Identifying our Cub

[CubManinVA]

Hello,
We are new members to this board and also proud new owners of a Cub.
We have read lots of info on this forum as well as other places we have been directed to by you nice people.

We have run into something we hope someone out there can help us with.

The serial number tag is missing on the Cub. We have looked in the places we have read about and below is what we have come up with.

On the engine block under the dipstick the letters and numbers are:
FCUBM2369

On the hydraulic box, (I am sure I am not calling it the right thing), the numbers/letters are:
1-4-A

On the transmission:
1-25-A

On torque tube:
1-7-A

The numbers/letter under the carb is:
5-23-? (looks like either a G or B)

Thank you for any help you can give us.

CubManinVa's wife

[Bigdog]

Hello and welcome to the board! Your casting codes indicate either a 1955 or 1977 possiblility If you have the rounded nose & grille it is a 55.
You might want to check the pictures at this link to see if you recognize yours.

http://www.antique-tractor.com/CubFAQ/cub_faq.html

[ChickenWing]

Hmmm,

Could the date code under the carb be a Q? What is the part number just below that? If it ends in a R1, it looks like it may be a 1947 engine, judging by a possible Q code, and low serial number.

The other castings with the A are either '55 or 77. What color is your cub?

[CubManinVA]

Big Dog and Chicken Wing,
Thanks for answering so quickly.

Big Dog,
The nose is rounded with the grille a mesh type material. It is painted white, not sure if it is the original color because the man my husband bought it from had put a so-called paint job on it.

Chicken Wing,
As far as the color of the tractor, it is red.
The part number under the carb is 251341R7

Thanks for the site with the pictures and for all your help.

CubManinVA's wife

[ChickenWing]

It sounds mostly like a 55, judging by the A casting codes, and the round nose, red paint.

I don't know about the engine. I don't know if they started the serial numbers over after the revisions? I thought they were sequential the whole way, but not really sure. I would have thought FCUBM2369
would be a 1947.

[CubManinVA]

Chicken Wing,
Do you think it is possible that the engine is not the original one?

Just an idea.

[ChickenWing]

Oh, yes, I would expect that it was changed at one time. Even if the casting code was a B, the date would be over 16 months from the other parts, which would be unlikely they were assembled together.

What I am confused about is the serial number of the engine being very low, but having a number 7 revision, which would have come several years later. Are you certain about the FCUBM number? and the part number ending in 7 instead of 1?

[Jim Becker]

Looks to me like there were 2 more digits to the engine number that you missed when you read it. Sometimes they are not stamped very deeply and are easy to miss. If the engine number is really FCUBM2369xx, it would be from mid-year (probably late June) 1961. That matches if the date code cast into the block is 5-23-G. It also is in range for an R7 block part number. A four or five digit engine number would have been used in the first couple years of production, before the block was revised to R7. I have a G coded tractor and it looks more like a 6 on my engine block.

It will be impossible to determine the original tractor serial number. But with all the January-A date codes, it was probably built in February or March putting the serial number in the 187K or 188K range.

The wire mesh grill would not have been correct for that time and was probably replaced at some time.

Which style hood/fuel tank does it have? Three ribs on the side of the hood (matches the grill) or the indented cove area on the side of the hood(Matches the "A" castings)?

[CubManinVA]

Jim,
There are no other numbers after the FCUBM2369. I have looked very closely. My husband removed the paint from the area and I have wiped it down and there is nothing.

Also on the hood fuel tank, it is indented and the grill fits in the indention.

We are really confused about the tractor and what the year might be. We would love to know just to know and also if we need any parts that may require the year model of the tractor.

Thanks for your help.

The wife

[Jim Becker]

A four digit engine number just doesn't go with an R7 block part number, nor even that low of a 5 digit block number. If 4 digits are all there are, the other 2 digits just didn't get stamped in. It is much more likely the engine number wasn't done completely than a problem with the part number because the engine numbers were hand stamped. The 4 digit number MIGHT go with an R2 block, if you mis-read the part number. But then the date code would have to be Q or R, not G or B.

In my last post, I neglected to put a year with the month I speculated the tractor was built. I think it is February or March of 1955.

You shouldn't have much problem getting correct parts if you use the serial and engine numbers in my other post.

Here is a '55 Cub. When you say the grill fits the indention, I think we are talking about 2 different parts of the hood. You can barely see what I am refering to behind the headlight.

[CubManinVA]

Jim,
I again thank you for all your help. I know you think me a dunce, but I am new at this as well as my husband.

About the indention, are you referring to the indention behind the headlight where the decal is? If so, our Cub has that also.

Looking at your picture the only difference I can see is the grill is different. I know earlier you stated that the grill we have wasn't correct for that time.

The part number is correct, I have double checked it. Evidently the other two numbers were not stamped in. Think I'll get my magnifying glass and see if I can see anything else near these numbers.

Again, thank you for all of your help.

[Jim Becker]

When you are new to something like this, you can feel a little lost. Just keep reading and asking.

About the indention, are you referring to the indention behind the headlight where the decal is? If so, our Cub has that also.

Yes. Also, that stlyle hood originally had stainless steel name plates in that area rather than a decal.

Looking at your picture the only difference I can see is the grill is different. I know earlier you stated that the grill we have wasn't correct for that time.

The correct grill for Cubs built in '55 matched the one in the picture. They are now hard to find.

The part number is correct, I have double checked it. Evidently the other two numbers were not stamped in. Think I'll get my magnifying glass and see if I can see anything else near these numbers.

Those last 2 digits may just not be there. Your best chance of seeing them is probably if you illuminate the area from the side. so whatever indentation is there will throw a shadow. Rubbing on and then off a little chalk may help too.