1948 Cub Retirement Project

[willys55]

I bought this cub early this year for what I think was a good price, $900. It ran and drove, but not well.......carburetor was giving me trouble and it had a terrible oil leak. However, I thought it would be a good project now that I am retired and running out of "Honey Do's" on the wife's list. I really don't want to restore it like showroom new and have no intention on taking it to shows......there is an annual Tractor Day Parade in town that I would like to participate in though. So here she is, in her work clothes.......I will repair what is broken or not working correctly and refresh with new paint. This is the day I brought it home, 1/14/2017

[willys55]

I spent the first couple of months just buying and ordering parts for it, started working on her a couple weeks ago.

First I started stripping her down and split it for the rear main seal and clutch replacement.

[willys55]

bolted the halves back together and starting tearing down the front end.

[willys55]

washed down the block and hit it with primmer, now just waiting for it to dry

[willys55]

yesterday I put a coat of paint on the engine, and started degreasing the bolster and front axle assembly

the lights in my garage make it look orange, but it is farmall red

[DRaymond]

Looking good. What did you use for primer and how did you apply it?

[Willy]

That's some pretty good work there.

I really don't want to restore it like showroom new and have no intention on taking it to shows......there is an annual Tractor Day Parade in town that I would like to participate in though

That's my idea on my Cub. It was given the show restoration about 15 years ago and did the show thing for a couple of years before it was parked. Now's it's gonna be like me. Retired, but still putting around. Pulling my utility trailer, and other non-garden stuff. I'm working on a 3 point hitch design for it so I could do some blading (snow) and a boom pole for some lifting things I don't want to have to. Then there's the annual Christmas and 4th of July parades in town. Figured I could hook on the trailer, throw a few straw bales on it, load it up with grandkids and head to town.

[radioguy41]

Nice job and thanks for posting the photos. I like to collect images like that for future reference so if I need to dig into something I have a better idea of what to expect to see.

[Jim in SC]

Funny how some of us get old tractors to restore when we retire, isn't it? Great fun - did my '51 when I retired in 2014 - it looks like you are doing it right! I can't wait to see more "as you go" pictures and then to see the final product. Great job!

[Glen]

Hi,
Nice looking Cub in your pics.
I hope you put in good quality clutch parts, some of the guys on here have had trouble with foreign made clutch parts quitting in a short time, then they have to split the Cub and replace the parts again.
One man wrote that his new pressure plate had one finger bend down after a short time of use, I think he thought the metal used in it was too soft.
Some of the guys prefer the original IH pressure plates to the new ones. If the old one is still good, and worked normally, it isn't bad just because it is old. If it was the original, I would keep it in case it's needed.
TM Tractor parts at the bottom of the page has good quality parts, the guys on here have said.

[willys55]

Looking good. What did you use for primer and how did you apply it?

I used rustolium rusty metal primmer, thinned it down with mineral spirits, paint thinner and applied with my spray gun.........I washed the block first with ZEP purple industrial cleaner then rinsed with warm water, air dry for a day...then wiped it down with acetone and let dry...then shot with the primmer.

[willys55]

Hi,
Nice looking Cub in your pics.
I hope you put in good quality clutch parts, some of the guys on here have had trouble with foreign made clutch parts quitting in a short time, then they have to split the Cub and replace the parts again.
One man wrote that his new pressure plate had one finger bend down after a short time of use, I think he thought the metal used in it was too soft.
The pressure plate in your pic looked ok, some of the guys prefer the original IH pressure plates to the new ones. If the old one is still good, and worked normally, it isn't bad just because it is old. If it was the original, I would keep it in case it's needed.
TM Tractor parts at the bottom of the page has good quality parts, the guys on here have said.

I did save the old pressure plate.....one of the finger springs was broken with part of it embedded in the friction material....I have bought most of the parts and gasket from TM Tractor parts. The old plate can be repaired, that's why I saved it.

[willys55]

Thanks for all the nice words of encouragement.

[k hutchins]

Looking very good.

[DRaymond]

Thank you for the primer application information.