Paint tips and restoration tips

[acasteel]

Questions for the guys who have done cosmetic restorations,

I have a 125 hydro that I got for free last summer and it runs great. I take it to tractor shows and I tend to get a lot of looks so I got the idea to give it some new paint to make it look nice. So i have started taking the cub apart to strip paint.

But this was a very hard decision……

Since I am only 17 and cannot keep that tractor sitting for just a show tractor I will be using it for work but also to take to tractor shows so I need a good strong paint.

So the plans I have was to do a good job on the tins if you will. (fenders, hood ect) Take a nice time with them, like wet sand and stuff. Then with the frame maybe just do 3 coats but sand with 220 in-between coats.

My big question is the underside of the transmission or just the whole transmission in general. There are tons of stuff that I don’t want to deal with because I don’t know hydro very well. Should i just roughen up the parts and then spray over that and not worry because of it being a work tractor and no one is going to see it? Or what I keep hearing from the big tractor guys is "workmanship pride" And they tell me to go all out and take apart the transmission and power coat the inside and so on.

Is it that hard to take off the tranny and if it is not then what are good tips.
I have seen guys set the trans on jack stands and take off the tires. Do you take the frame off the tranny? Now what do I have to do. Empty the hydro fluid? What do I mask off ect.

I don’t know if this is making much sense but I hope you get the idea because I have a harder time explaining this on the internet

I am also not going to strip all the metal bare to paint so how hard is it to sand cast iron.


Thanks,

Anthony C.

 

[kweaver]

If you remove the rear it'll need the driveshaft removed. The shifter linkage, which will be one rod, the brake pedal rod and the bolts on the frame (4or6). Leave all the hydraulic stuff intact. I think that's all. Been a long time since I've looked at my tore down 129. It would be a good idea to change the fluid and filter while you're at it. If you do, take the rear plate off the rear end (rear inspection plate) and wipe out any goop build up in the housing. If you remove the plate be ready for a flood of fluid.
As for - should you paint it - that's your call. Oh and CLEAN the grud build up in the cooling fins on the pump and replace the cooling fan if it has broke blades.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Anthony, when/if you take that 125 apart (the 125 is my favorite Cub Cadet BTW) you'll likely find that the hydro is covered in a thick layer of oil soaked grass and dust. Here's some photos of a 125 that I took apart a few years ago.

Above is after cleaning the gunk off of the hydro.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Anthony, some guys that refurbish a Cub Cadet that they intend to be a working tractor will only repaint the outside surfaces, depends of course on how good of condition the tractor is to start with. Sometimes the insides of these are covered with a thick layer of oil and dirt which actually worked to protect the finish from rust and fading. If this is the case then a good cleaning is really all that is needed for the underside of the frame so it will depend a lot on the condition of YOUR tractor. When you are doing this tear down for cleaning/inspecting it is a perfect time to do as Ken says and change the Hy-Tran and filter.

 

[dfrisk]

KRAIG - Was that the really rare "Cold Weather Hydro Insulation Option"?

It sure cleaned up nice. Kinda like the miserable 1940 JD B tractor I repainted the week before I went to College as a Freshman. The tractor was brown...and had a half inch of dried grease & dirt all over the engine & transmission. I spent two days with GUNK degreaser, putty knives, scrapers, screwdrivers, cleaning the grease off, then a trip to the carwash, then used a knotted wire cup brush in a 7" angle grinder on all the sheetmetal, and the tractor was almost GREEN again.
ANTHONY - Don't worry about paint adhesion on the cast iron parts....just make sure the parts are clean and not at all oily. Spray on engine degreaser, and a car wash or pressure washer cleans them good enough. THEN change the oil & filter, not before they're cleaned.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Denny, funny, could be!

That was a 125 that I parted out. I sold the frame with the lift arm/rockshaft, steering wheel/steering gear, wiring harness, and fenders to a guy that had a 105 that a tornado dropped a BIG white pine tree onto. OUCH! I kept the rest of it: hood, grill, front axle, engine (the engine is the one that David K is rebuilding for me), the tires and wheels and the hydrostatic transmission. Funny thing is now I have collected enough spare parts to put it all back together again.

 

[acasteel]

Thanks alot! That helped alot.

