'55 Cub "Refurbishing"

[Dale Finch]

The differential shaft had been rather badly gouged from where the lockbolt had scraped the shaft with the woodruff key out of position. I decided to smooth it out, with no further action, then polished the shaft where the seals rode.

Installed the cleaned up differential shaft, using grease on the seal lips and shaft. Installed cap with new gasket.

Installed polished brake drum, making ABSOLUTELY sure the key stayed in place and the drum was seated firmly at the shoulder. NOTE: if you turn the shaft so the key faces the open brake rod slot, you can see and secure it during installation. Then rotate the shaft until the lock bolt is facing the slot, to allow tightening...REALLY tight!! Bolt and locknut.

Brake band was added, but the rod was left off, making installation of the final easier.

Areas around the final and the fenders were ground to remove rust, then sprayed with Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer.

Final was strapped up to the engine hoist, carefully aligned, the spline end was greased for passing through he differential seal, then the final was installed, being careful to get BOTH brake pins in their holes. DO NOT FORCE the final together...it is easy to break the casting around those pin holes.

Outboard brake band pin hole

NOTE: Final was initially installed with a few bolts, but without the fenders...one less thing to have to manhandle! Once all lined up and secured, the upper bolts were removed, fender put in place, then all the new Grade 8 bolts were tightened down with new lockwashers.

Filled final with 90wt gear oil (NAPA), cleaned the bolts and holes for the tapered wheel bolts, and installed the right rear tire assembly.

[Dale Finch]

Just the left final to go, I thought. But now a BIG stumbling block showed up. I noticed there was fluid on the cardboard beneath the clutch housing, and tracked it down to the Touch Control. I had tried to clean it up as best I could, but the areas around the boots were quite oily.
So....oh my...bummer... I had THOUGHT just the easier right final to attend to, then out to the farm...but NOOOOO!! The "SHOP QUEEN" doesn't want to leave!

Maybe it will only be a leaking control valve...detach the block from the clutch housing, pull the rod, replace the o-ring, push the rod back in, and ta da!! Done! Right? Nope! Full rebuild...sort of like the "quick" repacking of the front wheel bearings previously!

Once again, remove hood, et al. Drain the TC Block by FIRST removing the FILL plug to remove any system pressure, THEN remove the drain plug (avoiding a horizontal geyser shooting across the room!).

Remove fill plug

Remove drain plug
NOTE: If you have the nice pipe plug sockets, you will avoid rounding off the corners of the plug.

Remove the exhaust clamp for the exhaust pipe, and loosen the muffler clamp, giving access to the manifold bolts

Disconnect the rear end of the hydraulic manifold from the TC Block

Remove the cotter pin then back off the nut and lockwasher from the connecting rod pin. Spray liberally with PB Blaster, then work it out with a LARGE screwdriver

I noticed the rockshaft had excess movement in it, and once the pin was out, it was obvious why...there was no bushing in the piston rod end!!

Time to send an order in to TM TRACTORS (a forum sponsor): bushing, TC Rebuild Kit, and a new strainer!!

[Dale Finch]

I cleaned the exterior of the block, then began the disassembly while waiting for parts, using the HOW TO generously provided by troopfpc (this is for the later blocks based on part number. There is also one for the earlier blocks, provided by joey j)

I used a cheap plastic silverware tray to line the parts up in during removal, matching the HOW TO. It makes it SO much easier to reassemble the parts later!!
After everything was out of the block, including the plugs, per the HOW TO, I thoroughly flushed the block (every hole, nook and cranny) with Carb Cleaner, then blew it out. Then I poured HyTran into every hole, nook and cranny, to lubricate for reassembly, as well as prevent rusting.

I did the same for all parts: cleaned, dried, then lubricated. I left orings in place, and only removed them when ready to exchange for the new ones. This limited the chance of getting the incorrect o-rings...some are quite similar to each other.

I did encounter a few problems...the first was quite obvious!!

Strainer completely out of position, and broken.

Orifice screen completely covered with some black stuff

Rubbery-looking...suspect RTV!!! A really good example why it shouldn't be used in many places, and IF necessary to use it, use it SPARINGLY!

Fortunately, it didn't stick very well and I was able to remove it.

The next rather obvious problem is the broken Safety Valve Wavy Washer. I have seen this broken on a previous rebuild, and was VERY fortunate that a forum member had given me one that another forum member had acquired.

This was all from a FUNCTIONING Touch Control...amazing!!

[Dale Finch]

BTW, I thought I would share a couple pages of reference I made to make this rebuild even easier. As some of you may know, when you get these rebuild kits, it's mostly one bag of unmarked o-rings, and with some of them it can be difficult to tell which ones go where. I added part numbers and dimensions (where available) to all parts:

NOTES:

1 The Control Valve measurements were made by me, and unconfirmed: 15/32 x 25/32 x 5/32

2 As indicated in the 1st photo, there is a separately bagged brown o-ring with the same dimensions as a black one in the kit bag. The dimensions match what is needed for the Pressure Regulator Valve Piston. I have found no one who can tell me where the brown o-ring is supposed to be used, but perhaps the material is better suited for that P-Reg Valve, and someone decided to add it to the kits?? I now have at least 4 of those brown ones, and worry (a bit) that they were supposed to replace the black one. Any input from you guys?? Materials expert, anyone?
Did a bit of searching, and among other articles, came up with this:
http://franklin.chem.colostate.edu/glassguy/viton.html

Hope this helps!

