Farmall Cub

So, I started up the tractor. Another routine day and I needed to clear some ice from the driveway. I was going to go pick up the mail when I was done. I put it in 4th and go down my driveway and everything is fine. I get to the road and when I release the clutch the engine starts to chug, like I've go it too high of a gear trying to go uphill. Then the usual, constant, unchanging whine ("whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir") I get from the transmission is now this quick "da-da-da-da-da-da" noise, like the engine is running on 3 cylinders or something. So I turned around and went home.

Here is a video of me going back home. Its in 4th, then I go to 3rd, then to 2nd, and finally 1st before going back to 4th so you can hear the noises from each range. 4th doesn't sound good at all.

I am hearing 2 things, one sounds like there may be a little ice in the transmission, and the other is I noticed when you started out in 4th at a little past the 1 minute mark it sound as if the engine was low on power one cylinder. Not fully missing, but as if a valve may have been leaking, etc. That would also make the changing noise in the transmission.

Okay doc, lay it on me. What's the treatment and is she gonna make it? Lol

Okay so here is a video of me starting it up from the cold. I doesn't sound right to me. I let the keen ears of you guys tell me what you hear.


I then pulled the tractor into the garage to drain the oil because I had a hunch about something. And If you watch this next video, you'll know exactly what that hunch was.

Was that gear oil from the xmsn?

That oil I drained is from the engine oil pan.

Interesting. I have never seen that much free water in an engine oil pan. I suggest you do the same with your xmsn.

Finding water in the engine is probably condensation, since it did not app-ear to be green or blue. In an engine that works for a living that would have evaporated after few minutes of making the engine labor hard. sounded to me like it is missing, how about some history, new to you, been setting quite a while, etc. Like Don, I suggest you also drain the transmission, though that is 90 wt oil, it will drain pretty slow unless you have a way to warm the garage and let it set in the warm for a while.

I bought it after it was restored. It was sitting a while prior to my purchase in mid-October. After that I use it frequently, from pulling our trailer to pushing snow to just driving it around for fun. Its when we hit below freezing temps when problems start to occur. I had changed the oil in the transmission already, but I'm guessing water still got in. I have two magnetic block heaters, I could probably stick them to the transmission box and give it some warmth while its draining.

Is there any thing I can do to keep the water in the transmission displaced or keep it from freezing or keep it out entirely? How do I make sure I've flushed out all the bad stuff?

After draining the xmsn, flush it out with kerosene or diesel. You can try a refill with CaseIH HyTran, but your seals need to be in tip-top condition or it may leak a little. HyTran will keep water in suspension.