Winter projects = Mini Fest!?

[Dale Finch]

Started this evening with the basics:
After warming the engine up, drained the engine oil and filter housing. Decided to use a filter to capture any foreign material, to check the condition of the engine. It came out pretty clean.



Then drained the radiator...it also was fairly clean:


Drained the small amount of fuel in the tank:


Removed the fill plug THEN removed the drain plug in the Touch Control block to drain the HyTran fluid. It was a bit low, but had been working fine. Using another filter, the drained fluid was also pretty clean...it should be since it was just rebuilt last year!! The small amount of dirt that was in the filter probably came from the outside on the clutch housing.


NOTE: Sorry about the sideways photos :? I will endeavor to take the future photos horizontally!!

 

[Dale Finch]

The Zenith carb had been leaking slightly, from around the drain plug. When it was removed, the gasket was broken and the mating surface was rough. I will get a new gasket, and file the face smooth.



Removed the Zenith carb, and noticed the fairly new carb/manifiold gasket had signs of rubbing against the Throttle Plate. Looks like it was a gasket for the IH carb, with a smaller throttle plate:

 

[Dale Finch]

I want to explain to all you very experienced cub owners that this post is intended for anyone who has NEVER had the nerve to remove the hood/tank, and all that entails ("while the hood is off"!!), and certainly has not tried splitting the cub for clutch or rear seal work. My apologies, in advance, for stating things that appear intuitively obvious, but they are only obvious because we have done them before! As I have mentioned in the past, I bought a repair manual for my 1964 VW Microbus engine, the was the "STEP BY STEP APPROACH FOR THE COMPLETE IDIOT". It was just that...it did not say "remove the engine". It said EXACTLY what tools you needed, how to plug the fuel line so the gas didn't run down your armpit, and how to find, by touch, the exact bolts to remove to drop the engine. So this post is along the lines of "explain EVERY step"...you have the option to skip whatever is obvious to you. Some of us did not grow up twisting wrenches and have learned by reading and, more importantly, watching (Cubfests!). So, I continue...

Last night's work toward the split:

Disconnected the battery GROUND cable.

If you look at where the split will take place, just behind the engine in this case, you can see all the items that cross that plane, and would need to be disconnected or removed. On the carb side: hydraulic manifold, choke rod, fuel line, exhaust pipe, and the 3 bolts on that side. On the starter side: throttle (gov) rod, starter rod, steering shaft, wiring, and the 3 bolts on this side.



Removed the clutch housing cover - allows the flywheel to clear (hard to separate otherwise!! :lol
Disconnected the choke, throttle and starter rods
Unhooked the wiring harness from the clips under the right side of the tank (embarrassing when you are trying to lift the tank off and it just doesn't budge! BTDT! )
Disconnected the wires to the headlights and fed back through grommet. (on my other tractors I installed quick disconnects, since the connector was too large to go through the grommet)

Removed the grill and 2 doglegs (be VERY careful if these have not been removed recently. Spray with penetrating oil, and make itty bitty turns back and forth. Otherwise, you will be drilling and tapping the broken off screws. :shock: They are quite small)
Removed the 4 truss screws at the rear of the tank attaching it to the panel.
Removed the 2 bolts at the front holding the tank to the radiator channels.
Removed the air cleaner and radiator caps. (If you have the vertical exhaust, remove the muffler)
Since I had already removed the carburetor, the fuel line was already loose.
Lifted off the tank, and set it on sawhorses to protect the sediment bowl.
Reinstalled the air cleaner and radiator caps.

Examined the entire area very carefully for any leaks, bare wires, etc. I found the holes in the alternator were packed with grass.

On a previous job on a different cub, I found some antifreeze around the base of a plug...it was from a leaking upper water outlet gasket.

Since I have the underslung exhaust, I removed the manifold-to-exhaust pipe clamp, then only loosened the muffler bracket and moved the exhaust pipe to give access to the 3 TC block-to-hydraulic manifold screws.
Removed the air cleaner hose (pipe for the IH carb) to give access to the 2 hydraulic pump-to-manifold screws. (I will be cleaning the entire air cleaner assembly later)
Removed the hydraulic manifold by removing the 3 bolts at the TC block and the 2 bolts at the hyd pump. (Watch out! Have pans under each end...it will still have fluid in it, and it does make a mess!! BTDT, too! ) Plug the 2 holes each at the pump and TC block! Keep it clean.

