Restoration: Charlotte, 1948 Cub (Kansas)

[twotone]

As to question 2, that pipe actually drains any junk in the filter housing. I would stick a coat hanger up there and break out any crud, and oil should drain out of the pipe.

[alfreema]

Excellent, will proceed with the coat hanger enema tomorrow.

[Scrivet]

Question 1? I've lost track, have you done a tune up (points, plugs, condensor)? I was working on one that hadn't been started in months that would cough and sputter and not start. Put new plugs in and started on first spin. While you're changing plugs is a good time for a compression check.

I would also spend some quality time with the maintence section of the owners manual. Lots of good general knowledge info as well as specifics on how to do things, like valve adjustment, that should be on your to do list. Question #3 is in there as well.

Click on "Manuals" tab on the right above.
Click on "Cub Owners Manuals".
Pick the one closest to your year without going over (actually not that big of a deal, not much changes, just have a Price is Right nut at work that has to have it on and couldn't resist)
There's individual pages and below that is the whole thing in one file.

[alfreema]

Yes, I just printed the '49 manual on my printer (I have a '48, but figured one above wouldn't hurt), and we are going to begin the tuneup and fluid change tomorrow afternoon since we finally have some agreeable weather.

[staninlowerAL]

All cubs have their own pecular combination of settings when starting. My 49 likes 3/4 choke until it starts while my 52 likes full choke on the first two or three turns of the engine then no choke. You will find what works best for yours as you become more familiar with it. A hot plug like Champion D21 also can make a difference. The small line with the cap on the lower end is a drain for the oil filter housing. It is not unusual for it to plug up with sediment from the oil over time. Remove the filter cover and the lower cap, then run a stiff wire or small rod through the pipe to clear the crud. Best bet for the belt is to measure it (outside dimension) or remove it and take it to a good parts store. The fan/crankshaft belt is an odd size width and pitch but the gen drive is a common v belt. Good luck, Stan

Edit: I'm a bit slower typing than some others!!

Edit 2: I seem to remember that this cub has not been run in a while. Another check is with the valve cover off, observe the valves while hand cranking to make sure that none of them are sticking which will greatly increase the difficulty starting the engine. This was the case on my 52 cub which had not been run in more than 30 years!!

[bythepond88]

Question #3 - Slack off the mounting bolts underneath, then loosen the belt on the tightening bracket up top. Swing the generator toward the fan and slip the belt off the generator pulley. Then, with a wrench holding the nut for the fan that is behind the "ears" on the front cover, put a wrench on the flats on the fan shaft in front of the ears. Hold the nut steady, and turn the fan shaft to loosen. DO NOT TURN THE NUT ITSELF OR YOU WILL BREAK THE FRONT COVER! Once you have the fan shaft loosened, slide the fan assembly down and slip the belt off the crank pulley, then off the fan itself.

If it is the belt from the crank pulley to the fan, simply replace it and reverse the procedure described above.

If it is the belt from the fan to the generator, slip that belt around the fan, then replace it, replace the crank to fan belt, then reverse the procedure to tighten the belts back up.

[alfreema]

So we are beginning the process on going through the Cub with fluids and what-not. The spark plug gaps looked fine. The magneto and distributor look quite new so we haven't looked into the points yet. We did a compression test and the results, starting from the cylinder in the front and working toward the back of the tractor were: 30, 90, 30, 90. Tomorrow, we plan on putting the hood back on and running it for a bit to see if the readings change.

Any thoughts on the 30/90/30/90 compression results, if we don't see any substantial change after running it for a bit?

[alfreema]

Any thoughts on the 30/90/30/90 compression results, if we don't see any substantial change after running it for a bit?

Ooh, I just found this thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=54635

It seems like a good one for my situation. Or is there a big difference between 0 and 30psi in terms of troubleshooting?

[Scrivet]

90's aren't that bad. 30's are. Did you try a wet test? (a little oil in each cylinder) Are you sure the tester is seating good? Checking/adjusting the valves isn't going to cause any problems and could help.

[alfreema]

No, we were going to start it this morning and then wet test after that. So we replace the hood and go to hook up the fuel line. Well my father-in-law tightened it down and I didn't know that so when I go to tighten it * poof * stripped the threads in the carb body. ARG ARG ARG

CURE, JB WELD, CURE!!

[bythepond88]

Pull the valve cover and check the valve clearances and operation. That could definitely cause the low compression numbers you are seeing.

[alfreema]

Yes we plan on it but don't have any local suppliers for the valve cover gasket. So I need to get one ordered. Can you save money by purchasing an overhaul kit with all the gaskets? Does anyone even offer one?

[Stanton]

Buy a roll of cork gasket material from your local auto parts place (O'Reilly, NAPA, Advanced AutoParts, etc.) and make your own. Easy to do with a straight edge and exacto knife.

[alfreema]

Is there a PDF template I can print out and trace?

[Scrivet]

Lay the cover on the gasket sheet and trace around it, mark where the bolt holes are. Take cover off gasket sheet and measure the width of the sealing area and mark a line that far inside of the line you just made. Cut out, install. No PDF needed.