Here was a late summer project that I just finished up – a nice 127 Cub, S/N 395588 (year built – 1971) that needed some work. The previous owner was a friend who wanted a vintage Kart engine that I had, so we traded even up. This Cub was originally purchased used, to be used for an airport tug, but ended up sitting in a hanger for 20+ years, without being run.
When I took delivery, first step was to rotate engine by hand to see if there was compression (there was), check the oil (had plenty, and was clean too), inspect overall tractor condition (looked clean and tight), then drain the stale gas from the tank. The Carter carburetor was a replacement as it was unpainted and the throttle shaft was not pounded out. The bowl was removed and carb cleaner used to remove some varnish accumulation. After reassembly with a new battery and fuel installed, the engine started right up and ran well with no blue smoke in the exhaust. A drive around the yard confirmed that the transmission worked perfectly too. This was encouraging.
Both the spring steel neutral safety switch lever and hydro relief valve lever were broken and needed replacing. The former was easy, but the latter was a nightmare from hell. I finally got it without removing the transmission, but what an awful job. I’ll take a wide-frame to work on any day over a narrow frame!
It was a good opportunity to equip the tractor with some of my products. It received a PointSaver ignition, new points, hi perf ignition wire, heavy duty tie rod ends, SuperSteer kit, hood edge trim, magnetic oil drain plug, stainless steel footrest screws, and a battery mat. Other items purchased from Madson’s were a new seat, and the aforementioned levers. A new muffler was necessary as the original had loose baffles.
After fitting up the deck and greasing all fittings, I mowed with the tractor for about 1.5 hours and it ran nicely with good power. After getting warmed up fully, I could detect the dreaded balance gear rattle from the engine. I then removed the engine, dropped the pan, and eliminated the balance gears. They were quite sloppy on their shafts and were on borrowed time, thus necessitating elimination. The engine was immaculate internally though, appearing very well cared for. No black sediment or stray metal was found in the pan.
After reassembly, no more noises except for the PTO clutch which has the typical rattle when disengaged. The engine received my standard fill of Mobil 1 10W-30 synthetic oil, the lubricant I run in my tractors year-round. The hydro fluid looked nice and red, and about 2 quarts topped it off. The hydro filter was a newer Cub Cadet replacement and thus was not changed.
Final testing confirmed that the tractor runs perfectly and mows quite nicely. And I’ve already got a buyer who is enthusiastic about purchasing it. I’d love to keep this one, but I’ve got two Cubs already (a 107 and 1250) and the garage is bursting at the seams. It was a rewarding project that was fun, other than the hydro relief valve lever replacement – the air was blue that day with creative cursing and swearing, all done at low volume levels to not offend the neighbors.
Some pictures of the finished tractor follow. A previous owner took the liberty of painting all the white parts the wrong color.
Dave Kirk
