Yorkshire French Cub

[Servicetune]

My French Cub still has the dealer’s placards on the hood.

I am slowly gathering parts and freeing off seized bits. I shall be posting progress updates in this post.

[Glen]

Hi,
Nice that it has identification on it.
The tractor on the plate has the style of hood IH used from approximately the late 1960's, through the early 1980's.
IH didn't have cabs like in the pic in the late 1950's, that I have seen.
So the dealer evidently had the Cub when it was used, my opinion.

[Servicetune]

Hi,
Nice that it has identification on it.
The tractor on the plate has the style of hood IH used from approximately the late 1960's, through the early 1980's.
IH didn't have cabs like in the pic in the late 1950's, that I have seen.
So the dealer evidently had the Cub when it was used, my opinion.

Interesting Glen. So probably not the original supplier but a second hand dealer?

[Servicetune]

A few bits arrived including stainless wheel weight bolts, washers and nuts as most are either missing or incorrect bolts.

[inairam]

Or they serviced it at one point and put their placard on the hood.

[Servicetune]

The French Cub has a different seat mounting to the USA and one pivot was missing, the other replaced with a bolt. A length of bar cut to the right length and drilled to take R pins (instead of the original split pins) and the seat can now be properly attached and also easily removed.

[Servicetune]

Today I have been making plug leads

I decided to go for 90 degree ends to keep the installation neater and also make removal of the dizzy cap easier.

[Stanton]

...I decided to go for 90 degree ends to keep the installation neater and also make removal of the dizzy cap easier.

I understand you to mean the distributor? Ha! I like your word for it better!

I'm with Glen on the dealership tag. Stateside, dealers won't put their tag (especially a pinned metal tag like yours) on your tractor when it's in for service, but they would on a used tractor they're selling.

Nice "goodies" box from TM I presume(?). And I like your choice of cloth coated spark plug wire. That'll dress it up nice!

Keep us posted; we like pictures!

[Servicetune]

Nice "goodies" box from TM I presume(?). And I like your choice of cloth coated spark plug wire. That'll dress it up nice!

Keep us posted; we like pictures!

Bits from Holland, a company called Histoparts. Shipping to UK MUCH cheaper than from USA and parts cheaper as well. They also list some parts specific to the French Cub.

Yeah I thought the cloth covered leads were in keeping with the age of the tractor.
Cheers, Andy.

[Servicetune]

Whilst I had the distributor off to enable me to remove the governor which needed the speed select lever freeing off, I decided to have a look inside. Not good news! The cam lobes are badly worn and the advance weight spring attachments have collapsed!

As this is a French Cub with RB Ducellier distributor, parts are very rare. I have managed to weld the broken spring attachment back onto the main shaft and am in the process of making new pins for the top shaft. Thankfully I have found somewhere in the UK that reckons they can add electronic ignition so the worn lobes shouldn’t be a problem.

[Servicetune]

Starting with an M4 stainless countersunk setscrew and half nut I shall attempt to replicate this badly damaged pin. I have already straightened the flange at the bottom of the top shaft and tapped out the holes to M4.

And one done!

And now all repaired and reassembled ready to send off for conversion to electronic ignition.

[indy61]

Found these photos in another post. You may have already seen them.

[Servicetune]

Thanks, I have the full French parts manual but no one supplies anything other than cap, rotor arm, points etc.

[Eugene]

Good job on the distributor repair.

I have the full French parts manual but no one supplies anything other than cap, rotor arm, points etc.

When the original part number for a tractor/machine is listed as no longer available, I look for other manufacturer's machines that used the same part.

Takes a bit of effort cross referencing part numbers.

[Servicetune]

Decided to fully assemble the distributor for now and check for spark. I was actually surprised at how far the points did open and the coil is producing a reasonable spark. Waiting for a couple of bits to come then I should be able to attempt a first start of the engine.
Depending on how that goes I will make a decision as to whether to add electronic ignition or not.

Plug leads are now all finished as well.