cold start reccomedation(s)

Hi everyone,

Looking for any additional tricks or suggestions on cold starts.
My 52 8n 6v sidemount is a complete bear to star when it gets
really cold. Ok in virginia that means sub 20 degrees becomes
hard starting for me. 6v treats me great 90 percent of the year
and trying to keep things budgeted hasnt allowed or
necessitated a 12v conversion. Anyway every time I try to start
her when it gets cooold its darn near impossible and I spend
what seems like an hr trying to jump start it off a running
vehicle. A spare 12v battery I have never even seems to give
her enough. I have read the two rumpa rumpa rule but just dont
seem to have much luck. Anyway suggestions? I am running
straight 30 weight oil is that to tough on it until it gets really
warmed up and therefore causing hard starting? Thanks

I would do an oil change first off. 30W oil is darn thick which it is 20 out side. I would try a 10W-40 and see if that helps. Of course a good tuned engine helps a lot also and a good blue/white spark that jumps a 1/4 inch gap helps also

No matter what else you do, the battery must be fully charged. A float charger is helpful. If you need to jump it, see tip # 43. No, it doesn’t need to be 12v. Plenty of N’s start just fine on 6v in below 0* temps. (* see below)

Your battery loses 33 percent of its power when the temperature dips below freezing, and over 50 percent of its power when the temperature falls below zero. A fully charged battery will not freeze until -76°F; however, a fully discharged battery can start to freeze at 32°F. So……keep the battery fully charged!

Clean grounds & battery terminals are always important. Don’t forget to loosen the starter from the block (see tip # 36) and polish the block & all starter mating surfaces w/ sandpaper to insure a good electrical ground.

If you can’t remember the last time you replaced the battery cables, it’s time to do it. Just because the terminals are clean doesn’t mean there is no corrosion under the insulation. And, this is another case where size matters (see tip # 41)

A charged battery, clean grounds & new cables aren’t going to mean much if the tractor needs a tune-up. At a minimum, every fall, remove the cap, check the points for pitting or burning, re-gap them & put a dab of lube on the cam. (BTW…..if you’ve wondered why some folks get years of use out of a set of points…….this is one of the reasons).

Things that aren’t all that important in warm weather become serious when it gets cold…like timing. A few degrees of timing either way at 60 or 70* isn’t likely to result in a “no-start” situation. Well, it can at 10 or 20*. Check the timing!

Distributor gaskets are important on a sidemount & critical on a frontmount. As is the gasket under the coil. Just like with the battery cables….if you can’t remember when you replaced the gaskets, do it this year.

Push the clutch in when you start the engine (tip # 29)

Pull the air cleaner cup & check for ice.

This tip won’t make it start easier, but it will make it run better: turn the main jet out ½ to 1 full turn for cold weather operating. Cold air is denser so you need a richer mixture.

While each N has its own starting sequence, none of them will start well by just yanking out the choke rod & holding it out for 5 or 10 seconds while the engine cranks. This is a gravity fuel system on a low compression engine; it is easily flooded by too much choke.

Try this:

Key on, gas on 2 full turns, clutch in, 3/4 throttle, press the starter button. Let it crank for at least 3 - 4 seconds before you pull the choke rod. Then, don't hold it out for more than 2 or 3 seconds.

If you find out it will not start w/o excessive choking, you have problems.

If you flood it, the plugs are fouled & it will be it next to impossible to start. Replace the plugs. You don't need to toss them; heat the tips for a few seconds w/ a propane torch to burn off the invisible spark-robbing deposits from today's additive filled gasoline........or wash them in lacquer thinner.

Folks who live in places a lot colder than I do here in VA will argue about battery blankets or magnetic oil pan heaters as compared to lower radiator hose heaters or dipstick heaters. I can’t offer a personal observation; the only thing I’ve ever used to heat an engine was a 100w light bulb laid against the intake manifold. Freeze plug heaters are difficult to find for N’s because of the limited space in the water jacket. Magnetic oil pan heaters on the intake manifold will help as well.

