'55 Cub "Refurbishing"

[Dale Finch]

I have this '55 cub that is my current project here at my house during our isolation. Thank goodness for this diversion! With little opportunity to do my much-loved travel around the world, I even have available funds to invest in parts, etc!!

Here it is the day I bought it (in the rain):

Purchase day, 8/21/20

In with the "new" '55, to the farm with the "tuned up" '51

Both finals leaking like a sieve...due to overfilled transmission. Just a BIT of water, eh?!

Carb threads messed up with the incorrect fitting.

Cleaned up threads, quite fortunate the wrong fitting had only been inserted a short distance

Edelmann fitting...will "temporarily" use a rubber fuel line, since I will likely be removing carb during future work

This will probably be a long process getting this tractor back to the farm, but, hey! With nothing else to do these days, I'm in no hurry to finish this project!! Hope you have the patience to follow this post!

[Dale Finch]

Draining very black oil from oil pan...NOTHING came out the filter housing drain tube!

Completely plugged tube, and housing quite gummed up (looking up into drain tube)

Aftermarket oil pressure gauge...reading 20psi after removal!

Spare oil p gauge that will hopefully work OK

Using impact driver to remove dogleg screws...still broke 1, but it could have been worse. Thanks to whoever recently posted the suggestion for this!

Found seeping from a poorly repaired radiator tank...ordered new Clancy from TM Tractor Parts 11/12/20

[Dale Finch]

Procrastinating heading out to the garage to continue work on the '55, so will continue boring you with photos!

Generator had broken mounts, and unknown function. Took it to be rebuilt, along with the disconnected v-regulator...fortunately we DO have a good nearby shop!

Removing fan assemble: only using the rear wrench to keep the nut from turning. It's the FORWARD 13/16" wrench that you turn to loosen the shaft. (forward wrench was ground down thinner to fit)

Drained radiator in preparation to remove...nasty! Will plan to flush block!

Disconnecting throttle rod...governor spring lever had been frozen, and loosened some, but needed to free it completely

Carefully freeing frozen wing nut on hydraulic quadrant stop...easy to break it off

Was lucky to remove the 4 fan shroud screws without breaking them off

Of course, this DIS-assembly process is the easy part!! The cleaning, repairing, replacing, etc., part is still ahead!!
Hoping new radiator and miscellaneous stuff from TM Tractors arrives soon, but I still have more removal to do, in order to properly clean the entire tractor and flush the block out. Getting there, though!

[lowgearfarm]

Dale, great photos, as is your custom. Your broken dog leg screw reminded me that I have two broken ones that need to be fixed. I know that there has been chatter about this challenge in previous posts, but I forget the best solution for extracting broken dog leg screws. Is the solution hand drilling with a left hand bit? I think the screws are 10-32. Do you know what size drill bit to use? Thanks.

[Dale Finch]

One good/bad thing about having all this time alone, is you start looking at things to spend money on!! The 2nd aftermarket replacement battery for my Craftsmen 1/2" Impact Wrench died. The first one quit shortly after I bought it! So instead of getting 2 more crappy batteries, I bought both a 1/2" and a 3/8" 20v impact wrench! So far I REALLY like them...they are relatively small, which is good for my wimpy hands AND small spaces. Hopefully their batteries will be better than the fake 19.2v Die Hard ones.

Decided to use the 3/8" impact wrench to remove the radiator, in the hopes of NOT breaking off any bolts. I lucked out, and got all of them out, and removed the radiator. I plan to save it for a hoped-for future cubfest repair demo (Right Ron?!!).

Removed the crankcase breather tube, then the air cleaner

Oil cup oil level was low, and dirty. Screen had a fair amount of debris

There is a slight amount of movement in the gov rockshaft key, so have a new woodruff key coming

In order to do a good engine block flush, removed the water inlet

Have a new 1/0 battery cable I made up, so need remove old one, starting with panel removal

Removed the toggle switch (?), whose wires were cut. there are currently no wires attached to the light switch, so some work to do there

Time for a second cup of coffee and some breakfast!!

[Dale Finch]

OK! Ready to suffer some more "scrapbook photos"?!!

Although this battery cable, at first glimpse, looks pretty good...looks are deceiving! When someone says they are having electrical problems, one of the first things folks recommend is check for good, clean connections, and make sure the size of the battery cable (especially for 6v systems) is correct.

Nice cable end at starter...

