A 3 point hitch plus dual front hydraulics mean 4 lift valves need to be integrated. The way the factory did it was to stack all four together on the left side, with the front-most lift valve controlling the 3 point via longer lines. It requires another hole to be cut in the floor pan for the lift lever to come through, in front of the cup holder. The kit (#759-3971) has been NLA for a while now, but it is still shown on the Cub Cadet Parts website, although the individual parts are almost all NLA also. Although I could have probably found this kit on the internet, I have seen others add the valve for the 3 point on the right – installing another cup holder – and I liked that idea.
The right side frame LOOKS like it is set up to install more lift valves, but it only kind-of works. The lift lever holes are in the right place, but as the lift valve brackets get reversed when moved to the other side, the holes to mount the valve don’t line up – one needs to be drilled and another needs to be elongated. Also, the valve has to go in the rearmost slot, as a transmission fluid hard line and the control linkage block the other spaces. The return line on mine (this varies from early to later) was long enough to connect to the front port on the right, and the 3 point lines also fit fine on that side.
That leaves the lift valves to be connected side to side, with a couple of options to do it. From what I can tell, the shouldered line held in by line retainer plates is not widely used elsewhere, so most hydraulic shops don’t form this end. I did hear of a shop in another state that does have the equipment, but it was kind of pricy. Luckily, the 3000 series hydraulic hoses can be disassembled and re-used to make another hose. I bought used two of the hoses that go to the center lift cylinder and CAREFULLY cut the crimp collars with a Dremel tool and then bent them until they separated from the hose and fitting. When cutting these apart you must make sure you only cut through the crimp collar and just into the rubber – it you get into the barbs or cut through the locking collar, its junk. I attached the two ends to the lift valves and used fuel line between them to determine how long the hose needed to be. The hydraulic shop then made me a new line using my ends to the hose length I determined, for just under $20. Not bad.
After getting all the hoses situated and the transmission vent relocated forward (using a 90 degree fitting), the tank could be refitted and the 3 point hitch installation finished. The 3 point is pretty simple, EXCEPT for the fact that the hitch plate bolts thread into the side frame rails, and the two top ones stripped. Getting locking nuts on the backside with everything in place is a job for a contortionist and one with more patience than I (lots of very bad language is used during this operation).
A tracing of the cup holder opening is made from the left fender and copied over to the right side. The lift lever slot and cup holder hole was cut out, and the mounting holes drilled (along with the holes for my taillights) and the cup holder fits very nicely. The left side has a recessed area for the cup holder that the right does not of course, but it’s not too noticeable.
However, pictures of the finished fender pan and cup holder on the tractor will have to wait a bit longer, because I found that the floor pan areas under both foot pads were very rusty, as was the flange on both parts where the pan and fenders bolt together. I decided to sandblast all the rusty areas and shoot both the pan and the rear fenders with Cub yellow. So it will be a bit longer before it’s finished while I get some materials together.
I have figured out that while for the most part this 190 hour tractor looks like a 190 hour tractor, it also almost certainly spent its life outdoors. The earlier mouse infestation problem, more weathering in areas than it should have for the hours, and now the pan and flange rust (the water/snow collects between the foot pads and pan, creating rust) all tell the tale. In addition, all the areas NOT exposed to the weather look like new and wear points aren’t much worn, so it all fits.
More to come after I shoot the fenders and floor pan.
