Farmall Cub

Maybe try turning in the air screw a half turn and see if that helps.

Hi Snowman.

As you can tell, these guys know their Cub stuff. I don't, but, like your Cub, my Cub doesn't like cold weather. So, after doing all sorts of things I've tried my best to recreate summer in winter. That seems to work. This winter--first time ever--, when it was +1 or +2 deg. F outside, the Cub started. A big "Whoa" here on that one. My way to go about it doesn't take into account all of the good and smart things the guys here know about -- like timing, points, carb stuff, all that.

What I did was a) put in a hot water heater element in the water intake pipe at the "Welch port" (if your Cub has one...I bought one used for this experiment), b) heat the oil pan with a little heater with a magnet to hold it in place, c) wrap the battery with an electrically heated "blanket", d) charge the battery, and e) put all that on to a timer and give it some hours to recreate summer before I trudged to the barn with my snow outfit on. Don't know if you want to go my route, or use a few of these items, but for me, after 20 years of a Cub that refused to face a single bitter winter day, I've found some things that work. You can find a Forum thread on the water heater element adventure -- don't know if Rudi decided to save it someplace special or not. But, there are some issues that have to be looked at and massaged to get it right -- no rocket science, just commonsense.

But heed my proviso. I'm one here to learn, not one to instruct. So, Good Luck!

I actually follow the opposite routine from Bob McCarty. I start off with no choke, then, if she doesn't fire within a couple revolutions, I pull the choke out while she's still turning over. I always used to have trouble getting her started when the temp dropped below 30, but since I've started using this method, she fires up without trouble most of the time.

DickB's approach is probably the best. I bought a magnetic oil pan heater. The few times I've either remembered to plug it in the night before, or had the time to wait for a couple hours for it to work, she started much more happily. The water heater is even better, because then you are not pumping warm oil into a cold block, plus the coolant is already somewhat warmed up. I hope to add a water heater to Eddie soon.

Its sets inside my garage. I have never had anything freeze, no matter how cold it is outside. I keep forgetting that it doesn't have electronic fuel injection like my truck! Maybe I am overeacting. I do put a charger on it every now and then. The battery was new in May 2012. I got the biggest CCA capacity that was available in a 6V. I will keep tinkering! Thanks guys for all the suggestions, Denny.....

For my Super A I have two magnetic block heaters one small and one large, I keep both of them on the oil pan, one on the side and one on the bottom. I plug these in a couple hours before use. I have a 6volt battery charger always hooked up. Now I don't know about the Cub carb, but mine has a little slot below the intake that I can unscrew a plug from and I squirt some starting fluid in there. I have the choke open and about 1/4th throttle and it starts up. I was using it in single digit temps.

You can see what I'm talking about in the below video. Now like I said, this is a Super A, not a cub, but I too have a very finicky tractor when it comes to the cold.

Mike, if you pull that choke lever when you crank your SA over you won't need the starter fluid in the vacuum port. Like Denny said, it doesn't have EFI like your car or truck.

Denny Clayton wrote:Mike, if you pull that choke lever when you crank your SA over you won't need the starter fluid in the vacuum port. Like Denny said, it doesn't have EFI like your car or truck.

Well after exhausting all other the options the only result I get is from squirting a little starting fluid in there. When I have my choke anyplace but wide open when before it has time to warm up it just sputters and quits.

Another thing you might try is cranking it over a few times with the ignition switch in the off position to bring some extra raw fuel into the combustion chamber then pull the switch to the on position and start it up. Upon cold start a richer nixture is needed and this may help.

Rick

havoc1482 wrote:For my Super A I have two magnetic block heaters one small and one large, I keep both of them on the oil pan, one on the side and one on the bottom. I plug these in a couple hours before use. I have a 6volt battery charger always hooked up. Now I don't know about the Cub carb, but mine has a little slot below the intake that I can unscrew a plug from and I squirt some starting fluid in there. I have the choke open and about 1/4th throttle and it starts up. I was using it in single digit temps.

You can see what I'm talking about in the below video. Now like I said, this is a Super A, not a cub, but I too have a very finicky tractor when it comes to the cold.

THANKS. Sure enough the Cub here has that opening, which I never understood and now I do. Come summertime, the carb will come off for safety sake, and I'll heat up that plug for backing off. THANKS.

If everything is as it should be, then it shouldn't be any harder to start in cold weather. BTW the plug is probably for hooking up vacuum gauge or milking machine that runs on vacuum.

danovercash wrote:If everything is as it should be, then it shouldn't be any harder to start in cold weather. BTW the plug is probably for hooking up vacuum gauge or milking machine that runs on vacuum.

Unfortunately, many people don't have everything as it should be. There is always something little thing. The plug maybe be for vacuum accessories, but its a neat way to inject started fluid, especially since its hard to get to the air intake because of the oil catch-pan air filter.


DickB let me know how that method works out.

Snoman, what is all that white stuff around your Cub? Greetings from the (not so) sunny south.

Plug is also a good way to play with fuel air mix to check for rich mix and need for smaller jet.

I read some post about possible Cub freeze ups in the Polar Vortex we just went through. It got me to thinking if my Cub was protected enough. I drained the cooling system and put new antifreeze in, since it has been 6 years since it has been changed. I saw tips on how to fix old drain plugs. Well, I just put a new 3/8 NPT Steel Plug in mine. That square top on the plug gives you a nice place to grab ahold of with a wrench. I put just a trace of Never-Seize on it to make sure I will never have a problem getting it out again.

Since it is Spring now , here in Pa. I spent some time in the garage trying to figure out that starting problem. Well, thanks to all who contributed, I turned the air screw in a little over a 1/4 turn, then found out my Cub will start with NO Choke, then after maybe 15 seconds,it starts to stutter, I pull the choke all the way out . After a few more seconds it is purring like a kitten! Winter is scheduled to be back next weekend, so I hope to test it out in colder weather.