Jeff re: those rear wheel studs - is it just a matter of threading the bolts in from the backside? It seems that you'd need to tack-weld them in place or something to keep them from wanting to turn out when you tighten the lugs.

I ordered the kit from eBay, it came with 10 each, studs, regular nuts, and chrome lug nuts. The studs were too long to install to the depth of the inner hub flange, so I installed the regular nuts to the inside of the hub flange, and tightened them against the flange, locking the studs in place. I can use an impact to remove/ install the lug nuts with no worries of loosening the studs themselves. If you don't have external brakes, a bolt screwed in from the inside would work great. I think the kit I got was $36 shipped to my house, there was a $6.00 upcharge for the stud kit, but with external brakes you have to go thus route, not enough room to get the bolts in from the back side.

I didn't quite get that sentence. You mean the lug nuts would bottom out on the studs before you could get the wheel tight?

So the way I picture it, you have about 1/4" of space between the hub and the wheel, with those nuts in between then?

I can see where if you've got a nut on there, the stud isn't going to turn when you tighten the lug nuts. But I can't see how they wouldn't without an extra nut in there.

Yes, the studs were too long, the lug nuts would make contact with the end of the stud before seating against the wheel. I ran the studs completely through the wheel hub (axle hub) so about 1/2" of the threads were exposed on the back (inside) of the hub, this is where I added the supplied nuts ( the side opposite of where the rim/ wheel attaches, then sinched them tightly against the hub, locking the studs to the axle flange. There are just studs sticking out were the wheel attaches with the lug nuts, the regular nuts are on the inner face of the axle flange, opposite of the wheel side of the flange. The wheel sits against the axle flange as it did with the lug bolts. There were no instructions with the kit, but as far as I could tell, they meant for the parts to be installed as I did....

I'll see if I can post a pic of what they look like. I am not at home at the moment, but look at posts #87 and #98 (hope I remembered those numbers right) and you can see pics of the wheel suds in place, the regular nuts are on the brake side if the axle flange..

I noted that you're using an etching primer on everything. What kind is it? If I recall, you're going to use the Valspar paint, and the primer they sell with it isn't etching (that I know of.)

I was looking at NAPA paints, and I asked the guy about the primer that would go with the paint. He said if I'm going to do bare metal, I need to hit it with 400 grit first because there may be issues with the primer coming off. That makes me nervous, especially when we're talking about axles, diffs, frames etc with all their nooks and crannies. So I like the idea of etching primer, but I've read that I should really use a primer that matches up with the paint I'm using.

btw, I can't remember if you were stripping everything to bare metal. Is that the case? I don't necessarily intend to go to bare metal, but wondered if you use etching primer on painted surfaces.

Dave, I just used the etching primer on the engine tins, the machinist hot tanked them, then bead blasted them, they were bare metal. The etching primer I think was a duplicolor product in a spray can, I just wanted something on there to keep them from rusting (bare metal will rust overnight just from the moisture in the air). Most surfaces of the tractor itself were just sanded, then primed with Vansickle red oxide primer, I usually let them set at least overnight, lightly sand the primer with 600 or 800 wet dry paper, then hit it with the finish coat of Vansickle tractor paint. The wheels were sandblasted, and the same day, I just went ahead and shot them with the finish coat of Vansickle tractor paint, no primer was used. I usually go this route on freshly sandblasted metal, the vansickle adheres well to the fresh metal. On pieces I just sanded to paint, I use the primer as a filler and to give the finish coat a consistant base for the finish coat.

I do use the Vansickle hardner/ catalyst as well, I use laquer thinner to thin the paint...it is pretty forgiving paint (just be careful not to put it on too thick, it likes to run too), you can reduce (thin) it with laquer thinner, naptha thinner, or mineral spirits (heck maybe something else as well, but I know these three can be used). I prefer the laquer thinner....it helps speed up the tack time of the paint, allowing additional coats quicker (I put it on pretty thin, usually takes 3+ coats for good coverage, on hot summer days usually wait about 15 minutes between coats), and it works great to clean up the gun when done painting.

Just an update, I have been busting my rear, today is the first chance I have had to work on it since I got it back from the machine shop. I got the engine 90% done, it is painted and will try to fire it up in the next day or two.

I neglected to get some pics, but they will come...I am using the original junk frame to test the motor in, I cut the points side of the frame rail off to make adjusting them a whole lot easier....I have changed a couple things around, will post the pics after I get done getting it tuned up....the suspense is killing me too...

GIVE ME A DAY OR TWO....THE PICS WILL BE HERE FOR YOUR VEIWING PLEASURE!!!!!!

Why must you make us wait!:bash2:

:biggrin2:

Looking forward to them, Jeff! :beerchug:

I wasn't able to get to it today, so I haven't got to start it yet. I did add a few more pieces to it, but am still lacking the ignition and exhaust before I can fire it up. Here are some pics of how it looks so far (Duke and Allen, here you go....now quit dogging me...LOL):
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The last pic show where I took my junk frame and cut out the frame rail to make adjusting the points a whole lot easier, it is bolted to the frame so I can use it as an engine test stand before dropping it into the 149.

About a week ago I was looking on CL and saw where I fellow was parting out a wide frame. After talking to him, I went to look at his parts, I was wanting an extra set of narrow fronts and the 38" mower deck. I made an offer on the deck and front wheels, here is a pic of my new deck, it has some surface rust but everything is there and looks to be in good shape.
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Well, as I started getting out my tools to remove the deck and wheels, we had settled on $60 for these parts, the seller said that his wife was after him to get rid of some stuff, and then asked if I would give a hundred for everything else, so took his offer and bought what was left of a Cub Cadet 800. He had already been selling parts off of it, I basically got the entire tractor less the carb and breather, the starter motor, side panels, and exhaust system (from what I have seen here, the expensive, hard to find parts are what he had previously sold). He stated the tractor ran great and mowed good until the pto belt shredded, he tried to sell it complete but had no offers to by it, so he decided to part it out. I doubt I will try to save this one (yes, I know they are rare, but it is missing the most expensive and hard to find pieces, from what I gathered by reading other threads about this rare bird, but who knows...lol), but it is nice to have the extra parts laying around, once everything at work slows down, I may try to sell some stuff off of it myself. Here are the pics of the 800, I should have got the serial number off of it too, but forgot to.
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