Archive through March 01, 2011

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Timothy M. Pennell

That engine looks great. I would turn it over a full stroke and check to see if the valves hang up.Now would be a good time to adjust them also . I have bought a few cubs and most have been bored . I do have a few here that have STD stamped in the piston . Since you have done so much to your tractor I would take the starter gen apart and check it and give it a cleaning.It could have a bad brush and crank slow because of that. Charlie sell kits to repair them . You might as well do it all and be done for years of trouble free running.I do go over ever Cub I buy.Have fun with it and enjoy your labors. Later Don T

Just a thought on starting slow.
My 129 when I first bought it the brake adjustment was way off and the hydro was engaged for forward. This caused the starter gen to roll the Cub to slow to start good. took me some time to find out what the problem was, but I did read the FAQ and found my problem. My .02

 

[aaytay]

Leon-
Thanks for posting the bigger pics of your newest find. Do you have any idea what kept this tractor from being used and basically left as a time-capsule?

Thanks for sharing that with us...

 

[wshytle]

Leon-

I agree with Tom and wouldn't touch a thing on that tractor. I wouldn't even use it at first until I gave it a lot of thought. You won't find much paint today like what's on those fenders and there just aren't many examples such as yours. It's a shame it didn't have an hour meter.

 

[lrjohnson]

The man had a heart attack it got parked after that on the left side of a to car garage, with the new fender box on top It had for flat tires but they pumpt up held air and look new with no dry rot the house it was in was recently sold as his wife is ill

 

[dfrisk]

LEON - I have to agree with all the comments on your New 1966 CC #71. The whole machine looks brand spanking new. I'd leave it alone, and like WAYNE says, not even run it unless you have a really nice day and want to "excersize" it. For a #71 it seems to have a lot of options.

JEREMIAH - My old buddy Gerry Ide even agreed with me that the water injection method of carbon removal worked. It was used for years, even back in the early 1960's when kerosene and distillate fuels for tractor engines was common, and that wonderful 70 octane gasoline common before tetraethyl lead was used to increase octane. With the cheap low octane no-lead gas and crude emmission controls of the 1970's water injection made a come-back in the 70's & 80's. The reason water injection reduces detonation is because it cools the combustion process, and removes carbon deposits which can glow white hot in the combustion chamber and set off the fire early. Diesel tractor pullers still use it to control combustion temps today. I made a comment about an Allis-Chalmers 426 CID diesel in a D-21 pulling tractor that used FOUR stages of water injection on a 3-turbo engine. Tractor used about 1-1/2 gallons of diesel fuel and TEN gallons of water during a pull that lasts maybe 20 seconds.

I'm in the vast minority here on the forum in my opinion on MMO, tried it once... Didn't do anything for my engine. If an engine is tuned correctly, and in decent shape, just clean high quality motor oil, clean fresh gasoline, and clean intake air is all that's required to keep an engine running well. I've got three CC's and two antique FARMALL's that all share the same maintenance process, fuel, oil, etc and they ALL run fine with none of the plug fouling almost everyone who still runs Champion spark plugs complains about. So I must be doing something correct.

 

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Dennis Frisk

I have used the wife`s plant mister with water and it cleans the carbon out.At 1/2 throttle I spray it in a hot engine just to slow the engine down some. Sometimes you can see the carbon fly as little glowing sparks . Works for me ! I don`t add anything to the crankcase but oil and fuel conditioner if the tractor is not used at least once a week . I find I have to spend less time cleaning carbs and more time enjoying my Cubs.I have to get the 14' trailer registered today as I will need it Friday for the pick up of the latest Cub.

 

[wshytle]

It seems to me the best time to do the water decarbon is after dark. That way you could see the results in action and have a fireworks show all at the same time.

 

[nbartee]

Unless I missed it, nowhere in my manual, either tractor or engine, does it say anything about decarbonization for the twin engines. Is this just for the older models? Is it because of leaded gas used at that time?

 

[dfrisk]

WAYNE - Even in the day time the carbon chunks fly!