Im going to post pics later when i have some "free time" Ive been busy latley kuz hockey and finals are next week so i havent hand much time to even look at the cub but hopefully next weekend i am going to start going even further.

So i have a few more questions and ill take pics and post those with the ?'s

thanks alot guys! It really means alot to me

anthony

 

[rwilke]

Anthony C.,

If you have access to an air compressor, it can be your best friend in helping to keep your Cub looking good.

I've "discovered" it to be a great tool to keep my 125 & 129 looking presentable. By using it after each time I run the tractor, I blow everything off /out with compressed air. I blow out the grass clippings, leaves, dust, etc. from sticking in and to the engine, around the deck pulleys, off the hydro unit, the rear brakes, the front PTO, cooling fins, front spindles, the steering box, etc.... everywhere I can get to. The Cub seems to really like the attention and it stays looking pretty good without the crud buildup even without a fresh paint job....

Just my 2 cents,
Ryan W

 

[dfrisk]

My Father-in-Law was a manufacturing Eng. for a MAJOR Ag & Construction equip. manufacturer based out of MOLINE, IL. He bought one of their little rear-engined riding lawn mowers many years ago.....In the first six months He had it He had to have warranty work done on it twice before He finally told the dealer to Keep It.... dealer had to drive nearly 40 miles one-way to pickup & deliver the mower... Problem was My F-i-L would WASH the mower every time He used it with the garden hose and the controls would all rust up solid. I NEVER use a hose on ANY of My equipment.....EVER. Compressed air yes....water NO!

 

[rwilke]

Good point, Dennis F.

If I know that I cut some grass that wasn't real dry and likely has stuck under my deck, I will use a garden hose to spray under the deck (with the blades still spinning/engaged). This will allow the grass clippings to "rinse off" of the underside of my mower deck before I park it. Yep, I have to be careful not to allow the hose nozzle to hit the blades!
Ryan W

 

[lhinds]

My first post here so i hope i am in the correct place. I have a question about slip plate which is new to me. I use p o r 15 on all deck surfaces. Will slip plate go on over P O R 15 or paint?

 

[kmcconaughey]

Luther, all you can do is try it, I don't know why it wouldn't. Slip-Plate (graphite paint) will wear off and will need to be occasionally recoated.

 

[lhinds]

Kraig Thank you. Have you used the por 15 on decks before?

 

[acasteel]

So ken you say degreaser?
What about also powerwashing the gunk off the trans along with degreaser?

I have heard of this stuff called grease and cilicone remover and it is suposed to get every little germ off. Draw back!!! $$$$$!!!!!!!
And i heard that if you are going to paint it is good stuff for metal prep!

 

[kmcconaughey]

Luther, no I have not, that's why I wrote "all you can do is try". I added the info about graphite paint wearing off so that if you noticed significant wear after a years use you wouldn't blame it on it not sticking to the por 15. I do have some por 15 but I have yet to use it. My neighbor picked some up to try but then gave it to me because he lost interest in the project he was going to use it on.

Anthony, clean the thick stuff off with a plastic scraper and/or a stiff bristle brush. Then get some citric (orange) based degreaser, it is relatively safe to use. Be sure to follow the directions on the package, most will say to rinse with water and to not allow the degreaser to dry on the surface.

 

[lhinds]

Thanks Kraig; You will like the protection of P O R 15, However be sure to heed the warnings on the can. Works best when metal isn't totally rust free. And thanks for the wonderful job all you are doing with this forum.

 

[mgonitzke]

Has anyone painted with Valspar's enamel primer and paint? How much did you thin the primer to spray it? The can says 2 oz. per quart which is like 16 parts primer and 1 part paint. I think it should be thinned a lot more than that, any suggestions?

 

[kweaver]

Matt - ppl around here don't seem to like the coverage of Valspar, they say it doesn't cover well and sun fades.
Otherwise go with what the label says, that way you can throw it in their face if it doesn't suit you.

 

[mgonitzke]

The reason I ask is, my dad has used this primer in the past, followed the instructions on the can, and it was more or less a disaster. He said it seemed too thick.

I don't want to use more expensive paint because this is going on a deck that is just going to get used and probably scratched up again.

 

[bmcmeen]

Personally I just use PPG spray bomb primer for such things. Quality primer from a "real" paint company...