[Don McCombs]

What’s your hourly rate?

[Dale Finch]

What’s your hourly rate?

NO ONE could afford me...I'm too slow!! You can tell from the time I've spent on this stupid computer today that it is raining today, and I have nothing else (I WANT) to do!!!

Anyway, it is WINE TIME, but I have one last post for tonight...

It wasn't until I was cleaning up the Block end of the Hydraulic Manifold that I discovered just where that black stuff on the Orifice Screen probably came from. I was cleaning the old gasket material from the mating surface, and realized the last person who attached it to the TC Block must have used RTV instead of a gasket. When they pushed the screws through the 3 bolt holes, the ends must have picked up some of the RTV, which subsequently was washed into the hydraulic fluid and trapped by the screen...fortunately!

When I pushed one of the bolts through the hole in preparation for reattaching the manifold, it pushed out this "plug" of RTV that had been around the old bolt. I found the same thing in the other 2 holes.

[Dale Finch]

It's been a while, but I have been working on her, in addition to a couple others, off and on! But I will try to catch up...

I was able to get the missing bushing replaced, with the help of a friend, who had a press. We cleaned up the piston rod, and were able to press in the bushing without distorting it. Fortunately, the rod itself had not been worn. The pin finally went in with some sanding.

Cleaned the piston rod end

Pressed in the new bushing

I continued the rebuild per the HOW TO for the newer blocks:
http://farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=141&t=42857

I had scratched a couple parts in their removal, so I was careful to remove any burrs I had caused before installing the new o-rings. It is possibly overkill, but I pour HyTran in ALL the little holes, nooks and crannies, in addition to dousing all parts during assembly. My thought is it will avoid dry spots that might jam up the o-rings when being inserted. A new screen from Steiners was installed, then I polished the mating surfaces, and installed the bottom and head with new (dry) gaskets. I had scrubbed the leather boots, and oiled them well, then installed them.

Installed the TC block with new gasket, then hooked up everything up: exhaust, choke/starter/throttle/TC rods. Refilled the TC Block.

Decided to drill out the right front dogleg screw...now's the time!

Drilling out old screw

Using 10-24 tap

[Clemsonfor]

I would replace the bearing and race. The outer bearing and race, if they look OK, not replace. Other parts, order from TM.

Your auto parts store can obtain the bearing and race.

I'm no tractor expert but work on all kinds of stuff. In this application I would replace the bad bearing and race and if the others look serviceable, I would clean and repack them. Order parts from where you feel comfortable, of service, quality and parts.

[Clemsonfor]

Working on these old tractors reminds me of that Home & Garden TV show a few years ago (the one with Bob Vila). Bob would look up at a wall or an eave on a house they were refinishing and his side kick, Norm, would say, " Bob, we've got rot", in his priceless New England accent.

Working on a 60+ year old Cub is like that - there is ALWAYS "rot" there somewhere! I feel your "pain" Dale!

This old house. It's still on, Bob hasn't been on it on decades. Is Norm still on it????

[goxu1]

We used to get that show down here....I liked it
I haven't seen it for a while now

[Clemsonfor]

Just the left final to go, I thought. But now a BIG stumbling block showed up. I noticed there was fluid on the cardboard beneath the clutch housing, and tracked it down to the Touch Control. I had tried to clean it up as best I could, but the areas around the boots were quite oily.
So....oh my...bummer... I had THOUGHT just the easier right final to attend to, then out to the farm...but NOOOOO!! The "SHOP QUEEN" doesn't want to leave!

Maybe it will only be a leaking control valve...detach the block from the clutch housing, pull the rod, replace the o-ring, push the rod back in, and ta da!! Done! Right? Nope! Full rebuild...sort of like the "quick" repacking of the front wheel bearings previously!

Once again, remove hood, et al. Drain the TC Block by FIRST removing the FILL plug to remove any system pressure, THEN remove the drain plug (avoiding a horizontal geyser shooting across the room!).


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Time to send an order in to TM TRACTORS (a forum sponsor): bushing, TC Rebuild Kit, and a new strainer!!

I forgot the part about removing the big plug first a few weeks ago when I changed the TC fluid . Got me and all the stuff on that side sprayed. Oh well more rust control!

[Dale Finch]

BTDT!! Certainly DOES get your attention!!

[Eskimotom]

A huge thank you for this thread! It is so very helpful!
For what it is worth, one forum I frequented, using this same phpBB platform, put all the restoration/refurbishing threads like this into one at the top with a Sticky for reference, categorized by major vehicle categories (i.e. early, late, 6V, 12V, engine, body, etc.). It would be nice if these threads could be linked and collected into a common folder. This thread will be especially useful as I dig into my '61 Lo Boy. I appreciate all your effort to document your project and share.

[Don McCombs]

I think you’ll find that it was Dale Finch who documented her excellent restoration work.

[Dale Finch]

Gee, I guess I never finished up this post, cuz I kicked that tractor out of here a while ago! It's hard to keep track, since I have THREE '55's (and a '56 & '51). There's a different '55 here right now, hopefully getting kicked out in a couple days!