Archive through August 12, 2013

[bwittman]

With a new page, I am going to start something new. No doubt, this has been discussed before, so please forgive me if I am out of line.

I bought my 1250 Nightmare from a collector in southern Minnesota. I can only guess from where the tractor originated. Did International track the serial numbers of the Cub Cadets as they were shipped to dealers? I would be curious to know where the tractor came from and who the originating dealer may have been.

If this information is available, how can it be accessed?

 

[hydroharry]

Brian - maybe Paul Bell can help with your question. That type of tracking might be something he came across in the Wisc State Archives. Or maybe he'll let you know how you might search them.

Jeremiah - sorry I never got any details for you. I took some pics but had a heck of a time resizing, and now I'm not sure if they will help.
I did take some measurements on my 169 muffler and wondered how it compared to yours. The curved inlet pipe (into the muffler) seems to have a 1 3/8" diameter (even tho my muffler clamp is stamped 1 1/4" which must be an inside dimension. The basic body has a diameter of 4 3/4" and length of 12 7/8" to the seam on the outlet side and if you include the rounded end the body is really 13 1/2' overall. This length does not include the exhaust outlet pipe which is another 4 3/4" and it also has 1 3/8' diameter. Please let me know if you're measurements are close to these.
On the heat shield, you will need the same shape for your 149 but the bolt holes will be different locations. I think the half moon hole for the spark plug should be in the same location but you'll have to check. Hope these additional pics may help. I had to shrink them so much they might be to small to see anything. I might try again next weekend.

 

[wshytle]

Lewis-

Yes, I used the complete set up from the 129.

How could the mule drive cause an uneven lift? It's not bent and has good offset pulleys required by the deck. I'm now thinking of changing everything and putting a 42" or a 48" on the 149.

I just found it strange that the exact same thing happens after the switch to another tractor. There's definitely something going on.

Today I plan to go through the spindles of the 149 I've been working on. The steering was too tight yesterday while mowing. I've already gone through the steering box.

 

[dfrisk]

BRIAN W. - I doubt we'll ever see the CC mfg plant's shipping records of what tractor went where. The records for the BIG tractors shipped from the FARMALL Plant have been "Lost", possibly on purpose, I suspect the same has happened to LVL's records. Yes, IH did keep records of tractor serial number and any attachments, special options, etc that shipped from the plant. How else would the dealer get billed? The way it actually worked, IH had the country broke up into regions, and the regions into Districts, and the tractors shipped to a Dealer, but the billing went thru the Region and then the District.

DALE M. - Installing a new lift lever hand grip. If your lock-out button is working O-K, I would NOT mess with it. It's a pain when it's broken, or missing. The lock-out buttom is "Barbed", just like a hose fitting only smaller, and you only get so many installs/removals before the new button won't stay in any longer.

I'd just pop your new hand grip in a pan of hot, not quite boiling water for a minute and it will soften up/stretch enough to slide right over the button. BT-DT... Might want to wear a glove while handling the hot grip. And have the tractor close to where ever you heat up the grip, it will cool quickly.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Harry, if you email the high resolution photos to me I can post larger versions so we can see more detail.

Wayne, is there any slop in the sub-frame (aka deck hanger)? As in, are pivot point holes wallowed out and the pins worn down? The deck sub-frames I have for use on my 125s were getting worn. So, a couple of years back I had the wear points welded up and re-drilled and/or reground also had some mods done to improve them. Art Aytay did the welding and some drilling and grinding for me. Thanks Art!

It made a big improvement on the how adjustable the deck was with regards to leveling. Also, are you sure both the 129 and the 149 don't have sheared or partially sheared pins in the rockshaft? Are both the lift arms on the rockshaft in the same plane or stated a different way, are they parallel to each other?

 

[pbell]

Brian, Harry,
I have not seen, or heard of, any document/records that list what S/N Cub Cadet shipped to what dealer. There may be such records in the Wisconsin Hisorical Society (WHS), but if so, as far as I know it has not been made public. As more and more of the WHS IH records get loaded on line something that contains that information may surface. They have thousand's of IH records and getting them uploaded is an on going and costly process. Maybe someday.........

 

[lpalma]

Wayne,
I have used the adjustible lift arm brackets from the later mule drives on the side that sags the lowest and it cures the problem for me.Like Kraig mentioned they do get worn out.

Paul, never thought about using the hot water method.

