Did I do something wrong?

[SundaySailor]

Got an oops! I've been working on my Cub doing the following: Cleared the breather pipe assembly, installed new fan belts, new radiator, new wiring harness, realigned the front tires. Here's what I now have: My normally good oil pressure all of a sudden shows nothing. The gauge will not move. I've tried it with the engine running, and then watched it while shutting down. There is no movement in the needle at all. I know I had good oil pressure before the above was completed, but now the gauge doesn't want to co-operate. Could this be a coincidence? Also, could someone verify for me what my ammeter is supposed to read? I did polarize the generator before starting the Cub up. My Fluke 23 meter is on the blink with faulty leads, so the readings I get don't match up. (They sometimes make contact, other times NADA). I do have lights now, and the tractor runs except the aforementioned problems.

Thank in advance for the help.

Rick

[Bigdog]

Rick, I would not run the tractor until I found out why the oil pressure is reading zero. It may be a defective gauge (best case scenario) or the pressure might actually be zero (normal luck scenario). If indeed the pressure is zero, the rest of your problems won't matter. Remove the gauge and have it checked or replace it. Once the oil pressure is confirmed and / or corrected you can move on.

Your ammeter reading depends on whether you have a regulator or cut-out. But normally the cut-out system will read around +3 amps on low charge and around +10 - +12 on high charge. Regulator systems usually show a fairly high charge right after starting and then drop to around +5 or so after running a while.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Follow BD's advice. If your cub has been setting for an extended period you may need to prime the pump, but that usually isn't required unless the oil pump has been removed. To prime it remove the socket head plug on the rear engine flange on the left side (behind touch control lines) and pump it ull of oil. My 48 is a little worn, and it takes what seems forever to build up pressure after setting for a while, but in truth its only about 15 to 20 seconds.

[Brent]

Rick,

If your Cub's oil pressure guage mounts on the back of the oil filter maybe the port is clogged. That happened to me. Also, with the guage removed start the engine and see how far the oil squirts out. Don't let it run too long. Sounds primitive and messy but it should tell you if you have any pressure at all. Good luck! One other thing. If the tractor has been sitting for a long time you might have to prime the oil pump. There should be an small allen plug in the right hand side of the rear engine flange. ( the part that bolts to the bell housing). It's at about 11:00 on the flange. Remove it and squirt in about five or six shots of oil. Put the plug back in and start it up. Good luck!