New to the Club (1948 and 1950 Cubs)

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I was fortunate to find 2 Farmall Cub tractors for sale very near my house. An old guys has 5 of them in his yard in different states of disrepair. One day after work I saw him sitting on the swing so I stopped and had a chat. I couldn't leave without throwing him a number to buy one...he tried to sell all of them to me. I bought 2. One complete tractor with a belly mower and 6V configuration and another one without any implements and a 12v system and a very ugly version of a PTO delete. I got this tractor mostly for parts but the guy let it go very cheap because the back wheels were locked up. I took the cover off the transmission and tried to align the fingers in the neutral position, but when they get close, it slides into a gear position. I hope I can get some help. If I can get the transmission to operate correctly, I might be inclined to save the 2nd tractor since I probably won't need it for parts.

[Mike in Louisiana]

Welcome to the forum. There are a lot of active members close to you. Check the members map. Have fun with your new cubs.

[Cados111]

Good luck with your two cubs. I just got my Grandpa's 1953 cub that I grew up around. It's in fair shape, but hasn't ran in awhile. I also just got my Great Grandpa's 1948 Chevy pickup. The two will make a great pair.

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Thank you for the welcome.

I'm doing a 1/4 acre garden with my kids and 6 kids next door. This was a very big surprise for them that they'll be able to use a tractor in the garden...well, the ones that can reach the pedals.

I have a carburetor kit coming in this weekend and it looks like I'll need a new 6v battery. I found a 2007 sticker on it. I plan on rebuilding the carburetor, changing the battery and fluids and giving it a first crank this weekend. I've been considering pulling the head but the motor turns rather freely. I do wonder if it's too freely and lacking compression. I also so a nice kit on ebay to refresh the electrical system. I'll get that on order and get that done, as well.

Any advice on the coil? I know coils go bad but do they lose performance?
Any experienced advice on getting the transmision lined back up so that the wheels unlock?

Once I figure out how to do it, i'll post some pics.

[Stanton]

Have you downloaded the Owner and Blue Ribbon Service Manual for your Cub? Do that first and read up on maintenance and service.

Have you checked out this list of "to do" items when you first bring a Cub home? Found here: http://farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic. ... 45&t=16305

If you can post some general pictures of your Cub, that would be beneficial to accompany your questions. If your 6V has a magneto, then you can check for spark by removing the wire from the coil to the distributor cap and lay about an 1/8"-1/4" beside an exposed metal (unpainted) portion of the block, hand crank the motor and as the mag trips, there should be a noticeable spark that jumps between the end of the wire and block. Can also check for spark at each spark plug the same way (after reconnecting the coil wire).

If you suspect compression is lacking, you can check with a compression tester available at many auto parts stores.

But if the Cub has been sitting for several years and not started, by all means, the first thing you need to do is prime the oil pump. Remove oil cap on filter compartment and squirt oil into the small hole half-way down on the back, inside of the housing until it comes running back out. May also want to put a few drops into each spark plug hole to lubricate the pistons.

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Hi folks...I've been busy getting my 1950 in running condition. I bought it about a month ago and It's been a pretty cool process so far as I'm learning about the machine. So far, I've put a new battery, plugs, plug wires, distributor cap, rotor, points, condenser, coil, new fluids and rebuilt the carburetor. I cleaned out and refilled the air filter (yuck!), reset the timing at TDC, primed the oil pump and thought I was ready to go.... I found no joy.

I had an unfortunate mishap at my local gas station when I paid for gas but got mostly water. I didn't realize it until I filled up my lawnmower and luckily had enough of a spill to make me say, "hmmmm, that doesn't look like gas." So, that kicked off an evening of filling and flushing and finally getting clean fuel to the carburetor. I have crystal clear fuel in the bowl and I thought today was the day, but still no signs of life. Instead, I crank for about 5 seconds and fuel runs out the liquid drain of the carburetor. So, I googled the problem, found some videos and took the carb off and made a template to set the float at 1.4" and 1.6" and reinstalled. Also, I have a stock fixed jet in the carb. I also double checked getting fire at the plugs...the distributor is hot, the points are opening, and all the plugs are getting fire....I've checked the firing order several times.

I'm thinking that I have a fuel delivery problem. The problem is....I don't know what to do about it. What am I missing? fuel, fire, air, !Bang! right????

I'm hoping someone can give me some advice on what to do next...

Thanks.

[raystractors]

If the compression is low, you may try pulling the tractor with a truck or another tractor. I have had tractors that would not start until they were pulled, then after the pull start you could start them with the starter. Did you prime the oil pump? If the tractor has sat for a long time, then I would make sure you have oil flow while you crank the engine. Take the oil filter cover off, and crank the engine over, if you see oil moving through the filter holder then you are ok. If not then prime the oil pump by filling the port just below the top of the oil filter against the engine and crank the tractor till you have oil flow.