 

[hydroharry]

Brian and Paul - sorry I said Wisc State and I see Paul mentions it correctly as Wisc Hist Soc. Brian - here's a link so you can start searching if you like.
http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/ihc/id/4641/show/4545

Dennis - you probably already seen it but the link above is to the LVL production records, but as you noted, it doesn't show where they shipped.

Wayne - you know, you posted a good one. I had the same trouble a few times and always related it to a lift arm roll pin (which I refused to change a few times). I'd sure like to see us get to the bottom of this one and determine the cause and best correction. I tried everything from using adjustable lift links on both sides and/or spacers under the deck attaching brackets, and adjusting the deck front eye bolts. I could get the decks to level out at the stop position but upon full lift I believe the left side would be way up in the air and the right would drop down. Now, a few times I could remove everything and get under the tractor and pry on the lift arms and determine the roll pin on the left lift arm was broken, and just binding when lifting. I don't know what else it could really be.
Seems like you could try a different deck hanger assembly and see if that changes anything. Maybe it is just worn out holes.
Couple other things come to mind. As I recall Mr. Plow mentioned some time back that the 44 and 50 decks skins were prone to twisting/warping. He also mentioned some time that the pickle fork lift bracket on the deck hanger would wear and actually the factory production didn't come with enough bend in it. Maybe he'll pipe in again and give us some engineering details about the way this assembly works, and how it's supposed to lift evenly and level.

 

[dschwandt]

I had the same problem with my 50" deck I am using on the 1000. Turns out the hanger assly was sprung.

I laid the front edge, the end w/the flat plate, on the floor and on the other end one of the arms was about 2" off the floor while it's mate was touching the floor. I laid a short piece of 2x8 across the front and backed a tractor up on it to hold it down while putting a piece of 2x4 under the end that touched the floor and then stomped on the high end so it was in line with the low end. You may need to use 2 pcs of 2x4 at first.

Anyway. after a few rounds of that and checking the alignment on the tractor it shaped up pretty well and now I get cuts that make me want to go dig holes and break out the golf clubs, that is if I had any!!!

I also had a bad rockshaft pin on my 1450 w/hyd lift, The one on the right side. I dealt with that when I had the engine out for O/H last winter and it was still a major PITA even w/the extra room to work in w/everything removed. The pin came out in 3 pieces!

Gonna mount some ags and weights on it today and hope to plow w/her at Cedar Falls this weekend.

Dave S

 

[kmcconaughey]

Here are slightly larger versions of Hydro's photos for Jeremiah:

 

[dfrisk]

HARRY - Yes, I knew the production records by serial number by month were available, but that wasn't what Brian wanted to know. Totally different departments and people and operaing groups at the plants were responcible for what Brian wants to know and the serial number by month report.

As I said, the records for FARMALL are "Lost", and I suspect they're currently in the same place as the LVL & E.Moline records.

PAUL - I think there was an article in RPM years ago written by Guy Fay who worked for the WHS cataloging the IH archives. I forget the number, was something like FOUR 40,000# NET SEMI-TRUCK LOADS, maybe more, of paper, photos, etc to sort thru. My Wife's been to the WHS several times researching her geneology several years ago. Next time she goes I'm going along and spend time on the IH floor snooping around. Not sure who's closer, ME or Paul Roessler, maybe we're the same distance away, Him to the north-west, me to the south-east, both about twelve miles away. But I REALLY don't care for the Capitol area of Madison. WAY too congested, many many one-way roads/streets. Toll parking at $1.50/hr.

 

[bjamison]

IMHO - the lock-out button or float button ain't the best of designs. I noticed on my 126 that the button is gone...

I looked at the lift lever assemblies between my 126 and 122 and the parts list and I think I can swap the lift arm assy with the one on my 122 parts tractor. The 122 has a wire bale that holds the lift button down. I think that is a better design because, for whatever reason, when I lift the 109's lift lever - which has a functioning float button, I'm constantly hitting that #$%! button and floating the lift as I push down on the top button and pull back on the lever.

Sometimes when I look at the 122, I'm wondering if I should have kept it in pieces vs the 126. There is much to like about the 122, but that zig-zag grill on the 126 is just so purdy...

One of these days I might try an electric lift or an hydro lift. I've also given thought to parting out the 1650 and in doing so - swapping the hydro from it to the 109 to get me a hydro lift. So many options - so little time...

