TractorLarry
Active member
My sister had someone flat-bed the tractor to my house this morning and I finally had a chance to look it over and get it running.
I got the tractor, COMPLETE set of manuals as delivered in 1995 (Tractor, GT-48 Mower Deck, brochures, you name it. Even the original sales receipt. The tractor was $5200 with the front bumper option.
Also got a leaf sweeper. Since it was stored outside it is in much rougher shape than the tractor, but the bag is good, and it looks intact and operational. There's a lot of rust on the bag frame. I'll probably restore this as a side job as I have time.
Also got a spare front wheel. I have no idea why he would have purchased one front spare wheel
What's on the tractor is fine.
Condition
Condition is very, very good. There are NO dents, NO rust, NO scrapes and no paint wear, anywhere. Just a lot of dust where it's been sitting in the garage for 6 years.
There are are a couple of black mars on the side panels. I think that's from it being hit with the butt end of que sticks (it was parked next to the Pool Table). Should be able to wax those out.
She has 134 hours on her.
Bringing it to life
Oil actually looked good so I left it alone. My Brother in Law was pretty good about maintaining things so I wasn't too worried about it.
Changed the filter and pre-filter.
Changed the plugs.
There was about a gallon of, well, something in the gas tank. Nasty stuff. Pulled the LR tire off and disconnected the fuel line, and flushed about 1/2 gallon of clean gas through it.
The fuel-shutoff's had been closed off when it was stored, which is a good thing.
Tank is plastic so there is no rust.
Replaced the battery. I knew it would need one so I picked one up at sears yesterday. Wrong one. This thing uses a real car battery, not a Lawn Tractor battery, so I exchanged it for a proper unit.
Gapped and put in new plugs.
Jacked it up and put the rear under Jackstands in case she decided to go all Charles Manson on me when started.
Put in some fresh fuel, cranked for about 10 sec, and she fired up.
Drove it around a bit. Man, this thing will haul ass if you want it to
Checked all the hydraulics. Power steering good, power lift good, Hydro good.
Only thing I've noticed is a bit of whine from the Hydro and when turning the wheels, though there don't appear to be any problems. It's been some time since I've driven a Hydro tractor (30 years ago - A Ford) so I don't know if this is normal or not. She feels strong though.
PTO is good. Spun her up for about 20 sec. Don't want to go further until I get to greasing everything up on the deck.
Deck is a GT 48" 3 blade. I think I've read this is a really good deck.
Problems
No way I was going to take a tractor out of a 6 year layup without some issues. The area I feared the most is indeed the area giving me trouble.
The fuel system.
She won't run under 1/2 throttle. She runs decent at full throttle, but backfires every now and then and at time surges.
If I pull the choke out about 1/4 full speed smooths out a bit.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but this indicates to me that she is running lean, and isn't pulling in enough fuel. I suspect:
1. Varnish in the Carb.
2. Clogged Fuel Filter.
3. Varnish in the fuel pump?
I'm going to order a replacement fuel filter and try that next weekend.
The left side panels, where the round 'snap-ins' are on the front, has one that has 1/2 of the snap-in broken. I believe this was done by it being hit by something (or one of my nephews) while it was in storage. It really doesn't appear to be a big problem, but I'm sure someone else has gone through this so if you have a clever idea on how to fix this I'd like to hear it.
Questions
1. I do not know if the Hydro fluid has ever been changed. Based on 134 hours should I go ahead and change the Hydro fluid and the filter, or should I just change the filter and top off.
2. I would like to buy a full set of manuals for the Engine (Kohler Command 18HP V-Twin) and the Tractor itself. I didn't see one listed for this tractor at BinderManuals.com. What is a good place to obtain these? I prefer NOT to use eBay.
3. I want to pull the mower deck so I can service it completely, maybe even change the belts. I've got the manual, and even though I'm quite mechanically inclined, the R&R procedure has me a bit confused as to what to disconnect. Maybe if I sit down by the tractor with the manual I'll uderstand better. The manual is really pretty poor when it comes to pictures.
4. I'd like to install a Mulcher kit. I know they were available back then, would they still be available? What's would be a good place to get one from?
5. Can standard car wax be used on the plastic hood and panels?
6. Engine Oil - Kohler calls for straight 30wt when it's above 32deg, and 10w30 when it's below 32deg. However the tractor manual calls for 10w30/40 above 32deg, and 5w30 below 32deg. All of my other equipment, which is new within the last 3 years, and have B&S engines (6300 watt Generator, 6HP Snowblower, 7HP Push Mower) has similar recommendations, but all of these also state that 5w30 SYNTHETIC can be used year-round. That's what I use in that equipment. I know engine tech has changed in the last 10 years, so I'm not sure the Kohler can also live with 5w30 Synthetic year round, and since it's not specifically listed I want to be careful. What do you guys recommend?
7. Do you guys have a favorite online place for filters, Hydro fluid, and other Cub specific items?
Thanks folks.
