Magnetic Heaters

My 2N is hard if not impossible to start in temperatures below mid 30s. Are magnetic heaters very effective, if so what wattage would you recommend. Currently I find if I place a halogen work light of a heater facing the carburetor and intake/exhaust for about 1/2 hour the beast will usually start. No real problem starting it in warm weather or even cold weather once it has been running for awhile.

I've had pretty limit success with the magnetic heaters if the halogen light is working your probably better off using it on my lawn tractor with an aluminum I use a small milk house heater and an old blanket over the hood that really works good in my cold garage
GB in MN

it was suppose to be aluminum engine non magnetic

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. While the consensus leans toward lower radiator hose 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 it seldom gets below 15* here in VA, but even then, my 8N's, all 6v with points, have no problem starting.

No matter what else you do, the battery must be fully charged. A float charger is helpful; not a trickle charger, but a float charger. A battery charger, even a "trickle" charger, left unattended will eventually boil out a battery. I use float chargers for two reasons: battery longevity and a sure start. Battery sulfation occurs at a specific rate at "X" temperature. Over time, sulfation reduces battery performance and eventually its effects are irreversible. Sulfation of batteries starts when specific gravity falls below 1.225 or voltage measures less than 12.4 for a 12v battery, or 6.2 for a 6 volt battery. Sulfation hardens on the battery plates reducing and eventually destroying the ability of the battery to generate current. Using a float charger significantly reduces sulfation. 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!

I use Deltran battery tenders on all the tractors, the golf cart & my Model A Ford's. Pricey, but they work & have in-line fuses. All are hard wired to the vehicles.


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)




Oil viscosity can make a difference. If the tractor is going to be consistently operated below 20* F, switch to SAE 10w30; at 0* go to SAE 5w30.



Pull the air cleaner cup & check for ice.



Use a fuel stabilizer. I?ve used Marine Sta-Bil for years, but recently switched to Star Tron because Sta-Bil has a 1 year shelf life.



This tip won?t make it start easier, but it will make it run better: turn the main jet out ? 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 brake cleaner.
75 Tips

I use a magnetic heater on the hydraulic sump of the 8N so I can immediately start using the backblade at normal lift speeds. Works well. I do not use one on the engine sump, and it still starts fine down into single digit temps, providing I’m careful about not over choking.

I use another mag heater on the engine sump of my Boomer 8N (diesel). It uses lighter weight hydraulic oil, so there’s no delay using the bucket after I start it.

es

Most are junk. I've had 1 stuck to the wall of the machine shed for many years. That's about all they are good for.

up here in michigan it gets cold, i have one ford at home in lower peninsula and 3 in michigan's upper peninsula, these are my top 3 concerns that get my focus....
1. battery must remain fully charged, like bruce says, float charger is ideal
2. 6v vs 12 volt, cable gauge and clean connections are so important for 6v systems, heavy, heavy, heavy!!! 12v, keep the connections clean!!!
3. well tuned electrical system, this doesn't necessarily mean throw in new plugs, wires, points and condensers, keep your plugs clean and proper gap and keep points clean and proper gap.

if my top 3 checks don't fix it then i will move onto fuel or more detailed electrical probs etc.
bruce covers it way better than me but this is where i start

p.s. i still have lower hose heaters that i never use any more

(quoted from post at 12:26:58 01/18/19)

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.

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Believe it or not my 9N starts by just pulling out the choke and hitting the starter button. One or two revolutions of the starter and it fires right up. I hold the choke for one or two seconds usually once it fires, a little bit longer if it's below 0 outside. The carb has been rebuilt, the distributor is new and the battery cables are new as well.

I use Marine Stabil for fuel stabilizer, I never knew the shelf life is only a year. I'll have to check my bottle to see if there's a date code on it.

N. Wisc. here, not my first choice, I like the lower hose heaters, they work great for me. J

i will say this, the lower radiator hose heater can only improve startup on cold days

This topic has been regurgitated many times over. Install a Kats lower radiator hose heater and plug in for about 30 minutes before starting. Period. done. over.

(quoted from post at 11:31:10 01/18/19) My 2N is hard if not impossible to start in temperatures below mid 30s. Are magnetic heaters very effective, if so what wattage would you recommend. Currently I find if I place a halogen work light of a heater facing the carburetor and intake/exhaust for about 1/2 hour the beast will usually start. No real problem starting it in warm weather or even cold weather once it has been running for awhile.

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I run two Katz brand magnetic heaters on my 2N and they work great!!! This is my second winter with them and I just stick them to the Intake manifold. I only do so when there is snow in the forecast so they don’t run 24/7.

Mine starts a bit harder in the cold winter we have here. You must have a good battery and good cranking speed. The ignition system needs to be providing good spark and the fuel needs to be fresh. I add a stabilizer whenever I add fuel. Then you need to feather the choke after you begin cranking to whatever the tractor wants to start. On really cold days I hold the choke on a bit until she tells me she's ready to go. In bitter cold, below 0 give or take, I drag the extension cord out to my shed and plug in my lower hose heater for an hour or so. Hope this helps.