Removed hitch pins for throttle/gov rod (left in place)
Disconnected the wires to coil, alternator, starter, and pulled back toward the instrument panel. (Your wiring may vary. Make sure you document where each wire came from...I photograph them. Just clear any wires that cross the split)
Removed bolt holding the steering support bracket.

I AM READY TO SPLIT IT! But tomorrow...time now for dinner and :beer: !!

 

[RonT]

Great tutorial Dale! Your documented attention to detail is very much appreciated.
Note to readers who may be following along on their CUB and are tempted to take the next step:
THE FRONT AXLE MUST BE WEDGED BEFORE SPLITTING!!!

Ron

 

[rockfarmer]

Dale,

Are those stickers on the oil filter housing and distributor cap date stamps with service dates? If so, "brilliant"...no need to look for service manuals, notebooks or rely on the the ol memory bank. I will be doing the same moving forward. Thank you for sharing the pictures.

Looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

[Dale Finch]

Yes! Good eyes! And I was so happy to have done it. Even with TRYING to keep a maintenance log, with multiple tractors and my pea-brain, I have a hard time keeping track of when fluids, etc, were serviced. As we all know, time flies, and it's amazing how often you think you just changed the oil last season, and find out after checking your records it was 2 years ago!!

They are the labels with the BROTHER label makers. The labelers are cheap, though the tapes are not. The last one I bought was even battery powered, so I can keep it where the tractors are. They seem to be oil resistant and I KNOW they are water resistant, because I put them on my Tervis glasses and they have been through the dishwasher (with heated drying) for several years!





As you can see, they have been on this tractor 1-4 years. Sheesh! Thought that transmission fluid had been changed more recently!!

 

[UK-Cub]

Excellent post.

 

[coppersmythe]

great job dale ! your attention to detail reminds me of the meticulousness of people in dangerous jobs , pilots :wink: , blue water sailboaters , cavedivers ,ect...i'll be keeping up with your journey . coppersmythe.............................PS: one of the most entertaining repair manuals , my daughter (high school) and i rebuilt a 74 bug engine with that very same book , the idiots guide to the VW . the bug had the semi-automatic transmission , no clutch :!: she drove it until leaving for college , then my son drove it for a couple years till the transmission blew . the ONLY transmission we found was a "maybe" replacement in mississippi that was supposed to be near the rear of a "full" schoolbus used for storage ( hippies ) . sold the tired bug to a local . i've heard that almost everyone over 50 has a bug story :lol: .

 

[Dale Finch]

I learned so much about how to approach a task from that book. Of course, I definitely am a tad OCD, so generally have things lined up before I start a project.

Speaking of OCD, I take many photos when I am working on my cubs, and now entirely with my phone. My hands are usually messy, and I got tired of having to completely clean my hands before picking up the phone. So yesterday I wrapped it in plastic wrap (from COSTCO) and then carefully cut a hole where the camera lens is. Worked perfectly!! At the end of the day, I simply removed and tossed it. Clean phone and good photos!! You simply need to smooth it over the screen to have a good view, and it is thin enough that the touch screen works fine!

Too busy today to do the split. Hopefully tomorrow, before the snow hits. Want to get my Expedition back into the garage but need the space first to maneuver the engine hoist.

 

[Dale Finch]

Well, I did get the Expedition into the garage, but did not get the split done first. There isn't enough room to do the split with the car inside...at least I don't want to take the chance of bumping into my car. So, until the snow melts a bit, I switched to all the little tasks I was going to do anyway...

I had already removed the engine oil pan, so cleaned it up, applied a thin coating of Indian Head Varnish, and stuck a new gasket to it. Reusing fairly new bolts with new lockwashers, I installed the pan, snugging it up only a little over finger tight to seat the gasket. I did NOT install the 3 rear bolts that go into the base of the rear seal retainer, since it will be replaced. I wanted to have the pan all set so that I could tighten up all bolts, including those 3 rear bolts, BEFORE I put the front and rear halves back together. If you haven't tried to tighten them with the tractor together, let me say you will use some choice words!!

Removed the Valve Cover and cleaned the mating surfaces. I had recently adjusted the valves, so the gasket was in good shape, so I plan to reuse it.
Note: I like to "glue" the gasket to the cover with Indian Head Varnish, so it will stay in place during installation. I don't put anything on the engine side of the gasket.