While water in gas today is unusual because of all the ethanol, it’s not unheard of. The problem stems from what’s called ‘phase separation’ in the gasoline. The alcohol binds to the water & it settles in the bottom of your tank. The way to mitigate that is to keep the tank FULL. Less air means less moisture in the tank for the alcohol to absorb. If you’re lucky enough to live in a state where you can buy ethanol free gas (and it does not require a bank loan to do it) then add alcohol to the gasoline. (e.g., “HEET”) Otherwise, the 10% ethanol in the gas is more than enough to deal w/ the water.

*This is one of my favorite quotes regarding cold weather starts:

"kilroy

07-25-2009 19:19:52
72.13.217.35
724129 <http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=nboard&th=724129>

my 48 8n is 6v with points in a front mount, and at -30 it fires right up, no block heater, just have to tend the choke for a minute. Have run in the rain and snow and have never had to dry the disributer, just used all the little gaskets and guess it sealed up. I like the points because if they do get wet, dry them, they work again, dont know if the electronics are that way but they cost alot more to replace than points I'm sure"
75 Tips

Hi 52fordredbelly,

There are three things that I must do before my '47 8N front mount will start when it's cold.

First, a RADIATOR/BLOCK HEATER is installed in the lower radiator hose. By circulating warm water, the block retains some of that heat and helps the oil temperature too.

Two, a FULLY CHARGED BATTERY is needed, to provide enough juice to run the starter, AND to provide enough power to fire your sparkies when the starter is running. When I shut down, I always hook up a 1.5 amp battery charger and leave it on till I next use the tractor.

Third, I have a HEAT BULB in a hanging socket that I put directly between the manifold and carb. I believe this helps the gas to vaporize.

Trying these things may help your starting issues. It sure makes a difference with my 8N.

Gunny, in Iowa

When jump starting a 6 volt tractor with 12 volts it not necessary to hook the 12 volts to the 6 volts battery at all. As a matter of fact I strongly recommend against it.
Instead hook the 12 volts directly to the frame of the tractor for the ground and with the transmission in neutral and out of the way of the wheels of the tractor so you don't get run over touch the other cable from the 12 volt source to the post on the starter.
By doing it this way you don't even have to worry about the polarity of the batteries or which cable you have to ground or positive to the frame or the starter as the 6 volt system is not intered into at all with the 12 volts. Just turn on the switch and touch the hot cable to the starter post and it will go.

52fordredbelly,Like old said change the oil to 10w40.Some other things that would help without a big expense would be depress and hold/block down the clutch petal. Keep battery on a charger/jump starter with 12 volt car/truck.Heat intake manifold up well with a propane torch/be careful with the flame around dripping gas from the carb,But this really works good on really cold days to help start!Then comes Water heaters,pan heaters ect.

(quoted from post at 16:44:42 02/16/15) Hi everyone,

Looking for any additional tricks or suggestions on cold starts.
My 52 8n 6v sidemount is a complete bear to star when it gets
really cold. Ok in virginia that means sub 20 degrees becomes
hard starting for me. 6v treats me great 90 percent of the year
and trying to keep things budgeted hasnt allowed or
necessitated a 12v conversion. Anyway every time I try to start
her when it gets cooold its darn near impossible and I spend
what seems like an hr trying to jump start it off a running
vehicle. A spare 12v battery I have never even seems to give
her enough. I have read the two rumpa rumpa rule but just dont
seem to have much luck. Anyway suggestions? I am running
straight 30 weight oil is that to tough on it until it gets really
warmed up and therefore causing hard starting? Thanks

Click to expand...

Changin to a multtigrade oil is a good suggestion but SAE 10W40 is virtually the same as SAE 30 at the temps you are dealing with. I'd suggest SAE 5W30 or even better SAE 5W20 for temps below freezing. Fords recommendation in 1950 was SAE 20W below freezing. - and please note that is SAE 20W - not SAE 20!!! Below 10F the recommendation was SAE 10W

TOH

my 48 8n is 6v with points in a front mount, and at -30 it fires right up.
When was that January 1985?

