About Done with 312.... For Now

[jdleach 525]

Bought this old 1985 312-8 back in the last week of March of this year. Paid $400 for it, and thought I did well. It looked a bit woebegone, but was essentially a decent machine. Will need a overhaul this winter, and some new paint and decals. The biggest issues when I got it, was a slew of little parts missing or broke, and numerous maintenance items that needed done.

Over the past 3 months, I have slowly began addressing all issues, other than major mechanical ones such as the overhaul. Thus far, I have replaced: blades, deck wheels, deck leveler rod, rebuilt the hood hinge and stop assy., new headlight bezels, headlights, installed taillights, steering wheel button, steering column, new hourmeter, shift knobs, throttle knob, Dial-A-Hite knob spacer, vinyl caps for Tach-Matic and lift buttons, new seat, fuel gage/cap, many new clips and bolts with stainless hardware, fuel lines and filter, pre and air filter, points, plug, and condenser, front wheel dust caps, etc. In addition to the new parts, I have adjusted and tweaked anything that was amiss.

Here are a few pics. taken about 2 weeks after I got the tractor. Outside of changing the blades, lubricants, and bezels, nothing else had been done.

Edited June 30, 2014 by jdleach

[jdleach 525]

And here is how she looks now. These photos were taken this past Saturday. I have gotten all of the loot I garnered from the Big Show installed, the new steering wheel button and shift knobs from Glen Pettit (thanks Glen!), and the near NOS seat. The seat is exactly like the original, sans the horsey logo. I had just washed and waxed too. Quite frankly, I am very pleased. Even my neighbors are pretty impressed at how good it looks, and are surprised it is almost 30 years old.

Edited June 30, 2014 by jdleach

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,498]

Amazing. What a transformation. Job well done. Shows what can be done.

Glenn

[Racinbob 11,925]

Let's see....30 years old.....that would require about 6 big box lawn mowers (if you baby them)...... let me do the math here.........

Looks good jd.

[Wheel-N-It 2,976]

Yep, looks mighty fine now

[AMC RULES 37,196]

Nice  machine...

for little  money.    

[rexman72 210]

good job with that tractor

[shallowwatersailor 3,214]

A time-less Classic!

[Marv 979]

Mine needs your magic touch.

[dbartlett1958 99]

A fellow Wheel Horse owner once said to me, "These are Lifetime tractors". He was right.

[jdleach 525]

B80 Grass Mom & Little Bud 032.JPGB80 Grass Mom & Little Bud 032.JPGMine needs your magic touch.

Marv, I see real potential in that B-80. Some gentle detailing would do wonders. I have seen several of the B-80s over the past few months, and they have kinda grown on me. I like the square hood to begin with. Too, a smaller tractor and deck would fit my town property better.

[jdleach 525]

Thanks folks for the compliments!

To get about any Horse presentable, except for the real basket cases, only requires a plan, not that much money, and some persistence.

When I bought the 312, I felt it was basically a decent ride. I tried to focus on the major things when I was looking at it. How was the motor and tranny? Unusual noises, odors, stains, etc. I try not to get too wrapped up with appearance items, as they can often be replaced easily, and inexpensively, at least on the newer tractors.

After I determined the machine would most likely get me through the mowing season this year, and nothing appeared to be seriously amiss, I bought it and brought it home. When home, I developed a three-step program: Near-term, Mid-term, and Long-term goals.

Near-term: Wash completely and get a good close look at EVERYTHING. Service all fluids (replace), check tires and inflation, grease and lube all points, check belts, air filter, and examine deck. To get the 312 up to where it mowed pretty good required replacing the blades. Outside of the maintenance items, the blades were the only real expenditure. By the time the first photos in this thread were taken, all of the previously mentioned tasks had been done. I now had a mower that would likely get me through the season. Didn't look all that great, but it was serviceable.

Mid-term: This was actually a pretty simple list to compile; do everything except the engine overhaul and body/repainting/new decals. The mid-term items can be strung along as time and funds permit. Dust caps missing? Steering wheel button gone? Put a little dough back, and get in touch with Glen Pettit. Leveler rod on deck missing and replaced with all-thread, give Kelly a call. Try to do a little something every week. After a while, it begins to add up, and your machine really starts to look good. I wanted taillights, so one afternoon, I went down to the local auto parts purveyor and picked out a set of side marker lights for about $8. An hour or so of wiring later, I had lights. Stupid little things broke or missing can be really aggravating, and make a tractor look like crap. The steering column missing, missing headlight bezels, missing knobs, etc. Most items I have replaced only cost a few dollars each. The two most expensive single items I have purchased for this tractor are the blades at $42, and the seat at $55, the rest was nickel and dime.

Lastly on the mid-term items, get your tractor CLEAN! I mean clean. Then polish/wax, whatever, to make it gleam. My 312 is a worker, but I figure if I keep it as near spotless as possible, I am more likely to make sure I keep the important things maintained and in good order. Besides, I just find it more enjoyable to get on a machine that I can be proud of.

No need to go over the long-term items, as they have already been covered. Suffice it to say that, any long-term tasks are ones that... well, take a long time to do. Engine, tranny, and bodywork fall into this category.

