Project 52

[lliberto]

I just realized that I never started a topic dedicated to my 52 Cub. This Cub is serial number 150752. It has hydraulics and came with both a woods belly finish mower and the snow plow. It was a bargain but requires a lot of work. Many of you have already helped me immensely with the brakes and the electrical system.

Just for some back story, I've always loved farm tractors and wanted one of my own for decades. Back in the 90s a friend of mine told me about the Farmall Cub. I thought, maybe one day I'd get one. As luck would have it, my sister-in-law's step-father had 2 Cubs that he wanted to get rid of, one was this 52 and the other was a 47 Circle Cub. He set a price that I could not pass up. So I bought them both in October of 2016. The idea was to get the 52 into good operating condition and the 47 fixed up for shows. Here they are loaded up for the trip back to my garage.

Well, they both needed much more work than I thought.

[lliberto]

When I picked up the Cubs the previous owner said there was something wrong with the brakes. He had tried to adjust them but never could get them working. So the first order of business was to tear into the brakes to see what was going on. Several of you gave me some great advice in another thread on this forum concerning these brakes. I first tore apart the left side and discovered the wrong brake pin was installed at some point and not only did it come out of the retaining hole in the transmission but it also bent to nearly a 45 degree angle.

I ordered new and used parts from TM Tractor and then cleaned everything up. I was just about to reinstall the assembly when I noticed a crack in the suffice of the transmission case. I was devastated!

Several of you provided some great advice on how to handle the problem but at that time I needed to get her back together so I could move it around the property because I needed the garage for another endeavor in a few weeks.

[lliberto]

After getting the tractor back together I tried starting her to move her out of the way. I knew when I bought her that much of the wiring was in really bad shape, especially the negative battery cable which would short out if you bumped it. Well, she would barely turn over and would not start at all. I figured it was just all of the corrosion in the battery cable so I didn't worry much about it at that time. I just towed her out of the garage with the 47 and figured I'd work on it later.

[lliberto]

By the time I got back to working on the 52 it was already fall of 2017. I ordered new positive and negative battery cables from TM Tractor. I installed them and discovered that she wouldn't spin at all. So I pulled the starter. Took the starter switch off. Cleaned all of the surfaces and bench tested it. It spun so I put it back on the 52. However, she still wouldn't start. She did spin well now so there must have been another problem.

[lliberto]

Following some more great advice from many members I looked at the points which looked fine but I dressed them up a little anyway. I looked at the cap and rotor too. Neither one looked that great but then I started thinking, she ran with them like this before I at least should get a pop or two out of her with this cap and rotor. I worked my way over to the plugs and saw I wasn't getting a spark. Knowing how bad of shape the wires were in, I decided to start tracing them to see if there was a bare or broken one somewhere along the line. That's when I noticed something didn't look right with the ignition switch.

As luck would have it the ignition switch was in 2 pieces. I guess that could be a problem.

So, I ran off to a nearby store and grabbed a cheap imported replacement. What should have taken me minutes to replaced turned into a few hours. Boy was I wishing this Cub didn't have hydraulics at that point. After many failed attempts I finally got everything together, added some gas to the tank, cranked her up and she came to life! I was happy, very happy.

Of course, I shared my excitement with Bigdog and he said that I could have loosened up the dash and pulled it out a little for some more clearance. I guess that teaches me a lesson, no matter how easy I think something should be if I have never done it before I should ask.

[lliberto]

So thanks to everyone I've pestered so far for advice. I should be on to the right side brakes soon and then the hydraulics.

[Dale Finch]

Here are a couple HOW TO's on the finals that might be of some help:
This is for the left final/brake, and although the right side is definitely more complicated, the process is the same:
http://farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=142&t=78436

And another one:
http://farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=142&t=47423

[lliberto]

Here are a couple HOW TO's on the finals that might be of some help:
This is for the left final/brake, and although the right side is definitely more complicated, the process is the same:
http://farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=142&t=78436

And another one:
http://farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=142&t=47423

I wish I would have seen viewtopic.php?f=142&t=78436 before I first removed the calcium filled and weighted wheel assembly from the left side of my 52. Using an engine hoist is a great idea. I ended up getting a couple of hardened bolts with the same thread as the lug bolts, cut off the hex heads, and tapered them. Then I installed them in the hubs as alignment guides. I leaned the wheels against the tractor while it was lower than it needed to be and used my hydraulic jack to slowly raise the tractor while stabbing the holes in the wheel with the alignment guides. The tires were still slightly touching the ground. I then installed the lug bolts. It worked but was a bit of a pain.

[Karl Bader]

Great idea for the alignment bolts idea!

[lliberto]

Haven't touched the 52 in several days. Walk in the garage and discovered the sediment bowl is leaking pretty bad. What's the best place to get the proper repair parts in a timely manner?

[Bob McCarty]

You can get the gasket at a tractor supply or a lot of auto parts stores will have them. If nothing is close, TM Tractor can get it to you quick. Is it leaking at the gasket? If it's around the lever, you can slightly tighten the nut. If over tightened you won't be able to turn the lever.

[lliberto]

You can get the gasket at a tractor supply or a lot of auto parts stores will have them. If nothing is close, TM Tractor can get it to you quick. Is it leaking at the gasket? If it's around the lever, you can slightly tighten the nut. If over tightened you won't be able to turn the lever.

I'm not sure yet where the leak is coming from. It's dripping from the bottom of the bowl and the fuel is turned off. This is the first time I have ever messed with this type of bowl/shut off so I'm not at all familiar with it at all.

Are the gaskets all the same size or will Tractor Supply know which one to sell me?

[Bob McCarty]

Different sizes, so take the old gasket and maybe the bowl also. Edit: If it's the packing around the lever that's leaking, or the seat has crud in it that prevents full closure, a new gasket won't stop the leak.

[lliberto]

Different sizes, so take the old gasket and maybe the bowl also. Edit: If it's the packing around the lever that's leaking, or the seat has crud in it that prevents full closure, a new gasket won't stop the leak.

So if the seat or packing is bad can it be repaired?

[Bob McCarty]

Most likely yes, you'd need to drain the gas tank, remove the sediment bowl, disassemble and clean. I'll look for a 'how to" although I don't remember there being one.