1948 Farmall Cub Battery
- Thread starter SteveH
- Start date
raymonddurban
501 Club
Welcome to the Forum!! 
The battery can be found at NAPA, amoung other sources. Are you sure that the tractor has not been converted to 12V?? Get the numbers off the starter and genny so we can tell you if they are 12V or 6V. As to weither or not the tractor can be started without a battery or not would depend on if the mag is still installed and operational. If it is, then yes. If it has been bypassed or converted to a distributor, then no, a battery is required.
Lots of good folks here with loads of information. If you have any other questions, ask away, you'll get your answers.
Good luck and enjoy the tractor.
The battery can be found at NAPA, amoung other sources. Are you sure that the tractor has not been converted to 12V?? Get the numbers off the starter and genny so we can tell you if they are 12V or 6V. As to weither or not the tractor can be started without a battery or not would depend on if the mag is still installed and operational. If it is, then yes. If it has been bypassed or converted to a distributor, then no, a battery is required.
Lots of good folks here with loads of information. If you have any other questions, ask away, you'll get your answers.
Good luck and enjoy the tractor.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Tractor Supply or any Ag store and many parts stores have the batteries.
If the cub has a magneto, it could/should start with the hand crank or a gentle pull.
If the cub has a magneto, it could/should start with the hand crank or a gentle pull.
Thanks for the response. I'll check them out.
If I operate without the battery - what is done with the existing cables?
If I operate without the battery - what is done with the existing cables?
Screwstick":1r51xtob said:Welcome to the Forum!!
The battery can be found at NAPA, amoung other sources. Are you sure that the tractor has not been converted to 12V?? Get the numbers off the starter and genny so we can tell you if they are 12V or 6V. As to weither or not the tractor can be started without a battery or not would depend on if the mag is still installed and operational. If it is, then yes. If it has been bypassed or converted to a distributor, then no, a battery is required.
Lots of good folks here with loads of information. If you have any other questions, ask away, you'll get your answers.
Good luck and enjoy the tractor.
Answer depends on type of ignition. Magneto, you can start and run the tractor without a battery. If the tractor has a distributor/battery operated ignition - no - you must have a battery.
Auto parts store carry 6 volt batteries. Wal-Mart perhaps.
What to do with the battery cables when operting the tractor with no battery? I would put the battery in. Or remove the belt from the generator. If the tractor has lights, you could leave the lights on - putting a load on the generator - then tape up the hot cable end at the battery.
NO, if you run a cut-out system without a battery and turn the lights on, you will blow the light bulbs. To run without a battery, you need to disconnect the F connection from the generator or better yet, remove the belt.
Bus Driver
501 Club
The original Cub 6-volt battery is Group 1.
Gary Boutwell
501 Club
Steve,
Welcome to the Cub Forum.
A great place to gain and share info on Cubs.
Keep posting. Let us know the progress on the 48.
Good Luck.
Welcome to the Cub Forum.
A great place to gain and share info on Cubs.
Keep posting. Let us know the progress on the 48.
Good Luck.
Thanks to everyone for the help and advice. Certainly the best thing is for me to obtain and install the 6 volt battery. I'll let everyone know how this goes - it's an unmolested Cub that was running before it was 'parked' several years ago - fortunately with the gas and coolant drained.
Steve:
As Jim said do not remove the battery cables. The nice thing about Mag equipped Cubs is if the battery dies from a lack of charging say and you can't start the Cub with the starter, you simply use the hand crank to start the Cub. The mageneto provides it's own spark by way of the impulse coupling. I love it and will probably never have a distributor on a Cub unless it is a later 60's Cub which came equipped wth 12 volts.
