Farmall Cub

I married the farmer's daughter, and now I've inherited a farm. My father-in-law had a '47 Farmall Cub that's been sitting in the barn for more than 10 years. My wife wants to keep it for sentimental reasons. I don't want to keep something that big that isn't working, I don't know how much work it's going to take to get it running, but I do know it will be easier than convincing my wife to change her mind.

She thinks it was running when it was parked in the barn, but she also thought it was an Allis-Chalmers, so I don't know how reliable that information is.

I've already read through the owners manual to acquaint myself with the CUB, but I'm not sure where I should start. I already plan on getting fresh belts, but should I automatically assume the gaskets will need to be replaced? The owners manual has start up procedures, do I just follow them, or are there other things I should check before I start putting a lot of time and money into it?

So,where do I begin?

Pictures coming soon.

Before spending any money on parts, the first thing to do is to determine whether the engine is free or stuck. The best way to accomplish this is to attempt to turn the engine clockwise with a hand crank. Let us know what you find.

In the absense of a hand crank, you can usually turn it over by rotating the fan.

Welcome to the Forum! Someone will be along soon with the official welcome, in the meantime, I'll offer my advice for what its worth. The first thing I do with a project like yours is to pull the spark plugs and put some motor oil in the cylinders, let it sit for an hour or so to seep in, then carefully try turning the engine over by hand. In the meantime, you can check the fluid levels and condition. (They all will need changed, but make sure the engines not seized before you go through that step.) Check the plug condition, replace if necessary. If the engines free, spin it a few times with the crank or starter, then install the plugs and pour some fresh gas in the tank. SLOWLY, the sediment bowl gasket may be dried out and leak. Then, following the manual's starting instructions, fire her up. If you have problems or questions, come back here. This site is a gold mine of information, and there are no stupid questions. The Cub Book of Knowledge (CBoK) link has a ton of info from guys who have been there and done that. My wife inherited her Dads 8N, so I know where you are coming from. I put more money and time into that tractor than its worth, but to us it priceless. Good Luck. John

Before attempting a start, you MUST determine if the oil pump has lost it's prime. Many engines have been damaged by excluding this step. After sitting for ten years, the chances are good that it has. Let's find out if the engine is free first. Then we'll discuss the oil pump prime and start attempt.

tinnerjohn wrote:Welcome to the Forum! Someone will be along soon with the official welcome, in the meantime, I'll offer my advice for what its worth. The first thing I do with a project like yours is to pull the spark plugs and put some motor oil in the cylinders, let it sit for an hour or so to seep in, then carefully try turning the engine over by hand. In the meantime, you can check the fluid levels and condition. (They all will need changed, but make sure the engines not seized before you go through that step.) Check the plug condition, replace if necessary. If the engines free, spin it a few times with the crank or starter, then install the plugs and pour some fresh gas in the tank. SLOWLY, the sediment bowl gasket may be dried out and leak. Then, following the manual's starting instructions, fire her up. If you have problems or questions, come back here. This site is a gold mine of information, and there are no stupid questions. The Cub Book of Knowledge (CBoK) link has a ton of info from guys who have been there and done that. My wife inherited her Dads 8N, so I know where you are coming from. I put more money and time into that tractor than its worth, but to us it priceless. Good Luck. John

One more thing. Before trying to fire up the motor, PRIME THE OIL PUMP!! The oil pump is not submerged in oil an can loose it's prime. You can do a search here to find out how to prime the oil pump.

Don, you're one step ahead of me.

G'day to you and congrats on marrying the farmers daughter And now you have your very own Farmall Cub Once you get this Cub up and running, you will soon find out they are not only addicting but how simple they are to maintain and how much you are going to be happy that you did not get rid of it.

The Owner's Manual is a good place to start. Read it carefully and take it out to your barn and Cub and compare -- understand the connection between the manual and the tractor. Pay special attention to what Don said ... PRIME the oil pump before you even think of starting that Cub. And before you start it, follow all the lubrication and maintenance tips provided in the manual.

Follow the links below, there are tons of resources available to our members.

to Farmallcub.com Forum Family. And you have come to the right place for all things Cub related. If you click on the Site Rules, Regulations, & Important Information, it will point you to the Welcome Wagon wherein you will find links to many useful sites and topics. One of the most important resources are Owner's Manuals, Parts Catalogs and Service Manuals. The Cub Manual Server is the home of the jpg versions and the [url=http://www.farmallcub.com/[ Sorry, direct links to manual section is not allowed. ]/index.php]PDF Manuals[/url] -- well the pdf's of course Enjoy!.

The most important part of this journey is to have a lot of fun as you get the Cub going for your bride. Trust me, it will pay off

If you have a good battery, or can get one, I'd put it in, and pull the starter handle (right side of the Hood) with the ignition switch off. Only do this briefly and only with the ignition switch off. If the engine turns (as I think it will since it has been under cover) then as others said, PRIME THE OIL PUMP. With the cultivators and planter on the tractor, it is going to be tough to get to the oil filter housing, but it may be the easiest place to do that operation. After priming, then I would pull the ignition switch and give it a shot at starting. It might surprise you and FIRE OFF.

Is the rest of the planter in the shed with the tractor? How about any other implements? What is the Serial number? The cub has a replacement grille on it as well as either an external coil added to the mag or a complete replacement of the mag with a distributor. This means that you have to have battery power in order to run the tractor...

Good luck and feel free to post any questions you may have! This forum is a great repository of knowledge!!

Mike

Well now

Lookie what is on that Cub

Planter/Fertilizer/Side Dresser gear? I am not all that familiar with them to tell for sure but Bob in Ct and others will know. UMF and a Cub-144 Cultivator. Weights all around, nice original tires .. those 8.3" tires
Nice looking Cub.

Is the rest of the planter in the shed with the tractor? How about any other implements? What is the Serial number?

There's a lot of equipment ranging from slightly worn, to plies of rust. I'll have to poke around here and find some pictures so I know what I'm looking for. The serial is 83160, which I believe makes it a '49 ???.

Unless I'm mistaken, it is still set up with a 6 volt battery, Is the Cub a negative ground or positive ground?

I'll be back on the farm tonight, so I'll see what I can find.

It is positive ground. I would assume that the battery is toast. You could check the water level and top off with distilled water and put a charger on it to see if it will charge up or not. If it does, great...prime the oil pump and give it a shot. If it doesn't charge up, a new battery is needed.

Concentrate on getting it running before taking anything apart or any clean-up. It might be a worthwhile thing to also change the oil before running...I'm sure that it is sludge. The gas is probably (definitely) old, so you might want to drain that as well.

Mike

Unless the belts are visibly rotten and tattered, there is no reason to replace them at this point.

The tractor will even run without belts. Those belts power the fan and generator. If you don't run the tractor for more than a few minutes at a time, the fan isn't necessary. You can recharge the battery using a battery charger, and odds are the generator needs some tinkering to get it working anyway.

I would not start an engine sitting for years without changing the oil first. Save a little of the third quart to prime the oil pump. After running it for a while. I would change it again with a new filter.