This Valve Adjustment HOW TO by Gary Boutwell is about the simplest description: http://farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=141&t=46322
For more detail, the Service Manual: GSS 1411, Section 1-15 http://farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www....oy Tractors/Section 1 - Engine/Page-01-15.jpg

I don't remember who, but someone on this forum mentioned using a cork to determine TDC for #1 cylinder. I LOVE IT, since my thumb isn't large enough to adequately plug the spark plug hole! Simply stick a cork into the #1 spark plug hole, and rotate the engine (easiest with a handcrank) until the cork goes POP!! Then align the pointer with the first notch. I have learned to put a rag over the cork, after chasing that little guy all over the garage!

Cleaned the oil dipstick mesh with kerosene, then dried with compressed air. Will reoil it before installation.

Flushed radiator with hot water until clear. Installed the recently replaced drain plug, using anti-sieze.

Removed the block/air cleaner vent tube and flushed with carb cleaner...it was clear. Removed the air cleaner oil cup to give access to the mounting bolts. Cleaned out a small amount of sludge. Removed the air cleaner and flushed with kerosene, then dried with compressed air.
http://farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www....oy Tractors Operators Manual 2-75/Page-24.jpg

http://farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www....oy Tractors Operators Manual 2-75/Page-25.jpg

Also cleaned the entire front engine area, inspecting for any problems.

Using the procedure in the owner's manual, serviced the fan oil.
http://farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www....oy Tractors Operators Manual 2-75/Page-70.jpg

 

[outdoors4evr]

That is the cleanest valve train I have seen! Nice Photo's and description of the work performed!

 

[Dale Finch]

I am moving so slowly on this, that it takes me a while to pick up where I left off. It's still cold this morning, so I thought I would catch up on the current status, before I head out to the garage.

Pulled the spark plugs and checked the condition and gaps...all were fairly new & looked pretty good so reinstalled them with small amount of anti-seize:

Decided to check and repack the front wheel bearings, using a strap around the front axle and an engine hoist:

Removed the hubcap, cotter pin, nut and washer, which allowed the outer bearing to be removed:


Cleaned everything with clean kerosene, then blew the parts dry. Per the Service Manual, since the inner bearing was good, I did not remove it...simply brushed it clean with Kerosene and dried it. Then repacked (by hand) both bearings, ensuring grease was pushed out all rollers...note pushing grease from outside until it exits the inside. Then pressed grease into all the rollers themselves.


Installed the well-greased hub, then the well-greased outer bearing, washer, and nut. Tightened the nut per the manual, then inserted a new cotter key. Make sure you bend the ends so they can NOT touch the hub cap.
Put on the hub cap, installed the tire/rim with wire-brushed tapered wheel bolts, and did the other side.

 

[Dale Finch]

After finishing the front wheel bearings, I changed the strap to the bolster, so I could pick up the front of the tractor and rock the front axle. This allowed me to push grease into the front pivot pin more evenly. It also helped greasing the spindles, and I was able to rotate the steering from stop to stop, ensuring even greasing there. I did push out some water from the bottom of the left spindle.


Continued greasing zerk fittings, per the Owner's Manual:
http://farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www....oy Tractors Operators Manual 2-75/Page-66.jpg

Note: I also oiled the pedal shafts for brakes and clutch, as well as the seat post, which is easily forgotten. That hole is really hard to find!


Before I could service the final oil pan gear oil, I first needed to remove the drawbar. The attachment brackets are designed for one man (or WOMAN!) on and off. This drawbar had not been removed since rebuild a few years ago, and I quickly realized I needed to adjust the clamping bars so the brackets would unhook without removing the implement bolts completely, rather than just loosening them.

If you look closely at the above photo, you will see that the forward (left) bolt unhooked by swinging the drawbar up, and the rear one SHOULD have unhooked when the drawbar was then lifted. It did not because there was not enough room for the bolt to get out of the slot. By loosening the rear bolt (far right) holding the clamping plate on, I was able to make more room. the drawbar was easily removed then, allowing access to the fill holes in the finals.

Instead of simply topping off the gear oil, I decided to check everything out by removing the oil pan, cleaning it and replacing it with a new gasket.
It's a messy job, so have a drip pan, cardboard and rags handy!!

Cleaned the mating surfaces of the pan and housing, then reinstalled the pan with a new gasket using Indian Head Varnish on the pan side.