...but under that clamp-type battery end!! I am replacing with Fusion pre-soldered terminals

And in between...out of sight under the platform! You need to check EVERYWHERE!! Being replaced with 1/0 welding cable

Figured while parts were out of the way, might as well adjust the valves. A lot of buildup in there! Time for some Seafoam!!

They were all tight...adjusted to .015"

A little cleaner after spraying down with PB Blaster.

NOTE: I haven't refilled the engine oil, and will be removing the oil pan to clean it out, so am not worried about the gunk and PB Blaster getting in there.

[Dale Finch]

General cleaning of all the parts being removed

After a recent post recommending a Gearwrench Pully Puller, I ordered one. It was SO nice not having the 3 arms flopping around, then being able to use an impact driver rather than a wrench, which kept sideways force at a minimum. Don't remember now who made that post, but THANKS!

Removing steering wheel

Housing was overfilled...no wonder the steering shaft seal was leaking. As soon as I pulled the UPPER seal retainer bolt, fluid started leaking out the bolt hole. Then when the drain plug was removed, quite a bit of water came out before any oil, which meant the gears were sitting in water, with the oil floating on top!

YUCK!

Total water in the steering gear housing

Old steering shaft seal and retainer. New seal on its way!

Old IH hood emblem (right) being replaced with "better" used emblem. PO went to more trouble drilling a center hole in the emblem and hood, then installing it with a small nut and bolt, than getting the correct fitting to attach the emblem, since both pins were still there! I do have a new emblem, but it wouldn't match the patina of the tractor!!

https://www.zoro.com/tinnerman-speed-nut-flat-scrsz14-20-l-750-po-efsn-c07000-1420-4b/i/G9080587/

OK...I have spent too much time here, and cannot procrastinate any longer! I'm up to date on my progress on this little beast (haven't named him/her yet), so must get to work!

[Donegal Cub]

Following your refurbishment with great interest Dale, the pics are great

[Clemsonfor]

Love the pictures and write up!

[Rob in NH]

Nice job Dale

[Clubless]

Hey Dale,
Always enjoy following your threads with your great photos and write-ups. That hip replacement must have gone really well!

Clubless

[Glen]

Hi,
Interesting post Dale.

If you are going to flush the block with water by the starter, I don't know if you are taking the starter off or leaving it on.
If you leave it on, you could cover it with a large plastic bag, to keep it dry. Maybe put a large bag on over it, and tie it with string at the rear of the starter. It would work better to remove the battery cable from it, so the bag would fit fully on.
Maybe you already do that.

[Stanton]

As usual, great write-up with pics, Dale. That first series of pics I thought, "Why would she have a pan of cornbread batter under her Cub?!"

I may have missed it, but was this a non-running tractor to begin with? I'm assuming so. Well, keep going; we're enjoying it!

[Dale Finch]

Stanton, it WAS running, but "stiffly"!! Meaning throttle stuck then stiff, brakes so-so, steering pulling to one side, wiring disconnected all over, NASTY fluids, RTV gaskets everywhere, etc.

Glen, I plan to remove the starter, since it will give me access to the clutch housing to clean out. The battery cable has already been removed for replacement & I will also remove the distributor... haven't looked inside it yet, but basic "checkup" is scheduled. Should be fairly easy to plug the base unit drive hole.

Clubless, the hip has been doing VERY well, though last night trying to sleep, it was a bit achy.

I'm HOPING to talk my friend, who enjoys mowing with the Cubs, into going out to the farm to do a final mowing of the pastures before winter. That Cub in my first post on this thread has a nice Woods 59 that does a very nice job. This final mowing sure has made the spring grass pretty, since it doesn't have to grow up through a thick thatch.

I was hoping to do some myself with a second cub, but it's probably not a good idea...too much jolting on those new hip joints...sigh! May have to bribe my baby sister (67 years old!!) to go out, too. She can always use some extra $$. HER "bad habit" is kayaks! She now has 5 (same # as my Cubs), and she enjoys camping/kayaking with her 2018 T@b teardrop trailer.

So today I plan to finish the strip down so I can get the chassis cleaned up before it gets any colder (almost freezing tonight ). The new radiator should be here soon, along with other small parts. Yesterday I spent some time making gaskets: valve & transmission covers, steering shaft seal retainer, water inlet. Because of how much material it takes and all the holes, I am using previously purchased final and engine oil pan gaskets...better use of my time!!

Basically, it's one of those "while the hood is off" projects!! Hey, what else is there to do?!
Stay safe, everyone! Let's stop the spread!

[Tezell]

Thanks for posting Dale. Looking forward to more pictures.
Good job!!