PROPANE FARMALL H 1939 ISSUES

You have probably seen my posts. Yes I'm a noob. However I have my H running great now. I have rewired the electrical system. I have the magneto timed properly. I added an alternator. Its charging my battery good. Now on to the issue. I have a propane setup on my beast and my ensign regulator is freezing. So the tractor runs great for a few minutes then the propane freezes the regulator and it starts to stall until it stops completely. I would really like to replace the Regulator with a new one. Also I noticed that my CARB leaks a ton of propane from the chock or bottom of the carb. Does anyone know where I can find a new regulator and carb that will work on My H. Any advice will be worth millions to me... Thanks in advance.
 
Couple things off the top of my head. The regulators use coolant to circulate heat and keep from freezing. Make sure you have water flow and that your tractor is getting up to temp. This means a working thermostat. Also, does it freeze up on vapor?

For the leak, check the valves in the regulator. One is low pressure, one is high. After rebuilding my regulator, I had to tweak the levers a bit to keep it from blasting LP thru. The carb itself is just orifices. The regulator does most of the work.

Chris B.
 
Thanks for the response Chris B. I appreciate it. I'm looking to replace the Regulator. As I don't think its doing a good job. I go through a ton of propane. Right now I have a freezing regulator and a carb that leaks like crazy at the choke "LEAKING OF THIS AMOUNT IS PLAIN DANGEROUS". Looking to replace both if there are compatible parts out there. But I cant find parts for the rebuild on either carb or ensign regulator. I wonder if converting to gasoline will affect the engine. Right now when I get running if sounds great and there is no smoke at all. It runs super nice. So that's why I want to keep it LP. Thanks again for the POST.
 
For this change will I need a fuel pump. Or is it gravity feed. What all will I need besides the Gas Tank and a carb. I know I will need new plugs cause my current gap is .016. Thanks In advance. Also will it harm the engine do I have to change anything on that.
 
A ton of propane is approximately 500 gallons. How big of a propane tank is on the tractor???You said repair is worth millions. I will fix all problems with your tractor for only one half million.
 
Parts for the ensign regulators are pretty much not available. There was an outfit in Oklahoma that still had some stuff but that was 10+ years ago.

I'm curious how your tank is setup. Normally you start on vapor and then open the liquid valve after the thing warms up a bit and close the vapor valve. Doing this helps burn off some of the heavier ends that are possible in propane such as butane and propylene. Also for heavier work, liquid lp to the regulator means more BTU available at the carb. For light duty stuff it's perfectly fine to run on the vapor valve.

Freezing up sounds like you're getting liquid right off the bat or as others said, not enough heat in the regulator, no water flow. The regulator can be plugged with crud if the cooling system is dirty. It almost sounds like you have a valve stuck open on the high pressure side resulting in too much liquid flow which causes the freezing and the excess vapor overwhelming the low pressure side.

As for new regulators, there are suppliers on the web and several brands. They can be rated by horsepower or BTU per hour. Best to give them a call and talk with their tech people as they will be up on latest part numbers etc.

The ensign carbs are extremely simple and feature an economizer valve which helps reduce fuel use. Other than getting gummed up there's not really anything to go wrong with it.

As long as you can get your tank filled without trouble then switching to gas may not really be an advantage. The fuel doesn't go bad, no water getting in the fuel, no oil dilution and very clean burning.

To switch to gas you just need a tank, a carb and a fuel line. Put rubber pads under the three gas tank mounts to isolate the tank from vibration. The factory ones were a good 1/4 inch thick and the nuts had springs under them so that the gas tank was not under structural stress. Using an inline filter and a sediment bowl will keep all debris and water out of the carb.
 
Awesome thanks a bunch CENTEX. I too think the regulator is clogged with crud or the water pump outlet. The water is pretty yellowish. But that is attributed to the antifreeze. None the less I'm gonna drain it and see what it looks like. Also gonna take the reg out and see if I cant clean it. The water pump has 2 lines that hit the reg. One of them has no water coming out of it the main water line has plenty of pressure. Maybe the smaller Line in the Water Pump Is clogged too. I have a propane tank mounted on the side of the tractor. So I'm not using vapor at all. This is how I got it. Original tank is too hard for me to fill here where I live. Hence the reason I'm moving to Gasoline when I have some cash. Carbs and tanks are pricy. Thanks for the help...
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Changing is your option. However you already have a good set up. Just check to ensure engine is getting warmed up as it should be up to 170 or a bit higher. Possibly no thermostat or non working one. Your engine will run better and last longer on propane, just not 500 gallons .feel water hose to the regulator . If it is not warm that's your problem most likely. Possibly that hose is blocked from the cooling system. The TON of leaking is likely from liquid propane getting to the so called carburetor. The carburetor is actually just some offices and little else. You might just have more problems with gasoline than propane. As a quick check on the situation start and run the engine with the radiator covered, thus forcing the engine to run up close to 190 degrees. If the passage to the regulator is now warm you have found the problem.Provided this information greatly helps feel free to just send only one percent of the million..
 
The screws on the back are often stuck due to electrolysis between the steel screw and the aluminum back plate so go slow. The main body is brass and they are quite sturdy. The diaphragm under there will want to stick to one side or the other. Going back together use a little RTV or form-a-gasket #2 or it will leak.

Sometimes they are fairly clean inside and sometimes they are gunked up with goo. Modern propane is more tightly controlled than in years past.

On carbs, be aware that there are two basic types: gasoline and distillate/kerosene. You can tell by the number on the brass tag. Use the search feature on this forum to find the numbers one starts with 4 and one stars with 5 and I have to look it up myself to remember which is which. A distillate/kerosene model will work fine but may take a sightly different carb kit if it needs parts.
 
I believe I see your problem,the tank is not clocked in the right position. The small pin hole on the tank top ring must be downfor vapor,you ate drawing liquid.
 
It sounds like you are planning change it over to gasoline, but in case you didn’t understand what 504 was talking about the link shows an explanation. I think in most cases as in on a forklift the mount bracket would be mounted in such a way that the pin would be down or in the 6 o’clock position. No real propane expert here but I almost believe that when mounted properly the draw valve pulls out liquid, I could easily be wrong.
Mounting a LPG forklift tank
 

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