Archive through February 16, 2013

[dschwandt]

Don T. Thanks for the speedy reply! This engine is from a 1450 that I got last spring that had not run in quite a while and really had a filthy head/combustion chamber. I did the carbon clean-up-head resurface thing, a few new gaskets and that's about it, hoping for the best.
The PO said it ran when parked but smoked. He was a re-saler and that's all he know about it.

I think I will put it back in the 1450 and work it some and see what happens while keeping a close eye on the oil level.

Dave S.

 

[proessler]

Ronald B. there should be a breather on the top of the housing that should release any pressure in the transmission reservoir. The check & fill for a 1250 is on the rear of trans. case above the drawbar. Item #20 ( plug )in trans. case pic in the parts lookup.

 

[kide]

David.... It'll run, but still smoke (and the combustion chamber will look filthy again), but the main thing to remember is that if the top end's worn (rings and bore), the bottom end is probably tired also, and Kohler aluminum rods have a finite lifespan.. just sayin'

 

[dfrisk]

RONALD BURG - A transmission from a 122 should bolt up to your 1200. The rear portion of the frames on the WF & Q/L tractors are all the same as the earlier tractors. All the frame changes for the bigger engines were in the front of the steering column. The problem will be hooking up your brakes. If your 1200 had the linkage for INTERNAL brakes you should be O-K since the 122 rearend had internal brakes too. If your 1200 had external disk brakes on each rear wheel you can install the axle shafts from your 1200 into the 122's axle carriers & rearend and use the external disk brakes and then just back-off the internal brake adjustment. You may also need to swap the gear shift lever and plate from your 1200 onto the rearend because I think the 1200's shift lever was bent different and was longer.

A hydro rearend also should not build pressure enough to push oil out the dipstick tube. The hydro rearend is vented to atmosphere and is only half full of oil. If you look at the hydro service manual on this forum you'll see that there's very little of the hydro that's pressurized, and any leakage of pressurized oil would go back into the rearend. Your rearend wouldn't be WAY over-filled would it? GD's use seven PINTS of oil, 3-1/2 quarts, hydros use seven quarts, not quite two gallons of oil.

DAVE S. - Have you checked the valve breather box or done any work on that? The inner plate has a very small hole in one corner for oil to drain back into the engine. That hole has to be to the BOTTOM. Some service manuals got that little detail "backwards". If that hole is to the top the inner cavity of the breather fills with oil and blows out the vent. If you are sure that it's assembled correctly, then DON's suggestion about lightly honing and installing new rings is probably a good one.

 

[kide]

Neil Mercer:
Your question "Does anyone here happen to know what size the hole is in the main jet on a 12 hp kohler " ..... The info you seek is probably on
this page...

 

[dschwandt]

Thanks Guys!. I'll give the breather a second look see. I sure dont want to have to go full tilt on this but if that's what it takes, so be it I guess. So far, all I have in it other than the initial purchase price is some time and a few gaskets is all.

Dave S.

 

[tswafford]

Jeff B. my 169 has 13 fins and I sent the info. to Art a few days ago. I went and took some pictures of the of the 169 and now all I have to do is figure out how to get the pictures on the forum. I also double checked the numbers on the tag.

Hydro Harry,I checked tail lighrt lense and it read Reflect-O-Lite 378 Sae P1-A-70. Unfortunately I only have one left the other one is missing.

 

[nmercer]

Thanks Gerry I am printing it out right now.

 

[bjamison]

Quick questions: My 126 needs an engine rebuild or another engine. I have found a 122 that might make a good engine donor. Will the 122 engine fit the 126? Are attachments, ie deck or blade, etc interchange? Both are narrow frame tractors. Does the 122 have a quick attach system like the 126? If the 122 is complete and running, should I leave it alone and move the 126 down the road instead, and keep the 122? Also, I think the 122 has internal vs external brakes on the 126 - question is why the change, any advantage to one over the other? I think the 126 has the 19T second gear and the 122 might have the 16T second gear? Which of these 2nd gears is the better mowing gear? Does the difference in speed make one better or worse than the other with a moldboard plow.

 

[jbaker]

Thurman, is your 169 Hydro or manual lift?

We solved that SAE70 is the correct lense number and that the FIRST 169 still lives today.

now thats a good cub fact day
thanks Thurman and Harry

 

[jchamberlin]

Bill: Although I'm sure that others will chime in, I'll offer my thoughts regarding the 122 vs. 126.

