R.O.C.K Restoration Project

[rockfarmer]

Healing thru Horses, also known as hippo therapy, is used to treat veterans (Wounded Warriors) and children with physical and mental disabilities, including PTSD. Our community is blessed to have R.O.C.K (Ride on center for Kids), which provides children and adults opportunities to experience therapy on horseback. A truly spiritual place on earth where you watch miracles happen. http://www.rockride.org

My wife has been a volunteer there for years cleaning stalls, horse handling, interacting with children and veterans, and giving away all my honey.
So, this past March, she finally convinced me to go to their annual fundraiser/live auction/dinner event which consisted of 600-700 supporters. I was so moved that I announced, "after just finishing my first Cub restoration"...I'm going to donate a restored Farmall Cub to be auctioned off next year!

Easy to say....Within a couple of weeks, my wife announced the theme of next years Barn Dance will based around a "Restored 1949 Farmall Cub".

I am both excited and nervous about restoring this tractor for such a great cause. So, I am asking all of you experts to lead me along the path of our restoration.

Here is where we are starting;

[Slim140]

What an awesome thing for you to do for such a great cause! Fix what leaks and needs fixing, don't worry about what don't need fixing and do your best, that's all you can do. If you don't have a grille I have a brand new one I purchased from TM Tractor last year I will send you for free.

[inairam]

I was thinking about doing that for a foundation I am involved with. great cause good luck.

[rockfarmer]

If you don't have a grille I have a brand new one I purchased from TM Tractor last year I will send you for free.

The only thing missing when we bought this tractor was the grill...WOW! We accept your generous offer.

I was thinking about doing that for a foundation I am involved with.

That is awesome...Be careful saying it out loud unless you are ready...

Thank you for your kind words.

[Slim140]

If you don't have a grille I have a brand new one I purchased from TM Tractor last year I will send you for free.

The only thing missing when we bought this tractor was the grill...WOW! We accept your generous offer.

I was thinking about doing that for a foundation I am involved with.

That is awesome...Be careful saying it out loud unless you are ready...

Thank you for your kind words.

Send me a PM with an address and I'll gladly ship it to you!

[inairam]

keep posting to this same post. let people know what you need. I am sure more members will help.

[ScottyD'sdad]

Great idea! My daughter is an Occupational therapist at a therapeutic riding center. Started as a volunteer, there, at age 16. Now, has a masters, in OT, and is still there. They don't have the massive community backing, that your place does. More like 50 people, at a fund raiser.
Ed

[staninlowerAL]

Hey Rockfarmer, Great to see the donation tractor you've described in our previous conversations. Thanks for catching me up to date. Hope all goes well, feel free to call or email/PM anytime. Stan

[Dusty B]

My wife (retired OT) volunteered for a neighbor that ran a rehab program for children for several years! Insurance finally forced them to give the program up! Fantastic results w/autistic children though. Dusty B

[rockfarmer]

Occupational therapists are angels on earth, especially for Autistic children. Bless them all!

I mentioned, in a previous post, about donating this tractor as close to original as possible. This will require converting the electrical system back to 6 volts and replacing some of the non original bolts with dot heads. What other parts typically get replaced with non-original's over the years?

[T-Mo]

Thanks for taking up such a good cause, and for donating, not only your tractor, but time and money, and the effort involved. It's a worthy cause.

[rockfarmer]

We purchased this tractor knowing it made an awful noise in 1st and 3rd gears. Following the "What to do with a cub you just brought home" list,
I drained the crud and water from the transmission.

A good rinse with kerosene, and found this.

Is the 1st gear in backwards? Would that cause the loud noise in 1st and reverse?



Also, the front bolster wears the badge of "left outside on a cold winters night",

It does not appear to leak, although I haven't worked the tractor. I have a replacement but with the serial number plate attached to this part, what should I do? Keep it on there with original serial # plate or swap it with newer replacement? Is it easy to re-install a serial # plate?

[Bob McCarty]

Here's a link to TM that has a good gear layout: http://www.tmtractor.com/tm-tractor/gtr ... ns_001.htm
It doesn't look like it's in backwards but it has a lot of wear. The SN plate can be difficult to remove without damaging the corners. If you opt to go that way, I'd carefully drill off the rivet heads first. There are several "how to's" on removing the plate. I'd suggest putting a straight edge across the front of the radiator and bolster. If the bolster bulgded up after the freeze, the bottom of the radiator may be bowed to match. The grill will hide most of that so it would be your choice whether to replace or not.

[rockfarmer]

Thanks Bob.

In looking at the attachment, #7, or 1st gear on my tractor appears to be facing the wrong direction.

Below is a transmission, that, coincidentally came along with the tractor, and it's gears are oriented the same as TM's layout. Makes me think the PPO knew the gear was on backwards and offered an olive branch in the form of a properly put together transmission.

We'll take it.

[Jim Becker]

Your gear is facing the right way. The shaft in your most recent picture is the lower shaft.