[Smokeycub]

Welcome to the best site there is for Cubs! Sounds like you're sure all the pieces are in place, so to speak. I would suggest a compression test, dry and then wet. Compression should be around 100psi or above. Being an updraft carb it needs decent vacuum (goes hand in hand with compression) to draw fuel/air into the cylinders.

fuel runs out the liquid drain of the carburetor

This is normal for some fuel to drip there until it starts. There are numerous posts about compression tests and leak down tests to determine where the problem(s) is (are), here's one viewtopic.php?f=1&t=84920&p=678071&hilit=compression+test#p678071 Another consideration is the plugs. Even though they check out good sometimes they don't fire when installed and trying to start. Like the others have said prime the oil pump.

?Any experienced advice on getting the transmision lined back up so that the wheels unlock?

It sounds like it's stuck in two gears. If so you'll need to take off the shifter plate and re-orient the trans to neutral. It's usually caused by a worn or broken shifter or related shifter parts. Here's a link for that. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=58844&p=485252&hilit=trans+stuck#p485252 Good luck and let us know how it works out!

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Thank you, Ray. I do remember thinking about compression as I was turning the engine by hand to set TDC. I'll post my findings.
Is there a link that shows how to post pictures? I tried to drag and drop but that doesn't seem to work.
Also, I am very happy I found this club. I can read posts back 10 years and find great information. Lots of very helpful folks here who are interested in keeping
every cub that can run...running!

[staninlowerAL]

You might have one or more sticking valves since it has sat for a while. Remove the cover behind the carb and watch everything move as you turn the hand crank. Good Luck. Stan

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Hi folks. I just finished checking the engine on the 1950. I removed the valve cover and found the valve lifters and springs very clean and pretty well lubricated. That's where the good news stops.

Compression test: cyl #1: 30 psi, cyl #2: 60 psi, cyl #3: 60 psi, and cyl #4: 90 psi

This is more of a wet or test since I pre-lubed the cylinders with an equal part gasoline and motor oil mixture. I followed with a second test after spraying each cylinder with a few seconds of WD-40 with little or no change in readings. I guess I have an engine rebuild in my near future.

I'm really worried about the head bolts. They've probably been in there for awhile....maybe 65 years. Any tricks on busting them out? Impact gun or hand ratchet?

Thanks for the advice. I'll probably have lots of questions during the engine rebuild.

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Question: my neighbor's dad came over and got all nostalgic over the Cub...He said he used to mow our 7 acres with a tractor exactly like it. I told him about the
lack of compression and he said, "No big deal. Just throw another set of rings in it and it'll run fine." Any experience with that possibility. He went on to talk about
the cast iron block and soft rings. I'll probably pull the head today and see if I have standard pistons. I don't have a mic to measure the bore at the bottom though. I
might be able to borrow one from work. The obvious big next step is to get the head off...hopefully without breaking any bolts.

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Hi Guys. I pulled the head this weekend and found A LOT of carbon build up on the valves. No broken head bolts!!!!! So, my plan is to pull the valves, do a thorough inspection, clean them up with paint stripper and a brass brush and lap them back in. I'll repeat the compression test after this work is complete to see how much compression I'm getting. I opened the valve inspection panel and found the valve stems and springs clean and well lubricated. I also cycled the engine with the head off and found the valves operating as expected....nothing's hanging up.

I'll have a better picture of my scope of repair after I get a good look at the valves and the seats.

[Stanton]

You sound like you know what you're doing--which is good to hear. Glad things are progressing. Let us know how your fair.

[Smokeycub]

I'll repeat the compression test after this work is complete to see how much compression I'm getting

If that doesn't help the compression then obviously you're looking at redoing the rings.

Just throw another set of rings in it and it'll run fine." Any experience with that possibility. He went on to talk about the cast iron block and soft rings. I'll probably pull the head today and see if I have standard pistons. I don't have a mic to measure the bore at the bottom though

Any experience with that possibility.

I've done that and it worked out well for me. I was able to use standard rings and bearings. It will depend on the condition of you pistons and bores. It's funny how people say "Just throw in a set of rings...", of course years after it's done one forgets the time, effort, and detail involved. Kind of like when guys are standing around talking gearhead stuff, it's all words and made to sound easy. Like "it should only take an afternoon, just gotta do this and this and that... day's later, or maybe weeks later... (not to mention cash expended).

Anyway it's best to check the bore after the pistons are removed. Check at three areas across (width wise), just under the ring line, middle, and bottom of the cylinder. Check the pistons too. If luck is with you then maybe you can "just throw in some rings" but with your compression readings I'm guessing maybe not. I'd suggest you plasti-gauge the main and rod bearings while you're at it. Consider an upgraded rear main seal but that requires splitting the tractor. All the specs are listed in Rudi's Manuals above.

Best of luck -