cold blooded IH gassers

Looking for some insight here as to why IH gas tractors are so miserable to try to start when the temp gets around freezing, I grew up with lots of stuff with IH diesels, 414s 436s and 466s and they were always good starters even unplugged or no either, makes no sense to me how good running gas engines are so cold blooded, where my allis chalmers wd 45 and C will start easily in the cold...
Looking for some ideas, insight or tricks to go on.
 
my ih544 is a gas with no plug in or other heat. Sits in an unheated shed and always starts. I live in northern Wisconsin with some cold winters. Full choke and hit the starter. Fires right up. It does take awhile to warm up to get the choke all the way off.
 
The BA I built starts easy all year round. My IH584 if it gets below freezing needs to be plugged in but it is a diesel. Never have tried to start the Hs or the M or the 300U in the winter.

A lot of it has to do with getting things set up just right to have any engine to start In the cold. My S88 Oliver starts easy all year round and most of the time you cannot get your hand off the starter button fast enough
 

My Farmall Hs and M always start right up. Sometimes a little more choke is required if it is REALLY cold. AFTER they start I still need to play with the choke until the engines are warmed up just a bit. Sometimes it takes more choke to keep them running than it did to get them started.
 
my h, m's and w-9 are good starters in the winter. you have to be careful because they do flood easily. i set the throttle about 1/4 to 1/2 open, pull the choke and spin it over once, maybe twice and push the choke in. they generally start right there, then feather the choke until it smooths out. if you spin it over much more than that, you will see gas dripping out of the carb.
 
I've been fighting this problem on a new to me 656. My problem, and guessing yours too, is a good hot spark when cranking. When cranking, the starter button should by-pass any type of resistor used in the circuit when running. Do an experiment and take a jumper lead from the positive battery terminal (I used the bat. post on the solenoid) to the + side of the coil. Then try starting. My 656 popped right off. I then traced the problem, with help from guys on here, that it was my starter solenoid.
 
I have a 666. Sits outside but, it is covered up. I take off the tarp, pull the choke and start it. Starts very easy. That's why I bought a gas tractor was for the winter. Is the heat riser in the manifold working properly or not? Seems to make a big difference if not. I would check that. Also have an H. That starts well also and is still 6 volt.
 
I have a 656 Gas, and am familiar with the situation. Make sure your ignition system is up to snuff. Mine was corroding the points, rotor, and cap once a year. As it got more corroded, you guessed it, hard starting. Situation seems better since I put an electronic ignition in it. What oil are you using? 30wt oil is pretty hard to move at freezing temperatures, I usually put a quality 10w-30 in for the winter. I could get scolded for that, but I put very few hours on the tractor. It'll crank faster and start better with multi viscosity oil. Next, are you running it on premium gas and tuned the carburetor on that fuel? I've only ever used 92 octane, by advise, and all has been well for me. Timing would make a difference, is it a little off? Lastly, and I know every tractor has different habits, but mine when cold will only start with the throttle at low Idle, and full choke. once it pops, I can bump the throttle up, and usually it's running. After a few minutes of warm up, it'll have power and I can go about my work. Even so, It'll still sputter a little until the manifold warms up some. I have 2 friends with this same series of engines also, another 656, and a 756. The 756 is more forgiving for some reason, but the other 656 acts almost identical to mine. Like I said, the electronic ignition helped mine out, but as long as you've recently filed or replaced your points, cleaned the rotor and cap, it should start fairly well down to about 0F. At least mine will. -Andy
 
I guess I should add, that I assume you are referring to the 6 cylinders. We've got a C, Super C, had an M, and ours all start and run great in the cold. I've not heard anyone complain about the 4 cylinder engines and hard starting. -Andy
 
I?ve never had a problem starting my 706 in any cold temperatures, that?s the main reason I bought it. As long as it is kept tuned up and has a fully charged battery, it fires up on the first or second try easily.
 
The 2 tractors I have are a 560 gas and 300 utility, the 560 has a fresh overhaul electronic ignition a tank full of 92 octane bp gas from its own pump and a oil pan full of IH low ash 30wt oil and a valve adjustment along with a working fixed heat riser...
The 300 utility is a miserable turd to start in the cold and always has been so I don't try.
Im in South east Iowa by the way, cold but not Minnesota or Wisconsin cold,lol!!!
 