RedBelly........in 1939, Ford spec'd 6-qts of 30wt detergent oil and recommended adding 1-qt of kerosine fer COLD weather starting. Modern multi-weight oil is so much better. While many of the guys recommend 10-30wt, (which is 10wt oil plus additives that make it act like 30wt oil when HOT) I advocate 20-40wt oil fer year around, but use 20-50 'cuz thats what I use in ALL my vehicles including 1969 BMW 2002 with semi-race engine and 387K miles. I change once a year with NEW filter. CAUTION: that 3-in oilpan plug really sprays oil. And yes, there is supposed to be a screen that fits the oil suck'em-up tube. I use a 3x4-ft black plastic pan that the hardware stores sell fer mixin' cement. It just fits under the oilpan and has 6"-sides.

As fer yer cold start problems, cold oil ain't really yer problem, COLD CARBURETOR is yer problem. And while yer M/S carbie has a spring loaded choke to use while starting, I recommend a 100w litebulb laid on yer intake manifold next to yer carbie fer 1/2-hr. The vary act of carburetion takes HEAT outta the air.

You DOUBT? Check yer lite airplanes like Piper-Cubs. Upon approach, the pilot pulls a lever called "Carb Heat". Just what you don't want is iced-up carbie when you need power fer "go-around".

And surprizingly enuff, 12-volts on 6-volt starter motor don't hurt it. Make certain yer in NEUTRAL and ignition key ON, and 1/3-throttle, and a QUICK pull on spring loaded choke after 2-rumpa-rumps. .......HTH, Dell

That's a long time to get it started. Good advise here. Multi-viscosity oil helps especially for start-up lube. Bruce's advice on connections and points needs to be heeded and I would add to get a coolant heater for the lower radiator hose. I slid the patio door open this morning and plugged it in, went down 1 hour later and it fired right up.

(quoted from post at 13:44:42 02/16/15)
Looking for any additional tricks or suggestions on cold starts.
Ok in virginia that means sub 20 degrees becomes
hard starting for me.

I am running
straight 30 weight oil

Click to expand...

i'd run 5w-30. in fact, that's what i do run (8n side mount). started it yesterday to remove the foot of snow we got saturday night, and the temperature was 8*. as noted, these all start a little differently, and you have to find a way that works. my battery is 6v, in good condition. i turn the gas on 1.5 full turns. full choke. throttle to the minimum setting. clutch pedal pushed in. hit the starter button. rumba-rumba and it's on, quickly push choke in to about 1/2 way, and slowly bring throttle up to about 1/2 way to 3/4 way. i don't use any heat, ether, blankets. tractor sits outside, and it starts. i play with the choke rod for a minute or so, finding the "best" running position for whatever the throttle is set for. as it warms up, less choke needed.

for dad's 2n (6v front), similar procedure. no ether, heat, etc. throttle to minimum, full choke, clutch in, and rumba and it's on (starts better than my 8n - probably because it has lower compression). i've started his in -22* temperatures, too. haven't had those temps while i've owned the 8n, so i don't know about it.

on both tractors, i've never had success starting them in cold weather by pressing the starter button and letting it turn over a few times without the choke pulled out. i always use full choke, and they start. as far as i know, i've never taken the plugs out to burn deposits off of them or dry them - period.

i disagree with dell about 10w-30 being the same as 10wt oil. 10w-30 is an oil having a viscosity number of 30, same as "straight 30" oil. the 10w means it has characteristics of a 10 "grade" oil at cold temperatures, but when warmed up, will have characteristics of the actual grade - the second number in the multi-grade terminology (30, 40, 50 or whatever it happens to be). for this reason, i don't use 10w-30 or 10w-40, because the temps i see are too cold, thus the 5w-30. 20w-50 would be barely different (for my climate) than your "straight" 30.

same with TOH's suggestion re: using 5w-20 instead of 5w-30. for starting puroses, there shouldn't be any difference - both have the characteristics of a 5 grade, whereas the 20 will have a lower viscosity at operating temperature than the 30. better to use a 0w-30 if you could find it, but for your temps in the high teens or 20s, 5w-20 or 5w-30 should be fine.

wally

(quoted from post at 19:24:59 02/16/15)

(quoted from post at 13:44:42 02/16/15)
Looking for any additional tricks or suggestions on cold starts.
Ok in virginia that means sub 20 degrees becomes
hard starting for me.