Now with that answered, here is the Rest of the Story :big smile:
What follows is kinda long, but it is well worth the read. Please do read it as there is just a ton of information that is available to our members and it can never be described in a single post unless it is something like the Welcome Wagon. I would suggest you grab your favourite libation, a comfy chair and set a spell... you will be surprised at the amount of information. Do read the CBoK as well, the articles written by our members are really good and come from many years of experience with cubs and some are pretty ingenious :!:
If it was unmolested, it will be a 6 volt positve ground with a Magneto. The electrical package was added without going to the Battery Ignition and is common. Both of my Cubs, the 47 and 48 are equipped with Mags and batteries. A Group 1 battery is the right one and will fit nicely in the battery box too boot.SteveH":2qs7el2l said:
As Jim said do not remove the battery cables. The nice thing about Mag equipped Cubs is if the battery dies from a lack of charging say and you can't start the Cub with the starter, you simply use the hand crank to start the Cub. The mageneto provides it's own spark by way of the impulse coupling. I love it and will probably never have a distributor on a Cub unless it is a later 60's Cub which came equipped wth 12 volts.
Now with that answered, here is the Rest of the Story :big smile:
What follows is kinda long, but it is well worth the read. Please do read it as there is just a ton of information that is available to our members and it can never be described in a single post unless it is something like the Welcome Wagon. I would suggest you grab your favourite libation, a comfy chair and set a spell... you will be surprised at the amount of information. Do read the CBoK as well, the articles written by our members are really good and come from many years of experience with cubs and some are pretty ingenious :!:
First,to the greatest forum on the internet, and to the Cub Family. You will find that all the folks on this forum are kind, helpful and just full of Cub info and knowledge. They also happen to be the finest folks I have ever met :!:
The Welcome Wagon is a relatively brief introduction to the information that is currently available on Cub tractors, and answers many of the common questions new members ask right of the bat. Although it is a bit overwhelming :shock: , it has been designed to actually be copied to a Word Processor such as Microsoft Word (which preserves the active links), and saved to your desktop for easy reference at a later date or when you have a bit more time to read all the information contained in the links below. Please do so, enjoy and I hope this will be a useful aid in learning more about your New Cub Tractor :!:
Filling out yourProfile is a real help. It just needs to be - State,City, County, a lot less than what is available in your local phone book. Knowing where you are will help in members offering to come help, when you are looking for parts - the area that would be useful to you etc., Also our CubFests, Mini-Fests or a simple KaffeeKlatsch/get together over coffee and a doughnut etc., to help each other benefits. Just a thought :!:
When adding signature lines to your profile, the use of animated or non-animated banners and large graphics files must be avoided. These files consume large amounts of bandwidth and cause slow page loading, especially for those forum members using dialup connections.
Ok, so here is the spiel:
I would suggest that you read this thread: New Members and Visitors, Please READ Prior to Posting. There are many great links to informative pages such as the ATIS FAQ's 1 and ATIS FAQ's 2, The Best of H.L. Chauvin who has written very interesting articles on troubleshooting common problems with your Cub. One of the other projects we have been working on and it will be a continuing effort is the The Cub Book of Knowledge. This the the place to go to get all the quick links to some very good articles written by many members of the forum on solving some of the problems we encounter as we repair, maintain and up-grade our Cubs. Keep looking for this to grow.
Also, you might want to visit the Cub Manual Server as there is tons of info on servicing, maintaining and re-building your Cub. In addition to this basic information, there are also a number of other useful tools available on the server. There is the Specialty Services page which has contact info for neat stuff like getting your seats recovered, buying quality Decals, Serial Number tags and a host of other neat items. Also there are the Parts Pages - both Used Parts Suppliers and New Parts Suppliers pages with links to quality dealers. I am always looking for YOUR favourite dealers for New and Used Parts to include here. These pages are intended to complement our Official FarmallCub.com Website Sponsors:I would also recommend that you visit Binder Books and purchase the three most important manuals you can own for Maintenance, Repair and Rebuilding your Cub. These are the Owner's Manual, the GSS-1411 Service Manual and the TC-37F Parts Manual. Although they are available on the Cub Manual Server, it is better if you also have your own paper copy. Binder Books is the only Authorized IH Publication Reprint House and they have the best quality manuals available. Most other's are not of the same quality. Just a personal thought here, the I&T Shop Manuals, although helpful in some areas, really are not sufficient for the job. If you wish though, they are good additional reference works.
