Brought home Cub Cadet 125

Cougar281 · #1 06-26-2017, 09:27 PM

So I just brought home a Cub Cadet 125 that was my Grandfathers. From the serial number, it appears to have been built in 1968. Compared to similar class new lawn/garden tractors, these old Cub Cadets are STOUT. But it's in somewhat rough shape. Steering is sloppy, starts hard, leaks fuel from the carb if I don't shut the fuel off at the tank, deck hangs uneven (5" on one side, 3.25" on the other), appears to be blowing a lot of blow by out what appears to be a crankcase vent on the side, and appears to have about 60psi of compression. When I changed the oil, there was what looked suspiciously like metal dust in it.

Long term, I'd like to restore it a little bit at a time. Probably start with mechanical and then go to cosmetic. I've got a carb 'rebuild kit' coming for it that should address the fuel leak, and might even help it start and run better (After I rebuilt the carb on my weed whacker, it now starts and runs WAY better). I want to get the deck leveled so I can use it to mow my lawn instead of my aging and 'less stout' walk behind that's becoming a chore to maintain, however, there doesn't seem to be enough adjustment in the mechanism to take up the difference between the sides.

For the motor, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to rebuild it. That being the case, I noted that J-Mech here appears to rebuild these motors and isn't stupid far from me (He's a bit of a haul, but not opposite sides of the country - would probably be cheaper to drive it to him than ship it), so I'll probably be reaching out to him to rebuild the motor at some point - but I've read that sometimes it's cheaper to get a standard 14HP piston and bore the block for it than it is to get a .010 or .020 over piston. Any truth or drawbacks to taking that approach? If there are no drawbacks to doing this, then of course the advantage would be the two additional HP.

Any other thoughts?

drglinski · #2 06-26-2017, 09:40 PM

That's the route I'd go. Attack it bit by bit, get it running right. Mechanically sound then go cosmetic. Sounds like it's worn out where they all wear out. 125s are great. Congrats.

sir_lancealot · #3 06-27-2017, 08:58 PM

First off, welcome to OCC!

We like pictures on here, especially when asking for advice/help on a particular issue. I have several narrow frame tractors, so I can hopefully help with your problems. For the deck leveling, it would be helpful to know what style and model deck you have. There are several options for the 125.

J-Mech does have the ability to rebuild the engines. If you're looking for something quick, I know he's got engines in-stock ready for rebuild. He could have one ready to go and just swap it out for your tired engine. That way you don't have to wait for the rebuild time. But I won't speak for him here... I'm sure he'll be along shortly to comment.

zippy1 · #4 06-27-2017, 11:32 PM

Hey Cougar,

and the madness known at "Yellow Fever".

The 125 is a very versatile tractor, and many members here have one, or two...
Great to hear it was your grandfather's tractor. Neat to keep it in the family. Yeah, Jon is a good source for an engine rebuild, he knows his chit.

Cougar281 · #5 06-28-2017, 07:04 PM

Thanks guys. As far as the deck is concerned, it measures 48", but I believe it cuts 44" wide. I pulled the deck off and the hangers on the tractor seem to be even, but when I set the deck on a flat concrete surface, it doesn't seem to sit flat. The front roller and one of the rear wheels will be on the ground with the other in the air. If I push the rear wheel down, the front lifts up - so I wonder if the deck is somehow warped. Will have to do more investigation.

There will be a bunch of work to get it back into tip top shape.

sir_lancealot · #6 06-28-2017, 07:43 PM

I don't believe there is a 44" deck that was made for the 125. Not saying it isn't a 44" deck...but it is maybe a 42"? On the left side of the deck, is there a data plate with a model number? As for the deck being unlevel, are the rear wheels in the same holes on both sides? They can be moved to adjust their height, providing it's the style of deck I'm thinking. Again, pictures would help :-)

Cougar281 · #7 07-24-2017, 04:54 PM

When I got it home a few weeks ago, I was home for five days before hopping (back) in the car and going back out to NY for another three weeks (Got home 2am Sunday, worked all week, and left for NY 7:30am Saturday - all told, something like 5000 miles in five weeks). Now that I'm finally home for the long haul, I'll be able to start tinkering with it.

Here is the 125, with the deck off:

I've degreased the heck out of it and pressure washed it, so it's a tad cleaner now. Prior to me starting it and bringing it out, it probably sat for at least two years.

Here is the deck. It measures 48" from edge to edge. I haven't measured blade tip to blade top, so my guess of 44" cut may have been off, but it's definitely 48" from edge to edge. Yes, it needs to be cleaned

.

The way it's sitting with one wheel off the ground may be related to the round stock guards and how they're sitting - not really sure what you'd call them (Both rear wheels are in the same hole). I can't imagine the deck is actually bent. The ID Plate, which I'm pretty sure would be on the right side of the deck (looking at the picture) is gone. Probably rusted away.

And of course my daughter, wanting to drive. She loves riding the tractor

I got some goodies from Kirk Engines (I've seen him referenced here a time or two) to add on and hopefully improve steering and engine run quality. But ultimately, the engine will need to be rebuilt. Where I'm 'conflicted' is do I do it myself or have J-Mech do it? Or do I grab the extra K301A that's still in NY and rebuild that myself and see how it goes, and if badly, have J-Mech rebuild the one in the tractor now? I'm not a stranger to engines, and while I've never done a full rebuild on an engine, I've had multiple engines down to the shortblock and re-assembled from there back to running (Ford 4.6 OHC, GM 3400 V6, Dodge 3.8L V6, 6.6L Duramax, etc) - every one still running happily.

I also need to figure a way to rig the trac vac boot (The black thing to the left in the pic with my daughter) onto the deck, ideally without permanently modifying the deck. I may want the CC to take over lawn mowing duties from my old Lesco, but I definitely want to be able to use it to deal with the 52 tons of leaves from our yard full of trees. I have some thoughts, but I'll have to sit down and tinker with it.