The past few days and evenings I have been working like a bear to get the Cub operational again. First, I removed the auxiliary fuel tank so the hydraulic lift could go in the location where the wooden base of the fuel tank was bolted. Once I had the auxiliary tank off, I lifted the rather heavy hydraulic lift onto the space and slid it under the throttle rod instead of removing the throttle rod along with the choke rod. That was a mistake! In taking a short cut, I managed to disrupt the electrical system, so the lift had to be removed while I sorted out and fixed the problem. The rear light and the front light circuit did not work anymore.
After a long time of fiddling and tightening, the light circuits worked again; however, the ignition switch refused to pass through any electricity. It had died. I ordered a replacement along with a metal fuel line and two wing nuts to secure the touch control lift stops. Actually, I thought I had purchased those expensive wing nuts earlier and found them when I was putting gaskets on the hydraulic line and hydraulic pump. Before putting the new ignition switch on the Cub I used a trusty ohm meter to ensure the switch was working. Then I screwed the ignition switch onto the dash and attached the wires.
Having become wiser with experience, I removed the throttle rod and put the hydraulic lift back in place. This time, before retightening bolts too much, I made sure everything was working electrically. Then I snugged the ½ inch bolts to the Cub body and re-attached the throttle rod. It is a whole lot easier to write about than it is to do. A trained monkey with small hands would help a great deal on this tractor.
Once the lift was on and the throttle rod on it was time to attach the hydraulic pump. It goes at the base of the front left side of the Cub. There is a cover plate which was removed. A gasket was added to the front of the pump, and it was attached to the Cub. The hydraulic lines will only go on if the exhaust pipe is out of the way. I remembered reading that somewhere and heeded the advice this time. The front of the exhaust pipe came off the exhaust manifold easily and by loosening a clamp around the muffler, I was able to move the pipe aside to attach the hydraulic lines. There is a gasket between the lift and the lines, but not gasket between the lines and the pump. I was able to buy the right bolts for the job as I was not given enough of them to complete this phase. It is remarkable that everything fit since this Cub never had a hydraulic lift in its nearly sixty-year life. If the exhaust pipe heats the hydraulic lines too much, then I will go back to a vertical exhaust which this Cub had for years until someone changed it. Of course, I will need to remove the hood to do that work.
The Cub is ready for the hood to be re-attached, front lights hooked up, and fuel filter attached to the hood. Then the metal fuel line can be cut to size and attached. I have two flexible fuel lines too and may start with one of them just for fun. I think I will get a proper sized pipe tap to freshen the threads in the fuel tank, or maybe I will not bother and just use plenty of good liquid sealer to prevent leaks. Once the hood is on and the fuel lines attached, I can fill the reservoir of the hydraulic lift and bleed the air from the lines. Then perhaps another coat of paint and a few days later, decals!!
Tractor Boy