SO there you have it, my three-step program for a nice tractor, and on a budget to boot.

[Fordiesel69 271]

Great transformation. 

[doc724 925]

Looks darn good to me and your advice for prioritization is very useful as well!

[Lane Ranger 11,395]

JD:   I bought one last week and painted the muffler, changed the oil and put a new plug in it!  A 1990 to 1993 model but that same basic tractor as yours!   I always thought these models were a little more "tinny" than the earlier Wheel Horse tractors  (I mow with a 1975 B-80 model like Marv's  and 36 inch rear discharge deck).  I am now converted though and find these classic 312's to be a great working tractor!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Marv 979]

JD,

I have now moved the B80 into the refurb stall. It has earned that since it is 37 years old and has done a LOT of work.

Marvin

[jdleach 525]

JD: I bought one last week and painted the muffler, changed the oil and put a new plug in it! A 1990 to 1993 model but that same basic tractor as yours! I always thought these models were a little more "tinny" than the earlier Wheel Horse tractors (I mow with a 1975 B-80 model like Marv's and 36 inch rear discharge deck). I am now converted though and find these classic 312's to be a great working tractor!

Have read your posts, and examined the photos you have put up on your recent acquisition. That is a fine, one-owner tractor there. Noticed the repainted muffler right away. Want to repaint mine, but haven't found a new gasket yet. Went down to NAPA, and they said it wasn't available???? Surprised me.

As for being "tinny", I have considered actually using a micrometer and comparing the sheet metal between the newer tractors and an older one. Outside of the tin, there is about zero difference in frames, trannys, etc. I have wondered that the tinny feeling may be only the fact that the hood area is so much larger on the 3-500 series machines, thus has more flex. I am pretty sure the belt guard and fender pans are all the same gauge of steel. In the day, even Wheel Horse must have felt the new hoods were flimsy, as they added the "V" brace behind the grille.

[Wheel-N-It 2,976]

JD, I really like your three step program. Thats a great way to go with working and restoring one of these tractors all at the same time. Keep up the good work!

[papaglide 542]

Nice tractor and real good advice JD. I like your plan and it makes total sense to me. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[tunahead72 2,543]

... I try not to get too wrapped up with appearance items, as they can often be replaced easily, and inexpensively, at least on the newer tractors ...

 

This sentence caught my eye, and I had to smile.  You're talking about a 29-year-old tractor, and yet almost everyone here would indeed consider it one of the newer Wheel Horse tractors.

 

Nice work on this one so far, just curious about a couple of things...

• How's the engine run right now, and why does it need an overhaul?
• In your third photo, what's the green vehicle that your tractor is squaring off against?

[jdleach 525]

<p>This sentence caught my eye, and I had to smile. You're talking about a 29-year-old tractor, and yet almost everyone here would indeed consider it one of the newer Wheel Horse tractors.Nice work on this one so far, just curious about a couple of things...

• How's the engine run right now, and why does it need an overhaul?
• In your third photo, what's the green vehicle that your tractor is squaring off against?

Howdy there Tuna. I have, in the past, worked as a "line technician" at a couple dealerships for Chrysler and Ford, so a sick engine is pretty obvious to me. On this Kohler, all you have to do is remove the dipstick, and the smoke and "putt-putt" of blow-by is readily discerned. The crankcase vent is clear, so this outgassing is excessive. Too, she uses about a 1/8 quart of oil per hour. Lastly, and I am not all that familiar with Kohlers, it seems she should have more juice. There is also some blue smoke during operation. Given the age of the tractor, and that it appears to have never been overhauled, I figure it is time. Wear that I have noted in the clutch pedal, and all of the other linkages suggest many, many hours of use. The PTO bell rod had to be welded and dressed down to size by me recently due to wear. The hood hinge pin was cut nearly in two. This isn't a low hour tractor, just one that has been relatively well maintained, and stored inside.

The green critter is my 1949 Ford F2 (3/4 ton). Dad taught me how to drive in that truck when I was 13. Be 56 in September. He gave it to me in 1982, and I have drove it (mostly) since then. Drive it back and forth to work now, and since the kids are all grown, have started seriously doing resto work on it. Mechanically it is near perfect, but the body looks awful. All original with a flathead 239 V8, Armstrong steering, drum brakes, and concrete shocks. I use it to haul the Horse out to my country property to mow a couple times a month. The drive is 50 miles one way. Have to set stakes to see if the truck is moving, but Hey!, it gets me and the tractor out there and back without so much as a cough. Just takes a bit of time.

Wouldn't be afraid to drive it to California. Truck would do the trip OK, but I don't figure I would live long enough to get the job done. This thing is SLOW.

Edited July 2, 2014 by jdleach

[jdleach 525]

Was poking around on my hard drive tonight and found a couple pics. of the 312 taken the day I brought it home. Really looks ratty. Didn't recall it looking that bad. Now we can really compare.

Edited July 3, 2014 by jdleach

[Wheel-N-It 2,976]

That truely was a diamond on the rough!

[papaglide 542]

Awesome JD! I like the comparison shots. What baffles me is how some owners can let their equipment get so crappy looking. Especially after paying good money for it.

Is there such a thing as "bad money"?

Edited July 4, 2014 by papaglide