Archive through March 19, 2013

[thoffman]

KO,
Just don't park the tractor out in a heavy rain.

 

[kostendorf]

Tom, good point, maybe I should turn it down some. You never know when it's going to rain in Missouri. The weather changes by the hour.

 

[slent]

Hi all,

My Cub Cadet 126 project is well underway. The tractor has been completely disassembled, including the transmission and differential. Most of the parts are back from the sandblaster, and are in primer. Sheet metal repair and bodywork is underway where needed. I’m looking forward to some decent painting weather here in Connecticut. Hopefully, it will warm up in the next few weeks. I would like to get some suggestions and opinions on just how I should go about painting it. Should I paint every part before assembly? I would expect paint damage where fasteners are applied, and no doubt paint damage on the fasteners themselves from wrenches, etc. I guess I could mask off and touch up around all of the fasteners. Or should I assemble most of the tractor, and paint it as an assembly? I would like to have it turn out as nice as possible. I have put a lot of time (and $$) into it and I don’t want to have any regrets when it’s done. Anyway, I wonder if those of you who have repainted these tractors before might share your thoughts. Thanks in advance.

 

[brhodes]

KO Keith,

Looks good. Could add a rain cap for about $10 not sure how that might change the looks.

But I bet that Cub does not see much rain.

 

[dtanner]

Keith Ostendorf

I keep a water plastic bottle with the bottom cut out for the stack on my 149. I place it over the pto lever when I run the Cub and then over the stack if I leave it parked. I do make sure the stack is not HOT lol.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Keith, regarding the exhaust outlet. To at least minimize any water getting in, should you leave it parked outside, cut the outlet so that it is angled kind of like the muffler outlet on a non Quiet Line Cub Cadet.

 

[dfrisk]

SCOTT L. - re: painting a CC. The factory painted the CC with the frame installed on the rearend and I think most of the drive train installed, the clutch & driveshaft. I would follow their lead as close as possible. You don't want paint over-spray inside the rearend of either a GD or hydro. The engine should only be painted once it's completely assembled. And I'd recommend painting it with a BRUSH. I don't paint ANY of the aluminum parts on the engine, the cyl head, carb., or bearing back plate. I also don't paint the cooling fins on the cylinder.

Any place where two parts bolt together that are critical to part alignment, where smooth machined surfaces meet should also not be painted, like where the frame bolts to the tops of both axle carriers and the front mounts of the rearend bolt to the inside of the frame, and where the engine bolts to the front of the frame. The grill casting mating surfaces to the frame can be painted since their alignment isn't that critical to the operation of the tractor.

Internal & external threads should not be painted. Also all serial number tags like on the engine & starter/generator should be masked, and NEVER paint the wire harness, makes tracing wires much harder.

Just before paint is applied via either brush or spray, a good wax & grease remover should be used to wipe down EVERYTHING that you are painting. There's special wax & grease removers that come in gallon cans, and a clean lint-free cloth should be used. It's cheap and reduces the chance of dirt getting embedded in the paint and having "fish-eyes" in the paint.

If you have any other questions about specific parts, just ask.

 

[kide]

I don't know what anyone else thinks, but I think what Dennis just posted should be a FAQ - "Hints on painting a Cub"...

 

[proessler]

Gerry, I second that motion!

 

[kostendorf]

Thanks Kraig, I have decided to not use crome and angle the pipe slightly down from being straight out to the side. Does anyone know if a muffler shop would have 1 1/4" pipe since I really don't like the hose clamps holding this together. Whether a machine is correct or not, I think it should look like it was made that way from the factory. And why doesn't anyone make these pipes for Q/L Cubs?

 

[slent]

Thanks Dennis. I’ve been taking advice from a guy who builds custom motorcycles, so he’s probably got me over-thinking this whole process. He’s instilled the clean thing into me as well. I’ve seen pictures of the CC assembly lines with the paint being applied to an assembled chassis, but I wasn’t sure if it was done that way simply as a cost savings / efficiency exercise. Painting assemblies like that would take care of the fasteners scratching up the paint thing. I appreciate your advice.

 

[dfrisk]

KEITH - Tough to find exh. tubing that small. Most places like muffler shops & auto parts stores start at 1-1/2".

Prior owner of my 982 used plumbing drain pipe to make twin exhaust tips on the dual mufflers. No clamp, just a small sheet metal screw holds them onto the muffler outlets. They don't rattle and have never come off. For your bend, you might try the hose clamp, and a sheet metal screw, or maybe a regular muffler clamp, might almost have to look at a motorcycle shop for one that small, or else here; http://www.waltstractors.com/acatalog/Walt_s_Tractor_Parts_Plain_Finish_Muffler_Clamps_1357.html

For plain muffler tubing, this is probably your best bet. http://secure.chassisshop.com/partlist/6210/ But good luck finding a muffler shop to mandrel bend it! Most won't have dies that small.

When I was looking for some 1-1/4" or 1-3/8" tubing several years ago I ended buying a "J-bend" in 1-1/2" dia. from aluminized steel from SUMMIT, http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-621001 Made a GREAT straight pipe!

