Question on John Deere MOdel A

Brent Zappe · Sep 5, 2014

I looked two days ago on a JOhn Deere model A which is for sale> The year is 1941. My question is puzzeling to me and I hope that some body could help answer this one. Did John Deere put Diesel engines in the JOhn Deere model A ? This tractor has two tanks. on REd cap which is for Gasoline (I think that is to start up in because it is hand crank). The other tank had fuel in it and smelled to me like diesel I thought. The tank cap is silver. Or could it be kerosine ? Just need to know I like the tractor might buy it.This would be the first tractor I have ever bought that is in parade condition.

Mike (WA) · Sep 5, 2014

The bigger tank was for "distillate", which is kind of halfway between gas and diesel. You had to start and warm up on gas, to get the engine hot enough to burn the distillate. And you had to be sure and switch back to gas when shutting down, so it would have gas "in the system" for the next startup.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 5, 2014

The tractor two fuel tanks is fur starting on gasoline and then switching over to kerosene or some other cheaper tractor fuel.
You could burn diesel, but would have to keep the temperature of engine high enough to ignite it.
Back in there day kerosene was sheeper than gasoline and a few cents made a big difference in operating cost.

2underage · Sep 5, 2014

Having driven tractors that had the dual fuel option back in the day I feel I must add my thoughts. The tractor was started on gas and it was run [worked hard] until the engine was very warm and then switched to kerosene. Most dual fuel tractors had a shutter in front of the radiator to help the engine heat quicker.
True you should switch back to gasoline before stopping the engine, however it was not a serious thing if you forget since most of these tractors had a drain on the bottom of the carb to let you dump the kero and then fill the carb with gas. Saw it happen several times.

If you get a tractor with the dual fuel system in working order it will be fun to try it out. You will not save any money since kero is more costly than gas

souNdguy · Sep 5, 2014

as the others said. TVO tank and gas tank

old · Sep 5, 2014

That is what is called an all fuel tractor I have a B that is the same. The small tank is used to start it on Gas then once good and warm you switched it over to kero or diesel or distalite which way back when was a whole lot cheaper then gas was

James Howell · Sep 5, 2014

The Model A did not have a diesel engine.

The tractor is an all-fuel tractor with two tanks.

The small tank, closest to the dash, was for gasoline and had a red cap.

The large tank, above the motor, was for distillate and the cap was originally green.

A three-way cock (valve) was attached to the fuel filter.

Gasoline from the small tank came through the gas pipe to the three-way cock.

Distillate came from the fuel filter to the three-way cock.

Fuel from the three-way cock came through the fuel pipe to the carburetor.

The fuel flow from the three-way cock was controlled by the fuel control rod on the lower left corner of the dash.

The fuel control rod had three positions: O, G, and F.

The fuel control rod was turned to "G" for gasoline to start the tractor.

When the temperature gauge reached 180<sup>o</sup>, the fuel control rod was turned to "F" for distillate.

The tractor was turned off by turning the the fuel control rod to "O".

Hope this helps.

petetx · Sep 5, 2014

funny story back in the early fifties dad had one we rented ground about a 1/2 mile away he was running straight gas he would fill at night so it would be full next morning 2 days in a row he ran about a hour ran out of fuel there was a fella was noted for being a little shifty lived a rent house on the property so the third night he filled with power fuel next morning fella said his car wouldn't start wanted dad to tow dad said you better drain your tank that was power fuel in the a last night never lost any more fuel.

Bryce Frazier · Sep 7, 2014

A old guy that used to live in town would run ANYTHING in his JD H, it was an "All Fuel".

Gas
Kerosene
Frier Grease/oil
Propane (made himself a miniature tank and regulator just to say, "see! It WILL run on propane")
and many more! Bryce

Question on John Deere MOdel A

Brent Zappe

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Mike (WA)

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

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2underage

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souNdguy

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old

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James Howell

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petetx

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Bryce Frazier

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