1952 CA

I started working on a CA I dragged home last summer - engine was loose, but missing distributor, nasty carb and gas tank, all tires shot, etc. Definitely a project with a lot of unknowns. This '52 that ran and had great rear tires came up at a local auction. I test drove it and figured if I could buy it for the price of new tires it was a no-brainer and here I am. The hand clutch seems to work and I didn't have any rear weights yet.

The float stuck so badly when I tried to start it to load it on my trailer that it wouldn't start. It dumped gas everywhere. Winched it on and did get it started again at home. It'll need at least a carb rebuild, fluids, and some other TLC. The starter makes an awful clashing noise sometimes... maybe the pinion doesn't always fully engage so that needs looked into as well. I'm looking forward to setting up a cultivator and building a mounted planter to do 15" rows. I might have to put a WFE on it for that.

One thing I was not sure about: when I let the clutch pedal out in neutral, the engine lugs down a little and the tractor drives forward an inch or two, then acts like it should in neutral. Do I have a bearing going out somewhere in the trans, or something else? My other tractors don't do this even with cold oil, but I haven't driven a CA before.

What would cause it to want to move forward when in neutral though - the transmission gears shouldn't be engaged whether or not the engine clutch has rust or oil on it and is dragging, correct?

For example, I start the tractor in neutral with the clutch pedal in, then let off the clutch pedal after say 5-10 seconds, and it inches forward a tad and lugs the engine down slightly. I have not touched the gearshift.

what im wondering is if there is a problem with a bearing or ?? in the PTO ...the lever should be disengagning it from the spinning top shaft.

That is a good point. I checked the dipstick and it smells like gear oil. Gotta change that out to the right fluid and see if it makes a difference. Still seems like it shouldn't go forward as strongly as it does even if it's due to thick heavy oil.

Other Steve - will check on the PTO, hydraulic, etc. operation after I get the carb cleaned up.

I would have thought if the shifter/forks/etc. were worn or not in the right spot I'd more likely get some grinding... but maybe not. Maybe it's just applying a little bit of pressure on something, then with the thick oil it actually transmits enough power to move a bit?

SteveM C/IL wrote: What kinda lube is in it? I'd say it's just drag from gears on shafts trying to turn pinion.

That was my first thought as well; cold, sticky 90 wt can transfer a fair amount of viscous drag motion. The design of the CA transmission has the countershaft right down there in the oil and directly connected to the pinion rather than having the power flow back up to the mainshaft like a 'normal' transmission.