Starting an old tractor in the cold...

[crw]

Well, the weenies from the county must have decided that it's too difficult for them to bother clearing my road.

I desperately need to get my tractor started. Ford 8N, 1951 vintage. I usually start it several times each winter and it has never let me down! But this year it just doesn't want to fire up.

The starter is working. I really think that something must be frozen up in the carb. But the carb is a little different than what you might see on an automotive carb. I can't (I don't think) just open up the top and spray some stuff in there.

It has new plugs, this past summer, and new points and condenser (right now).

I threw some seafoam in the gas to hopefully clear out any water in the system, if I can only get it started.

 

[IndyIan]

I assume its gas? Maybe take out the plugs and give a shot of starter fluid in each cylinder? That's what I've done on old sleds before. Also instead of seafoam, you need gasline antifreeze, basically just alcohol, to clear out water in fuel system. Hope you get it going.
Ian

 

[crw]

Thanks, that's what I was thinking.

I also started researching the old "oil bath" air filter system. I think I need to service this, get some lighter oil in there and clean it out. It could be starved for air, considering the cold oil in the filter. Of course a quick check of this would be to just take the bowl off and see if it starts.

 

[doitmyself]

You mention new points and condenser. Are you getting spark at the plugs? You might want to re-check this work, since this is the last thing you did.


"Frozen" fuel line/carburetor? You could take the fuel line fitting off at the carb to check for fuel flowing. Or, does that carb have a plug on the bottom to remove? I can't remember.

A heat lamp on the fuel lines would free them up. Don't blow yourself up!

There should be somewhere on the air intake side to squirt just a smidgeon of starter fluid....it only takes a little bit. I had to use starter fluid on my diesel tractor this morning, as much as I hate to.

Isn't winter fun?

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Original 6 volt or a 12 volt conversion?

If it's 6 volt make sure your connections are clean, bright and tight. Make sure your spark is bright blue with a "snap", not a yellowish spark.

 

[Drew99GT]

How cold is it? Might want to plum a Kat's block heater in there. Real easy to do with either an external tank heater or a lower radiator hose heater.

 

[Bulli]

take out the spark plugs, take them home and use a hair dryer to dry them and warm them up for about 5 minutes. Then go back and start it up. I bet it will fire. that's what i did with my 96 cavalier today because it wouldn't start.

 

[crw]

Lots of good suggestions...

It's a 6V system.

I am getting fuel to flow toward the carb. Not sure what happens inside there, however.

What exactly is starter fluid? I looked at my WalMart this morning, and didn't find anything.

 

[jldcol]

If you are going to remove plug to heat them, give them a smell, or just see if they are wet. If so then getting fuel to cylinders and spark or other issues is problems. With cold may not be cranking fast enough to start either.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: crw

What exactly is starter fluid? I looked at my WalMart this morning, and didn't find anything.


If you go to a real autoparts store they will have it. Basically starter fluid is stuff that goes pop easier than gasoline or diesel, so if your tractor has a weak spark, or is flooded, etc. starter fluid will get the engine moving atleast and hopefully the motor can keep going once underway.
I think it originated for starting diesels in cold weather, but most people use it in engines they use rarely just to get them going without properly fixing them... ie my rotortiller, needed for 3 hours a year, and I don't want to tear the old thing apart.
Ian

 

[rd]

Old trick from growing up on a farm in western ND. On cold mornings when you need to get the tractor started take a teakettle of boiling hot water out and pour all over carburetor and intake manifold to warm it up a bit stay away from the plugs and plug wires. Many times thats all you need to do the trick and it will start. No fire danger like heaters, heat lamps etc.

 

[rg200amp]

Ok, I will bite;

What kind of oil are you useing?

 

[Pop_Rivit]

A few things to check.

Make sure you have a solid blue spark that snaps. A yellow spark won't start it in the cold.

Try bypassing the key switch. The key switch is a known problem and, if original, is probably gunked up internally.

You don't have a filter but you do have 3 screens. Make sure all 3 are clean. Fuel flow should be fairly solid, not a trickle.

Try spraying WD-40 around the intake/exhaust manifold. They can develop a leak around the back cylinder and cause hard starting.

If you have good spark and fuel flow then it may be compression. N's will start OK on about 90# or more on each cylinder. Less than that and they won't start in the cold unless pulled.

All 4 of my N's start with the original 6 volt system in sub zero temps using Rotella 15w40. You don't need a block heater and N carbs aren't noted for freezing up unless your fuel has water issues.

 

[OVERKILL]

Do NOT use starter fluid. Ether is HORRIBLE for an engine.

Take the breather off, and dribble some gas into the carb to see if it'll at least try to catch.

If not, as suggested, check for spark.

We had a 9N.

Great old beasts. Dead-nuts reliable.

 

[eljefino]

If you can't find starter fluid some brake cleaner works... and some doesn't. If it's got all kinds of warnings about flammability on the can you've found the good stuff.

Also I don't know what you have for a choke but you can leave it open and choke the intake with a rag or your hand or what's handy... let a little air through but not much.

Should check if your plugs are wet with gas.

 

[mechtech2]

Try an auto parts store for starting fluid.
Oil bath carburetors depend on the restrictive oil to meter properly. But too thick is too thick. ATF is good.

 

[OVERKILL]

Dear Lord!

All these guys who are so insane about what oil they run in their engines and they are recommending ETHER?????

Go put some oil on your hand. Then spray it with ether. Now tell me you want that in your cylinders.

 

[crw]

I'm actually using 5w30, believe it or not.

Well I've tried almost everything except spark. It's strange because it always started right up in the past. This might be a dumb question, but how should I check for spark? Just take one of the wires off and hold it close to the block while cranking?

Right now I have the battery brought indoors, and I will charge it up. It is turning over slowly, and I've spent so much time cranking the battery is getting weak.

The oil bath air filter, wow, I probably let that run too long. It had an unbelieveable amount of crud in it. But it doesn't start, even with the filter removed.

Thanks for all the tips. As for the snow, the county finally plowed our road, so it's no longer a problem that needs to be solved immediately. The tractor itself is sitting in about 2.5 feet of snow.

 

[crw]

Oh, and yes, the plug that I pulled was wet.

Fuel is flowing, and I also drained the carb for good measure.

 

[eljefino]

For spark test pull a plug and lay its threads on the engine metal somewhere and hook it up to the plug wire. You don't want to be touching the wire, even the insulated part, with the 12,000 volts inside. (the insulation has been known to break down.)

Since you drained the carb I bet if you refilled it with fresh gas from an external source, charged the battery, and hit all the plugs with a hair dryer (or propane torch) it'll fire right up... provided you have spark.

Incidentally how many cylinders are on this tractor? 4?

Do you have a dwell meter? You mentioned messing with the points.

can you get an extention cord out to the tractor? All kinds of things you can do like a hair dryer blowing down the intake that might help.