New Cub owner, 149 help
 

Hey guys I am new to the forum. And a new cub cadet owner. I bought my first cub a 149 after my piece of junk craftsman broke down again. I love my new to me 149 but she needs some work.. I guess my first question would be that my pto will not disengage. The lever and linkage move just fine but the blades just keep turning that little button that sits on the front of the pto was fine but is messed up now because the pto wont disengage, I did replace the belt. The new one is pretty tight I put a 79" belt on that was way too loose so I put a 77" belt on and it is pretty tight. Also I have a 50" deck. Any ideas guys? Thanks in advance for any advice
[IMG]http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...5567170418.jpg[/IMG]Pp[IMG]
Pto
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...5567242421.jpg[/IMG]

You have a mechanical clutch as opposed to an electric one. I looked at the pic of your clutch and it looks like the lever with the button is off center and not lined up with the center of the clutch. I also could not see a button on the pto and it should have one. Looking at the rock shaft that holds the lever the one side looks like it has moved to the right. That could be the reason for the pto not shutting off. If this is just an optical illusion then I would guess that the bearing which is attached to the pto shaft may have siezed.

:Welcome2: Nice 149! Good luck with it.

:Welcome2:

Depending upon the condition of the fiber button on the end of the pto rockshaft, that may just require a simple adjustment of the turnbuckle that links the pto lever to the pto rockshaft. When the pto lever is forward, the clearance between the fiber button on the rockshaft and the thrust button on the pto should be .030inch. About the thickness of a matchbook. You'll find the the service manual for the 1X8/9 tractors in the technical section of this website, page 2. There's a great diagram of the mechanical pto's in there. And all the info you need to service and adjust yours. And, Welcome to OCC!

I think that the fiber button is pretty much shot and the turnbuckle is kinda stripped. I say kinda stripped because I can adjust it some but once I go so far the threads just let go. Any suggestions on where to get this stuff? Thanks for all the help guys

Chris at Cub Classics, one of the sponsors at the top of the page, can help you out. He's got new fiber buttons, new turnbuckles, and he's got used pto rods if you're rods are shot. :beerchug:

Just ordered The parts from chris. Along with a few others.....thanks again for all the help. I will keep you guys posted as to how it works out.

Welcome to OCC and congrats on your 149 purchase. You'll love the hydro lift. First cub I ever bought was a 149. Keep an eye on the mule drive belt. With all the twists and turns, the aftermarket ones tend to wear out quicker than one from a cub cadet dealer. Just the nature of the beast with the mule drive setup. Thanks for sharing the pics! :beer2:

The first belt I bought was from a cub cadet dealer I read on here somewhere that they are better...but it was too long and they we closed on sunday soooo off to Tractor supply. But thanks for the advice

Wish I caught this before. Looks like there's a reason you can't shut off your pto. There are no pto springs in it. Looks like the previous owner took the pto apart and put it back together w/out springs, so even if you adjust the turnbuckle and replace the fiber button, it's not going to disengage. I think you need to rebuild your pto. Check the service manual and double check your pto. You can get a rebuild kit from Chris also. Sorry, but i think your fix just got a little more $$$.

"The first belt I bought was from a cub cadet dealer I read on here somewhere that they are better...but it was too long and they we closed on sunday soooo off to Tractor supply. But thanks for the advice
Reply With Quote"

Don't get belts from tractor supply. I've been there. their belts may be good for different applications but not on a cub. I've bought belts from tsc, auto parts stores, get them from a cub supply, you'll be happy you did

Rdrnek,
Welcome.
These guys will have you mowing in short order.
CUB brand belts do seem to hold up well and I have stayed with that brand too. May be a little more expensive but they do work.
I think when you get the turn buckle fixed and a new button you might be goo.
Haven't looked at one of these in a few days and cant remember about where the springs are/ But a test would be to watch the system as you depress the center and it should spring back forward when you let off . if this is not happening then you may have other issues. So did the clutch system work just a little while ago then quit working all of a sudden?
Regards,
Chros

The belts from CC are designed for all the odd turns and twists caused by the mule drive configuration. Just trying to save ya some green in the long run. The CC belts are initially more expensive, but in the end pay for themselves.

Belts
 

I am currently using the NAPA Blade Runner- P/N 6513BR- (Mule Drive Belt) with good success. At 19.99, the Napa belt will save you about 7 bucks.

I have tried generic belts from TSC before, but they have not lasted long on that mule drive.

Well I got my parts yesterday I was hoping you guys could take a look at this PTO thrust button and let me know if it's the right one for my 149. I am sure the fiber button I got is right but I'm not so sure about this one.[IMG]http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...6334967759.jpg[/IMG]
Thanks,
Bob

after I read your post I tried pushing in on it and it did not budge in or out. I just don't understand it because when I first got it it worked. here's a picture let me know what you think


[IMG]http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...6336421581.jpg[/IMG]

Yes Chris the clutch worked until I replace the belt and then it just stopped working. And now even without a belt on it will not disengage.
I also just wanted to say I stumbled onto a really great forum here I really appreciate all of your help

Sorry Bob, that's the wrong thrust button. That's for a pto type B with brake. The one on your pto looks ok to use.

Bob, I was wrong, there is a single spring on your pto. Did you get a new turnbuckle? Can you adjust it now?

It's probably just a turnbuckle issue. Try adjusting that first and if that doesn't work, suspect that the PTO needs rebuilding.

On my 128 i have the same mower as your 149. I used a TSC belt i think they are better than the OEM. On my 38inch mower a i went thew two brand new oem belts in two weeks! Then i bought a TSC belt that lasted a year!

Your thrust shaft isn't that much out of alignment. Mine isn't exactly centered either. Looks like your clutch has been apart before based on the screw heads and I believe I only see one flex spring where 149's should have came with two. No biggie there, just noticed... Anyway, also make sure that your PTO handle is tight against the rear of the handle bracket when it's in the 'disengage' position. I have a early build 149 like yours, and I had a bear of a time getting the engage/disengage right until I saw Diz Jr's trick with the wedge (his is a fancy steel wedge, but wood works for those of us who don't have access to a foundry :biggrin2:). The little notch that the pin sits in at the base of the handle will egg out over time and cause the PTO not to disengege fully. We're talking about a game of inches here, specifically a 1/2 to 3/4" of movement being all you need for that thrust arm to do it's thing.

Nice pickup on the 149. Mine originally came with the 48" QA deck like yours; I've since upgraded to the 'A' style deck and mule drive. The 1x8/9 series are some of the stoutest Cubs made IMHO and are easy to work on, too. I've had 3 or 4 149's, a 109, and a 129, all well-built, with lots of options for mower decks...

:beerchug:

PS- It's also possible that your entire engine 'could' be out of alignment if the 4 mounting bolts are loose or missing... The thrust arm is pinned in laterally, so unless it got bent somehow, it should not be the problem. Again, not a major misalignment, all it will do it wear the carbon button on the one side.

Well I was able to get it to disengage I just had to have the fiber button darn near touching the thrust button when the pto is engaged. I don't think it's right somethings probably out of adjustment but I plan on going through it this winter so I'm not going to sweat it now.
Thanks again for sharing all your wisdom for all who did
Bob