Cub Cadet 122 - Doesn't Move Except with Slight Pressure on Pedal

[GreenAcre]

So looking at parts on ccspecialties.org, I have the following in my cart to buy. What am I missing or do not need? I figure I may as well replace whatever may go wrong while I have it all apart.... again... again...

Teaser Spring
Release Rod Spring
Clutch Spring (main big one)
Throw Out Bearing (upgrade for gear drives)
Loading Spring Washer
Release Lever Washer

(one of each of the above)

[GreenAcre]

Okay, let's add to the quandary on this thing. I was digging in an old truck toolbox today and came across a surprise. Once I saw them, I remembered that my cub came with "extra parts" but didn't know it had these! So now I'm at a cross road... do I break apart the cub and install this creeper? I can't tell if everything I need is there or not, or if the driveshaft needs rebuilt (no teaser spring--are those required?), or if there's a way to test the creeper operation before putting it all back together again and finding out something's not working.

I've not ordered any parts yet, BTW.

[ironman]

About the creeper, your bound to get a lot of different opinions, but keep in mind they are just opinions, so here's mine....
Personally, i've had, and do have a tractor with a creeper and I've never had any situation where I've used it and thought "Wow, this is the cat's ass". They give you a cool factor, I'll admit, but also become an additional another link in the chain for something to go wrong.
Next, from the grease all over the one you have pictured, I would want to tear it apart and inspect it, then add new gaskets and seals if I decided to use it.
My vote is to get the new stuff you have listed and put it back together with what you know is proven good. You can go through the creeper at your convenience and put it in later on if you desire.

FYI, there is a creeper installation manual in the Technical Library and if you have the parts manual for your 122 the creeper parts breakdown is there also.

[GreenAcre]

Thank you ironman, I do appreciate your opinion! You have a good point re: the creeper being another link in the chain. I want to plow then run my pull behind tiller (stand alone gas powered one with brinly hookup) and figured the creeper would be most useful in such cases. However, the last thing I want to do is add another layer of frustration to this ole tractor. I plowed and used the tiller in the past and still survived. LOL

I've searched for if the teaser spring is a vital part of a clutch drivetrain, but cannot find a definitive answer. I noticed this creeper driveshaft doesn't have one and mine is broken. Do you know?

Thanks!

[ironman]

The teaser spring is there supposedly to give a smoother engagement of the clutch. To me, (again opinions here) it looks like a spring just waiting to break. All the pressure of the big spring on the other side of the throwout bearing is there pushing on the itty bitty spring. Can you say "weakest link"?

Can it be eliminated? Yes! This is what I do, and I'm not telling you to do it but it has worked for me numerous times.

For a narrow frame (yours) the teaser spring is replaced with a spacer with i.d. to slide on the drive shaft (i.e. 5/8"), the o.d.can be anything up to the o.d. of the teaser spring (about 7/8"). The length for this spacer must be 3/8". That is the thickness of the spring when it is compressed, and this spacer is replacing the spring.
In lieu of a single spacer you can stack flat washers as long as the thickness of all the washers equals 3/8".
The final piece of the puzzle is that you insert a 5/8" split lock washer on the drive shaft between the two pressure plates. The lock washer acts like a spring to give smooth engagement as you let the pedal up, and it forces the two plates apart and away from the clutch disc when you press the pedal down. You'd want a good quality lock washer.

Edit: after looking at you picture of the creeper clutch, that may be what I'm talking about..

[GreenAcre]

I feel like a giant light bulb just went off... my 122's teaser spring is broken and I've been having issues with clutch slippage. Reading what you said above re: a spacer it seems to me that not having either the spring or spacer is exactly the reason for my issues? I sure hope so!

[ironman]

Well, removing the teaser (such as broken) and not replacing it's length with something (such as a spacer) would be like cutting a couple of coils off the big spring. That would reduce the amount of pressure upon the clutch disc by the plates and allow slippage. I also noticed the big spring in your creeper picture is broken also.

[finsruskw]

Replace them both and DON"T pop the clutch when starting to move!
That's what breaks the springs.

I knew something was amiss by the excessive amount of threads showing on the adjustment rod.

As for the creeper,
IF you run a snow blower or a tiller with a GD Cub, it will come in handy as you need to run those at WOT for best operation.

IMHO, In 1st gear, the ground speed is usually TOO FAST at WOT w/o the creeper using a tiler as it will want to "push" the tractor forward. Always using a hydro when blowing or tilling, I may just be "all wet" here though, but it makes sense to me.

I have always been told NOT to use the creeper when moldboard plowing though. If you can keep the plow in the ground, and the conditions are right speed is your fiend here. 2nd gear WOT should yield excellent results if everything is set up right leaving very little to no trash on top and a nice clean furrow for the guy behind you.

Many times at PD's with somewhat wet and sticky ground, guys will try to plow too deep and go too slow then the big clumps fall back into the furrow making it just miserable for the guy following having to climb over them and going slow in the process making a real mess for everyone.

Very hard to deal with all the variables when 30 or 40 guys are plowing. You can get your plow dialed in just perfect for the conditions then the guy behind is screwing it all up.

Still a lot of fun if you have never attended a big PD.

[GreenAcre]

Thanks for all the help guys, I was able to limp by and get the garden plowed and tilled with my generic pull behind self-powered tiller.

I'll be tearing into the Cub soon to rebuild the clutch with the new parts I got. Question on the creeper... what parts do I need if I "rebuild" it? I am considering doing this all at the same time as I did have to ride the breaks a lot when tilling the garden.

Thanks!

Photo of the progress:

[ironman]

I'd suggest disassembling it and inspect and inspect all metal parts for wear or breakage. Reassemble with new "O" rings, seal and gasket. The "O" rings you could buy at a hardware store.
Here's a link to a seal....
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SKF-6903-Tr...IAAOSwZxZeds-d
or here....
https://www.partstree.com/parts/cub-cadet-721-3011/