Tractor Stories

This evening at twilight I opened the doors to the Tractor Building. The Cub started right away and with a little adjusting of the carburetor and throttle it warmed enough to keep running (on the third try) so I backed out of the building. I took a few pictures of the tractor as it ran. Among them is a good picture of the carburetor showing the choke on the left and the idle adjustment on the top right. Even more important is the one showing the oil pressure gauge with its pointer to the far right. Seems like plenty of oil pressure. Actually it is enough that it forced a bit of oil around the copper washer on top of the oil filter case. Another important picture shows the ammeter indicating the generator is charging the battery. Note that the generator and light switch is set on H for “high charge”. When set on L “low charge” it was not noticeably charging at the particular engine speed. The other three pictures show the running Cub (engine is running, anyway)....

Last Sunday afternoon, just before going off on my last TDY trip as an Army officer, I decided to adjust the carburetor on the ’49 Cub. The manual states it to be a simple job. Just turn the adjustment to one revolution, run the engine until it is warmed up, retract the throttle and then turn the adjustment either in or out until the Cub engine runs smoothly. Advance and retract the throttle to check the adjustment. Simple; however, the engine died and was difficult to start. Once again I had forgotten to pull on the ignition switch. Finally, after fiddling with the adjustment a while and getting the engine to stay running, I drove the tractor into my Tractor building and shut it down. I was quite concerned that I was going to have to push the Cub into its parking place which is difficult to do. Usually I use the 8N Ford to push the Cub into the building. Fortunately I did not have to.   Today, a week later, I had charged the battery, tightened the negative cable on the...

Yesterday morning I removed the Cub carburetor and carefully bent the part of the float which lifts the fuel needle valve. That stopped the fuel leak later when I started the engine again. After the carburetor tweak, I removed the gasket from the oil filter case and made a new gasket from some gasket material. I have three types and used the fiber material which is not spongy. That stopped the oil leak from the top of the case.   Next I received two packages with mostly electrical parts. The dust cover for the distributor came so I put that on. Light bulbs came so I decided to put them on. At the same time I cleaned the reflector edges more so good ground could occur. When I turned on the rear light, nothing happened. Using a multi-meter, I found the switch was good and the negative side of the circuit was good. It turned out to be the ground connection. Eventually I found that the post from the battery box on which the rear light mounts was grounded so it had to be somewhere...

The carburetor was dripping gasoline yesterday after I stopped the engine. The leak is somewhere among three parts – the float, the needle valve which the float moves, and the seat for that needle valve. I drained the gasoline from the carburetor and cleaned the seat, the needle, and then adjusted the float so it has a bit more upward pressure on the needle. When I run the Cub again I will find out whether the adjustment was enough. The idle adjusting needle (there is only one adjusting needle on this simple carburetor) is open 1 ½ times. I will check the manual to learn whether that may be too much. I recall reading it is opened one full turn and then adjusted once the engine is warmed up.   Today I remembered to put the ignition knob on the ignition switch. The operating instructions are written on the face of the knob using an indelible marker. The knob screwed right on and I snugged it by holding the stem of the switch with needle nose pliers as I rotated the knob. ...

Today I DROVE THE ’49 CUB! After I made the knob, but before I put it on (more about that) I pushed the Cub out of my Tractor Building and put some gasoline in the test tank. I climbed onto the seat, pulled out the choke ring, put the throttle at about 1/3, and pulled the starter ring. The engine turned and turned, but no starting. After a while I remembered that I had not pulled out the ignition switch! As soon as I did and pulled the starter, the little Cub started. Smoke poured out the exhaust and soon oil poured out of the top of the oil filter case. I shut it down and got a ¾ inch wrench to snug the bolt on the oil filter case, then climbed back on the seat. The Cub started as soon as I pulled out the ignition switch and then the starter ring. Putting the gear shift in reverse, I backed away from the Tractor Building, then put her in second gear and drove about 250 feet before the engine stalled. Once I increased throttle, that did not happen again and I drove around the ...

The test fuel tank was in place and now the line is on the tractor. I put a petcock in the line so I can control fuel availability to the carburetor. On the carburetor itself there is a 5/16 threaded end to a ¼ inch hose attachment. Tomorrow I will add gasoline to the tank and start the Cub.   The coil on this Cub was attached to the inside of the hood. Since the hood is off, I cleaned the mud from the two 5/16X18 threaded holes on the distributor and made a mount for the coil. I had some left over 5/16 thick aluminum which I milled a bit to make it look nicer and get rid of some very ugly edges. I used an end mill to cut holes for bolts, then used a tap to clean out the two holes on the distributor and attached the mount and then the coil.   Original spark plug wires were dirty as well as yellow. I used a Dremel tool to clean inside the part which goes on the spark plug, and sand paper to clean the other end. The ohm meter showed the wires have about the same resist...

Much of the day was occupied creating a test fuel tank for the ’49 Cub. I used a piece of 2X4 for then base, then discovered the ½ inch bolts were too short so I sliced the 2X4 in half. Ultimately that resulted in the tank being almost ¼ inch too low so it rubs the throttle. I could shim the base, but it is easier to just raise the tank a tiny bit. Tomorrow I will run some fuel line and add the petcock to shut off fuel. The little lawn mower tank is plenty big enough for testing the Cub.   I cleaned the points in the distributor and used some white lithium grease to lubricate the cam and the pivot point of the points. I ordered the cover and gaskets for the points – they were missing. I do have a spare kit to refurbish the distributor. If need be I will use it.   The Touch Control is cleaned (a relative term), primed, painted, and now installed on the Cub. I cleaned the bolts and the sockets they enter using my taps and dies. Then, typically, I grease the...

The past few days I have been busy with the end projects for the 1949 Farmall Cub. I cleaned and painted the hydraulic lift. It took two days of fairly steady work with two steel brushes, a screw driver, a rotary paint scraper, and finally washing with kerosene. Then I primed and painted the lift.  The screw driver was used to scrape away some of the old dirt and grime. Everything else was too. I ordered the two gaskets needed for the other parts. Finally I attached the Touch Control frame to the steering column post at the throttle location.   The Touch Control lever goes just beneath it. The Touch Control lever stops both had broken off wing bolts stuck in them. I soaked them in Kroil over night and thought I could center drill the bolts and use an easy out; however, in the past I have never been able to use that tool successfully and today was no exception. Finally I chucked the stops in a my machine vice and used my milling machine to center drill through the bolts u...