NORM - Carbon only forms in low turbulence areas on the combustion chamber. And in a flat head design engine there's L-O-T-S of dead zones. The newer OHV engines have smaller comb. chambers so less dead zones but still a good hot hard pull should help remove any deposits. Only OHV air cooled engine I have is a 190 cc Honda on the pressure washer, and it hasn't been run enough to change the break in oil yet!

Lead is part of the make up of difficult hard deposits to remove and the water injection like DON describes works good to remove them. Lead & carbon deposits were common decades ago but you can still get them now. 108 Octane leaded race gas is part of my fuel mix. It seems to let the no-lead gas keep MONTHS longer, boosts octane, and keeps the valve seats lubed up. I think ALL my engines that get my fuel mix have hard valves & seats so they really don't need the lead but it never hurts them. Valve grinding is expensive.

 

[jchamberlin]

NORM
I found the instructions to decarbonize the heads after 500 hours in the Kohler manuals for their M18 and M20 engines.

DENNIS
After posting this morning I've reconsidered my position on the water injection method of clearing carbon deposits. I probably would try it before I opened up the head, but I'm still a bit apprehensive. I don't want to damage the valves. I like Don's suggestion of a misting spray.

But again, I would need a reason to suspect carbon build-up in the combustion chamber before I would try either water injection or manual de-carbonizing procedures.

I don't need a reason to use MMO, I like it and I think it helps keep the whole fuel system working well (and its cheap).

I am intrigued by your use of racing gas. I can remember filling my tank from two different pumps in the late 80's / early 90's -- 1/2 Regular leaded and 1/2 Premium unleaded gave almost 100 octane.

 

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Jeremiah Chamberlin

We can`t buy leaded fuel here, so I use medium grade which has a higher octane in all my small engines. I find they work so much better than reg gas. My 129 loader will let out a big bang when I shut it down after using it and I find if I mist the engine hot ,it will not let out that bang for some time. so there has to be something that does not get burned in our gas that causes the same problems we had with lead based fuel. I hate the bang I get when I shut my 129 down, It scares me even when I expect the bang it can be quite loud.I will keep using the mister and water as that seems to help cut down on that loud bang. I have new rubber mounted and will post a picture from my shop in a few minutes. Later Don T

 

[dfrisk]

JEREMIAH - The way DON described spraying water into the carb throat of a running engine is EXACTLY the way I did using a spray bottle set for a stream. Run engine at a half throttle idle. The water quickly turns to steam and cools the carbon deposits and there's really no thermal stress or shock to the valves. I would say it's impossible to Hydro-lock a Kohler but I won't.

Easiest way to inspect for carbon is to pull the spark plug. If your engine has run for 300-400 hours it probably has build-up.

My ratio of leaded 108 octane race gas to no-lead is about 1 gal race to 4-5 gal no-lead. Back in the 70's when guys were trying to get their high prformance cars with 10-11:1 compression to run on no-lead Hot Rod Magazine had articles every month about water injection, fuel mixing, Av-gas, etc. HRM said a mix of half-&-half 87 octane reg no-lead & 108 octane leaded race gas is actually over 100 octane, which if you do the math it seems like it would be 97-1/2. Reason is the added lead in with the no-lead actually improves the octane of the no-lead more as the two fuels mix. A case where 1+1= more than 2.

My antique tractors have 17 & 21 gal. tanks and I normally put about 4 & 5 gal in each and fill with no-lead, then syphon gas from them as I need mower gas. I use about twenty gal of race gas per year doing the mixing for all summer yard work and winter snow removal. I normally use 91 octane Kwik-Trip gas in the 982 when I use it to mow. If you do a search K-T's gas is some of the better gas for "recreational use". Ten gal. is about a one month supply for the 982 when I use it all the time for mowing.

Back in the 1990's there was only ONE gas station in all of Moline, IL that had leaded premium gas. I'd throw my gas cans in my old pickup and drive down The Avenue and wait in line with all the Corvettes, GTO's, Hot Mustangs, etc and fill up my cans with leaded premium, then put the cheap stuff in my truck with the 300-6. That truck was also my "disposal system" for stale 2-stroke pre-mix. It would burn ANYTHING even if you couldn't get it to burn with a match!