I am running
straight 30 weight oil

Click to expand...

i'd run 5w-30. in fact, that's what i do run (8n side mount). started it yesterday to remove the foot of snow we got saturday night, and the temperature was 8*.
.
.
.

i disagree with dell about 10w-30 being the same as 10wt oil. 10w-30 is an oil having a viscosity number of 30, same as "straight 30" oil. the 10w means it has characteristics of a 10 "grade" oil at cold temperatures, but when warmed up, will have characteristics of the actual grade - the second number in the multi-grade terminology (30, 40, 50 or whatever it happens to be). for this reason, i don't use 10w-30 or 10w-40, because the temps i see are too cold, thus the 5w-30. 20w-50 would be barely different (for my climate) than your "straight" 30.

same with TOH's suggestion re: using 5w-20 instead of 5w-30. for starting puroses, there shouldn't be any difference - both have the characteristics of a 5 grade, whereas the 20 will have a lower viscosity at operating temperature than the 30. better to use a 0w-30 if you could find it, but for your temps in the high teens or 20s, 5w-20 or 5w-30 should be fine.

wally

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More or less dead on but except for extreme heat Ford never thought the N-series needed a grade 30 oil. The chart is from the 1950 Owners Manual.

TOH

PS&gt; Might want to ask Dell to explain why Ford thought there was a temperature performance difference in SAE 20 and SAE 20W ;-) After all they are both "real 20 weight oils" with none of those pesky polymers mixed in ;-)

(quoted from post at 16:34:53 02/16/15)
Dead on but Ford never thought the N-series needed a grade 30 oil except in extreme heat. From the 1950 Owners Manual.

TOH

PS&gt; Might want to ask Dell to explain why Ford thought there was a temperature performance difference in SAE 20 and SAE 20W ;-) After all they are both "real 20 weight oils" with none of

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no doubt re: the 20 and 20w suggestion by ford. plenty of mistakes, or misunderstanding, of what the numbers mean in multi-grade oil speak by many manufacturers. my 87 4runner owners manual suggests using 10w-30 for temps ranging from 20* to 90*, and suggests using 5w-30 for temps lower than 20*, but not to use the 5w-30 for temps above 60. operationally, there is no difference at ambient temperature of 60* and up for the 5w-30 vs 10w-30. both will perform the same. the only difference is for cold temperature starting.

wally

(quoted from post at 20:03:37 02/16/15)

(quoted from post at 16:34:53 02/16/15)
Dead on but Ford never thought the N-series needed a grade 30 oil except in extreme heat. From the 1950 Owners Manual.

TOH

PS&gt; Might want to ask Dell to explain why Ford thought there was a temperature performance difference in SAE 20 and SAE 20W ;-) After all they are both "real 20 weight oils" with none of

Click to expand...

no doubt re: the 20 and 20w suggestion by ford. plenty of mistakes, or misunderstanding, of what the numbers mean in multi-grade oil speak by many manufacturers. my 87 4runner owners manual suggests using 10w-30 for temps ranging from 20* to 90*, and suggests using 5w-30 for temps lower than 20*, but not to use the 5w-30 for temps above 60. operationally, there is no difference at ambient temperature of 60* and up for the 5w-30 vs 10w-30. both will perform the same. the only difference is for cold temperature starting.

wally

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That is an common misconception. See the viscosity curves below as an example of how the cold weather performance can vary drastically for different 5Wxx grades. The curves are for Mobil 1 full synthetic.

And one good reason for recommending 10W30 over 5W30 in hot conditions is to guard against high temperature high shear viscosity loss. There is a difference - albeit small.

TOH

PS&gt; There was no misunderstanding on Ford's part about the performance differences between SAE 20W, and SAE 20. If they were the same there would not be a SAE 20W20 multi-grade oil which is a different animal and does exist in today's world ;-)

(quoted from post at 17:32:51 02/16/15) The curves are for Mobil 1 full synthetic.

And one good reason for recommending 10W30 over 5W30 in hot conditions is to guard against high temperature high shear viscosity loss. There is a difference - albeit small.

