Hi, all. I'm taking the leap into refurbishing our 1948 Farmall Cub that has been in the extended family since it was new. It actually runs, but very rough. Front tires were flat, so we ordered new tires and tubes. It was out in our front pasture for over a year and has been through 2 of our 9 moves with us, so it's been waiting patiently. I have very little experience with automotive anything so I'm going slowly and hoping to ask lots of questions along the way. I think I probably need to take off the hubs and see what's back there. She's going to be used on the farm, so she may not be quite parade-ready when I'm done, but she'll be a workhorse. I just wish girls hadn't been forbidden from taking auto shop back in high school lo those many years ago. I sure could use that knowledge now.
Hello From Vancouver, WA
- Thread starter CSDunford
- Start date
Welcome to the forum. After a required # of posts and time on the forum, you can view all the manuals, etc. available here. It looks like you'll have a good project on your hands. If the engine won't turn over with a hand crank, I'd suggest removing the hood so you can put some oil in the cylinders. Dropping the rear weights also makes it easier to work on. Start spraying all the nuts and bolts with a good penetrating oil. Lots to check out that may need attention....
staninlowerAL
501 Club
Welcome to the forum. A likely culprit to running rough is the ignition system. I see in the pic that you posted the tractor is equipped with an IH J4 magneto. First thing you should know is DON'T CONNECT ANY BATTERY POWER TO THE MAGNETO!!!! It's likely to do some major damage to the system. Just in case you don't know, a magneto creates current for the ignition system via an electrical principal known as inductive current. The '48 Cub electrical OEM system is 6v, positive ground. The IH service manual GS 1012 explains it all and can be obtained via the Resources link at the top of this page as Bob pointed out. If you have any questions, just ask, plenty of help on this forum just for the asking. Also explore the HOW TO forum for a lot of tips and help in solving a lot of the problems that you will discover. JMHO Stan
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Dale Finch
501 Club
As an old (76 yr old!) female who also was disappointed when I tried to take SHOP in school, these tractors can be addictive! I have FIVE! 3 were "restored/refurbished" by me, and 2 were simply made mechanically sound, still in their "work clothes"! All help mow pastures, pull trailers & maintain our farm gravel drive.
Try to get your required posts done (10, I think) so that you have access to the manuals. And I second Stan's suggestion to check out the HOW TO section, my favorite!
If you can, try to make your way to one of the Cubfests... A really great time and a good way to get hands-on experience. You'll learn a lot from some very knowledgeable forum folks who are eager to share their knowledge.
Anyway, welcome and have fun with your project!
Try to get your required posts done (10, I think) so that you have access to the manuals. And I second Stan's suggestion to check out the HOW TO section, my favorite!
If you can, try to make your way to one of the Cubfests... A really great time and a good way to get hands-on experience. You'll learn a lot from some very knowledgeable forum folks who are eager to share their knowledge.
Anyway, welcome and have fun with your project!
Thanks, Bob. Yeah, I've already struggled mightily with rusted bolts. Tried a variety of things, then finally got mad and marched down to Lowe's and bought a torque wrench. Took them off like melted butter. Sometimes it's worth it to just get the right tool.
Thank you, Stan! I'm not up on magnetos, but that's the next thing I'll check out to learn about. One question: Years ago we had the electrical changed over to a 12v system for a little more poop. Will that change anything as far as how I service it? Thank you again for the kind welcome and the offer of help. I'm sure I'll need/use it.
Thanks, Dale! (That was my mom's middle name, so it's fun to see your name pop up). I still remember getting stuck in Home Ec in high school which I detested with every fiber of my being. Ugh.As an old (76 yr old!) female who also was disappointed when I tried to take SHOP in school, these tractors can be addictive! I have FIVE! 3 were "restored/refurbished" by me, and 2 were simply made mechanically sound, still in their "work clothes"! All help mow pastures, pull trailers & maintain our farm gravel drive.
Try to get your required posts done (10, I think) so that you have access to the manuals. And I second Stan's suggestion to check out the HOW TO section, my favorite!
If you can, try to make your way to one of the Cubfests... A really great time and a good way to get hands-on experience. You'll learn a lot from some very knowledgeable forum folks who are eager to share their knowledge.
Anyway, welcome and have fun with your project!
Are the Cubfests held every year? I'm hoping by this time next year to have the Cub ready to roll in the Chehalis (WA) Lighted Tractor Parade ( https://discoverlewiscounty.com/events/centralia-lighted-tractor-parade/ ). I've wanted to do that for years, and now I'm going to make it happen.
staninlowerAL
501 Club
Well, that puts a little wrinkle in the mix. It depends on what was done with the conversion. It could be simply a change to get the starter to run on 12v. That likely would have involved changing the battery to 12v and possibly an alternator (maybe internally regulated/self exciting) or 12v generator which probably would be changed to include a 12v VR keep the battery charged, and the ignition system still run on the magneto. On the other side is, along with the starting system changes, the magneto might have been changed to run on an external coil (likely 12v, with or without an external resistor). If that happened the dash ignition kill switch would have been replaced with a 2 pole battery ignition switch to supply electrical power to the external coil. Either way the points gap setting remains the same at .013 and the other internal parts then continue to function as a distributor and the magneto coil (under the square cap) is no longer needed or used. It might have been removed (if the steel bar through the magneto coil is still intact, save it as it is NLA as a replacement part). So it comes down to finding out what was done to make the change and addressing each component as needed for maintenance. The servicing and maintenance as described in the service manual still needs to be done from time to time to keep it functioning as it was intended. A picture of the other (carburetor) side of your tractor will help to figure it out. Good Luck! Stan
EDIT: I suggest you consider moving the conversation to the FARMALL CUB Form. You'll likely get a lot more response as more readers will see your posts there. You can copy and paste a link to this conversation in a new post there to maintain some continuity if you would like. You can find out more about Cubfests here: https://farmallcub.com/community/forums/cubfest-and-tractor-show-announcements-discussio.8/ Bob McCarty hosts a really great event at Longmont CO usually in September. Here's the 2026 calendar, https://farmallcub.com/community/threads/2026-cubfest-farmall-tractor-show-calendar.118985/ 2027 events will be scheduled starting in December/January.
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