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Driving the Cub

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By Robert Adams

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 yard a few times, trying various gears. Since I had put a safety cover on the PTO, I asked my five year old granddaughter to tell me whether it was running. As I engaged and disengaged the PTO she told me whether it was turning. It turned when it was supposed to.

 

With a bit of more driving I took the Cub back to the Tractor Building and drove in. There is fuel dripping from the bottom of the carburetor and I probably need a new gasket for the oil filter case. The radiator over flow needs to be soldered back on. Water did come out there at the top of the radiator neck. The smoking engine is not yet a concern since I had put a tablespoon of Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder and that may be what is causing the smoke. I am very happy that my old Cub which is just four months shy of its 60th birthday is running once again. Later I will put that knob on the ignition switch. My wife wrote the instructions on it – Pull On  Push Off.

 

There was no ignition knob on this Cub when I bought it. I could buy one, but decided to make one today. I cut off a 1 inch diameter piece of 6061 aluminum, chucked it in the lathe, faced it, and turned the end down to about 0.45 inches. Then I center drilled it and using a #25 drill bit, drilled about 3/8 inch deep. Using a 10-24 tap and a centering guide I threaded the hole. Following that I used a long file to round the edges and used a cut off tool to cut the end off. Once that was done I reversed the knob and faced the big end then used a file to round the edge. Nancy wrote the words on the knob. I will put it on tonight.

 

Tractor Boy

 

 

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