Click to expand...

i'll take your word for it about the high temperature performance of 5w-30 vs 10w-30, that's beyond what i've researched.

i am not surprised that the 5wxxx have different viscosity values at different temperatures. they are different viscosity oils. does the chart represent just that? or is it representative of the flow characteristics of each of the oil grades at cold temps, since that is what the 5w is all about?

wally

Dell: not to start an argument, but I would like to see you start your Ford with the 20-50 oil and bulb on the carb sitting in the same shed as my super C Farmall With 5w-20 oil at -25 sometime. PS Still 6 volts. That 20w50 is like gun grease when it gets cold.

That's a good way to ruin the threads on the stud or if the connection isn't good, it will melt the solder loose on the windings inside. Put the clamp on the nut of the stud 1st making sure it has a good grip, then touch the other cable to ground. Helps to block the clutch pedal down too.

(quoted from post at 20:56:05 02/16/15)

(quoted from post at 17:32:51 02/16/15) The curves are for Mobil 1 full synthetic.

And one good reason for recommending 10W30 over 5W30 in hot conditions is to guard against high temperature high shear viscosity loss. There is a difference - albeit small.

Click to expand...

i'll take your word for it about the high temperature performance of 5w-30 vs 10w-30, that's beyond what i've researched.

i am not surprised that the 5wxxx have different viscosity values at different temperatures. they are different viscosity oils. does the chart represent just that? or is it representative of the flow characteristics of each of the oil grades at cold temps, since that is what the 5w is all about?

wally

Click to expand...

They are indeed different grades so you should expect a difference in performance. That is what the system is all about - the trickis understanding the system.

The curves show the comparative viscosities of those three example oils across the operating range of -20C to 80C. That range is automatically chosen by the viscoity curve calculator I was using based on the minimum you want to see displayed. The actual range the SAE currently uses to grade engine oil is -40C to 150C. If you want to see the high end comparisons I will have to run another calculation with a higher minimum temperature.

The far left side of this chart shows the kinematic viscosities at -20C. At that temperature the viscosity of the 5W20 is 2100 cSt. At that same temperature the viscosity of the 5w50 is 6700 cSt. That is more than 3X higher and a significant difference when you start trying to pump cold oil!!! The difference between the 5W20 and the 5W30 is much smaller but there is still a difference. That is almost always the case regardless of what grade you chose as your base.

There are similar differences on the hot perfmance end as well. For example the minimum high temperature high shear (HTHS) viscosity for grades SAE 40, 15W40, 20W40, aand 25W40 is 3.7 cP@150C, But the minimum HTHS viscosity for grades 0w40, 5W40, and 10W40 is 2.9 cP@150C .That difference reflects the fact that the larger the multigrade spread the more likeley the oil is to suffer HTHS viscosity loss.

It's a complicated system and a complicated science. and you can spend a lot of time learning the nuances. It is safe to say the OEM's understand the nuances quite well so if you want to operate counter to one of their recommendations you need to be real sure you understand what motivated the recommendation in the first place.

The Japanese are pretty conservative plus the SAE 10W30 recommendation for your 4Runner is based on 1987 technology. At the time of that 25 year old recommendation a viscosity spread of 5W30 was pushing the HTHS envelope. With a modern oil I wouldn't be overly concerned about it and I suspect the OEM wouldn't be either. But I might still invest in 2 or 3 consecutive used oil analyses to see exactly how it was holding up and what it was showing in terms of engine wear.

It's a fascinating subject and there is no end of new things to learn ;-)

Enjoy,

TOH

Its cold here as a routine in winter( MT). What these guys are telling you collectively make a profound difference. not necessarily in order of importance. good carb kit installed.Cleaned and soaked overnight. I also soak for an additional day in Naptha to remove any residual grease/ oil from dirty carb cleaner. Timing, oil viscosity, double OO size battery cables and polished ground path at starter mounting and ALL Cable connections including ground to block. My 54 was a real pain to start until I revisited the rules listed in earlier posts. I once had a 2 ton truck that was a real @#%^*/ to start. The ground connection to the frame was the culprit. So it can happen in 12 volts too. They are just more pronounced at 6V.

