Tractor Stories

‘Tis a fine day in Central Texas. The air is 35 degrees, and it is sunny, with a cool North wind. It is a perfect day to go for a drive on the 1949 Farmall Cub. That is just what I did. I saw it had not leaked gasoline anywhere, so I disconnected the six-volt battery charger and connected the negative battery cable. I managed to touch the battery box while snugging the cable and threw a nice spark which told me both that the battery is charged and to be more careful. Then I climbed aboard using the clever step device dangling from the platform, pulled the choke, pulled the ignition switch, and then the starter. The old Cub started right away and soon I had figured out how to give it just enough choke to keep it going while it warmed up. We backed into the yard and went for a drive ‘round and ‘round we went in second gear, making about five laps of the back yard. I stopped it in the sun to take pictures and to “bleed” the hydraulic system. That thing howled and squealed and scared me ...

Sunday afternoon I took the plunge and added fuel to the gas tank of the Cub. Then I tightened loose connections such as the fuel filter bowl so gasoline would not be dripping. It all seems to be holding. At this time, I have perhaps a gallon of gas in the tank to find out whether it will hold properly. Later I can fill it up or at least put maybe four gallons in it. The hydraulic system needed filling, so I removed the filler plug and used the last of the five-gallon container that I bought for the 8N Ford. I thought I had another 5-gallon pail or bucket and that turned out to be 90 weight gear oil. Had I remembered that I would have used it to fill the rear end of the Cub instead of buying gallons of the stuff individually. I moved the 5-gallon container to a location where it is visible in my Tractor building so it will be available for use next time. Earlier in the week I had painted the fuel cap and radiator cap IH red color. Both were new replacements for worn original item...

Nearly Complete. It was warm this week on Monday, so I got out and put some decals on my JANUARY 1949 Cub which is now 60 years young. I also put the fuel filter in place and attached rubber fuel line between it and the carburetor. I gave up temporarily on putting the metal line on as the exhaust pipe is in the way. If the Cub is returned to the vertical stack exhaust, then the metal fuel line can go on. For now, it is rubber. It is just about time to add gasoline to the tank and see whether it leaks at the fuel filter. I used a sealer so maybe it will be good and tight. While I was adding decals I painted both the radiator cap and the fuel cap. Both are new so I sprayed them with a couple coats of IH red paint. The next to the last challenge is to cut a one-inch hole in the battery box for the proper placement of the new and very long battery cable (negative cable). The box has a large hole to the front and needs a one-inch hole to the rear side of the box. It is a work in pro...

Today, the day after Thanksgiving, I have the hood back on the Cub for the first time in months. It looks good from a distance. This is the hood for which I have the fuel tank cleaned and relined. That was done with a torch, so the entire hood needed to be repainted. The front of the hood attaches to the front uprights with a bolt on each side. The right side was easy enough, but the left side was off enough that I needed a third arm to align the bolt with the hole in the upright. My daughter started the bolt while I was using a hammer to push the upright back and at the same time holding the hood up a bit. The grill is back on too. I had painted it some weeks ago. Something did not look right still and I realized I have used hex bolts instead of the flat head screws which were used originally. I have a set of them and they can be put on tomorrow. They go on the rear of the hood and on the grill sides. One the grill was on and the hood fastened down, I tried the head lights both on low...

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 foun...

Sunday I was going to put the fuel filter and shut off device onto the gas tank of the ’49 Farmall Cub. On the bottom of the gas tank which is an integral part of the hood, there is a brass hexagonal adaptor threaded on the inside. The fuel filter does not fit on this hexagonal adaptor. The shape is different and the size is different. I will ask help from some knowledgeable people to solve this. As soon as I have this solved, the hydraulic lift can go in place. The fuel tank on the hood becomes THE fuel tank for the tractor.   The hydraulic pump goes on the left side of the Cub engine near the bottom. A cover plate is removed so the pump vanes can be put in their place. Two bolts of 5/16X28 and 1 .75 inches long are needed to hold the pump together. Two longer bolts hold the pump to the tractor.  I need to buy the shorter one or cut a longer one off myself to fit.     Tractor Boy.

This morning I got out and drained the Cub radiator, collecting the fluid in a big bucket from Home Depot. Once that was done I added the flushing chemical and filled the radiator with water then started the engine to run the stuff through for ten minutes. At about the ten minute mark the auxiliary gas tank (fancy name for a used tank from a small lawn mower) ran dry. I let the engine cool down some and drained that concoction into the same large “Homer” bucket, then added a gallon of antifreeze and enough water to fill the radiator. This afternoon I drove it around for a while, managing to lose one of the battery caps for a time. I drove to the mailbox which is 600 feet from my house then drove to show one of my neighbors the Cub, all told about a half mile of driving. The Cub performed well so I put it back in the Tractor Building to rest while I begin the next phase. That involved painting the hydraulic pump which mounts to the front of the engine. After it dries it w...