IF you really want to get the skinny on all things Cub, might I suggest you get a copy of Ken Updike's Farmall Cub and Cub Cadet's :?: . While you are at it Original Farmall Cub and Cub Cadet is Ken's latest addition to the series. Along with Guy Fay's Letter Series Originality Guide, these are three must have's in anyone's collection.
In addition to the above information, don't forget to check out the various articles that are available to help with your Repair, Restore, Rebuild or just your Maintenance Projects. There are a number of sub pages such as Electrolysis or Rust Zapper's, Maintenance Tips, Jigs and Techniques, Implement and Part Sketches and of course the Paint, Decals & Other Finish Questions which has the Paint Chart and the Paint Committee Decisions links.
Oh, and while the program still lasts.. you might want to check the Announcement: Navistar Free Gas Cap Offer - On-Line Form thread at the top of the Cub Forum and send away for the new style safety cap before that program runs out as well. The program has been extended and no new definite end-date has been announced at this point. It is an extension only and may end rather quickly depending on available stocks. Please do take advantage of this offer and get the new safety caps :idea: :!:
I truly hope that you enjoy your Cub and that you will be a frequent contributor to the forum. Again,to the Cub Family
Rudi":2w73mvzr said:Steve: Thanks for the info, Rudi. I appreciate the welcoming to the club/forum from you. I'm still trying to get more familiar with 'navigating' around the site and how best to post and respond. BTW, this '48 Cub of mine is a positive ground battery set-up, right?
If it was unmolested, it will be a 6 volt positve ground with a Magneto. The electrical package was added without going to the Battery Ignition and is common. Both of my Cubs, the 47 and 48 are equipped with Mags and batteries. A Group 1 battery is the right one and will fit nicely in the battery box too boot.SteveH":2w73mvzr said:
As Jim said do not remove the battery cables. The nice thing about Mag equipped Cubs is if the battery dies from a lack of charging say and you can't start the Cub with the starter, you simply use the hand crank to start the Cub. The mageneto provides it's own spark by way of the impulse coupling. I love it and will probably never have a distributor on a Cub unless it is a later 60's Cub which came equipped wth 12 volts.
Now with that answered, here is the Rest of the Story :big smile:
What follows is kinda long, but it is well worth the read. Please do read it as there is just a ton of information that is available to our members and it can never be described in a single post unless it is something like the Welcome Wagon. I would suggest you grab your favourite libation, a comfy chair and set a spell... you will be surprised at the amount of information. Do read the CBoK as well, the articles written by our members are really good and come from many years of experience with cubs and some are pretty ingenious :!:
First,to the greatest forum on the internet, and to the Cub Family. You will find that all the folks on this forum are kind, helpful and just full of Cub info and knowledge. They also happen to be the finest folks I have ever met :!:
The Welcome Wagon is a relatively brief introduction to the information that is currently available on Cub tractors, and answers many of the common questions new members ask right of the bat. Although it is a bit overwhelming :shock: , it has been designed to actually be copied to a Word Processor such as Microsoft Word (which preserves the active links), and saved to your desktop for easy reference at a later date or when you have a bit more time to read all the information contained in the links below. Please do so, enjoy and I hope this will be a useful aid in learning more about your New Cub Tractor :!:
Filling out yourProfile is a real help. It just needs to be - State,City, County, a lot less than what is available in your local phone book. Knowing where you are will help in members offering to come help, when you are looking for parts - the area that would be useful to you etc., Also our CubFests, Mini-Fests or a simple KaffeeKlatsch/get together over coffee and a doughnut etc., to help each other benefits. Just a thought :!:
When adding signature lines to your profile, the use of animated or non-animated banners and large graphics files must be avoided. These files consume large amounts of bandwidth and cause slow page loading, especially for those forum members using dialup connections.
Ok, so here is the spiel:
I would suggest that you read this thread: New Members and Visitors, Please READ Prior to Posting. There are many great links to informative pages such as the ATIS FAQ's 1 and ATIS FAQ's 2, The Best of H.L. Chauvin who has written very interesting articles on troubleshooting common problems with your Cub. One of the other projects we have been working on and it will be a continuing effort is the The Cub Book of Knowledge. This the the place to go to get all the quick links to some very good articles written by many members of the forum on solving some of the problems we encounter as we repair, maintain and up-grade our Cubs. Keep looking for this to grow.