Bill writes, "Will the 122 engine fit the 126?"
JC: Yes, they're both 12 HP with S/G

Bill writes, "Are attachments, ie deck or blade, etc interchange? . . . Does the 122 have a quick attach system like the 126?"
JC: Not sure, I think the 122 may lack the Quick Attach features of later tractors, others may respond.

Bill writes: "If the 122 is complete and running, should I leave it alone and move the 126 down the road instead, and keep the 122?"
JC: Yes, I would. I value a steel dash over the fiberglass, and according to no less an authority than Forum member and frequent contributor, Tom Hoffman, the 122 is "bullet-proof."

Bill writes: "Also, I think the 122 has internal vs external brakes on the 126 - question is why the change, any advantage to one over the other?"
JC: The internal brakes were used, not used, and used again. I suspect they're cheaper to manufacture. The external brakes were provided from several suppliers. The main advantage to the external brakes is that they act on the wheels and keep the tractor from spinning around while "stopped," which sometimes happens with the internal brakes which acts on the differential. I find the internal brakes fairly bullet-proof, myself; but then again, I'm not accustomed to pulling/stopping heavy tow loads with my tractor.

Bill writes, "I think the 126 has the 19T second gear and the 122 might have the 16T second gear? Which of these 2nd gears is the better mowing gear? Does the difference in speed make one better or worse than the other with a moldboard plow."
JC: Not sure about the 122 and 2nd gear ratios (although I could look it up), I think the slower gear was limited to the 70/100 series, others may contribute, or I'll check my notes and come back. Can't speak to plowing, never tried it.

Bill, your "quick questions" are killing me.

Edit: My notes on Cub Cadet 2nd Gear:
1. By Troy Rutherford (Trutherford) on Wednesday, June 06, 2012 - 08:17 pm:
I have a 70 and a 100 that were both built in 1964 with low serial numbers. I was driving them both today and relized that 2nd gear was about the same speed as 1st gear. But all of my later model 100s and the following models after have the normal 2nd gear that is at the speed between 1st and 3rd I was wondering since they had low serial numbers if this had a factor. Was this an option by the factory. Are these rear ends rare or hard to come by. I haven't seen another 2 cubs like these or any other models with this slow of a second gear. Does anyone have any information on this. Thanks

2. By Paul Bell (Pbell) on Wednesday, June 06, 2012 - 08:54 pm:
Troy R,
Cub Cadets from the beginning to serial number 96765 (70/100 from serial # 65458 to 96765) had a 16/36 tooth 2nd gear set (or 2nd speed as IH liked to call it). From serial # 96766 up to the wide frame models (86/108/128) they had a 19/33 tooth 2nd gear set, and the wide frames and later had a 17/35 tooth 2nd gear set.

3. By Steve Blunier "Mr. Plow" (Central IL) (Sblunier) on Wednesday, June 06, 2012 - 10:07 pm:
16T 2nd is great for mowing with a small HP tractor...otherwise, I find then annoying, much preferring the 19T second for most all other uses.

Mowing with 10-12hp is a 19T job, as is plowing, etc.

4. By Dennis Frisk (Dfrisk) on Thursday, June 07, 2012 - 06:44 am:
TROY, STEVE B. - The 16T 2nd Paul describes is 3.2 MPH @ 3600 RPM, the 19T is 3.9 MPH, and the 17T is 3.5.

My old #70 had the 16T 2nd, was always a great mowing gear unless the grass was over 5-6 inchs tall then the little 7 HP ran out of power. With 10 HP they make a great mower for any condition.

My #72 has the fast 19T 2nd, and I find it just a bit too fast for mowing, but as Steve says, it's great for plowing, both with a moldboard plow and a snow blade, general yard work, towing carts, sprayers, spreaders, etc. I used to mow with it in 2nd, when I had wide open spaces to mow, but now my yard is more like an obstacle course and 1st gear works better. Even with a hydro I find the mowers do the best job around 3 MPH.

 

[kphill]

On the 169 tail light issue, keep in mind that many of the DOT lighting regs were written in the early to mid 70s and these lights were a vendor item and were probably used on highway trailers and the like..In order to be used in highway service by the late 70s they had to say DOT on them..My guess is the lenses are both identical, but the later ones have the correct wording on them to be used on the highway..

 

[nbartee]

I think my posting got missed, so I'll try again.

The lift lever shaft has a 3/16" dia. hole for holding it into the lift lever. Since the shaft has to be rotated 90 deg. for a sleeve hitch, shouldn't there be a 3/16" cross hole, or do I need a specific shaft for that?

