129 transporting question

[Cub Cadet 123]

Originally Posted by cubby102

Well worth putting work 8nto. Change the oil and get her fired up I'm willing to bet it will just go. The reason it rolled easy then didn't is cuz it prolly lost its prime (trans pump) and rolling it a little bit helped it prime back up now your pushing against fluid. There should be a lever on the side of the removable tunnel cover just in front of the seat that will push down on the release valve if the flap isn't broken. If it is you can remove the tunnel and push them down by hand. Its got potential

Looks like your flapper (dump valve lever) is broken from your 1st photo, so you will need to remove the tunnel cover and depress the buttons on the top of your relief valves if you want it to free roll. You did very well for yourself to get that one for such a nice price. Let's see a picture of the top of that engine!!

Cub Cadet 123

[zippy1]

Originally Posted by Cub Cadet 123

Looks like your flapper (dump valve lever) is broken from your 1st photo, so you will need to remove the tunnel cover and depress the buttons on the top of your relief valves if you want it to free roll. You did very well for yourself to get that one for such a nice price. Let's see a picture of the top of that engine!!Cub Cadet 123

Couldn't agree more. Noticed the flapper is pointing the wrong way.
you'll fit right in with your first choice in tractors...

[KenInNC]

Thank you everyone for your information and vote of confidence on my find. I have been searching for a cup cadet for a long time. I never really understood which models were good ones and which ones were not but my belief is that anything made before 1974 is usually well made. The old adage you pay for what you get is definitely true with the Cub.... Especially the international Harvester ones.

The banding the tire to squeeze to be it is a great one. I have used butane and a charcoal lighter but that's pretty scary.

Now to prove to my wife that my $300 purchase off eBay for a $7000 valued to ultrasonic machine will be worth it. Sadly the tank is only 18"x18"x18" but even that size uses 220v. Between that, sand blasting and some good hand repairs on the panels I hope to turn this one around. I haven't figured out the rust pitting levels yet on various parts.

I doubt the motor was upgraded. It is a Kohler 301 and the PO seems to have cut a bottom off of something to go over the metal air filter and I think the air filter is taller than the stock one.

Thanks for the info on the lever to the right front of the seat. It does flip two directions with no effort. I guess it's not working and now I know what to check. My Craftsman Kohler GT has the clip/lever in the rear for releasing the hydro pressure.

Can't wait to check it out in the morning.

How do you post more than one image? If there's a link to do this in the forum please let me know.

Pic of average pittibg on lower area
Thanks again everyone!

[Yosemite Sam]

When I get a new to me Hydro, I prefer to not mess with the release valves until after I find out if the engine is any good.

It's not such a big deal with a Wide Frame because they are much easier to get at than the ones on a Narrow Frame, but (for me) once the engine is running the first thing I want to do is check the transmission to make sure it pulls. Many times when you push the valves down they won't come back up on their own. I'd rather not have to pressure wash that area of the transmission to keep crud out of the release valve holes, take the valves out, then wait a day or more for the valves to soak to get them freed up enough to work before I find out if the trans is good or not. I'm probably a little more impatient than the rest of the Cub world.

[KenInNC]

So to not have an accident while trying to crank it up for the first time should I change the oil (how much is needed?), make sure the hydro is in the neutral position, lock the pedal brake with moving notched lever and keep my fingers crossed?

If it runs should I try the F & R lever and go from there? And even if it did move with the hydro would you still pull the pressure release valves and give them a good soaking (in what)?

Thanks!

Is there a source for good pressure relief valve cleaning and inspection? Somewhere I read that it takes a specialized repairman to rebuild these ... Maybe I am wrong.

[Yosemite Sam]

Originally Posted by KenInNC

So to not have an accident while trying to crank it up for the first time should I change the oil (how much is needed?), make sure the hydro is in the neutral position, lock the pedal brake with moving notched lever and keep my fingers crossed?

If it runs should I try the F & R lever and go from there? And even if it did move with the hydro would you still pull the pressure release valves and give them a good soaking (in what)?

Thanks!

Is there a source for good pressure relief valve cleaning and inspection? Somewhere I read that it takes a specialized repairman to rebuild these ... Maybe I am wrong.

You're correct on all counts.

1 and a half quarts of oil.

If you do need to soak the release valves, any good penetrating oil will work, as long as it won't attack rubber "O" rings. PB Blaster is good stuff, throw the WD 40 away (I personally don't know how they get away with calling it a lubricant and claiming that it dissolves rust). Just be sure to keep the crud on the transmission from falling into the holes if you take them out.

And yes, if they need to be rebuilt there is a fella who rebuilds them, but soaking and cleaning them well should get them in working order. They shouldn't need to be rebuilt unless they leak, and you can have that done later.

[CSXengr]

Welcome. I have a 129 and use it all the time mowing! And you are right, there is nothing made like a cub! Where are you in NC? There are a number of Tarheels on the site.

[KenInNC]

Well all the good advice gave us a great success and moving the lawn tractor. One of the Rims was quite rusty and you can see where the previous owner had put sealant around the bead to keep the air from leaking out probably with no success. After a bunch of squeezing and banging we got the bees to see them both wheels. The rusty one still leaked and I ended up putting some slime in it as a temporary hold because it lost air very fast.

I was quite surprised to see the bolt that help the wheel on having a safety wire hole drilled through it. Is that something that supposed to have a wire to keep it from backing out? Kind of like the old security bolts that kept the nuts from backing out?

As far as the Hydro release lever goes it was broken and I could see where the original owner had braised it several times and it still rusted and snapped in two. I ended up using PB on every nut and bolt that I could see and I also put it on the hydraulic pressure relief valves.

So after airing up the tires dropping the deck and sleigh The unit rolled off the trailer with no problem. Hopefully tomorrow will be a new day and inasmuch as I'm busy with other work I'm a little anxious to see if the motor might turn over.

I must admit when I originally saw the tractor with keys in it I was quite happy but then I pulled them out and noticed they were Fulton keys so maybe somewhere down the line it had a ignition switch change.

[yeeter]

Originally Posted by Yosemite Sam

I'm probably a little more impatient than the rest of the Cub world.

Probably not...

[Terry C]

Originally Posted by Yosemite Sam

When I get a new to me Hydro, I prefer to not mess with the release valves until after I find out if the engine is any good.

It's not such a big deal with a Wide Frame because they are much easier to get at than the ones on a Narrow Frame, but (for me) once the engine is running the first thing I want to do is check the transmission to make sure it pulls. Many times when you push the valves down they won't come back up on their own. I'd rather not have to pressure wash that area of the transmission to keep crud out of the release valve holes, take the valves out, then wait a day or more for the valves to soak to get them freed up enough to work before I find out if the trans is good or not. I'm probably a little more impatient than the rest of the Cub world.

X2 on all that! I usually just check if there is fluid in the rear end before I do much cranking on the engine though.
Pull the plug and check the points then give it a try. Hope it's a runner
Welcome to OCC!