Wire brushed the bolts, which were in good shape, and snugged everything down with new lockwashers. Still need to refill the pans, but will do that after I finish the 2nd final.

 

[Stanton]

You’re doing a great job documenting your progress, Dale.

Thanks for taking the time to do it.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

[Dale Finch]

12/14/18 Installed the left final oil pan with a new gasket (paper, not cork...hadn't used this type before). Applied Indian Head Varnish to the pan side, and used new lockwashers:


When I did the right Final Oil Pan removal and cleaning, I found some fine metal pieces. Not sure where they came from...possibly one of the thin shims between the bull gear and the bearing?? Decided to only clean it out, and reassemble without further investigation, since I will be pulling the wheels to put on new tires soon, and can disassemble the final at that time.

Removed the drain plug from the front/bottom of the transmission, to let it drain while I continued lubricating per Owner's Manual. Did not seem to have much moisture...not the often seen chocolate milkshake! Since I did not plan to remove the PTO, I used a small magnetic tool to poke up the drain hole to check for metal particles...none found.

Completed the greasing of Tie Rod Ends, Steering Arm, 2 Rockshaft zerks,and PTO

Removed the fill plug for the Steering Geer Housing. The fluid appeared to be at the "Full" level plug, and was not milky. Removed the bottom drain plug, and drained all fluid. Meanwhile I cleaned the fill plug vent holes with a piece of monofilament, then sprayed it clear with carb cleaner.

 

[Dale Finch]

12/23/18 In the steering gear housing, removed the ("Full") level plug (middle plug), and replaced the drain plug (bottom plug). Refilled with gear oil (NAPA 80/90) until it started coming out the level plug hole, then installed the level and fill plugs.

Installed the drain plug in the bottom of the transmission, and removed the level plug (on the lower left side of the transmission near the fender) and refilled with NAPA 80/90 gear oil until it started coming out the level hole (~3 1/2 pints).

NOTE: If you overfill the transmission, you will likely have oil leaking past the differential seals, and into the brake areas, then dripping out the bottom weep holes just inside the finals. This is a common problem with either overfilling or water getting into the transmission from rain, washing or condensation.

While I had the Fill Plug out of the top of the transmission, I checked the condition of the PTO shift lever and pin. It is difficult to see, but it looked like there was SOME wear on the pin, which will eventually allow the clutch to move rearwards, resulting in grinding and disengaging of the PTO. I decided to leave it alone for now, but will probably need to replace the lever later. This is the part from TM Tractors, a forum sponsor:
http://www.tmtractor.com/new/pt/317fp.htm

Using a long funnel, refilled the 2 finals with NAPA 80/90 gear oil until it started coming out of the fill plug holes.

 

[RonT]

Nice work detail - lots of good information contained within.

 

[Dale Finch]

12/27/18 I received my "NEW" Rear Seal/Retainer from Tim Talleur (tst forum name), who machines the old retainer for a seal that is tight, as it should be. It will be the third, and hopefully last, of my three cubs to have his seal installed! Thanks, Tim!!

For the split, I chocked the rear wheels, put transmission in gear, and wedged the front axle. This wedging is not to avoid the possibility of rollover, as it would be for a rear wheel or final removal, but it does maintain the orientation of the engine with regard to the clutch housing. This will be important later when reattaching the 2 halves.

I had already attached a jackstand, which will support the rear half, while allowing it to be moved:

Removed the starter, to allow access to the flywheel later on. Also, it made strapping the engine to the hoist more efficient.

Disconnected the steering shaft bracket from the support, then removed the 6 bolts holding the clutch housing to the engine. Sprayed the 2 dowel pins with PB Blaster. They can be a bear if it has been a while since being split. Fortunately this tractor had been apart recently. The 2 halves separateled fairly easily (sorry about the photo orientation!):

Note: I had already removed the clutch housing cover. If this is not removed, the flywheel will hit it.

As you are pushing the 2 halves apart, don't forget the steering wheel! It will hang up on the support. I was just too lazy to remove it, since that can be a project all by itself!!

Now I could check the rear half for any problems. No evidence of leaking from the front of the transmission, and the clutch rod mechanism looked in good condition. The Throwout Bearing (TOB) was in good shape, as was the hanger.

