TVO Tractor

Steve@Advance

Well-known Member
The discussion about the kerosene fuel AC got my curiosity up.

I've never been around one running, seen them at shows, but I don't recall seeing one run on kerosene.

Do they smoke and stink? Foul plugs?

Will it make more power on kerosene than gas?

Would it start on gas and run on diesel?

Just curious, thanks!
 
All of the original John Deere tractors in our neighborhood were equipped with distillate engines. In fact, that was the only engine available. It could burn fuel oil, kerosene, tractor fuel (about 40 octane gasoline) or gasoline. They were started on gasoline provided from an on board tank of about one gallon capacity, and then switched over to distillate after the engine was warm. They usually had a relatively low compression ratio of about 4.75 to 1. During WWII (The Big One) fuel was rationed but farmers seemed to get fuel oil without any problem, whereas gasoline was a little bit in tight supply. So, they would try to get by with using as little gas as possible to warm those tractor engines and they would get changed over a little too soon and would smoke a good bit. Bluish/white smoke. Fun to watch them on a cold December morning in Wisconsin. With no wind, the smoke would billow up quite high. Or, with wind, the smoke would blow all around them. By the time they got out into the field and started working they were OK. Very little smoke and the smell was that of oily things. (;>)) We had an Allis Chalmers 1936 WC purchased new by my father in April of 1936. It had a 1 gallon aux starting tank and two exhaust pipe mount kits. One with a K on it and one with a G so as to provide the optimum heat for the intake manifold. Hotter for the Kerosene/oil. We just used gasoline as Allis Chalmers was pretty fuel efficient and we had two teams of horses for winter work. Also used a good bit in the summer through WWII. Most of the wagon pulling, hay cutting, one half of the cultivating and, oh yes, the planting, was done with horses. Finally, John Deere came out with their "gas burning A" Upped the horsepower as they could increase the compression ratio and use a higher octane fuel.
 
Here's a shot of an old A with the aux tank.
cvphoto51876.jpg
 
They have the distinct advantage of running on what was then a fuel that refiners had a difficult time separating into specific length Hydrocarbons. the result was a low volatility oil with lousy octane numbers. The bad part was that it was emissions dirty, did foul plugs more often than gasoline, and condensed on the cylinder walls on the intake stroke. This condensate traveled (with blow by) past the rings into the crankcase. Every day before starting for the day, the oil was drained into a bucket down to a specific level (usually about a quart or so) then refilled to full with new oil. This process kept engine oil contamination to tolerable cleanliness, and lubricity. Smell yes smoke yes PITA yes, cheap, you bet. Today's catalytic cracking technology uses that material to make gasoline. In fact that is one aspect of why diesel is more expensive than gasoline.
 
Back when diesel was cheaper then gas was we would run our 1935 JD B on a mix of diesel and gas and at an idle it would put out big smoke rings which look pretty cool
 
If our old neighbor, Fritz, had known about that I'm sure he would have used it when he put on his drunk act with his old A. He opened the compression release petcocks and used his water bottle, which was a beer bottle, and was funnier than any clown at the circus.
 
Try to get around a Rumely Oil Pull at a tractor show sometime. Our neighborhood thresherman had one to power his threshing machine and clover huller in the summer and his saw mill in the winter. It was set up with a 3 way carburetor. Gas, Oil and WATER. Yes! WATER! (;>))
cvphoto51882.jpg


cvphoto51883.jpg
 
Thanks Bill!

I've seen several of the Rumelys at shows. I didn't know they would run on gas, all I've see were on kero or diesel.

I assume water injection of some kind? I've heard of that, something about better vaporization?
 
Thanks Jim!

I had heard the original fuel was "distillate", probably can't even get it now. It was neither kearo, or diesel, or gas, something in between.

Oh, the good old days!
 

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