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B-12 DONE!


PatRarick

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Maybe you remember my acquisition in May of last year: http://www.simpletractors.com/club2/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=17893&SearchTerms=Newest,Acquisition Used it all of last summer without it skipping a beat. In tearing it down, I noticed a fairly hard "slip" in the gearbox when I was going to remove the drive pulley nut. Turned out to be no more than a worn key in the driven bevel gear. Cleaned it up, new bearings, seals, and keys in the BGB, sanded, painted, new decals, new muffler, new fuel gauge/cap, added headlights and hydraulic lift, new rear tires, and here is the end result:

Sure gonna hate to get this dirty. :(:( Pat Forgot to mention that I always thought the B-12's looked a little awkward with the wide front tires, since the outer tread is wider than the original 23 X 8.50 X 12 rear tires. To solve the problem, I used Bolens rims on the rear, which have a 1" wider offset, and 23 X 9.50 X 12 rear tires. The outside of the rear tread is now 1" wider than the front.
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Pat, That is one mighty fine looking B12, It looks like you spent alot of time on this project. I know what you mean about getting it dirty, I still have not got the B110 dirty that I did last year....:I
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Thanks, all. Dan, the tires were rotten on the B-12 when I got it. I was doing some work on my 3112 so I borrowed the wheels and tires off of that to move the B-12 around. I sold my 3112 last summer (less the tri-ribs and hydraulic lift). I had done a restoration job on my B-110 last winter, so the tri-ribs and hydraulic lift went on the B-110, as well as 23 X 10.50 X 12 ag tires. Sure makes it look like a beast. Here's a photo from last winter, before I added the tires and hydraulic lift.

Pat
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Nice professional looking job. What did you use for paint? Now you can enjoy this tractor for a long time. Hopefull this will inspire more members to restore their tractors too. Nice work, Ryan
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quote:
Originally posted by rjgoth
Nice professional looking job. What did you use for paint?
Though I don't usually like to, I used spray cans on both tractors. Old Caterpillar Highway Yellow, from the local Caterpillar dealer. I don't know who makes the Cat paint, but the durability is EXCELLENT, and it seems impervious to gasoline spills. That's something I have seen in very few spray bombs. Shortly after I finished my B-110, the carburetor float stuck. It dripped onto the frame and tie rod all night long. When I saw it the next day, I thought the paint was ruined. Wiped it off and it shows no sign of anything. No problem from gasoline dribbles or overflows when filling the gas tank either. The drawbacks are cost ($6 per can), the coverage isn't the greatest (takes about four coats) and it doesn't provide a real glossy finish without buffing (which it handles VERY well). Cat Challenger Yellow more closely matches the B-12 yellow but I am not yet convinced of the durability. I am not a purist, but a user, so durability is my main concern. The last two cans I bought were different, so I hope all that has changed is the can. For the white, I used Rustoleom Canvas White. Seems to be a very close match. Decals were from Wells Implement. Not cheap, but the quality is great and Mark was fantastic to deal with. He informed me that another B-12 customer had told him that one decal, the "For Your Safety" decal at the bottom of the dash, was incorrect. His kit included the same decal as the early B-10 and Big Ten, which is rectangular. The B-12 decal is wider at the top than at the bottom, matching the shape of the dash. I sent him a photo of my decal, including measurements. He had a prototype made and included that decal free of charge. Don't know if that decal is unique to the B-12, or if the the late B-10's used it also. Mark says he doesn't visit this site very often, but his son, Michael, is a frequent poster and has a beautifully restored B-1. http://www.wellsimplement.com/Gallery.htm Again, thanks to everyone for the kind words. Pat
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