Farmall Cub

The gas cap on my 1949 Cub is the tall one like is shown on the cover of Updike's.. Farmall Cub & Cub Cadet. That Cub looks like a mid fifties or early sixties. Which is the correct gas cap for my '49...the tall one or the regular low profile cap? If the low profile cap is correct, does TM Tractor sell them?

Why did IH make this taller gas cap ?

I think I may have to buy another Farmall Cub. Everyone should have one to look at and one to play with and git dirdy.

Thanks

Mike

Virtually all, if not literally all, Cubs came with the short cap. There was a tall accessory cap available through dealers that reduced leakage. Later on an improved safety cap like the one on the cover of Ken's book came out. This cap is the one the company is providing as a free replacement. (Form on Rudi's server). The later safety cap can be identified because it has 2 vent holes on top.

Thank you Mr. Becker

Mine has the two vent holes. Every morning there is brown oily gas residue around the holes.

What exactly is the safety issue? Does the short cap leak that badly?

Do you know a source for the short cap?

Thanks

Mike

There are parts sources for the low style gas cap. Personally, I would NEVER own, operate or display a tractor with this style of cap on. The reason IH changed to the taller vented caps was safety. The tall caps have a triple baffle and are able to vent better than the flat ones.

After a lawsuit, IH enacted its gas cap give away program. As Jim says, Rudi has the printable form on his home page. The caps are free from Navistar.

I realize people want thier tractors to be like "original", but sometimes the safety of yourself and others needs to be put first. Using the short gas cap is just asking for a major accident or disaster to be joining you.

Mike,

If you look carefully, you will see that all these tractors have the safety caps. I have 6 other IH tractors that also have them. I won't run them without, for safety reasons. Even Scruffy wears one. It sounds like you are good to go.



Ken's absolutely right! "Safety" takes precedence over "original".

I'll second Ken and B\Geroge regarding the caps.

Mike, If you want to use an original gas cap for shows, I suggest you use the safety cap for transporitng, and change to the original cap when you park for the show.

Thanks everyone.

I got that Farmall Cub picture/photo archive book in the mail a few days back and noticed none of the Cubs pictured had the tall cap. Anyway I understand now and thanks again.

Mike

Bermuda Ken wrote:There are parts sources for the low style gas cap. Personally, I would NEVER own, operate or display a tractor with this style of cap on. The reason IH changed to the taller vented caps was safety. The tall caps have a triple baffle and are able to vent better than the flat ones.

After a lawsuit, IH enacted its gas cap give away program. As Jim says, Rudi has the printable form on his home page. The caps are free from Navistar.

I realize people want thier tractors to be like "original", but sometimes the safety of yourself and others needs to be put first. Using the short gas cap is just asking for a major accident or disaster to be joining you.

I think it's probably best to err on the side of safety and go with the new cap. I do think the safety caps are better, if for no other reason they are easier to hold onto than the old caps! Oftentimes the gaskets on the old caps are getting pretty tired or non-existant and that alone warrants a replacement.

That said, we ran the "short" caps on a Super A and 230 for their entire lives up until the mid-80s, as well as a 424 with the tall, non-safety cap. Converted to the safety caps in '87 or so. Never did have any sort of problem with the old caps. I DID have a pressure buildup once on the newer safety cap on the 424 when the vent holes became clogged with crud.....the cap seemed to perform exactly as it was designed--sorta like a radiator cap, letting the expanding air in the tank safely release downward when I first turned the cap.

Wasn't the lawsuit over the gascaps sort of a "frivolous" sort of thing, more operator error and lack of maintenance than a design flaw? Like I said we ran the short caps for years and never had problem-1. Probably logged a zillion hours on all three tractors. I'm not so sure they are that hazardous, I say this only if the caps and the fuel tank necks are good, and the vent hole unplugged. If not, I agree they are dangerous. I held onto my old caps, and wouldn't be afraid to display a tractor--not running--with the old cap.



Al

I would have to pull the case documents of the lawsuit to get the exact details, but it was something like this:

Farmer pulls up to gas barrel to refuel, opens cap, tank is pressurized and fuel "blows" out of tank and starts tractor and farmer on fire. Farmer sues and IH has to develop thier gas cap program.

It was caused partly by a bad cap design (10% at fault) but mostly by a dumb, careless operator who did NOT read or follow the instructions listed in the owners book. Of course the lawyers and insurance companies jumped all over IH and the rest is history......