 

[Dale Finch]

The clutch fingers were checked, and miraculously were all exactly 1 1/4"!! They were in good condition, as were all the springs.
The manual says to mark the orientation of the clutch to the flywheel. I actually have failed to do this in the past, and do not think it made a difference, but...! Hence the white paint.

Note where the base of the rule is sitting. It is quite difficult to see this area when attempting to adjust through the clutch housing hand hole, but not impossible.

Note the 1 1/4" height:

The flywheel teeth showed SOME wear, but were OK. The ring CAN be removed and turned around, but I am not doing this.
I removed the 6 bolts holding the clutch assembly to the flywheel, and examined it. All looked OK, including splines:

Pilot bushing was good, and still showed it had been greased.

Removed the flywheel, to give access, finally, to the rear crankshaft seal retainer, which had obvious evidence of engine oil leaking:

 

[Dale Finch]

The rear seal, once removed, showed it had already been reworked, but NOT by Tim (tst). It appeared to have been leaking around the outside of the seal. All 3 bolt holes for the oil pan had been helicoiled, also.

I polished the crankshaft area where the new seal would ride, cleaned everything up, and put Indian Head Varnish on the new oil pan gasket. Greased the crankshaft and seal, then carefully installed Tim's new seal/retainer with a new gasket "stuck" to the retainer with Indian Head varnish.


I just started the bolts (with new lockwashers) holding the retainer, before starting the 3 oil pan bolts, THEN tightened them all down. I was able to EASILY secure those back 3 oil pan bolts with new lockwashers, a job that is truly a PITA once "unsplit" through the clutch housing access!! Then it requires a universal 1/4" drive 1/2" socket, and is still hard to get tight. Also, since they are going into the retainer, rather than the engine block, the metal is softer and the holes CAN be stripped! Be careful!

I greased the pilot bushing, and the drive shaft spline end. As has been mentioned on the forum previously, if the bushing has been replaced (which I did not), you may have to ream out the bushing for proper fit. If it is too tight, the drive shaft may not stop spinning when the clutch is depressed, causing transmission gears to grind.

While separated, I pumped fresh (CHEAP) grease through the TOB, since it was easy to see when clean grease came out the small hole on top.

I reinstalled the flywheel and torqued the bolts to 45ftlbs (manual says 45-50), while holding the flywheel from spinning with a large screwdriver through the starter hole (helps that a friend came over for this last part!):

Installed the clutch assembly onto the flywheel, using a Clutch Pilot Tool from TM Tractors (a forum sponsor). http://www.tmtractor.com/new/cl/7932fp.htm
Torqued the bolts to 20ftlbs, per the manual.

To make rejoining of the two halves easier, I copied a trick from the DSCF a few years ago. Not sure who to credit with this idea, but THANK YOU to ALL the "guys" who share their knowledge at these events. If this is new to you, I am simply passing the idea along!
Cut the heads off two 7/16-14x3" bolts, then cut a slot in the top, allowing them to be turned with a screwdriver. Insert them into the two top holes for the clutch housing-to-engine bolts. They will act as pilots when remating the 2 halves:

With the help of a friend, we pushed the 2 halves back together. Don't forget the steering wheel needing to clear the support. At one point we thought something was binding, then looked up and saw it was the steering wheel hitting the support!!

The pilot bolts helped tremendously, but at some point, I needed to line up one, then drive one of the wedges in a tad, to rotate the front half, in order to get the two pilot bolts to line up. Since the clutch had been centered during installation, the drive shaft went in quite easily. I put the tractor in neutral, engaged the PTO, and was able to mesh the splines. I then used a couple 3 1/2" bolts in the other mating holes, added nuts, and gently drew the 2 halves together. Replaced the 2 pilot bolts with the correct NEW 7/16-14x2" bolts with new lockwashers and torqued to 35ftlbs, swapped the 3 1/2" bolts with the four NEW 7/16-14x3" bolts, nuts and new lockwashers (manual calls for 7/16-14x2 3/4", but they are unavailable) and torqued to 55ftlbs.

Another note: all the hardware I replaced was with Grade 8, including the lockwashers. I have had bad experiences with wimpy hardware, even Grade 5!

SO! That's where I am as of today! Finally caught up. Now it's time for lunch, and we'll see if I get all the parts I removed back in the right places!

My apologies ahead of time for ANY typos, or jumbled up explainations...I am too tired to adequately proofread all this!!