Farmall Cub

Hi, I am the proud owner of my fathers 1948 Cub that is still working the farm. I have aquired a 1950 cub that I believe to be a demonstrator. Serial #102698. Casting inside clutch pedal says 2/14 making this tractor the same age as me. It is painted yellow and white like newer tractors but close to the bone it is red. The muffler also lays back instead of going up through the cowling. Front is square with IH on the grill. Do I have a Heinz 57 or is it a DEMO?

Luther, Demo Cubs had no yellow and had the rounded hood. A couple of things are possible. It may have an older bolster with the old serial tag still attached or the newer style hood and front metal was added. A cast code would pin the year down a little better. Here is a page that shows where to find the dates. http://www.tmtractor.com/id/castdate_loc.htm

Sounds like you have a Heinz 57.
The SN you listed is in the Demo Range, but not all in this range were painted white. From the numbers that I've been able to gather up, I'd be willing to bet that yours was one of the red tractors as it left the factory.
Long story short, I believe you do not have a Demo.

Thanks for the info. I was pretty sure this tractor has been post-factory assembled, but it is in really good condition. I believe it was red and then painted white. According to the archives I read about the "White" campaign back in '50, some dealers did not want to wait for their Demo because the "white" jingle was on the grand ole opry and they painted their Demo themselves. The only question I have is, when did they start putting laid back mufflers on cubs? Could this be a retrofit also to keep from cutting the square nose cowling addition?

Underslung exhaust became standard in Nov 54. I believe your tractors exhaust was installed at the same time as the square hood was installed by a previous owner.
Your tractor SN rolled off the line around the third week of Feb, well after the program started, and well after an antsy dealer would have painted a tractor white in anticipation to the start of the program.
I'd say that your tractor was "updated" to a more modern look by a previous owner with addition of the square nose hood and grille, underslung exhaust and some paint.

It either has updated hood, exhaust system etc. OR a replacement second-hand front bolster that came with a 1950 serial plate. The only way to tell which, is to check date codes on a bunch of major castings amd/or check the engine serial number (stamped near the carburetor). This page shows you where to look for the engine number.
http://www.tmtractor.com/id/id_003.htm

The casting by the clutch pedal says 2-14-T which leads me to believe 1950 is a good part of this tractor. Question, this tractor has not ran in about 10 years, good compression, block/radiator full of antifreeze, but something is stuck. Either the throwout bearing or clutch is locked. The tractor rolls fine in neutral but will not move when in gear. Can a novice split this tractor and expect to get it back together again? I have overhauled the rear end/transmission in my 1948 but I have never split one to work on the clutch and I am short on courage...

lutherthompson wrote:good compression.

I'm assuming that with the transmission in neutral the engine cranks over or is free, not stuck. Correct?

The tractor rolls fine in neutral but will not move when in gear..

If engine is free and the tractor rolls in neutral - - suspect transmission problem.

lutherthompson wrote:Can a novice split this tractor and expect to get it back together again?

If you are halfway mechanically handy, the answer is yes. There are several threads outlining the splitting process and on making splitting stands.

However, as Eugene states, the information you provided indicates a transmission problem, for which a split may not be necessary. I would suggest pulling the top cover off the trans and see what you have. It may just be a loose or broken shifter fork.

The T casting code was also used in 1972, which would be consistent with a square nose hood, underslung exhaust, and yellow and white (on the hood) paint. The engine serial number will help as well as the style of brakes and some part numbers cast on castings (like the engine).

I agree with Bob, the easiest thing to believe here is a front bolster swap. Not all that un common. Seems like a lot of work for someone to go thru to do a remodel of the tractor and make it "look" like the newer style. Pictures would be great too, as well as what everyone else suggests, more date codes..

The engine block says 1-30-T. Hydraulic block 1-13-T. Center tube 2-14-T. I think the tractor has had a square nose/gas tank from a newer model. I tried to add pictures but I know more about tractors than I know about uploading pictures.

We need an engine serial number or a part number to nail it down. A 1950 would probably have a block part number of 251341R2. A 1972 would be 251341R8 and have a 12 volt starter- the starter is an easy one to ask, should have thought of that before.

You can see the part number at the bottom center of the block (R1 in this case) from this photo from TM Tractor's archive

How di I add pictures?

lutherthompson wrote:How di I add pictures?

When you are replying to a message you will see a tab under the dialog box that says "upload attachment". Click on that and add the info. You can attach several pix in a post.