Cub Cadet 105 Hydrostatic Resto

[Odmark]

Paralell to working on my 128 resto, I found this 1968 105 Hydrostatic on an ad here in Sweden, and just had to have it.
This one is pretty worn but complete and supposedly ran when parked in the 1980s.

The engine turns over nicely when I run a direct 12V from the battery to the starter.

I thought i will make a thread working on this little tractor as well, since I'm still new to these I appreciate all input I can get.

Some back story!

This Cub was bought by a scrapyard owner in 1968 at HI WAY GARAGE in Newfield New Jersey (anyone know about this place? Doesn't seem to exist today.) and used it up until the 80s.
Then he got a good deal on a new Cub Cadet and parked this one in the back of a garage at the scrapyard were it sat untouched until 2013.

In 2013 two friends from Sweden went to the US with a shipping container to buy car parts and one of them noticed this Cub sitting in the back shop and asked if he could buy it, and he could.

So as the second owner he brought the Cub with him to Sweden in the shipping container and stored it in his garage for 8 years before i bought it.
So now im the 3rd owner of this little tractor! Kind of like to think about how it made its journey from New Jersey to little rural Mellansel in the north of Sweden, bet nobody would believe that when it was brand new in 1968!

Anyway, i started off by getting a new battery for it and noticed it wont crank via the key, but when i route a cable directly from the positive terminal to the starter it cranks, although a bit slowly i think.
The mower deck spins all the time as well, i guess I'm supposed to be able to disengage this somehow? But i don't really get how.

After a new spark plug and some filing on the breaker points i now have a nice spark as well! I tried to get it to fire on starting fluid but nothing happens.

I will try checking all the cables next so that i can get it to crank via key and make sure I have sufficient power everywhere. And maybe do a compression test, but i really want to disengage the mower deck first so i get sufficient spin on the engine.

Can I find a wiring scheme somewhere online? Is there some kind of starting safety switch on these? I tried pushing the brake down etc. but still nothing.

[Billy-O]

That's a nice little history from where the tractor came and where it is now. I'm not familiar with Newfield or the scrap metal yard as it is nearly couple hours South of me.

It will be nearly impossible to start the hydrostat tractor with the mowing deck engaged, especially in the freezing temperatures. If you can't disengage the PTO by pulling back the PTO handle located on the right side of tractor near the steering wheel, for now I suggest you remove the belt that runs from PTO to mower deck. Heck, if it was me, I'd even remove the mower deck because it winter season. The PTO could be frozen up from rust or maybe you have worn or missing parts (PTO button, link rod, etc....)

Manual for you tractor: https://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/...ead.php?t=4642

Wiring diagram link:
https://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/showthread.php?t=35

[Odmark]

Originally Posted by Billy-O

That's a nice little history from where the tractor came and where it is now. I'm not familiar with Newfield or the scrap metal yard as it is nearly couple hours South of me.

It will be nearly impossible to start the hydrostat tractor with the mowing deck engaged, especially in the freezing temperatures. If you can't disengage the PTO by pulling back the PTO handle located on the right side of tractor near the steering wheel, for now I suggest you remove the belt that runs from PTO to mower deck. Heck, if it was me, I'd even remove the mower deck because it winter season. The PTO could be frozen up from rust or maybe you have worn or missing parts (PTO button, link rod, etc....)

Manual for you tractor: https://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/...ead.php?t=4642

Wiring diagram link:
https://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/showthread.php?t=35

I need to add that im not in fact sure he was a scrap yard owner when he bought the thing new, or if the scrapyard is/was located in newfield either.

And also scrap yard is maybe the wrong word, salvage yard is maybe more correct? A car scrapyard.

Now back to the tractor, no the PTO handle does nothing, its a little bit siezed by rust as you say. I can move it at the front if i bend it with a screwdriver so it probably just needs some lubrication.

But yes its probably a good idea to remove the entire mower deck, that will surely need some tlc as well. And i found the procedure in the manual, seems very easy!

I also need to remove the handle to raise and lower the mower deck and try to dissasemble and lube that up since the little pin that locks it in different positions is all siezed up.

Thank you for the links! I will be sure to update here.

And another question, where is the neutral safety switch located?

[jbrewer]

Great stuff! I notice a Scout in your picture too. I bet it's not so easy to find those parts in Sweden either.



As others have said, take the deck off and get it out of the way while you fix the engine. It's a bit of a wrestling match but you should be able to get it off in 10 min. Just take a bit of the tension off the belt (front, below the "radiator" housing is a tension nut. Give yourself a bit of slack then remove the drive belt. You'll either have two spring latches or pins to next remove to get the deck to drop down, then wrestle it from under the tractor.

The PTO in front is likely stuck. It's a fairly conventional pressure plate/disk so you'll know how to get to freed with the help of the manual. Do not leave the "clutch pedal depressed" with no load on the belt tho or you'll likely be replacing the PTO button (throwout bearing) before you need to though :-)

Sounds like you need to debug the electrical path from the switch to the solenoid . Remove the battery to get to it . I'd guess that the switch itself is dirty/faulty. If you're handy with schematics (see manual section) it's pretty easy to determine if the switch is working or the wiring is faulty. Electrical connections can get intermittent after a few decades of sitting.


