Recovered B10

[mdsx 2]

Hi all, new member, established lurker.

A CL ad yielded a nice B10 in June of last year.  The buy included a non-running but complete tractor, a 42" belly mower, a sickle bar mower, a plow blade, two ground engaging implements, a tiller and a garden cart. 

The serial tag is illegible.  The tractor hood features a white decal with black B10/AC lettering.  The 3+R transaxle is yellow, not black.  The power plant is a Briggs 243431 replete with requisite mouse nest around the mag.  An overhaul of the FloJet and conversion to battery ignition with a coil swiped from a '62 Biscayne got it running.  

The brush marks in the finish indicate an amateur repaint (with careful masking!), but scraped samples indicate color remains unchanged.

Best guess identifies this as a repowered '63 or '64.  Can anyone suggest other clues to identify this machine?

On the off chance this is a known tractor, it was purchased in Franklin, IN from an individual clearing out a barn to raise money for an older gentleman in failing health. 

[Chris727 1,709]

Welcome to the club!  The 'B-10" badge did not appear on the grille until the late B-10's came out around 1966. Its possible the grille was replaced. Its also possible this is a Big Ten. 

[mdsx 2]

Thanks.  

The grille has been replaced with aluminum expanded metal -- no badging is present.  

Pictures to follow.

[mdsx 2]

Photos to shed some light on the subject!

[Chris727 1,709]

Other than the replaced engine, everything looks correct for it to be an "early" B-10. 

[mdsx 2]

Thanks for the help!

[SmilinSam 3,623]

Pretty nice package

Like Chris said, should be a Model 23  9 hp Briggs. the grill looks like it also may be thr right one, would need a close up picture to tell.  There should also be a chrome A-C emblem on the upper part of the grill. Would be basically the same kind of chrome emblem as found on the bigger farm tractors. Side panels seem to be missing too.

[gwiseman 1,444]

@SmilinSam @Chris727 The mower lift is has the shield too - can't remember what that was used for.

[SmilinSam 3,623]

2 hours ago, gwiseman said:

@SmilinSam @Chris727 The mower lift is has the shield too - can't remember what that was used for.

Part of the sickle mower package I believe.....

[Chris727 1,709]

2 minutes ago, SmilinSam said:

Part of the sickle mower package I believe.....

Yes goes with the sickle he has in the background.

 

[B-16_IC 1,029]

Nice package there, that guard for the sickle mower is rarely found. Welcome to the world of AC! 

[mdsx 2]

Wow!  Overwhelming response, thanks to all. 

Never figured I'd chance upon a yellow tractor, but such is luck.  I'd been hunting CL to track down a Penn Panzer T75ES; gave up upon the farm/garden listings and on a whim checked the antiques listings.  2 hours later a GOB was helping load the B10 stash on the trailer.

A couple comments relate to a 'guard' or 'shield' for the sickle.  Presumably, this is depicted in the first posted picture.  To what, specifically, do these comments refer?  I have not yet tried to mount the sickle.

The grille appears to be hardware store expanded aluminum mesh; no emblems are present; no evidence of prior emblem attachment are present.  The rudimentary forming of the the edges of the material -- as well as the front PTO coutout -- supports this notion.

When time permits, pictures of the the ground-engaging implements will be posted to help identify.

The tiller was a chore to remove; lesson learned from the PO's error:  grease the tube/sleeve thoroughly!  Liberal application of oxyfuel and 40oz hammer blows was necessary.  The sleeve ID honed nicely; hopefully the tiller's tube will file clean and dress nicely as well.

This seems a very stout, well abled (maybe overkill!) machine for a 1/2 acre property.  The BGB has already received fresh lube.  The drive, mid PTO and rear PTO belts are now new.  The mower deck has received new bearings, damaged sheaves replaced, shimmed level and rebelted, new Oregon Gator blades should arrive in a couple days.

Not new to the vintage GT scene (daily workhorse is a repaired [burned up Kohler 181, frame broken at rear plate] '65 WH 875.  Also working through a '66 JD110RF nut/bolt bare metal restoration, about 40% complete) but new to AC/Simplicity.  What pitfalls await this machine?  The goal is to keep this machine in service as a worker while the WH undergoes a full resto, then the AC gets its turn under the knife.

Thanks for all the fantastic response so far,

Mark

[B-16_IC 1,029]

The guard referenced is the round disc piece on the lift lever,  right side of tractor.