Starting JD 4420 in the cold

Paul swpa

Member
Anyone have any tips or suggestions for running a JD 4420 in the icebox we're in now. I have a little corn to finish if the horned field rats leave any for me. Tried to start last Thursday before this last round of snow hit, but she wouldn't turnover. Had the block heater plugged in for 2 or 3 hours, temp was around 14 degrees F nights have been couple degrees either side of 0F. Had the batteries checked at Napa (only 17 months old) and they tested as good as new. Going to leave them in the shop til next good day to keep them warmer, maybe that would help. Thanks.
 
Plug the heater in overnight, then check to see if the block is warm and the heater is actually working.

If so, it should start as well as in summertime.
 
Thanks Bob. The block was getting warm the other day when I had the heater plugged in, so I think I just need to give it more time. I actually called the local Deere dealer that day and the service guy thought a couple hours would do, guess he was wrong. Thinking I should put a heater on the hydrolic tank as well too warm the oil a bit for the pumps. Was -6 degrees F this morning here. It will probably be a few days before I can try it again as the 3" of snow called for turned into a foot on Saturday. According to the weather people we got more snow than the sky slopes in the mountains. Paul
 
Besides the block heater, the only other thing you can easily do is put a battery charger on for a couple of hours. Should start like summer if the block is warm. Also, you might have problems with fuel jelling up if you still have N0 2 diesel in it when it's below zero. Al
 
If you can get the knipco up there, rum that on it for a couple hours then run it on the fuel tank for a while. During that time have the charger on the battery.
 
As was mentioned, plug it in for several hours. I'll second having some heat near the hydraulic oil reservoir and both of the hydraulic pumps. When it is that cold, running the reel drive pump without heating it up a little first will slip the drive belt. You will also need to run blended fuel, or straight #1. #2 will not work well with the fuel tank and electric pump hanging out in the cold away from the engine. I remember we ran a torpedo heater below the fuel tank to get the fuel flowing for our 4400 one cold winter day in 2009...once the machine was warmed up and had #1 fuel mixed in, it worked fine. But it takes some patience to get to that point.

Lon
 
Brain must be getting froze - meant ski not sky slopes. I think my fuel should be good, never had a problem before in the tractors (fuel tanks are all in the back, not near the engines), but then they don't have electric pumps on them either so I guess we'll see.
 
Thanks for the responses. I have never been this late trying to get a crop in since we started shelling corn a few years ago. Only had to ear pick in this kind of weather a time or two, but was still not this late.
 
OK. I had never heard of it in my area. Thanks.

Looks like it will be awhile before it gets fit to shell anyway. Keeps snowing almost every day and I would sooner have the snow off the corn so I don't create more problems for myself. Besides it seems every heater or stove we have craps out at the worst time - gas lines even froze up to the houses today. I would like to have a warm house more than get the little bit of corn left finished. Hopefully there will still be some when it gets fit again.
 
You can put a thermostat on the intake manifold. It ignites fuel in the intake manifold. Buy one on fleeebay and you will be good to go. Don't get the very cheapest one.
On our 3040, we could actually warm it until 20-30s (starting switch turn left instead of right), then you will hear a "pop" in the intake due to sudden burning of the fuel, right then you turn switch full left (hitting and starting position) and it would fire right up even at 10F.

Not sure if the pop was good, but that tractor had 18000 hours when he left the farm and was untouched on motor, clutch (which was not considered a foot rest) and tranny. Same motor than 4420.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top