I'd lay off the starter fluid , but instead use a squirt bottle to shoot a little gas down the carb throat while you're in test mode. Check to see if you're getting gas from the tank to the carb ... that's often a problem source. Change the oil and make sure part of the rod doesn't come out with the decades old oil. Ive never bought a cub yet with an intact safety switch so I can't help you there. Removing it, while obviously popular, is one of the things we can't talk about here. I'm sure someone knows .


And thanks for the pictures! We love pictures AND project sagas!

[Odmark]

Yes i have two Scouts, and one C series Travelall. Luckily most parts are easy to come by for the Scout, the C series is more troublesome. But we have quite a lot of Internationals in Sweden so used parts is attainable.

I removed the mower deck today! It was very easy, took maybe 5 minutes, mostly because the release pins were a bit siezed.
With the mower deck removed and more cranking speed it actually fired!

Then I removed and cleaned the fuel tank and the little glass fuel bowl wich resulted in a massive fuel leak from the glass bowl when I fueled it up, so the gasket is probably dried out.
I tried looking for a new one and I have found a new glass bowl and a new top part but no gasket? Is there somewhere I can buy this?

I also determined that the solenoid is faulty and causing no cranking by key, so need to buy a new one.

[docmirror]

The gasket for the sediment bowl often is perished once the bowl has been removed. You may be able to find an O-ring that will fit, but be sure it will seat up inside the inner flange of the top receptacle. If not an O-ring, try any tractor supply store in town, and take your sediment bowl with you. The ring is a fairly common fit, as that type of bowl was used on many Cub, Ford, Porsche, and even Belarus tractors in the past. Suggest you buy your trans fluid there too, and replace that as I've found it has been a long time since anyone has touched the trans fluid in these machines.

For the solenoid, before you spend your money, use a 14Ga or larger jumper wire from the plus + side of the battery and touch it to the small terminal of the solenoid to energize the coil inside. If the coil pulls in, the starter dynamo will turn.

Alternately, you can use a voltmeter and measure the voltage of the small terminal to ground for ~12VDC with the start button pushed in. If you have voltage there, and the solenoid does not pick and close, or it picks but the starter does not move, it may be corroded internally and will need replacement.

For the solenoid, unless you want to be period and restoration correct, you may use any 12VDC three pole solenoid, as the case supplies ground, and the ignition voltage is supplied through the key and ammeter. You may use a four pole, but the "I" terminal will not be used.

Any of the solenoids like this will work:

https://rlpartssupply.com/meyer-3-post-solenoid.aspx

bra sökning!

[Odmark]

Originally Posted by docmirror

The gasket for the sediment bowl often is perished once the bowl has been removed. You may be able to find an O-ring that will fit, but be sure it will seat up inside the inner flange of the top receptacle. If not an O-ring, try any tractor supply store in town, and take your sediment bowl with you. The ring is a fairly common fit, as that type of bowl was used on many Cub, Ford, Porsche, and even Belarus tractors in the past. Suggest you buy your trans fluid there too, and replace that as I've found it has been a long time since anyone has touched the trans fluid in these machines.

For the solenoid, before you spend your money, use a 14Ga or larger jumper wire from the plus + side of the battery and touch it to the small terminal of the solenoid to energize the coil inside. If the coil pulls in, the starter dynamo will turn.

Alternately, you can use a voltmeter and measure the voltage of the small terminal to ground for ~12VDC with the start button pushed in. If you have voltage there, and the solenoid does not pick and close, or it picks but the starter does not move, it may be corroded internally and will need replacement.

For the solenoid, unless you want to be period and restoration correct, you may use any 12VDC three pole solenoid, as the case supplies ground, and the ignition voltage is supplied through the key and ammeter. You may use a four pole, but the "I" terminal will not be used.

Any of the solenoids like this will work:

https://rlpartssupply.com/meyer-3-post-solenoid.aspx

bra sökning!

I tried to find an O-ring that fit with no luck, but i found a brand new sediment bowl at a tractor parts dealer in Sweden online so I just bought that. My screw was quite rusted anyway, and the top half of the thing looked very crusty as well so a new one is probably the best way to go.

For transmission fluid, i read that the IH issued fluid is Hy-Tran, which doesn't seem to exist anymore. Is there another similar fluid that works good?

I did jump the solenoid, that's how I found out it was broken and needed replacement. I found a new solenoid from a Wheel horse that looks exactly the same as the Cub one so I ordered that as well!

Does anyone know if the headlights are the same on any other garden tractor or anything that might be easier to get hold of over here? Neither of mine work, but I have power to them. They are sealed beam right?

[R Bedell]

Does anyone know if the headlights are the same on any other garden tractor or anything that might be easier to get hold of over here? Neither of mine work, but I have power to them. They are sealed beam right?

They are a standard #4411 sealed beam head lamp (12V -35W).

[Odmark]

Originally Posted by R Bedell

They are a standard #4411 sealed beam head lamp (12V -35W).

Sealed beam lights are not very common over here, but i found a set in Denmark for cheap so i ordered them! They were only 30W but i think itll be ok!

[R Bedell]

There are 4411 LED replacements that have more Lumens and use less amperage. My son ordered a pair for his 2072. He likes them.