So far so good!
-Larry
I got the tractor, COMPLETE set of manuals as delivered in 1995 (Tractor, GT-48 Mower Deck, brochures, you name it. Even the original sales receipt. The tractor was $5200 with the front bumper option.
Also got a leaf sweeper. Since it was stored outside it is in much rougher shape than the tractor, but the bag is good, and it looks intact and operational. There's a lot of rust on the bag frame. I'll probably restore this as a side job as I have time.
Also got a spare front wheel. I have no idea why he would have purchased one front spare wheel
What's on the tractor is fine.Condition
Condition is very, very good. There are NO dents, NO rust, NO scrapes and no paint wear, anywhere. Just a lot of dust where it's been sitting in the garage for 6 years.
There are are a couple of black mars on the side panels. I think that's from it being hit with the butt end of que sticks (it was parked next to the Pool Table). Should be able to wax those out.
She has 134 hours on her.
Bringing it to life
Oil actually looked good so I left it alone. My Brother in Law was pretty good about maintaining things so I wasn't too worried about it.
Changed the filter and pre-filter.
Changed the plugs.
There was about a gallon of, well, something in the gas tank. Nasty stuff. Pulled the LR tire off and disconnected the fuel line, and flushed about 1/2 gallon of clean gas through it.
The fuel-shutoff's had been closed off when it was stored, which is a good thing.
Tank is plastic so there is no rust.
Replaced the battery. I knew it would need one so I picked one up at sears yesterday. Wrong one. This thing uses a real car battery, not a Lawn Tractor battery, so I exchanged it for a proper unit.
Gapped and put in new plugs.
Jacked it up and put the rear under Jackstands in case she decided to go all Charles Manson on me when started.
Put in some fresh fuel, cranked for about 10 sec, and she fired up.
Drove it around a bit. Man, this thing will haul ass if you want it to
Checked all the hydraulics. Power steering good, power lift good, Hydro good.
Only thing I've noticed is a bit of whine from the Hydro and when turning the wheels, though there don't appear to be any problems. It's been some time since I've driven a Hydro tractor (30 years ago - A Ford) so I don't know if this is normal or not. She feels strong though.
PTO is good. Spun her up for about 20 sec. Don't want to go further until I get to greasing everything up on the deck.
Deck is a GT 48" 3 blade. I think I've read this is a really good deck.
Problems
No way I was going to take a tractor out of a 6 year layup without some issues. The area I feared the most is indeed the area giving me trouble.
The fuel system.
She won't run under 1/2 throttle. She runs decent at full throttle, but backfires every now and then and at time surges.
If I pull the choke out about 1/4 full speed smooths out a bit.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but this indicates to me that she is running lean, and isn't pulling in enough fuel. I suspect:
1. Varnish in the Carb.
2. Clogged Fuel Filter.
3. Varnish in the fuel pump?
I'm going to order a replacement fuel filter and try that next weekend.
The left side panels, where the round 'snap-ins' are on the front, has one that has 1/2 of the snap-in broken. I believe this was done by it being hit by something (or one of my nephews) while it was in storage. It really doesn't appear to be a big problem, but I'm sure someone else has gone through this so if you have a clever idea on how to fix this I'd like to hear it.
Questions
1. I do not know if the Hydro fluid has ever been changed. Based on 134 hours should I go ahead and change the Hydro fluid and the filter, or should I just change the filter and top off.
2. I would like to buy a full set of manuals for the Engine (Kohler Command 18HP V-Twin) and the Tractor itself. I didn't see one listed for this tractor at BinderManuals.com. What is a good place to obtain these? I prefer NOT to use eBay.
3. I want to pull the mower deck so I can service it completely, maybe even change the belts. I've got the manual, and even though I'm quite mechanically inclined, the R&R procedure has me a bit confused as to what to disconnect. Maybe if I sit down by the tractor with the manual I'll uderstand better. The manual is really pretty poor when it comes to pictures.
4. I'd like to install a Mulcher kit. I know they were available back then, would they still be available? What's would be a good place to get one from?
5. Can standard car wax be used on the plastic hood and panels?
6. Engine Oil - Kohler calls for straight 30wt when it's above 32deg, and 10w30 when it's below 32deg. However the tractor manual calls for 10w30/40 above 32deg, and 5w30 below 32deg. All of my other equipment, which is new within the last 3 years, and have B&S engines (6300 watt Generator, 6HP Snowblower, 7HP Push Mower) has similar recommendations, but all of these also state that 5w30 SYNTHETIC can be used year-round. That's what I use in that equipment. I know engine tech has changed in the last 10 years, so I'm not sure the Kohler can also live with 5w30 Synthetic year round, and since it's not specifically listed I want to be careful. What do you guys recommend?
7. Do you guys have a favorite online place for filters, Hydro fluid, and other Cub specific items?
Thanks folks.
So far so good!
-Larry
8)