 

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Dennis Frisk

the only reason I like the mister is I found it easier to regulate the amount of water I sprayed into the running engine. To much and it will kill the rpms.I wanted to hear it labor when I add the spray . that way I know I`am getting the right amount. Water injection has been used for more years than I`am old lol. Diesel truck use water injection to cool them down when you run 600 or more hp in a 5.9 Cummings diesel .Water will not hurt the valves or cause any issues.Because to much and you will kill the charge need to fire the engine. I do think I will install a system on my diesel truck to help keep temps under 1300 deg. Here is a picture of my rims and new tru powers for the 125 .I do think they are great tires for traction and will put them on the 125 when I finish painting the tractor.This will make two tractors with tru powers and the loader has super lugs witch are much more harder thread I have found.Super lugs are great on the loader because they don`t get all tore up from spinning them. My .02

Wow $100.00 each

 

[dfrisk]

DONALD - Your lucky, I don't even have gauges in my PSD. SON did get me a boost gauge years ago, an Autometer and I bought the chrome cup to mount it but never found the good place to sneek the little copper or plastic line into the cab. Elec gauges are SO much simpler to mount!

Ed Miller, owner of Miller Tire posted on another site that they are going to be making Firestone 26-12.00 X 12's, 23-8.50X12's & 6-12's in the 23 degree lug pattern for Firestone so I'll be able to get my second pair of 23-8.50's for the 70 this summer. The new size 23-10.50's seem to be liked by everyone who's gotten them. (Right PAUL?)

 

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Denny

I have trans temp ,pryo,boost,and air bag gauges.Towing I just have to know whats up.

If your talking these type threads ? Then I need another set for my Original .

I want a set like these for my Original with the front ribs.Good news !

 

[dfrisk]

DON - I wanted Boost, EGT/pyro, and a real oil PSI gauge instead of Ford's idiot light with a needle in my truck. One of the old frequent posters on "the diesel stop" years ago was a Ford instrument engineer and he explained once how they calibrate gauges to always read near the center until after it's too late. The fuel gauge calibration made absolutely NO sense, the needle stays above the full mark until 1/4 of the fuel was used, then read properly but 1/4 tank high till half full, then dropped like a rock to empty over the next quarter tank of fuel used, then once it registered empty you still had a quarter tank of fuel left. I could drive 100 miles with the gauge still showing full, and after it read empty still go 60-70 more miles. I always got 360-370 miles on the little 20 gal tank and 400-420 on the big 24 gal tank. The manual shows they should be 18 and 19 gal. When I was driving the truck daily I had a few times I went over 800 miles between fuel stops with the stock tanks. I routinely did 650-700 miles.

If that 100 has Firestones on the back, yes, that tire style will be available later this summer in the 6-12 size. Firestone/Miller only has a 16-6.50X8 3-rib frt tire, the one with the HUGE center rib about an inch wide and two inches tall.

I'd like to put Vredestein V61's on the frt of the 70 & 72 but they don't make a 4.00/4.80 X 8 and I don't want the 16-6.50 or 18-8.50 X 8's they make. They make a 15-6.00X6 that would really look good and is almost the same height and a bit wider than the 4.00/4.80 but I couldn't find ANY kind of 6" dia rims I liked. I wanted something aluminum and shiny that still fit a 3/4" dia spindle. I was looking all over for mini-bike & go-cart wheels.

 

[tpennell]

OK guys my carb on this 125 is a Walbro WH6 series. Needle and seat is way different. This might be part of my starting problem. I do have the right carb for it off the other. Think I should rebuild that one.

 

[pandrews]

Don T,
What size true powers are on those nice rims? also what size rims are they (same as the Originals)? I hope!!!!
Thanks
Paul

 

[digger]

Tim P.
A Kohler carb kit will not work on a Walbro carb.

 

[tpennell]

Thanks charlie, I opened up the one off of the parts machine and it seems to be the right one. Just sets me back timewise. Have to wait for cleaner to work. Does the Walbro carb work on a 301? I learn something new everyday with this tractor. It is funny but irritating.