Teddy.......no argument, ennytime I gotta wear Carhart's and fight snot-sickles, I'm gonna be checkin' the rockin' chair in front of the fireplace. While I will confess that it seldom snows here at the foot of 14K Mt Rainier, I am NOT unfamiliar with COLD weather. I grew up in Durango, Colo and below ZERO was common and I WALKED 1-mile to school with my boots squeakin' on the snow. Dad would bring in the 6-volt battery from the 1941 Plymouth and keep'er WARM next to the coal fired furnace. ......respectfully, the warm Dell

(quoted from post at 16:34:53 02/16/15)

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by chance, in reading my newest issue of "vintage truck", i see a photo of the label for a '41 hudson inline 6 with the exact same oil/temperature recommendations, albeit with the addition of "kerosene" to the coldest temperature range.

are any current manufacturers recommending the addition of kerosene for automotive/ag applications (engine oil only, not diesel fuel)?

(quoted from post at 15:55:34 02/19/15)

(quoted from post at 16:34:53 02/16/15)

Click to expand...

by chance, in reading my newest issue of "vintage truck", i see a photo of the label for a '41 hudson inline 6 with the exact same oil/temperature recommendations, albeit with the addition of "kerosene" to the coldest temperature range.

are any current manufacturers recommending the addition of kerosene for automotive/ag applications (engine oil only, not diesel fuel)?

Click to expand...

Not as far as I know. Why would they when you have 0W20 engine oil on every shelf?

TOH

PS&gt; Technically speaking kerosene is a family of distillates that includes products like diesel, home heating oil, and jet fuel.

That is what the system is all about - the trick is understanding the system.....

It's a complicated system and a complicated science. and you can spend a lot of time learning the nuances. .......

It's a fascinating subject and there is no end of new things to learn ;-)

TOH

Click to expand...

Do convention oils and synthetic use the same viscosity rating scale (motor oil) ?

I remember reading the thread on 90w gear oil and 50 motor oil being rated different weights but having similar viscositys ( maybe thats what i remember )


P.S. to OP ,
Walmart
Super Tech Full Synthetic 5W30 Motor Oil, 5 qt
$17.47
Pickup only

Some good info and some bad. I've seen temps here range from -60F (no wind chill) to over 100F. I have never seen any 6 volt system start reliably, parked [b:a3c5ab6585]outside[/b:a3c5ab6585] cold soaking for a day or 2 below about +20F. And that is with a good battery and everything "clean, tight and bright. My 2 8N's on 6 volt would start down to about 10+ on the one and 20+ on the other. My Farmall M about 15+. At 12 volt all 3 will start at -10F and the M at -20F. Now that's with all 3 running oil rated for winter. And my dad was the master od "clean, tight and bright". He and I had cars from the same manufacturer. His point and condenser and mine IE. At sub zero temps his had to be plugged in and mine would fire up. Same engine, same carb, mine had some pollution stuff his didn't but mine was IE. With the current price of 6 volt batteries, the extra parts in the form of a voltage regulator and the increasingly harder to find charger that will do 6 volt I fail to see, other than a show/trailer queen keeping anything 6 volt. Everything I own has been converted. I would never go back! For what it's worth it was -28F this morning without any wind. The only thing I have to plug in to preheat is my diesel tractor. And the 1206 Farmall Diesel will start without any non factory aids at -10F. I found it funny. My Farmall M sat for 4 months without being started. My SIL was here, and being a very good man but not a bright one, wanted to help me out while my son and I were working on something. I told him to go fire up the M. This was after it had been converted to 12 volt. It was about 15F that day. I figured after sitting and with the temps he'd have to mess with it. It fired right up! He came to me and started saying that I had just had it running. The darn thing had not been started in 4 months! I have one message for all the 6Volt/point and condenser only advocates on here....go back to your hand crank phones and typewriters and telegraphs and stop using all these modern, much improved means of social interactions! Yes! The Pony Express rides again!

Rick

(quoted from post at 22:18:39 02/19/15)

That is what the system is all about - the trick is understanding the system.....

It's a complicated system and a complicated science. and you can spend a lot of time learning the nuances. .......

It's a fascinating subject and there is no end of new things to learn ;-)

TOH

Click to expand...

Do convention oils and synthetic use the same viscosity rating scale (motor oil) ?

I remember reading the thread on 90w gear oil and 50 motor oil being rated different weights but having similar viscositys ( maybe thats what i remember )

Click to expand...

Conventional and synthtic engine oils have the same grade requirements.

