Nice to have generous friends!

Years ago I worked on a man’s cub and ever since wanted one in the back of my mind. I did over the years obtain a H and restored it. It was a sharp tractor! Well recently went to a friends to work on his John Deere tractor and he just up and gave me a 48 cub and a plow for it! I’m thankful for kind, generous friends! It had no compression on any cylinders! Removed the valves and cleaned and lapped then and all was well again. Cylinders showed no sign of wear at all! Very tight. The distributor hold down bolt was loose caused it to be out of time. After getting the kinks worked out it runs like a top now. Put some new axle seals in it and done the paint job. Nice looking tractor. Cannot wait to try out the plow if I can find a depth lever. We’ll just saying hi and thanks for the fun reading and information on the forum! Dennis is Tennessee!
 

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Welcome! Glad to see another old piece of iron alive again. This place is great. I don't even own a Cub (shhh don't tell anyone), just a Super A. This place is the go-to for the Farmall knowledge.
 
Welcome to the website.
Nice that the people gave you a Cub.
I see in your picture it has a mid 1958 - mid 1963 grille.
It has a mid 1954 and newer Touch Control block, the tubes and pump I can't tell in the picture.
It has the long engine oil dipstick tube, they were used beginning in mid 1956, so the engine may have been replaced. You can check the engine serial number to see.
The engine serial number isn't the same as the tractor serial number, except for the first few months of Cubs, in 1947.
Below is a page from the 1950 Cub owner's manual showing where the engine serial number is.
The number is stamped in the block, you may need to clean the area, and use a light to see the number. :)
 
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Welcome to the website.
Nice that the people gave you a Cub.
I see in your picture it has a mid 1958 - mid 1963 grille.
It has a mid 1954 and newer Touch Control block, the tubes and pump I can't tell in the picture.
It has the long engine oil dipstick tube, they were used beginning in about 1957, so the engine may have been replaced. You can check the engine serial number to see.
Below is a page from the 1950 Cub owner's manual showing where the engine serial number is.
The number is stamped in the block, you may need to clean the area, and use a light to see the number. :)
The tractor did not have the plate on it but I did look up the engine number I thought it gave me the 48 year so I figured it was a 48.
 
The tractor did not have the plate on it but I did look up the engine number I thought it gave me the 48 year so I figured it was a 48.
A better,more accurate method of ID for the year the tractor was made is to check the casting codes of the major cast parts which have the date/month/year cast in the metal. The pics show the casting codes on a head that was replaced, W is 1973 and O is 1968. JMHO Stan
 

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The tractor did not have the plate on it but I did look up the engine number I thought it gave me the 48 year so I figured it was a 48.
I have a '48 Cub, too. Noticed the grille right off and knew it was different than mine. Glad you got that year figured out. I bought my house in 1989 and before the previous owner had an auction, I offered him some cash on an old Ford tractor he said was a 9n. Since I had no knowledge of the year and make, I assumed he was correct. Found it was not a 9n but a 1954 NAA when I was buying parts. Way better tractor than the n series. Did some disc work with it recently to prep for food plots after using a rather tired 8n that was given to me years ago. What a difference in power and steering. Glad he was wrong.
 
A better,more accurate method of ID for the year the tractor was made is to check the casting codes of the major cast parts which have the date/month/year cast in the metal. The pics show the casting codes on a head that was replaced, W is 1973 and O is 1968. JMHO Stan
The head had Steiner on it so it’s been replaced it appears. As good as the cylinder walls looked and pistons I’m not so sure it has not had a rebuild in its past.
 
This is the casting number on the engine I looked at.
The part number 251341 R1 is the original (first generation) and the casting code 5 11 R is 1948 (May 11 1948). The first generation block had a problem with breaking at the lower right corner where the bolt attaches to the axle frame. if yours is not cracked I suggest you consider a brace to connect it to the rear torque tube/block connection point as a reinforcement. JMHO Stan
 
The part number 251341 R1 is the original (first generation) and the casting code 5 11 R is 1948 (May 11 1948). The first generation block had a problem with breaking at the lower right corner where the bolt attaches to the axle frame. if yours is not cracked I suggest you consider a brace to connect it to the rear torque tube/block connection point as a reinforcement. JMHO Stan
Thanks for the suggestion. I will look at that.
 
Thanks for the suggestion. I will look at that.
Here's a recent post that gives some information on the topic. At one time a forum member made them and offered them for sale but as far as I know that's no longer available but it's not very difficult to put it together. You'll need to read all the thread (more than just the link) to get the picture of what it says. JMHO Stan
 
There were at least two versions of the engine braces that were made and sold by forum members. Putting a wanted ad in The Vine may turn up a set that can be purchased.
 
It appears it was welded in the past. Or is that a factory weld? I’m a pretty good welder, fabricator. I will still take a look at a brace. Using the engine as a frame was a weak point for sure. Any pictures of these braces?
 

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It appears it was welded in the past. Or is that a factory weld? I’m a pretty good welder, fabricator. I will still take a look at a brace. Using the engine as a frame was a weak point for sure. Any pictures of these braces?
The picture you posted looks very similar to welds at the point of breakage that I have seen in the past. Hard for me to think that it would have left the factory with this type of repair to the casting. This link below is to one in the thread that I posted a link to in the post above. You might also try the search feature at the upper right corner of this page. JMHO Stan
 
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