What to do with a Cub you just brought home

[Clem]

When I bring a running Cub home for the first time, I run through this checklist:


Empty/refill Breather Cup
Grease all zerks
Drain Oil/replace with fresh oil
Drain Radiator/flush with water
Drain radiator/add 50/50 radiator fluid (pre-mixed)
Drain Tranny/ re-fill with kerosene
Drive cub around in low gear
Flush kerosene/replace with tranny fluid
Drain Stearing Box/re-fill with kerosene
Replace oil in steering box
Remove front wheels/fix dents in rims
Repack front wheel bearings
Replace spark plugs
Remove and fully charge battery
Clean posts/grounds
Drain fuel in tank (save)
Scrub fuel tank
Clean fuel bowl/replace screen & gasket

estimated cost: under $50

Last edited by Clem on Fri May 01, 2009 12:15 am, edited 2 times in total.

[TexCub]

thanks for the checklist. i've been thinking of a list of things i probably should do (or have already done) with my first cub. i brought it home in mid-September and it runs okay, but i feel a sneaking suspicion that it'll go even better after these tasks.


incidentally, what other steps should be taken on the road to a complete tune-up? thanks for any input...


Dave

[Clem]

STEP 2:

TAKE THE HOOD OFF
INSPECT WIRES AND GROUNDS/REWIRE IF NEEDED
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS CHECK
REPLACE SPARK PLUGS/WIRES
CHECK/REPLACE RADIATOR HOSES
DEGREASE
CHANGE POINTS/CONDESOR
CHECK TIMING/RETIME IF NEEDED

thanks for the checklist. i've been thinking of a list of things i probably should do (or have already done) with my first cub. i brought it home in mid-September and it runs okay, but i feel a sneaking suspicion that it'll go even better after these tasks.


incidentally, what other steps should be taken on the road to a complete tune-up? thanks for any input...


Dave

Just bring that Cub a few miles north and leave it, I'll take real good care of it

[Bigdog]

I just realized that Montgomery is where our friend lives. We spent a night there when we came to the Tumble! The IHOP there serves a mean breakfast!

[TexCub]

thanks for the continued list. i can see i'll need to kick the car out of the garage for a few days to have a little room to work. (but don't think the cub is sleeping under the stars now, she sleeps on the back porch.) incidentally, this was my wife's reaction to the cub on the porch:


.....................

haha.

and i'm going to have to think about that offer donny. something sounds funny...

i'm going to have to work on getting a trailer ready before the tumble, montgomery to oakwood is a bit of a haul to drive a cub!!

[Eugene]

When I bring a Cub home for the first time, I run through this checklist:

1. Empty/refill Breather Cup
2. Drain Oil/replace with Kerosene
3. Drain Radiator flush/replace with water

1) Clean the entire air cleaner and tube and orifice.
2) If your talking about engine oil. Don't do this. Just replace the engine oil. Or use a crankcase/engine flush based on engine oil.
3) Try some washing soda. Flush the engine block. Remove the water manifold below the starter and flush the engine block.
4) Remove the pans from the finals, clean and refill.
5) Run the engine for a while. Then conduct a compression check.
6) Tappet clearence.
7) Spray every nut and bolt with PB blaster.
eight) Dress and regap points. Check ignition timing and mechanical advance operation.
9) Lubricate fan - check fan belt.
10) Lubricate mechanical advance pivot.

Eugene

[TexCub]

this must be why "Cub Pro" is under your name Eugene. I think I'll be able to use the manuals to guide me through almost all of these, I'm really confused about flushing the block. any more detail is greatly appreciated on the procedure. I think I could get by without doing it, as the engine does run. But I know it definitely wouldn't hurt. In about a month we'll be out of mowing season and I plan on having the hood off and I'd sure like to do as much as I can while it's off.


Among the tasks is going to be replacing the rear main seal and I'm not looking forward to it. I may have to bribe Donny M one day this winter to take a short drive south if I get myself in a bind!!

this must be why "Cub Pro" is under your name Eugene. I think I'll be able to use the manuals to guide me through almost all of these, I'm really confused about flushing the block. any more detail is greatly appreciated on the procedure. I think I could get by without doing it, as the engine does run. But I know it definitely wouldn't hurt. In about a month we'll be out of mowing season and I plan on having the hood off and I'd sure like to do as much as I can while it's off.


Among the tasks is going to be replacing the rear main seal and I'm not looking forward to it. I may have to bribe Donny M one day this winter to take a short drive south if I get myself in a bind!!

Bind or no bind, I'd be glad to help

[Clem]

FLushing the block just gets the gunk out, There are several ways of doing this. I prefer kerosene (but many do not and feel it may harm the engine), I just take the filter out but replce the stud so you don't get backwash in the engine. Then I run the engine on low power for about 10 minutes, just enough to get things warm then I shut the engine off and drain it all and add my oil with a little marvel mystery oil.

Last edited by Clem on Thu Apr 30, 2009 11:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Eugene]

Using kerosene to flush out the engine. There are several engine flushes on the market, very good ones, that are added to engine oil. With the engine flushes you can operate the engine in a normal manner, for an extended period of time. This will take out the loose gunk and help remove built up deposits caught in the rings and ring grooves.

Kerosene is very light weight - not much in the way of lubrication properties. Causing undue wear to engine bearing journals.

On draining the transmission and flushing with kerosene. I remove the drain plug and let drain over night. Then replace the oil. If the oil is very dirty, operate the tractor for a period of time, several weeks, then drain and replace again. The transmission/differential only takes a small amount of gear lube. I drain and replace the Cub's transmission/ differential oil every spring to the remove built up water.

Just my opinion.

Eugene

[PKS]

Clem, Eugene:

That is a very expansive list of things to do. What is the criterion? Is it always necessary or just plain "over the top" preventive maintenance. I have zero tractor experience and have since received my Binder Books manuals which I will need to brief before doing anything. How much of your list is just experience driven or actually identified in the service manuals?

My Lo-Boy runs well (to the best of my limited knowledge) and the points and the condensor were replaced nine months ago by the prior owner. I plan to replace all fluids, clean and adjust the carburetor and replace all four tires as they are in "tough" shape. I will grease all zerks and degrease and clean where necessary. I hope to get started soon but I have to wait until January before I order new tires. I had no plans to remove the hood (unless necessary). I would appreciate your comments and I will ask further questions when I get started.

Paul

[beaconlight]

Hey you guys have it all wrong. You suppossed to put a new cub on a trailer and send it to me or at least to Beverly.

Bill

[Eugene]

Clem, Eugene: That is a very expansive list of things to do. What is the criterion? Is it always necessary or just plain "over the top" preventive maintenance. Paul

The biggest reason to work through the provided list and more is that those tasks probably hasn't been done in quite some time - like years and years.

Second thing is to head off or prevent problems. I have found as much as 7 gallons of water in the rearend of a WC Allis. And the finals half full of dirt.

Flushing the block's water jacket and lower radiator housing. On the thermosyphen cooling system, crap settles in the lowest part, usually the lower radiator housing. Second location for sediment is the back of the block, around the #4 cylinder. When you pull the lower water manifold. Flush the inside of the block's water jacket and the lower radiator housing- you want to remove any buildup around the bottom of the cylinders.

Eugene

[Eugene]

Bringing this post to the top of the list.

Criteria. I would pick a task that I felt that I could comfortably accomplish and start there. As I gained experience and confidence - move on - as time and money permitted.

Paul. If you have not turned your Cub's engine over in quite some time - I would do so. I have several engines that get ran on an infrequent basis - like once a year. I crank them over 3 or 4 turns every couple of weeks to keep them free.

Eugene