Bringing a C125 back to life

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,353]

Finally decided to start a thread on my progress with the C125. I bought this little tractor a few months back from a local guy (heard it advertise on a buy/sell/trade radio program we have...called on it and happened I knew the owner personally, he was an ex girlfriends uncle lol). The engine has been previously rebuilt with low hours on it...but Tommy had hacked a lot of things up on the poor girl, such as the pto driven alternator, 14" car tires, and THAT exhaust . It's been a long process getting her where she is today, and will be an even longer process getting her to where I want her to be. This is the tractor as she set the day she came home

Few days after bringing her home I decided to change the rear tires...the original turf tires and wheels came with the tractor, but would not hold air. Borrowed the tears off my 701 that's currently in pieces...looks kinda funny but more functional than the car tires 

After that came the task of dealing with that hideous exhaust. Had this old stack laying around that came off a friend's Massey Ferguson 135...figured it had to look better than that thing that was on there...turned out better than expected...i love the look and sound of it

Edited October 18, 2017 by Professor1990

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,353]

After the exhaust fix, the tractor and I both got a break. Took a new job driving a truck in the oilfield...suddenly I had the money for my projects, but didn't have the time. Finally got a day off work, happened to be my birthday so I treated my self to a new seat for the old girl. Looks so much better and so much easier on the old backside. For those of you wondering I picked this seat up at Atwoods (it's a farm and ranch store we have here, similar to Tractor Supply but much better prices) for $54.99, direct bolt on replacement and very comfy

Then came the wiring. Its by no means factory correct or perfect but it's functional and much cleaner looking than what was in there. Isn't that belt tensioner the finest piece of redneck ingenuity you've ever seen 

[SylvanLakeWH 26,148]

Love the Black Hoods!

 

[Achto 27,913]

Looks it's starting to come along nicely.

[953 nut 56,165]

            Bit by bit you are getting there.

[ebinmaine 68,874]

What they said. 

Keep postin'.... Love watching as people fix up their rigs.

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,353]

After I got the wiring done...then came time for new rear tires. I opted to go with Hi-Run 23x10.50-12 ag tires for the rear. Picked them up at Tractor Supply for  $89.99 a piece. Here is one of the new tires beside the tractor, and one beside the old rotted original 23x8.50-12 turf tires

 

It turned out to be quite a chore discounting the old tires from the wheels. They were rusted on so badly I ended up having to cut them off. These pictures are from that fun filled afternoon.

 

After all the trouble I went through getting the old ones off I decided to go ahead and have our local tire shop mount the new ones. Charged me $20 for both of them, money well spent in my opinion. I them loaded them with 6.5 gallons of winter blend windshield washer fluid per tire. Did this step myself, started with one of those little inline pumps that runs off a drill. Burnt it up on the first tire, ended up using an old RV water pump I had laying around to finish them.

 

A couple after the first one was on the tractor to compare it with what was on there.

 

And finally with both new tires on. Haven't got to really work her yet but I think I'm going to be really happy with these

Edited October 30, 2017 by Professor1990

[ebinmaine 68,874]

On 10/30/2017 at 4:23 PM, Professor1990 said:

Haven't got to really work her yet but I think I'm going to be really happy with these

 Oh yeah you will.

I made a very similar change to the B80.

Like a whole different machine.

[JPWH 6,147]

@Professor1990 did you mount them on the stock 7 1/2" rims? They look good.

Jay

[12Horse Paladin 1,038]

1 hour ago, JPWH said:

@Professor1990 did you mount them on the stock 7 1/2" rims? They look good.

Jay

 

I'm new @ this, and would really like to know, too....haven't quite figured out, size wise, how much tire I could possibly get away with, on stock rims.

 

And FWIW...a BlackHood is also on my short list, of WH's to own

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,353]

2 hours ago, JPWH said:

@Professor1990 did you mount them on the stock 7 1/2" rims? They look good.

Jay

 

1 hour ago, 12Horse Paladin said:

 

I'm new @ this, and would really like to know, too....haven't quite figured out, size wise, how much tire I could possibly get away with, on stock rims.

 

And FWIW...a BlackHood is also on my short list, of WH's to own

Yes they are mounted on the stock 7 1/2" rims. The bigger tires were actually a mistake, when I bought them I thought my originals were 10.50s...got home and found out they were 8.50s...then I remembered it was the JD 212 I had for a while that had the 10.50s on it lol. I wasn't sure how they would turn out but I'm happy with them

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,353]

Got tires tired of looking at the ugly cracked plastic fenders, so borrowed the set off my C141 for a while...its going to be a LONG time before the 141 is up and running...figurevi will be able to find another set to go on the 125 sometime in the future. Really like the looks of the metal pan a lot better.

[woodchuckfarmer 333]

I put a 500 series fender pan on my black hood. It looks more like the original            Wayne.

[AMC RULES 37,141]

 Definitely looking much better...

...what took you so long?   

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,353]

3 hours ago, woodchuckfarmer said:

I put a 500 series fender pan on my black hood. It looks more like the original            Wayne.

planning on finding a set off of a 300, 400, or 500 series to permanently mount on here as these will eventually have to go back on the C141 when I get around to getting it running. Just put these on temporarily to get a feel of whether or not I was going to like the looks of them before I went out and bought a set.

 

2 hours ago, AMC RULES said:

 Definitely looking much better...

...what took you so long?   

Not sure what took me so long...but glad I finally did it 

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,353]

Been a while since I've updated y'all on the progress with the C125...have since mounted the tiller that came with the C141 and new front tires as well...working in a tire shop now definitely has its perks...got two new Carlisle tires for less than the price of 1 at regular price

 

 

Also did a little bit of dress up under the hood...little too much black under there for my liking

[ebinmaine 68,874]

6 minutes ago, Professor1990 said:

little bit of dress up under the hood

I like it!

 

[Tuneup 1,433]

Wonderful to see another dealing well with correcting the red-necking. They may have done wrong in many ways but the big plus is that that tinkering kept her around! You're doing all the right things - great to watch.