Farmall Cub

I cant seem to find this chart. how many gallons of coolant will my 51 cub hold? Thanks

Total capacity is 9 and 3/4 quarts, almost 2 and 1/2 gallons

make sure you pre-mix the antifreeze and water. Without a waterpump, the 2 will not mix well in the tractor.

If the radiator is filled to the correct level and the engine is warmed to a reasonable temperature then the coolant will mix and flow just fine. It is not that thick. Easy to pre mix and if the tractor is not being used prior to freezing temps the premix is a good idea. Otherwise, the coolant will mix just fine by the normal flow of a thermosyphon system.

Landreo wrote:If the radiator is filled to the correct level and the engine is warmed to a reasonable temperature then the coolant will mix and flow just fine. It is not that thick. Easy to pre mix and if the tractor is not being used prior to freezing temps the premix is a good idea. Otherwise, the coolant will mix just fine by the normal flow of a thermosyphon system.

NO. The coolant just doesn't mix that quickly or easily. If the coolant and water are completely stratified, it may not circulate at all until the water boils. There is just no excuse for not premixing it before dumping it in the radiator.

Jim Becker wrote:

Landreo wrote:If the radiator is filled to the correct level and the engine is warmed to a reasonable temperature then the coolant will mix and flow just fine. It is not that thick. Easy to pre mix and if the tractor is not being used prior to freezing temps the premix is a good idea. Otherwise, the coolant will mix just fine by the normal flow of a thermosyphon system.

NO. The coolant just doesn't mix that quickly or easily. If the coolant and water are completely stratified, it may not circulate at all until the water boils. There is just no excuse for not premixing it before dumping it in the radiator.

My experience on all of the thermosyphon tractors that I own is that the coolant and water mix just fine. JD B, JDm , JD 40T, Earthmaster, 154, 154, 185, fcub, fcub. I typically do not mix and all have flowed and eventially mixed just fine. A few years ago I posted on a test I did with one of my 154s and I believe it was mixed at least by color and the little float testers after 15 minutes. It was some time ago but I think I added the antifreeze first followed by water. The engine needs to reach operating temp of course but my experience they will mix without any problems. The viscosity of the antifreeze, the green stuff, I use is not that great.

I do premix for a system with a waterpump. I did not mix once in a waterpump equipped engine and took forever for the thermostat to open and flow to start.

Easy to premix and be done with it but I am just commenting on the need to pre mix.

Landreo wrote:

Jim Becker wrote:

Landreo wrote:If the radiator is filled to the correct level and the engine is warmed to a reasonable temperature then the coolant will mix and flow just fine. It is not that thick. Easy to pre mix and if the tractor is not being used prior to freezing temps the premix is a good idea. Otherwise, the coolant will mix just fine by the normal flow of a thermosyphon system.

NO. The coolant just doesn't mix that quickly or easily. If the coolant and water are completely stratified, it may not circulate at all until the water boils. There is just no excuse for not premixing it before dumping it in the radiator.

My experience on all of the thermosyphon tractors that I own is that the coolant and water mix just fine. JD B, JDm , JD 40T, Earthmaster, 154, 154, 185, fcub, fcub. I typically do not mix and all have flowed and eventially mixed just fine. A few years ago I posted on a test I did with one of my 154s and I believe it was mixed at least by color and the little float testers after 15 minutes. It was some time ago but I think I added the antifreeze first followed by water. The engine needs to reach operating temp of course but my experience they will mix without any problems. The viscosity of the antifreeze, the green stuff, I use is not that great.

I do premix for a system with a waterpump. I did not mix once in a waterpump equipped engine and took forever for the thermostat to open and flow to start.

Easy to premix and be done with it but I am just commenting on the need to pre mix.

I have never admitted it publicly but that has been my experience too. I never heard of premixing the antifreeze and water until I started participating in this (and other) internet forums. I think running it to warm the coolant completely is the secret. I have a suspicion that my Super A went close to 60 years, having never had its coolant premixed...the Horror!!

I do usually premix it, just so I can have a decent supply of 50/50 antifreeze and water mix to top things off with, not because I am worried about what it will do in the cooling system.

Al

I have done a little experimenting on the subject of premixing and not premixing, of course I did it in warm weather to avoid problems. If you are going to run the tractor for a couple hours or so, especially if working it hard, premixing does not appear to be necessary, however, if cold weather is close and tractor will only get light use I would definitely premix. May not be necessary, but I prefer to err on the side of safety if I am going to error.

John *.?-!.* cub owner wrote:I have done a little experimenting on the subject of premixing and not premixing, of course I did it in warm weather to avoid problems. If you are going to run the tractor for a couple hours or so, especially if working it hard, premixing does not appear to be necessary, however, if cold weather is close and tractor will only get light use I would definitely premix. May not be necessary, but I prefer to err on the side of safety if I am going to error.

I agree John. I think running it makes the difference.

Al

A little anecdotal evidence that not mixing works "just fine" isn't very convincing then it comes from somebody in a town where the average low in the coldest month of the year isn't below freezing.

As John pointed out, running the tractor hard enough and long enough will get it to mix. Unfortunately, hard enough and long enough are much easier to say than they are to quantify. Premixing is not difficult and eliminates any question as to whether it has mixed adequately. You don't have to even start the engine after adding the coolant. Premixing is simply a good practice that removes any question about whether the coolant is adequately mixed. Advising otherwise is about on par with:

"Don't bother checking you transmisson before starting the engine. If you put it in neutral last time you shut it off, it will still be in neutral."
or maybe:
"Don't waste your time with jack stands. I just put my bottle jack on top of a cinder block and it works just fine."

Sometimes "just fine" is the product of dumb luck.

Not to add fuel to the fire but my 2nd cub I got was low on water so I put full strength anti freeze in it (1/2 gal) to top it off. True I don't "work" my cub but did run it a good bit all summer and decided to drain it and put new in before winter. When I first started draining it all I got was water (Qt) then green for a while, then the yellow I put in it. It may mix good but maybe not as good as good as I would have thought. So just to be on the safe side I always pre mix. Grump

Jim Becker wrote:
Sometimes "just fine" is the product of dumb luck.

Or experience.

Al

All right, thanks men. I posted a comical story about this but I got it all done. thanks and God Bless!

As most are aware it is kinda on the colder side up here --- --- yeah.. - 20F to -35F are pretty normal temperatures for us and years ago much colder temps were the norm as well. Properly premixed coolant is imperative in our climate. Doesn't matter what system you put it into, it simply is prudent to premix and premixing is pretty much routine in any service shop you may visit be it automotive, heavy equipment, industrial or agricultural. They all pretty much premix.

Although there may be anecdotal evidence to suggest that premixing may/may not be required... I would much prefer to err on the side of prudence. It is prudent to take whatever measures will ensure that the coolant in your Cub's system is properly mixed and will indeed protect your Cub during winter's harsher periods.

Jim is absolutely correct when he states:

Jim Becker wrote:NO. The coolant just doesn't mix that quickly or easily. If the coolant and water are completely stratified, it may not circulate at all until the water boils. There is just no excuse for not premixing it before dumping it in the radiator.

This is the best possible practice and should be encouraged.