 

[jchamberlin]

Harry, Kraig: Thanks for posting the pics of the Noise Suppression heat baffle. I'll get the dimensions on my muffler tonight or tomorrow (I've got to get off to work right now). It seems that I'm going to need dimensions to manufacture my own heat baffle; the response to my "Wanted to Buy" advertisement has been underwhelming at best.

Edit: Brian, keep plugging away on the KT17, we're all rooting for you!

 

[wshytle]

Thanks guys for all of the input.

I did find one of the eye bolts not seated well and there is some slop so off it comes and let the welding/drilling begin. I'll get things tightened up and get back with the results. I like the idea of an adjustable lift link. It has two slotted links right now.

I went through both spindles this morning trying to ease up the steering and found I had already gone through them. They were both well greased and fine. Maybe I didn't go through the steering box but I could have sworn I did. I do have a QL steering column I might go through and install. That should make it somewhat easier to steer. I don't know how much different they are in length but I can shorten it if necessary.

 

[dfrisk]

BILL J. While I agree with you about how pretty the double zig-zag grill tractors are, you are ALL Wrong on the wire bail vs float lock buttom on the later CC's. You ever tried using that bail with gloves on?

I hate to think how many wire bails we went thru on the 70 in 48 yrs. I'd guess over a DOZEN. I see Charlie is sold out and MTD says NLA. Last I remember seeing them they were FIVE Dollars! And they were always expensive, over a Buck in the 1960's, and went from a Dollar & change to almost Three bucks in the 70's. I think Dad made the one on the 70 now out of spring wire, it's not like the OEM version with one hump higher than the other, both humps are the same size. I think that bail is part of the reason the add-on hyd lift is so sought after & expensive.

The float button on later tractors is unbelievably easy to use, lock & unlock, even with thick insulated gloves on. Try that with the bail! I replaced the broken button on my 13 yr old 72 when I got it and it still works great. Same thing with my old 129, it had a RUBE GOLDBERG affair to latch the lift up because of a missing float button and broken inner lift rod which I put all back to OEM.

Yes, I like my hyd lift & aux. remotes on my 982, and wish I could get the same onto my 72 somehow, maybe some day, but the manual lift & float work good enough to make it a real low priority. I'd NEVER have an elec. lift. I looked at a 9-11 yr old 147 at an auction back in 1980, maybe late '79, and there was a box of manuals, belts, blades, and THREE broken elec. lift motors in the box. They're High Maintenance. Many people have them and use them and I'm happy for them. I bet they drive YUGO's too! (just kidding)

 

[drglinski]

Dennis F-

Have to agree 100% with what you said. I've used Dad's 125 for 20 some years and to my knowledge the float button has never fallen out. I've always thought the earlier wire bail was not the best design. I had no problems engaging my float button on my 147 (has already been converted to lift lever) with gloves on during snow removal last winter.

Never used a hydro lift (for a narrow frame.) I wouldn't be opposed to it, if they weren't so dang awful expensive. As far as the e lifts are concerned, I don't think I'd ever go that route.

 

[drglinski]

PS the zig-zag design is my favorite.

 

[fcurrier]

When I see pics of Harry's 169 the Beatles come around:

In Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the queen.
He likes to keep his fire engine clean,
It's a clean machine.

 

[bwittman]

I thought it would be nice to know the selling dealer for the 1250 Nightmare. I am happy that this topic has generated a lot of conversation.

Frank, if that is Harry's 169, he must polish it and put the cover back on, and every time he wants to get some seat time, he loads it on a trailer and has someone pull him around town.

The 150 dollar 149 that I turned down last week was just the opposite. Dirt/Grease/Oil mixture from one end to the other; no gas tank, air cleaner or grill. What a sad mess for a good tractor.

 

[fcurrier]

Brian: Never, ever, ever, pass up on a 149 for $150! Especially a 149. No matter how bad it looks. No matter how greasy & cruddy it is. No matter if is doesn't have any attachments. (Unless it's too far away to reasonably spend the time/effort/mileage money to go get it).

While I'm here, I could tell y'all a story. It's been nearly 15 years since I became acquainted with Cub Cadet Garden Tractors. A kind of love affair started. Then we got a computer. Then I bought to part out. Then I found this site. Then parting out didn't seem to be the thing to do. Then $ started going into the Cub Hole. Now I have more of them than a man without Grandchildren will ever need! As a matter of fact I just bought a new one, but it has to be spoken of in the CCC/MTD area. (New is 1989).

I'm in a good mood - I could donate a gas tank.