1650 Refurb

[IH Cub Cadet]

Firstly - thanks everyone for answering my 1650 questions over the past year or so. I bought a 1650 (see this thread - http://onlycubcadets.net/forum/showthread.php?t=15685) and have been busy frying other fish and am starting to have a bit more time with it. As I'm sure most of you are, I've got a very busy schedule with work and family and more tractors than I need - and at one point I was going to part with the 1650, but was persuaded to keep it and make it a worker. With that in mind, I thought I'd start a fresh thread on my 1650 and my progress with it.

The 1650 was my first IH tractor (my first car was a 1970 IH Scout) and I now have a 109, a 126 and a 122 - which is going to be a donor tractor for the 126. A lot of time I could have been working the 1650 has been spent tinkering with those other tractors (and several other color tractors).

So Spring is almost here and with it grass and I'd like to get this 1650 going and give it a try over the Summer.

Here is where I stand with the 1650:

I found that though it is a 1650, it has a 14 hp engine in it. That engine is out getting an inspection, cast iron oil pan, decarbon of the head and new head gasket. I've got a new driveshaft fan, rear tranny gasket and some Hytran and filter for a hydro fluid change.

I've also done (or bought) a cradle mod and am painting it for use with some very good original isolators. Once I get the cradle installed and the engine buttoned-up and the hydro fan in place, I'll install the engine.

Also, I've added a super steer, got a muffler crutch and am going to give the axle frame clevis a squeeze to tighten things up a bit.

I'm content for now with the 14 hp engine, but have a good K341AQS engine waiting in the wings for a rebuild that I'll use at some point down the road. First things first, I'd like to get this tractor running and see what I've got.

Right now the only snag I can see is the hydro lever for the tranny doesn't freely move - it seems stuck. Not sure what's going on there, but I'll probably sort that out before I put the engine back in.

The tractor came with a 44C and a 44A deck. The 44A was pretty much swiss cheese and I salvaged the parts off it for spares. I added a speed-up pulley and for now it resides on the 109. I picked-up what amounts to a 50C deck from a later model 1862 (?) tractor. It was a cyclops tractor and the guy selling the deck just didn't use the tractor for mowing and wanted the deck out of the way. What I don't have is a proper mule drive/under carrage for it - yet. I'll swap the center pulley and should be good to go. I think this 1650, even with a 14 hp engine will handle the 50 inch deck OK.

So that's my update on the 1650. Don't know how much I'll be posting, but will keep this post updated as I move along with the tractor.

BTW, I've got two teenage boys who are helping me along with this tractor (and my others). It's a great learning experience for them too.

Thanks!
Bill