SnowBlower for Cub 125 Has Problems Too

Of course my free time is typically on a Sunday. So when I hit a wall (like bad wheel bearings) that is a show stopper until I get new parts.

So when I hit one wall, I'll start another side project, the snowblower. When I bought it, I noted that the gearbox would turn on one end, but not the other. The bearings felt good, but it seemed as if a key was sheared off. So I took it apart.

Well low and behold, the key was fine - and it was there, BUT one gear had 3 1/2 teeth missing and the whole other gear was GONE! After I cleaned out the water inflitrated green grease that had the consistency of baby poo (and I have plenty of that to compare to!), all the snap rings, lock pins, and the keys were there, but no gearing is left in this gearbox.

Looks like I need new gears, a new gearbox, or at least a parts one. This Sunday was a bust, I have fixed nothing, but just found more problems. Typical of a rebuild.

Cub 125 Has Wheel Problems

As mentioned before, one of the front tires goes flat, almost overnight. The previous owner had replaced one of the front tire and rim assemblies with a new one. The rubber and the paint on the rim prove correct - it is a fairly new replacement.

New being the operative term; ie the older machines were designed to work on and maintain, the old rim has a grease fitting to put a grease gun on and the new one doesn't.

Well as I went to pull off the front rim, it wouldn't come off - the bearing was hung up on the shaft. The new bearings that couldn't be re-greased from time to time, have failed, very prematurely, I might add. The void between the bearings had grease, but both the inner and outer bearings have failed - the outer one had ground down to the point that there were no balls left and the bearing race had cut 1/4 the way thru the axle shaft.

New bearings and a new axle shaft are required, as well as fixing the flat. I had pulled both front wheels and pressed out the bearings. In the one picture, the 40 year old bearings from the old wheel are on the left and the two year old bearings are the pieces on the right. Althought the old bearings are getting rather loose, they are definately more intact than the 'new' ones. They don't build 'em like they used to.

Alex is Growing Like A Weed!!

Alex had a checkup yesterday. Now he's 11 lbs, 8 oz and 23 3/4" long. WOW!!! Growing like a weed!! WhooHoo!!!

Yup, He's a LadyKiller!!!

A Chick Magnet!!!

That's My Boy!!! :-)

Snow Thrower Project For the 125 Cubbie

I found an International QA-42A Snow Thrower (which will install on any narrow or wide frame Cub Cadet tractor built before 1981) for a whopping $40 in Panesville, OH. Sure its rusty and beat, a spring pin is sheared off in the gear box, the augers are cut up from a gravel driveway, and the bottom base is a little bent. For very little work, I can make it work again. With a little sandblasting, a BFH, paint and a few more hours I will have it working great and have it looking as good as almost new (those augers are really torn up!) But for form and function, it will be a great addition. I removed the gear box and mounting before I unloaded it from the back of the truck, and will post pictures of the disassembly when I get to it.

Oh No!! It's Almost Easter!!!

I just couldn't take a few up and close faceshots of the little man, and not at least post one. I think the boy will be quite the photogenetic model for some time to come.

Well Easter is around the corner and we are going to go visit my family in central PA for the holiday. So more pictures to follow. Easter eggs, here we come!!

New toilet in the apartment

Well the landlord is pretty great, he jumped thru hoops to get the pad ready for us before Alex was born. He even had the carpets cleaned, and said I could use the garage (Mancave) if I cleaned it out for no cost.

He had reservations on the toilet and shared them with us as we moved in. It has leaked from time to time, but a collection vessel (trash can) usually did the trick, and in a few hours it would subside. Well no more, something shifted, and it leaked about two gallons of water overnight, and none of it was collected. It all just rolled down the tank and bowl surfaces until it met the floor. From all the water laying around, it looked like we just gave Chance and Harvey baths.

So I've done this before, and the landlord already had all the hardware waiting for this moment. Started at 5:20pm, and by 7pm we had a new toilet installed and the old one on the curb.

"Hail to the King and Queen......we got a new Throne"

I'm the Best!!! (Alex)

Well folks, here's a pic of the little guy declaring what everyone knows already on his jersey.

Goin To Jail (For a Great Cause!)

Yeah, its April 1st, but this is no joke.

My friend Paul for several years now has donated his time in raising money for Musclar Dystrophy. This year he has teamed with another fellow engineer here at work , (also a Paul) to raise money to cure MD. Its great, someone dressed up as a cop actually comes to our workplace and handcuffs these guys and draggs them off to jail. While they are in there, we all can raise "bail" to get them free, and the money goes to a great cause.

Here's a link to donate to the cause in their names: https://www.joinmda.org/MyLockup/MyHomepage/tabid/54466/Participant/pauljsmith5/Default.aspx