1948 Cub Transmission Refresh

[Urbish]

Well boys, here we go. Time for a transmission refresh. Wish me luck.

I built a variation of frederick's Splitting Stand (http://farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=144&t=61114) using doubled-up 1/2" plywood, screwed and glued together for the main uprights and 2x8's for the gussets. Given that there's only about 350-400# resting on it, this should do nicely.

Special thanks to Bill E Bob for the rebuild instructions (http://farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=141&t=47391). I am glad I am doing this as I found that a previous owner failed to install one of the dowel pins between the left side final drive and the transmission.

On a side note, one of my brake drums apparently walked sideways some time ago and I was only getting about 40% contact. I'm tempted to save my $ on a new band and just bring this one back into alignment and let it wear in. We'll see what kind of mood I am in when it comes time to order my trans parts...

[bob in CT]

One option is to find a matched gear set from a Cub Cadet and swap it in. Same parts, lower hours, usually kept in a garage. A lot of our Cubs had a busy life cultivating for many hours a day while lawn mowers were used an hour a week in 3 seasons.

[Urbish]

Thanks for the advice. I think I have a bearing or two getting sloppy and I'm guessing that the reverse idler bronze bearing is shot. Will know once I get the trans apart. It has been getting progressively noisier and I wanted to fix bearings instead of fixing bearings AND gears.

[artc]

i'd replace those brake bands. if you put those back in you will only have 1/2 the braking

[Bob McCarty]

if you put those back in you will only have 1/2 the braking

And half of not much is even less.

Bob

[Urbish]

Yeah, 1/2 as much for a while anyway until it wears flush. Of course I only had half as it was. And this thing never sees a hill. Flat as can be about here. I probably ought to spring for new ones regardless...

[Bob McCarty]

Here's a link to a "how to" that Raymond and I did. A lot cheaper to buy the material and reline them yourself if you have the desire. viewtopic.php?f=54&t=66324

Bob

[Urbish]

Here's a link to a "how to" that Raymond and I did. A lot cheaper to buy the material and reline them yourself if you have the desire. http://www.farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewto ... 54&t=66324

Bob

Good call. The bands and rods are in good shape. I'll go this route. Thanks Bob.

Jim

[Urbish]

Upon closer inspection, the brake drum didn't shift over at all. It appears that the previous owner installed the anchor pin with the sleeve on the wrong side when he replaced the differential bearing retainer seal on that side. Thanks buddy...

[Urbish]

Finished my inspection of everything tonight and I'm going to be replacing three of the four shaft bearings in the transmission and both differential output bearings. $438 bill from TM tractor including gaskets and some other odds and ends. Oh well, I'd rather be putting some money into this than to be cursing some cheesy, unrepairable, stamped sheetmetal, rebranded MTD 'garden tractor' I bought at Lowes.

[Urbish]

Here's a link to a "how to" that Raymond and I did. A lot cheaper to buy the material and reline them yourself if you have the desire. http://www.farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewto ... 54&t=66324

Bob

I ordered brake lining material and rivets from McMaster-Carr per the above advice from Bob. The brake lining material was folded in half to fit in the box and was cracked almost all the way through. I called McMaster-Carr and they are overnighting me a replacement. Great customer service!

Jim

[Sailor]

..... Oh well, I'd rather be putting some money into this than to be cursing some cheesy, unrepairable, stamped sheetmetal, rebranded MTD 'garden tractor' I bought at Lowes.

Come on...let it all out...you'll feel much better.

[Urbish]

I got my trans back together last weekend. No leaks! And what a difference with the new brake linings. This thing stops on a dime now.

I do have a pronounced howl at high speed in 2nd gear and at any speed in 3rd. I presume that this is due in part to my transferring the trans guts to a new case and a new ring/pinion alignment. In my old case, the nut for the countershaft was nowhere near tight, allowing it to slide forward and back about 1/8". It was cotter-pinned in that position, so I presume it has been driven that way for a LONG time. That said, the ring/pinion are probably worn funny due to the misalignment and are pretty unhappy sounding now that they ARE properly aligned. I'm going to drive it for a while and see if the noise goes down while they lap in. I understand this may take another 67 years, if ever, to happen.

[Urbish]

So I plowed a few times this winter (mild winter in SE Michigan) and have used the Cub around the yard for some grading/landscaping tasks. The transmission still sounds terrible in 2nd and 3rd. I'm thinking I may have goofed the shimming and alignment of the pinion/ring gear and/or have gotten a bum bearing when I did my transmission rebuild. I wish I had time to disassemble and bring the trans to the Barnyard Bash for expert analysis. I'm currently house-shopping and this will have to wait until after I move.

[havoc1482]

So I plowed a few times this winter (mild winter in SE Michigan) and have used the Cub around the yard for some grading/landscaping tasks. The transmission still sounds terrible in 2nd and 3rd. I'm thinking I may have goofed the shimming and alignment of the pinion/ring gear and/or have gotten a bum bearing when I did my transmission rebuild. I wish I had time to disassemble and bring the trans to the Barnyard Bash for expert analysis. I'm currently house-shopping and this will have to wait until after I move.

I ran into the same problem with my Super A. Replaced bearings, but didn't do anything with the gears and everything was properly shimmed. My reverse sounds terrible, and I think its the idler/bushing. My 3rd and 4th gears still sound awful, we may just have the same problem here.

I think my noise was mis diagnosed (by me ) and its actually the final drives.

I bought an entire rear end from a regular A (Trans, finals, wheel hubs) and I plan on replacing the oiler gear (was damaged by a shift rail tab breaking off and meshing with it, stamped a nice little mark into the soft cast zinc) and swapping final drive gears. If I'm not mistaken I don't believe I can just swap the entire final drive.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, I can't remember if what I have is from a Super A or an A. I also picked up the old engine block that was part of this parts tractor for my boss and it had the are cast in it for a hydraulic pump. I don't rember if it was advertised as an A and actually a Super A or vice versa... haha I'm just rambling now.