Cub Cadet Restoration
(Page 5 of 6)
May 2004
Oscar H. Will III
Cleaning and inspecting each disassembled part provides an excellent opportunity to intimately know the tractor. Most people have a tendency to rush this part of the process, but be patient. Meticulously cleaning and inspecting each piece is part of the fun, and the finished product will be high quality. Besides, even the most arduous task is an important part of the restoration journey.
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To weld cracks in the sheet metal or frame, drill a small hole at the growth end of the crack to stop it from growing. Avoid welding through the hole and fill it with body putty later. Badly worn bolt holes can often be renewed by welding a flat washer to the piece. Lift shafts and pedal shafts that are worn where they pass through a bore can be renewed by carefully adding metal with the welder and grinding round. For those who don't weld, it’s a good time to learn. Welding isn’t difficult and doing the work at home will more than likely pay for the welder. Be sure to practice welding on scrap metal before working on the tractor!
Once parts are cleaned and in good repair, prime them to protect from rust. If old paint remains on the parts, spray them with a sealer or a primer-sealer to stabilize the steel. Bare metal may be directly primed, although many paint systems suggest an etching step, as well. Believe it or not, a good paint job can be done (with care) using spray cans. Remember that many more options and finish qualities are possible using a compressor and spray gun. It’s prudent to mask off any bores for bearings, seals or shafts before priming and painting. Otherwise, the thickness of the paint will interfere with reassembly.
There are at least two ways to approach the painting process: Paint a finish coat on each part or apply the final coat once the Cub Cadet is fully assembled. Plan for at least a partial coat of paint after the major components are bolted together because the finish is likely to be scratched during the assembly process, and some of the bolt heads will need paint.
Yellow Fever: Boy, have I got it bad!
In January 2001, I was in the midst of restoring a 1942 IH Farmall Model H in Whittier, Calif. My younger brother Dan Will lived in Hopkinton, N.H., and sent an e-mail to my wife, Kate, asking if she could put us in contact. Dan was working on his 1967 Cub Cadet Model 124 and asked me to consider helping with the project. Odd as it sounds, we restored that tractor and really got to know one another during the next several months using the telephone, e-mail, U.S. mail and United Parcel Service. I visited Dan and his family in July 2001, and we finished the tractor assembly together.
My first Cub Cadet was a Model 123 with an engine knock. I bought it in the fall of 2001 to use as a model for fabricating a snow blade for Dan’s Model 124. Yet, before the engine was back in that first tractor, Kate and I owned an additional pair of Cub Cadets. Today, our collection of about 20 Cub Cadets ranges from an early 1961 original to a Model 149 built in January 1974. Not all of the tractors are beauties, but most run. We've refurbished several that we use at various garden tractor events and on our New Hampshire farm. In an average year, Kate and I refurbish two Cub Cadets in addition to any large tractors in the shop.
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