Farmall Cub

Hi,

1948 (? - Serial number tag was wire brushed by previous owner) Farmall Cub Lo-Boy needs a new clutch. The clutch blew up on us and the previous owner said he just replaced it 4 years ago,
1. Any recommendations on quality clutches? I see prices call over the board!
2. If the owner recently replaced this clutch, should I expect a deeper problem? Input shaft? Etc.
3. Any recommendations on manuals for this little tractor?

Tractor has a front blade and will be mainly used for pushing snow in the winter, driving in parades and a fun little project for the kids.

Thanks.

Hard to say why the clutch went bad but a blade can be hard on the clutch plus if not adjusted as it should be or a person keeping there foot on the clutch can cause it to go bad fast

A business owner fired a new hire when he destroyed a new clutch in a truck, in one day. I don't know how it happened, but abuse or misuse can happen.

Call
1 800 loves Cubs
Theyll hook you right up

Hello Mr. hawks welcome to YT! You can get a clutch right from the people that host this forum. Looks like the price is fairly low and I have never heard many complaints about the parts quality here, see link. The comment from the poster about calling Loves Cubs is just a poking of one member to another. A poster here who goes by Grandpa Love is from Alabama and the last 3 or 4 years maybe longer seems like he is all the time finding Cubs to buy at reasonable prices. I think he has 10 or so right now.
YT IH Cub clutch kit

Blew up = slips????, or won't release???
Someone would have to spend a lottttt of hours on a cub to wear out
a new clutch disc in 4 years with that 12 horse motor. Problem likely
elsewhere. Look at linkage or throwout bearing thru the access hole
in the bottom of the clutch housing.

Also hard to know what the previous owner did when he replaced the clutch. Was everything done right and it still went bad or maybe some short cuts somewhere.

(quoted from post at 06:22:37 10/06/21) Also hard to know what the previous owner did when he replaced the clutch. Was everything done right and it still went bad or maybe some short cuts somewhere.

Click to expand...

ood point. A bad flywheel can ruin a new clutch.

With a Smile,,and biscuit too!!

Year and serial number. The casting codes give the date of casting. The casting code ending with R would be 1948.
If it would have the original engine, frequently the tractors built in the 40s would have matching engine and chassis serial numbers. Into the 50s, not so much.

Couple of good looking cubs I see the young one has the hat already repost a piture of his smile next when he's driving it.

Lol! You guys crack me up! Clutch on a cub is an easy job. Get one from a reputable dealer. We had one that broke a finger off, no warning. Could have been a defective clutch. I'm I little jealous of your Lo-boy!!




Lots of wood blocking. Used a harbor freight transmission jack to roll back end away. Got a wedge in front end between the axle and bottom of radiator casting. Keep us posted on the Cub. Easy project, couple hours......

I will add and hopefully will try to do this respectfully. I do not know what you knowledge is if operating a vehicle or machine with a clutch and a standard transmission. Please do not operate it like I see many city folks operating their riding mowers, which is this way. Basically once they start the machine the throttle goes wide open and is left there until they shut off the machine. This is not what I consider proper operation of a machine with a clutch. When you select a gear the engine should be at idle or nearly. Then depending on the load you are trying to move the clutch should be engaged ..pedal moving slowly from the depressed position.. with the engine operating somewhere in the lower 1/3 of the rpm range. Then once the clutch is fully engaged or the pedal is in the up position the rpm is raised to meet the speed requirements for the task. Full clutch engagement should usually be completed within a three count time frame. Each time the direction or gear is changed the engine rpm should be lowered as stated above and the process repeated. There maybe occasional task that require a longer engagement time then the 3 count or slipping the clutch, but to prolong clutch life this should be kept to a minimum. A clutch that does not have the proper free play set can allow it to slip. Free play is usually described as some amount of movement of the pedal by hand before it hits the mechanical resistance to start the clutch release. Somewhere in the 1 inch to inch and a half range is a common amount for most tractors.

Clutch kits are all the same, come off of the same assembly line in China. Go with a reputable seller that you want to support.

Most likely the clutch blew up because the previous owner could not get the tractor to slide together easily, and forced it with the bolts.

I made that mistake myself. I had just finished putting in a brand new clutch kit, then re-split the tractor at the transmission to replace the input shaft seal. Like an idiot I grabbed the clutch pedal and gave it a pull, causing the clutch disk to fall out of place. Like an idiot I was too lazy to pull the torque tube off of the engine and realign the clutch; I just aligned it as best I could by eye and stabbed the tractor back together. It didn't slide together easily, but I jimmied and jiggled and tied the clutch pedal down so the disk would float and maybe hop up on to the input shaft.

Long story short that clutch didn't last an hour. The disk exploded, leaving me stranded in a field.

As for a guess on the year of your cub lo-boy, I estimate it to be a 1956 model. They did not start making them till 1955 and there are some other changes through production that make me think it is a 1956. Check the casting codes on various parts of the tractor. The picture is of an engine casting code and block part number. If it is a 1956 model, your code would have an A or B and the engine would be an R7. That is if it is the original engine. The engine serial number is behind the hydraulic lines above the dip stick.

That little feller looks like he's ready to start wrenching ..... or help dad or grandpa wrench. Great hobby and he'll get hooked pretty quickly. Good luck with the project.

I have not split it, yet, to get a better look. Due to the remnants in the plate, I figured the disc 'blew up'.

Thanks. I will do some more looking tomorrow when it is lighter. Here are some photos I have that may help.

Thanks, everyone! I appreciate all the replies. I once drove about anything and now I just drive my wife crazy! I lost vision in one eye, got diagnosed with neurological conditions and slowed down. I grew up on a Formal A (1940) and had a John Deere B that I tinkered with from 16 on. I sold the B recently to some people that are the salt of the Earth. I am the Dad of the kid in the photo and 2 more that are not in this photo. I guarantee that clutch will get ridden once or twice accidentally. Not the goal, just a possibility. I bought this cub in La Grande, OR and supposedly the tractor camel from the Summerville, OR cemetery, This is a fun tractor and I can't wait to split it!

That photo looks like pieces of the graphite release bearing to me. Not the lining from the clutch disc.

Garry

The serial number 2621 makes it a 1956 and I agree with Garry it looks like the throw out bearing self destructed.

Graphite 'throw out bearing' easy fix.

Nope, that's throwout bearing. There still may be other issues with the clutch, but that's the first most obvious one.