Also, you might want to visit the Cub Manual Server as there is tons of info on servicing, maintaining and re-building your Cub. In addition to this basic information, there are also a number of other useful tools available on the server. There is the Specialty Services page which has contact info for neat stuff like getting your seats recovered, buying quality Decals, Serial Number tags and a host of other neat items. Also there are the Parts Pages - both Used Parts Suppliers and New Parts Suppliers pages with links to quality dealers. I am always looking for YOUR favourite dealers for New and Used Parts to include here. These pages are intended to complement our Official FarmallCub.com Website Sponsors:I would also recommend that you visit Binder Books and purchase the three most important manuals you can own for Maintenance, Repair and Rebuilding your Cub. These are the Owner's Manual, the GSS-1411 Service Manual and the TC-37F Parts Manual. Although they are available on the Cub Manual Server, it is better if you also have your own paper copy. Binder Books is the only Authorized IH Publication Reprint House and they have the best quality manuals available. Most other's are not of the same quality. Just a personal thought here, the I&T Shop Manuals, although helpful in some areas, really are not sufficient for the job. If you wish though, they are good additional reference works.
IF you really want to get the skinny on all things Cub, might I suggest you get a copy of Ken Updike's Farmall Cub and Cub Cadet's :?: . While you are at it Original Farmall Cub and Cub Cadet is Ken's latest addition to the series. Along with Guy Fay's Letter Series Originality Guide, these are three must have's in anyone's collection.
In addition to the above information, don't forget to check out the various articles that are available to help with your Repair, Restore, Rebuild or just your Maintenance Projects. There are a number of sub pages such as Electrolysis or Rust Zapper's, Maintenance Tips, Jigs and Techniques, Implement and Part Sketches and of course the Paint, Decals & Other Finish Questions which has the Paint Chart and the Paint Committee Decisions links.
Oh, and while the program still lasts.. you might want to check the Announcement: Navistar Free Gas Cap Offer - On-Line Form thread at the top of the Cub Forum and send away for the new style safety cap before that program runs out as well. The program has been extended and no new definite end-date has been announced at this point. It is an extension only and may end rather quickly depending on available stocks. Please do take advantage of this offer and get the new safety caps :idea: :!:
I truly hope that you enjoy your Cub and that you will be a frequent contributor to the forum. Again,to the Cub Family
Steve:
Yes, the 48 Cubs were all positive ground. Since you said that yours was unmolested, it would be that way unless the PO converted it. From the sounds of it, he didn't. Don't forget to repolarize if you have any charging blips. See the CBoK in the How To Forum on how to Polarzie Your Generator.
Unmolested -- nice word by the way, I think I might continue to use it.. very apt. Implies a lot of stuff that PO's do.
Yes, the 48 Cubs were all positive ground. Since you said that yours was unmolested, it would be that way unless the PO converted it. From the sounds of it, he didn't. Don't forget to repolarize if you have any charging blips. See the CBoK in the How To Forum on how to Polarzie Your Generator.
Unmolested -- nice word by the way, I think I might continue to use it.. very apt. Implies a lot of stuff that PO's do.
Just a note to update everyone as promised - I lucked out on this '48. After hooking up the 6 volt battery the starting system worked perfectly and after dressing the magneto points, it started and the gauge showed charging. No lighting then, but after dressing the contact ends of the 30 amp fuse, all lighting worked perfectly too - both high/low mode. Thanks again to all who helped on this.... Steve H.
Randy Tuura
Well-known member
SteveH":1e7tq740 said:
Now this is why I'd like to someday reverse the 12 volt upgrade on my '49...
I liked being able to use the crank and all that other stuff with the other old Cub Dad had when I was a kid.
Just for kicks, when I got it, I did try to crank start it - but since it has an alternator and distributor...
It wouldn't start and I wondered why.
But of corse that's one of those "maybe someday" projects.
Randy Tuura
Well-known member
Bigdog":1cvdq7rj said:
Okay, maybe the next time I'll make sure the button is pulled out. :roll: