New Rebuild Start Up Questions

Hello All,
We are nearing the end of our refurbish of my great grandfathers 1948 TE20. As you can see in the picture, every nut and bolt on it has been gone through. The motor is a fresh rebuild and has not been started yet. We are looking for tips and ideas of how to make the start up go smoothly. Also, I used to have some documents stating what kind of fluids to use in transmission etc. but I cant seem to find them again. I know it mentioned mineral oil but to me that seems like old technology? I have the manuals but if memory serves, a lot of people had switched to using the same oil in the trans as the motor. 10w30 seems to be in my head but wanted to ask around before committing. I appreciate all thoughts and ideas and hope to have this 4 year project done before summer time!

That looks like a premier restoration job Langus
It is obviously clean inside and out so using new technology multigrade oil is not going to scour out any nasties lurking in corners that have sat there for sixty years .
New oil is like new paint , lasts longer and does a better job than anything made in the 1940's . All of the concerns with using new oil are to do with this cleaning and holding property , if I had such a well restored tractor as yours I would not want to use an oil that didn't keep the engine or gear box as clean as when it was put together .

If you can find a way to pump oil into the oil galley (through the port where the oil pressure gauge is connected), that will do 2 things. It will get oil where it needs to be for the first start up, and it will help get some oil into the oil pump. The oil pump is above the oil level, and if it wasn't packed with grease, it will start up dry and may not prime.

When I start a new engine, I like to get everything ready, fuel in the carb, static time the spark, hot battery. Crank it up and bring the RPM up around 1500-2000. Check the oil pressure! Don't want to idle it, you want to get the oil pumping and slinging around, especially if it has new cam and lifters. Let it run there 15 -20 minutes while you top up the coolant and check for leaks.

I see you already have the gas tank and valve cover on, but you'll want to reset the lifters after the initial start. I prefer to start it with the cover just sitting on so I can peek in and see the rockers are oiling. A lot of trouble with the gas tank and all, but better safe than sorry!

The oil, you'll want an oil with zinc additive for the flat tappet cam. The older diesel oil still has it. The newer automotive oil doesn't. For cold weather, I would use 10w30, warm 15w40. The 15w40 will work well in the transmission also.

(quoted from post at 22:27:56 03/25/15) That looks like a premier restoration job Langus
It is obviously clean inside and out so using new technology multigrade oil is not going to scour out any nasties lurking in corners that have sat there for sixty years .
New oil is like new paint , lasts longer and does a better job than anything made in the 1940's . All of the concerns with using new oil are to do with this cleaning and holding property , if I had such a well restored tractor as yours I would not want to use an oil that didn't keep the engine or gear box as clean as when it was put together .

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Thank you for the kind words Charles. It is clean in side and out and I think we are of the same thought of using the best materials we can. After all the work and money we have put into this, I don't want to cut corners on the last step! By the way. The attached pic is one I took the first day of tear down. No comparison!

Steve,
Thanks for the tips. I like the idea of getting oil to as many places as possible before the initial firing. I have an idea as to how to set the timing close enough to get it running but would you be willing to describe your steps of "setting the static spark"? I would be interested in reading that. I live in Iowa and will probably run 10w30 in the motor. I will check for the zinc additive (good tip) I have ran Delo 400 15w40 in some things around here. Any reason this wouldn't work for the transmission? It is actually a diesel oil but works well for many applications. Thanks again!

The static timing is simple, especially if it still has points.

Remove the #1 spark plug. Hold your thumb over the plug hole and hand turn the engine clockwise until you feel compression. Continue turning until the timing mark on the flywheel appears in the hole by the starter. Stop turning just as the mark enters the window.

Remove the distributor cap, the rotor should be pointing at the #1 terminal of the cap. If not, pull the distributor out far enough to turn the shaft until it points to the #1 terminal. Note the shaft will turn slightly as gear spirals into the cam gear, so compensate for that as you line it up.

With the housing clamp loose rotate the distributor housing counterclockwise (retard) so the rotor is between terminal #1 and #2. Then slowly rotate the housing clockwise (advance) while watching the points. Just as the points open, stop turning and snug the clamp. It is easier to see with the ignition on, watch for the points to spark or the coil to fire. If it has electronic ignition, do the same procedure, ignition on, turn and watch for the coil to fire. You will have to turn it a little faster to get it to fire, just keep repeating until you feel good about it. Remember, you set it while turning the housing clockwise, in the advance direction.

The Delo 400 does have the zinc additive, or last I checked it did. Might look it up to be sure. It's going away, getting harder to find because of emissions requirements.

I have heard the zinc is detrimental to brass and bronze components in the transmission. Not sure what kind of damage it is supposed to cause... Never seen it damage anything, but not even sure what to look for! Urban legend? I don't know...

The purpose of the zinc is to protect sliding steel or iron on steel applications, like flat tappet lifters, gears, etc. It doesn't bother me to put it in a transmission, but just my opinion!

The 15w40 is widely accepted as a replacement for the 90 weight mineral oil. The 90 weight is just too thick to work in the hydraulics in cold weather.

I don't think the zinc is a problem with bronze bushes and pump components , it is more likely to be the very harsh detergents found in diesel oils .

I have not yet tore down a tractor engine, but when I did older auto engines I would take out the distributor and use a drill to turn the oil pump to oil the engine before starting. I would also use a grease on the cylinder walls to help set the rings and prevent them from damage due to a dry start. Good luck.

Wow, thank you every body for explaining how you have done things. It is always good to get other ideas as you go! I know that the motor is assembled with assembly lube so we should not have a full "dry start" but I will for sure make sure we get oil all the way to the top before officially starting it.
Thank you for taking the time to discuss. It helps a lot!