Ok... So Jacin is not the only one who does cheap bastage projects. Here's one
that I just did on Sunday. I have a Cub Cadet 1650 hydrostatic tractor that I am
working on. It has hydraulic deck lift and an extremely rare option of dual hydraulics.
Basically, there are two hydraulic levers that control these two functions. Well, I got
the tractor with a cobbled up lever on it when I got it. The tractor is too nice to leave
this junky lever on it (it's obvious which lever is not correct):
Because this dual hydraulics is such a rare option, and the lever ALWAYS breaks, I am
forced to find another option. So at Carlisle I searched and searched for something to use for
a lever. I had entertained using a 3/8" drive extension, but I did not want to buy a knob for $11.00 and was not sure that I could thread the extension material to make it go into the part of the tractor that was still good. So I found this:
It's a directional signal lever from a 58 Chevrolet, I paid $5.00 for. ( I offered the dude $3.00 for
it but he declined my offer, even after I told him I was putting it on my tractor and NOT a 58
Chevy... ) Well, to make a long story short, I cut the end of it off, straightened it with my cutting
torch and vice and then had to thread it. The diameter of the shaft was too big to be threaded
to a 3/8" x 16 thread, so I took it to my lathe ( stationary bench grinder with me turning the
lever as fast as my hands could to keep it round! ) and then treaded it. After the install it looks
like this:
I toyed with the idea of using my lathe to make the Chevy part's wooden handle resemble the factory
handle that was on the machine, but I think it looks just fine the way it is, and if somebody
who sees it comments on the fact that it is not like the other one, I will tell them my story.
Cheap bastage Cub Cadet hydraulic lift lever completed.
GM
