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The Restauration of my IH Cub Cadet 127 Hydro in Germany

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Matthias Poths

Active member
Joined
Jul 27, 2020
Messages
28
Location
Europe, Germany
dear forum,
I want to show you the restoration of my Cub Cadet 127 today. Two weeks ago I bought it in Belgium where the seller imported it from the United States. The vehicle is very rare in Germany.

I thought I was doing a little restoration report with the little tractor.

Have fun reading and looking

Pictures of bying in Belgium:
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my little daughter likes the Cub Cadet
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new cabels and new Battery
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new Engineoil SAE 30 for the Kohler K301
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Leaking tank. Soldering the connection and replacement
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New Hy Tran Fluid for the Hydrostat
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Looks great! I like those front tires, interesting tread design. You might want to weld up the trunion slot on the hydro control it looks like it is quite worn. The trunion slot is where the spring is on the left side of the hydrostatic pump. If you do a search for trunion you will find all sorts of information on it. Also be sure to check out the Cub Cadet FAQ where you will find information on how to weld it up.
 
I have a question.
My hydrostatic control lever is relatively easy to move.
If you press the brake pedal, it jumps to neutral and the tractor stops. If you let go of the pedal, the control lever slowly moves to the reverse position and the tractor slowly starts moving backwards.
When driving forward, the lever remains in the F position, but if you reduce the speed with the lever, you have to hold it lightly, otherwise it will move towards neutral.

Shouldn't it be the case that I can move the lever to any position and it has to stay there.

The linkage also wobbles a bit. The repair of the Trunion slot did not bring any improvement either
 
Matthias - you're sure doing a nice job on your 127. I was actually surprised with how good the condition was before you started. I wonder where the machine came from in the U.S. Would you mind letting us know what your machine cost you over there. It would be interesting to know the value.
Also, I noticed the 2 seat springs are facing the wrong direction. This is a common mistake here in the U.S. The open end of the spring is supposed to be towards the rear of the tractor. If you reverse them you may actually notice some spring action when using the tractor.
Your hydrostatic lever issue is likely a neutral centering problem. Sounds to me like it may be just slightly off. If you have a Service Manual it will identify the steps to center the lever to neutral. For your 127 you will have to have the fenders removed.
I'm pretty certain there is an FAQ on the trunion repair that includes the steps to center the control lever to neutral. On the other hand, due to the age of the tractor and all the slop/play in the linkage you may not be able to actually get a neutral centering any better than you already have.
 
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or it may be that the spring has to rub very tightly against the sheet metal and so that the control lever remains in its position.
If so, then I need to tighten the repair plate so that the spring can be moved by hand.
 
Hello Harry
thanks for the tips.

I would also be interested in where in the USA my Cub Cadet was at home. I think the 1970 buyers treated the Cub very well for many years and I am very lucky with the tractor. Because the spare parts supply for Cub Cadets is very poor in Europe. Most of the time you have to order spare parts in the USA.
 
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Matthias, there is a friction adjustment for the hydro control lever. Here's a link to the Service Manual for the 1x6/7 series. The section that has the friction adjustment info is on page 103 which is listed in the manual as 2-63. That section references a "fold out at the back of the manual" that foldout can be found on page 133 of the linked manual, not at the end of it.

CC Specialties sells replacement pads: They are near the bottom of the page. I believe that Charlie ships internationally. Here's a link: Brake Pads
 
Matthias - Kraig's suggestion just above is probably a better diagnosis and better place to start than my suggestion. I had forgotten about the friction adjustment.
 
Well done Mathias. Your interest and restoration of your far far away Cub Cadet 127 tractor is Impressive and inspiring. Keep up the good work!
 
thank you very much for the flowers.

The post delivered the new wheel bearings yesterday. The shipment from Kentucky to Germany took two weeks, perfect.

I installed the wheel bearings directly. Fantastic, the steering play is now significantly less.

I'm growing potatoes in my spare time, soon the harvest is imminent and I just had time, so I put together my three IHCs for a photo.
Looks funny with the cub in the middle.

Some Photos:
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Matthias, the 127 is looking great! And wow, that IH433 Vinyard is narrow! Do you have a photo of your IH 353? I believe I see the right front tire with the fender in one photo. The 433 reminds me of this rare Cub Vinyard model that I saw at the 2009 Red Power Round Up in Madison, Wisconsin:

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Hello Kraig
sorry, I forgot to upload the photo with the 353.
My grandpa bought it new from the dealer in 1970. It's always been family-owned

My 433V vineyard is very rare, only 127 pieces were built at
International Harvester Company Plant, Neuss on Rhine, Germany
Engine D-155

Both of my weights are from the Farmall Cub out of St. Dizier IHC Plant, France.
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