New Guy Just Picked up a 149 for $75

[ajs96]

I am new to real garden tractors. I was pushed over the edge a few weeks ago after a late-model junk "lawn tractor" nearly got me hurt when the front axle broke for no reason and nearly rolled me down a steep side hill.

I picked up this 149 today for $75, I was told that it last ran 2 years ago when the engine stripped out all 4 of the mounting hole threads. It came with a 48"? deck that is a little rough but the spindles seem fine, a hydraulic lift 3-PT setup and what I guess I should call a sleeve hitch adapter. Only the deck has and pitting rust, the tractor itself has really light surface rust only. I haven't even run the serial number yet to see what year it is.

I am looking forward to gaining tons on knowledge off here, i have a lot of mechanical experience, but very little in hydraulics and "real garden tractors."






I have tons of questions I will be asking over the next couple weeks. One off the top of my head is I cannot get the thing to free wheel at all even after manually pressing the little valve buttons under the access plate, what do I need to do...towing the thing around is a little inconvenient.


Right now I have the motor out on the bench and I am considering at least throwing some rings on it while I have it out, I might even go the whole master rebuild kit but I am not sure about the machining involved on the little motors. Would it be wise to at least put a new head gasket and new OEM sized rings in it or is the "normal" thing to do just to rebuild the whole engine?


I was absolutely not surprised how the engine pulled away from the frame when i saw that these motors are mounted directly to the frame into a cast aluminum oil pan??? That just seems crazy to me and I think I am going to have to fabricate something a little more reasonable when i put the motor back in. These type of failures have to be common on these, right?

I also picked up a 1979 JD 212 w/47" deck for $275 last week that needed shockingly little done to it. I am going to fix-up both and either keep them both or keep my "favorite." The idea is that the two are radically different and i would gain all sorts of experience about these classics along the way.

[Matt G.]

That is not common on these models, and there's nothing 'crazy' about the engine mounting. Someone probably didn't tighten the bolts or forgot the lock washers and the bolts vibrated out. Get a used cast-iron oil pan and put it back together and you'll be all set.

[nra1ifer]

Glad to have you here, and I'm sorry to say it, but I have a feeling you have the early stages of GT-itis. It never goes away, and my experience with the affliction is that it gets progressively worse, in short order, I might add.

"I am going to fix-up both and either keep them both or keep my "favorite.""

(I bet you keep both....)

[ajs96]

Originally Posted by Matt G.

That is not common on these models, and there's nothing 'crazy' about the engine mounting. Someone probably didn't tighten the bolts or forgot the lock washers and the bolts vibrated out. Get a used cast-iron oil pan and put it back together and you'll be all set.

I suppose i use the word "crazy" strictly because i have honestly never heard or run across a setup similar to that in such a high vibration environment. I didn't know cast iron was available, i iwll probably take your suggestion and see if i can track one down. I am still learning what is cross-compatible.

For now, i drilled and tapped the two meaty mounts on the pan with 1/2" and the tighter ones with 7/16"

[ajs96]

Originally Posted by nra1ifer

Glad to have you here, and I'm sorry to say it, but I have a feeling you have the early stages of GT-itis. It never goes away, and my experience with the affliction is that it gets progressively worse, in short order, I might add.

"I am going to fix-up both and either keep them both or keep my "favorite.""

(I bet you keep both....)

Hmmm...that's funny...that's what my wife says too

[ACecil]

Welcome to OCC! Congrats on your 149, and good luck with it.

[T-Mo]

Welcome to OCC. You got a great deal on that 149, especially with the options and accessories it has.

On the JD 212, check out www.weekendfreedommachines.com - it's the premier site for the older JD lawn and garden tractors and equipment.

[johncub7172]

Happy you are here at Only Cub Cadets.net. . I dont think for a second,knowing that IH Cub Cadets are top of the line, to sink 3-4 hundred in to it since you got it so cheep. Then you may get a better compairison to the green 212 tractor! Any ways, Folks are willing to help and realy know their way around these tractors! But I agree, keep them both so you dont have to switch implements around so much!:biggrin2.gif:

[Merk]

by ajs96
was absolutely not surprised how the engine pulled away from the frame when i saw that these motors are mounted directly to the frame into a cast aluminum oil pan??? That just seems crazy to me and i think i am going to have to fabricate something a little more reasonable when i put the motor back in. These type of failures have to be common on these, right?

IH Cub Cadets used the same motor mount system from 1963 when they built the 70 and 100 thru the fall of 1974. Garden tractor pulling bunch still use the same system. My 149 is one later ones produce. It came with a cast iron oil pan. Yours should have a cast iron pan too. There is no need to fabricate the motor mounts. I hammer my 149 when I pull a moldboard plow. The bolts may work loose or streach some if you use cheap bolts. I would not use 1/2 inch bolts in the oil pan. Odds are you will need to make the holes larger in the frame. Thats a no-no in my book. You could mess up the motor-driveshaft-rear end alinement when you go back to the right oil pan and bolts.

The best thing to do is to buy a good used cast iron oil pan and at least use grade 5 bolts. One of the sponsors at the top of the page can help you out with a good oil pan.

I wouldn't throw anything into the motor until you have it running. Your wasting your money by just replacing the rings. I would invest some money in a Kohler Service Manual if you don't have one. They show how to check items like the the bore, crank journal and connecting rod journal. The manual has the specs for what is allowed before the motor needs bored and undersize the crank journal.

All my motors go to a local automotive machine shop to have necessary machine work done.

[Cub Cadet 123]

ajs96,

Congratulations on your purchase of your !!! I'm jealous of all the extras you got for the price!!! Once I get a cub running, I always run some Marvel Mystery Oil in them for a while to clean them out then I change the oil out with fresh and see how they run before I determine if any major engine work needs to be done. I think you got a sweet deal so if you have to put some $$ into the 149 before it is all said and done, you will still have a solid tractor that is way cheaper and a whole lot stronger than anything else that you would purchase out there for that same amount. BTW: Your 149 was built in '73, here is a site to look up the serial # if you haven't already been there yet:

http://www.ihcubcadet.com/IHCCFAQ/IH...WORKS%20SN.htm

Great to have you in the forum

Cub Cadet 123