardware. Pick up 2  7/16" x 1/4" x 1/16" bushing/washer  from their pull out drawers. Stack them on top of each other in the counter bore. Then you will need 2 3-48 screws if you have a Carter carb or 2 4-40 screws if it's a Walbro. Some loctite thread locker and peen the threaded ends after installing the plate. 

Lol Mike you know that's beyond my "skill" level.

[squonk 38,937]

Just now, D_Mac said:

Lol Mike you know that's beyond my "skill" level.

It's not any harder than that head gasket. You can play "China Roulette " with a new carb or bring the carb to me and I'll fix it.

[D_Mac 8,223]

Well you know that's not my garage it is in. My friend dosnt do stuff like that. He is set on finding new carb. Lol... even though the tractor is mine I have no say when it comes to the repairing.

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,052]

@D_Mac try I save tractors , had good luck with their carbs, 

[D_Mac 8,223]

I have a carb I got for my 1075 while back. We are going to try that one.