How a diesel used to start....

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08-30-2008 | 06:19 PM

#16

wannadiesel

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From: New Holland, PA

I bet it would run just fine. Low compression keeps 'em from knocking.

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08-30-2008 | 10:43 PM

#17

96_12V

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From: Northern Iowa

Quote:

Originally Posted by C Schomer

Dad was an IHC man so I grew up with an F-20 an M and a Super C. I didn't know anything about JDs and I always wondered why they had two stacks! That JD R looks like a hefty tractor for those days. I wonder if it origonally had rubber or if it was converted from iron wheels. Craig

I think the second stack (the green one) is actually an air inlet or air cleaner stack, not actually used with the pony motor.

You're right, a 35 hp tractor then wasn't anything like a 35 hp tractor (or even an 85 hp tractor) is these days.

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08-31-2008 | 09:47 AM

#18

Diesel Doc

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From: Oak Hills CA- Elizabeth City NC

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danavilla

I have a 1916 Fairbanks-Morse 3HP engine that's designed to run on kerosene. Nomenclature refers to it as an "oil engine". You put about 1/2 cup of gas in the mixer bowl (like a carburetor) and start it up. After a minute or so warmup, you switch over to kerosene and then it would run all day at about 400 RPM.

At least that's what it did 50 years ago when it had more compression.

Now I doubt it would run on kero. but it still fires up on gas.

Dan

Most of the older John Deere letter series tractors like the B were all fuel engines they have a small fuel tank for gasoline for starting and shutdown once you reach about 210deg you switch over to Kerosene and then she runs around 230-240 deg all day. The all fuel engines had low compression in the 4.5:1 ballpark. The gas only engines ran around 7:1.

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09-01-2008 | 04:23 PM

#19

Danavilla

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From: Manteca, CA

Some of my older relatives (I'm 66) refer to the fuel used by these old engines as "stove top". Nearly every farm had kerosene for lamps, etc., even if they didn't have a car or tractor that used gasoline.

During WWII, a lot of tractors were switched back to iron wheels because rubber tires were virtually impossible to buy. And because of gas rationing, "stove top" occasionally found it's way into car fuel tanks.

Dan

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09-02-2008 | 06:48 AM

#20

bhaugen

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From: Harwood ND

Starting with the Pony engine takes too long. We just rolled ours down a hill and started it that way. We used an R on the Farm until 1980. Great tractor.

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