Cub 124 HELP PLEASE!

[Cbary124]

9 years ago when I was 12, I bought a 1969 Cub 124 from my grandpa. A year after I had it I broke a rod. Everything worked fine on it besides the fact the engine was no longer running. I'm 21 now and have gotten the tractor back into the garage to restore it. I have taken it apart and painted it. Put a new rod in it and put it all back together just as I had taken it apart.

The problem:

When I first picked up the tractor to start working on it, I did a diagnosis to see where to start fixing it. I tried turning the key to crank it to reassure myself it was a rod because the last time I messed with it was 9 years ago. I turned the key and nothing happened. I hooked a jumper to it because the battery was bad and turned the key but still nothing. I had a good friend that is a mechanic with me and he used a screw driver or something to get the engine to crank. I'm not a great mechanic so I don't know exactly what he did but he bypassed the key or did something to get it to crank over. I'm guessing he jumped a solenoid or something? Like I said I'm not great. I have experience as I have rebuilt my car engine but when it comes to electrical stuff I'm lost. I have bought a new battery, new leads(terminals), and used a wire brush on all connections to insure a good connection. Now I have it all reassembled and turn the key and nothing. I need to know where to place the screw driver or jumper wire to just try to crank it so I can see if it will start. I know I will need a new solenoid or key switch or something or another. If someone with experience could please tell me exactly what parts to replace I would be glad to as I am eager to get this thing going! It is very sentimental to me as my grandmother passed away at the young age of 58 from cancer when I was 14 which was 2 years after I bought this tractor. I can remember her convincing my grandpa to let me buy it as I begged him to and it is a memory I hold onto. I want to pass this down generations and keep it in the family.

Another problem I have is where the throttle and choke cables connect. I believe I have the brackets in the right spots and the choke and throttle cables both hooked up correctly but it doesn't seem right. If anyone can show me a diagram or picture of the correct setup I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you for your time and any help you might offer!

Chris

[cubby102]

Sounds to me that either the starter solenoid or brake pedal shaft switch (if its still even there) is bad I would look up a wiring diagram and start with that. The starting circuits on these tractors are extremely simple.

[sawdustdad]

Look under the tractor and see if a small flat piece of metal attached to the clutch shaft pushes on a switch. This is the safety start switch--you have to have the clutch/brake pedal pushed down so this springy metal piece pushes the switch. That allows the starter circuit to work. If there isn't anything pushing on that switch, then you'll need to bypass the switch (see below) and eventually put a new leaf spring on that shaft to operate the switch.

If that's working, then the next thing is make sure you have good grounds. There is a short cable from the starter to the frame of the tractor and another from the battery Neg terminal to the frame. Make sure both of these have clean metal contacts at both ends.

If all that is good, it is possible the safety switch is faulty, or the connections to it are loose. You can temporarily bypass that switch by removing the connector and using a wire between the two leads in the connector. Just short them together. That will bypass the safety switch temporarily. If that solves the problem, you'll need to replace the safety switch. If there is no metal spring leaf that pushes on the switch (attached to the clutch shaft under the tractor) you'll need to buy a new one and install it.

Ok, if all else fails, the "jump" technique is pretty easy. Using a set of battery cables, connect them to a good battery. clamp the negative cable to the frame (of the tractor, or better yet, a good bare spot on a starter mounting bolt) and touch the positive cable to the screw terminal on the starter that has the large cable attached to it. The starter should turn over.

[Cbary124]

Okay. I'm going to see if it's the switch or a bad lead spring. I'll keep you posted.
Thank you again.

[J-Mech]

A wiring diagram for your machine can be found here....... Wiring Diagrams

[gmbadgley]

Do yourself a favor and buy a 12v test light, It makes it MUCH easier and faster to troubleshoot electrical problems.

[Cbary124]

So I checked out the stop safety switch and it wasn't hooked up. My grandpa had bypassed it with a wife and taped it up. The wire was corroded and no good so I put a new one in it. I also spent $45 on a new key switch and threw it in there and still nothing. The voltage regulator was hanging because the rubber broke so I grounded off the rivets and riveted new rubber strips I cut from tire side walls onto it. I re-installed it and still nothing. I'm starting to think either grounds or possibly the starter solenoid? I know you said grounds were starter to frame and batter to frame. It I don't see the exact ones you're talking about

[Cbary124]

And I run a positive from the battery to the starter and it cranks but that's the only way.

[J-Mech]

If it cranks directly off the battery, it is not the SG or that battery that is the problem. Using the wiring diagram I supplied the link to, start testing at the battery, and work your way down the system. Trace the battery negative cable to it's mounting point. Make sure the ground is good. The cable really needs to be hooked to the engine block if it is not. The SG grounds through it's mount.

[sawdustdad]

At this point, assuming you wired the ignition switch properly, is the starter relay is not working. When you turn the key, do you here a "click" from under the dash? If not, that's where I'd go next.