I guess I'm just a "softie", I always plug-in the coolant heater,(sometimes also magnetic oil pan heater) for a couple of hours when my '53 Super W-4
will be required for loader-bucket snow clearing duty. Starting procedure same as summer i.e. one quarter open throttle
then get him spinning 'BEFORE' introducing any choke! Ignoring or trying to bypass this fundamental technique will
inevitably result in my spending a self-deprecating and unproductive half-hour while waiting for carburetor flooding recovery.
My main reason for pre-heating my old workhorse is to minimize wear and tear on it....BUT, Winter's in my neck of the woods,(Manitoba)
are world-renowned for their colder than Arctic temperatures, tractor is tarp-covered only and really couldn't be expected
to start reliably without pre-heating.
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I have a 300 row crop that I use in the winter occasionally. It has a pertronics ignition kit and is 12 volts. It always starts instantly but is very cold blooded . I have to let it run at least ten to fifteen minutes before I even try to move it or even moving a hydraulic lever it will try to stall. If I run it with the choke out two thirds it does a little better. After it runs about a half hour I can push the choke in.
 
I've never seen a gas IH tractor that didn't fire right up in cold weather. I always thought they started better in cold than in hot weather.

A friend has a 300 with loader. It still has points and condenser. It fires up as soon as you turn the key.
 
If you have a gas IH that won't start when cold you need to look real hard if you may have fuel delivery or ignition issues. Never seen an IH gas motor that would not start when cold unless there is something wrong
 
In my experience, the 6-cylinders start just fine in the winter, but there's a lot of finessing the choke until they warm up.

Usually with an older 4-cylinder you only need to touch the choke once, the first time you let the clutch out.

If you're waiting 15 minutes, you need to do some tuning. Freshen up the ignition, get the timing right, make sure it's firing on all 4 cylinders, and adjust your carburetor a little bit richer, I'd say.
 
My 300 has always been hard to start below freezing. Once it starts I only have to run it for a minute or so and then I can put it to work, unless the temperatures are below 0 and then it takes a few minutes to warm up. My best results starting the 300 are to set the throttle about 1/4 open, choke fully closed, turn the gas on at the tank and when it pops if it doesn't stay running I put the throttle all the way to idle and it will usually fire again and stay running. If it's in the teens or below I remove the #2 and 3 spark plugs, pour about a tablespoon of chainsaw mix gas in each cylinder, put the plugs back in and proceed as above. Once it runs for more than 3 or 4 seconds it will run all day, and I can shut it off and start it again with no problem, it's just that first start that's really hard. Above freezing it will usually start the first time I push the button, unless it has been sitting for a couple of weeks or longer and than it can take a bit of cranking to get it started.
Zach
 
Guess ya need someone that knows how to work on them and tune them properly . My S/H will start down to -30 below on a 6 volt with 30 weight oil but refuses to start a -35 , my old 460 gas stared during the blizzard of 78 setting out in the open on top of a hill in -35 first hit with 30 weight oil , my 67 706 gasser started down that cold after setting for several months with out being run . Now are you going to just stuff them in gear and go , NO but give them a few min. warm up and there ready to do what ever . All my close friends have farmall gassers and they are the go to tractors for dairy operation during the winter and not once have i ever been called to get one of them going during the cold winter days . But they do get good tune ups every year . Just stuffing a set of plugs in and points is NOT a tune up , makes for a good start but a tune up is more then that .
 
New sleeves,rings,pistons,pins,pin bushings,valves guides cut down and the perfect circle valve seals put on, valve adjustment, electronic ignition, 92 octane gas,carb pulled apart soaked passages cleaned out with torch tip cleaners or fine wire,then blown out with compressed air every which way, oh and the heat riser fixed..
Does all that count for a "good tune-up"??
 
I have heard on here many time they will start better with regular gas. That's all I ever use in our C, with a little diesel added to prevent corrosion and it starts great.
 
If you really read TV's post, you will understand what he said...which was absolutely nothing. A lot of talk about tractors starting in polar cold...maybe they did maybe they did not. I hate posts like that because they educate no one. Not saying he is not a talented mechanic...he is. Not saying he doesn't help a lot of people with their tractor problems...he does.

Just not this time.
 
I think the vet just got tired of listening to peoples answers and had to throw something out there. I too believe the IH tractors are great starters in cold weather. Everyone seems to have their own way of getting them going and if it works for them that is all that is necessary.

If I was there I think I could throw original poster a few ideas but would have to observe his starting technique and how the engine was reacting to his way of doing things. Might just be the choke is not closing all the way. Maybe the relief valve in the choke butterfly is gone or has a weak spring. Who knows. Not to get into oil arguments, but the weight of the oil is one of the very very very most important details often over looked. We don't want to be carrying different oils on hand. I give out poor information at times and so do you. Have read many of your answers.
 

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