 

[mschutz]

Bill J, The 126 is a great plowing tractor. Besides it was the third least produced of all the Cub Cadet's, I would rebuild the engine and enjoy many years of use. It's my favorite. And no the 122 does not have the QA.

 

[wshytle]

Norm-

I've heard of guys turning the dowel 90* and just drilling another hole if I understand your question. That way you can use the same dowel for the tiller and the sleeve hitch (as examples). It may take from the strength a tad by doing this but I think it should work ok. Why don't you just get a piece of 1" round stock and make what you need? It will require a 1/2"+ hole for the attachment (plus the cotter pin hole).

Hope this helps and I understood your question ok.

 

[hydroharry]

Kevin H - the correct original tail light lens for the 1x8/1x9 series tractor is
REFLECT-O-LITE 378 SAE-P1-A-70.
The later replacement lens, and the correct lens for the Quiet Line series is
REFLECT-O-LITE 378 SAE-P2-A-75.
As you can see the only differenc is a few of the numbers. They do not have the letters DOT. I believe these were made prior to the time when DOT was required to be a part of the numbers.

Thurman, Thurman, Thurman - I just don't know how long I can wait. I'm sittin here just SHAKIN!!!!!
If you send me your pics I'll resize and post them!!!!!

Bill J - I'm gonna supplement Jeremiah's info.
1st off, I don't agree with Tom Hoffman. I don't think the 122 is near bullet proof.
2nd - The 122 is a nice "old" style tractor. I actually kinda like the appearance but I don't really care for some of the features it doesn't have. The steel dash is nice looking, but it doesn't have an AMP gauge. I like having a gauge so I know at least a little of what my starting and electrical system is doing (the 126 will have the gauge).
3rd - the clutch lever hangs from a thin piece of steel tack welded on the dash pedestal. The dang corners of it flex every time you step on the clutch/brake and eventually those corners do break. You can either weld them back up or you can drill a hole and take 2 pieces of angle iron with 2 holes drilled and install them so you virtually stop the flexing.
4th - there is no quick attach latch on a 122 so any front attachments are bolt on, and the correct sub-frame for the 122 only attaches to the pin on style decks.
Otherwise, yes it's a pretty bullet proof GD tractor, not much different than the gear drive models that followed it. Is the 126 a better gear drive? Would I swap the engine from the 122 into the 126. Only if the 126 had a replacement wiring harness since the 1x6/7 series is well known to have a poor harness. I've had a few that I would just touch a wire and the wire and insulation just turned into dust. (I think you could use the harness from the 122 and add one wire to use it on the 126). And I'd make sure the clutch was good on the 126 (it used the same hanger bracket attachment to the dash pedestal as the 122. Actually all the narrow frame tractors this thin piece of steel that the clutch lever hangs on. It's one of the weak links in narrow frame GD tractors). The Quick Attach latch on the 126 is well worth having if you are going to use a mowing deck and other attachments. If you want to pick up additional attachments there are many more available for the QA style tractors.
If you can get the 122 for a decent price I'd pick it up and put the 12hp in your 109 to make yourself a 129 which is a very nice overall tractor. Take your 10hp and put it in the 126 to make yourself a 106 which is a nice gear drive tractor good for mowing.
I don't want you to think I'm partial to Hydros (although I am and added it to my name). I just believe in what Cub Cadet discovered - 9 out of 10 people prefer and bought Hydros (and you don't have to worry if you got a 16T or 17T or 19T 2nd gear) and Hydros do go faster!!!
Now, if you have any more quick questions on GD or Hydros let me know, but try to keep it to just a couple at a time.

Melody - yes I know you have a really nice 126 and you love it. I'm not speaking badly of Gear Drive tractors in my message, it's just that Hydros Are Forever!!!

 

[nbartee]

Yes, Wayne, you did. I like your idea of the 1" round stock so I'll pursue that.
Thanks

 

[sblunier]

All this 16T, 19T, 17T 2nd gear discussion...... I never have had any trouble finding the right 2nd gear with my hydro.......I have all 3, and 100 more.....

 

[hydroharry]

Steve, Mr. Plow - YOU GOT IT!!!! The Hydros have INFINITE GEARS.

 

[mhealy]

Big thanks to all the people over the years who have figured out the ways to keep these machines running then record all that information, maintain it and distribute it. I would never figure it out by myself!

Charlie was here.