Gear oil grades are different from engine oil grades. For example the viscosity specification for SAE 90 gear oil is 13.5 - 18.5 cSt @ 100C and the viscosity specification for SAE 50 engine oil is 16.3 - 21.8 cSt @ 100C. The grade 50 engine oil has a higher viscosity that the grade 90 gear oil. Another difference is each engine oil grade specification has two or more viscosity requirements while gear oils only have one. Aircraft engine oil has yet another set of requirements.....

Since you asked here are a couple handy tables with the full specifications.

[u:8c086c35db]SAE J300 - Automotive Engine Oil Grade Specifications[/u:8c086c35db]

[u:8c086c35db]SAE J306 - Automotive Gear Oil Grade Specifications[/u:8c086c35db]

TOH

Hey Oldtanker....I suffer from back pain. About the only thing that helps every now and then is an electric heating pad. I think I got one plugged in, in every room of the house so I don't have to go dragging them around.

Thinking i'm gonna get 1 more and wrap one around my 6 volt battery. Whata ya think???

(quoted from post at 07:23:34 02/20/15)
Hey Oldtanker....I suffer from back pain. About the only thing that helps every now and then is an electric heating pad. I think I got one plugged in, in every room of the house so I don't have to go dragging them around.

Thinking i'm gonna get 1 more and wrap one around my 6 volt battery. Whata ya think???

Click to expand...

Do what you want. They do make heating pads as such for batteries. I know a few people who use them.

I can think of nothing worse that freezing my backside off messing with something that won't start that I need right now when I can 1. keep it maintained or 2. modify it so it will start when needed.

I don't think a 12 volt conversion should be a band aid. Everything needs to be right first. Then convert. It makes life so much better.



Rick

I don't think a 12 volt conversion should be a band aid. Everything needs to be right first. Then convert. It makes life so much better.

Rick

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I don't know why someone would want to spend the time and or money to fix a 6v system if they were planning on converting to 12v . Why buy a 6v regulator or rebuilt a genny if you want 12v's ?

who knew? after two days where the high was 12, i just finished plowing the snow that had drifted over the driveway during the last few days. 8n started up rumba-rumba-purr. that's with the 6v system, outside, no heat. maybe i should put in a 12v system now, before it's too late?

wally

Wow thanks for the conversation and suggestions. Putting a little heat (work light) on by the intake manifold/carb for about 30 minutes before seemed to really help. I always keep the battery well charged with a battery tender. I do probably need to do some maintenance on the points / check the timing even though she runs real smooth once she fires up. It may be just a little off or a buildup on the points. I will review the maintenance f&o manual but dont have any real experience with points. I looked a while back to see if there was a good video on youtube or otherwise so I could see before I do and be a bit more comfortable getting into the job.

(quoted from post at 20:25:21 02/20/15) Wow thanks for the conversation and suggestions. Putting a little heat (work light) on by the intake manifold/carb for about 30 minutes before seemed to really help. I always keep the battery well charged with a battery tender. I do probably need to do some maintenance on the points / check the timing even though she runs real smooth once she fires up. It may be just a little off or a buildup on the points. I will review the maintenance f&amp;o manual but dont have any real experience with points. I looked a while back to see if there was a good video on youtube or otherwise so I could see before I do and be a bit more comfortable getting into the job.

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what's the condition of your carburetor? is it adjusted to specification? will it idle at 400 rpm? if it is "out" of adjustment, that isn't going to make starting any easier. i'm not making it up about mine, it will start in very cold temperatures, no heat, full choke, throttle lever at lowest setting, push starter, rumba-rumba-purr.

wally

I did a needle adjustment earlier this year when i was checking
if I had fuel flow from the tank to the carb, and set it per the
manual and suggestions on this site. I bought the 8n just shy of
two years ago from an older gentleman who took good
mechanical care of it....paint well thats another story. He was a
long time tractor mechanic and built / fixed 8n's in his sleep I
think. I suppose this is my long way of saying I havent done
anything to it. I have put in new plugs and wires but didnt mess
with the points since I have little experience with them. I know it
needs to get done so I will endeavor that this spring, along with
from what I am reading here several other checks, carb, timing
etc. Thanks