SCOTT - IH had a pretty good reason for doing EVERYTHING the way they did. They'd learned what to do and what NOT to do in the 50+ years before these CC's were made. I've seen too many precision designed machines, precision machined parts, assembled over paint runs and the whole alignment of the machine screwed up in the process. If your CC is a trailer queen, it probably doesn't matter, but if you use it you want it to run right. IH also did things efficiently and economically, and ONLY Once! Things like chassis grounds have to have bare metal-to-metal contact. Things like radiator & hyd. hoses were painted, but radiators were not. Even bar type axles where wheels had to clamp securely onto them were not painted. Ohhh.. and painting V-belt grooves is NOT recommended, remove the belt and mask the grooves off on the pulleys.

Proper surface prep and cleanliness are important to a good paint job. And watch out for over-spray if you spray the paint. That's why I use some thinned-down paint and a small trim paint brush for some things. Paint only goes where I put it, not everywhere.

Wish it wasn't ten degrees & 10-15 MPH winds here. I've got a CC 70 in pieces to paint too!

 

[sblunier]

A Quite Line with a Zoomie!!!!!!!!

 

[dfrisk]

PLEEZE don't ask for details, but Steve B's comment about Keith O's ZOOMIE pipe on his CC reminded me of a conversation SON & I had this past weekend.

ANYONE running a Kohler in a CC on E-85? And if so, what all did you have to do to run on it?

If all the diecast & rubber parts of the little Carter carb could handle the alcohol the cooler burning E-85 would make a great fuel for a air-cooled Kohler. Down where he lives most of the many stations that handle E-85 actually sell only E-75. Co-worker of Son's runs a 555 CID BBC in a '63 Chevy II to 9 second quarter mile times and has a hydrometer to test specific gravity and all the stations but one sell E-75, and that one station's actually is E-85.

And like on NTPA tractor pulling last night on RFD-TV when "The MONEY PIT", triple-Allison 1710 CID V-12 powered tractor backed off at the end of the pull-off all the pretty blue and orange flames flickering out of the exhaust stacks would be a pretty sight on a CC.

 

[nbartee]

After looking around my area for the last 10 years, I finally found one about 30 miles from me. I never thought I'd ever see one let alone own one!
The 982 has an excellent paint job, done with a gun in IH red. Has the rear PTO, cat. "O" hitch, brakes & the tires are good (not sure about the front ones). Hydro seems fine and that's all the good news. The engine barely runs and there is a film of oil covering the entire undercarriage. You can see the pooling of oil inside the air cleaner. I have no idea where it's coming from. The PO thinks the engine is a B&S. I'm not at all familiar with twin cyl. Briggs so I could use some help in identifying this engine. Couldn't find any tags.
Has front PTO, I assume it works. When it was briefly running, I didn't see any smoke or hear any strange noises so if I can get the oil under control, it might be a good engine. If not, I have a Kohler M18 sitting on my workbench ready to drop in.
It came with a 50C deck that's in pieces for painting. I don't think the white is IH original but I can fix that. Not sure the bearings are any good either.
What do you all think?

 

[kide]

Dennis and Keith...
For good exhaust smaller than 1 1/2", find a commercial electrician - Steel EMT is as good as exhaust pipe and can be found down to 1/2". A commercial electrician should have a tubing bender capable of bending the sweeps you need.. When wiring computer rooms, we had conduit from 1/2" to at least 4" with custom bends in it

 

[proessler]

Norm, the air cleaner cover nut & the muffler look B&S...

 

[sblunier]

Norm,

Definately a B&S, same series as the 582 16hp, but could be a different model as well.

There is a series of numbers on the left cylinder sheet metal, between the spark plug and V/R (might go under V/R too). Post the ENTIRE number string and I will decode for you with my shop manual.

I'd guess it's a pre 1984 engine from the V/R mount......

BTW, they are known for bad crankcase breathers....

 

[dfrisk]

NORM - That sure isn't an Onan B48G like IH put in that 982.

Does the tractor have the aux. hyd. remotes on the frt and the second hyd lever on the dash?

The 50C doesn't look that far away from IH 935 white. Hope you have all the rest of the pieces to the deck. There's a 1/4" thk steel plate that goes on the top of the housing, plus the belt cover, and the three spindles, rear hangers, the idler, etc.

3 yrs ago I had one really loose spindle on my 50C deck. I spent $170 for a new waterpump bearing, top & bottom bearing housings and the pulley woodruff key to get it fixed. The bearings are high priced, but the housing that normally wears is just stupidly expensive.

But a 982 & 50C make a great mowing tractor, covers a lot of ground fast.

On the oily air cleaner, I suspect there's something assembled wrong with the crankcase breather under the lower part of the air filter housing. Hopefully the engine isn't that tired.

 

[nbartee]

Steve,

Didn't look very hard because it was a bit difficult getting that L/H panel off. Couldn't find any numbers unless it's under the sheet metal, but did find this...

Know anything about this engine? Is it the same as a 582?

Dennis,

Here is a couple of pics of the dash. I see that the plastic dash is not correct.

Is the rear PTO switch on the right located where it's supposed to go?