[AT] Freezing Tractors

[charliehill]

Bruce you might want to pull the valve cover and make sure it didn't push 
one of the "freeze" plugs out.  My neighbor let his D-14 (now mine) freeze 
up a few years back and it pushed the plug between Cyl 3 & 4 out.  No other 
damage but it took me a long time to get the gunk (mixed oil and water) out 
of the block and oil pan for him before I finally bought it.

Charlie
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bruce Fallon" <bfallon at whidbey.com>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 12:17 PM
Subject: [AT] Freezing Tractors


> Last Saturday evening while watching White Christmas we got about 1 inch 
> of
> snow since then it has not been above freezing for a week. Down in the low
> 20's in the night and almost above 32 in the day.  The ground has been
> frozen solid for a week.  Wednesday morning I thought I better check the
> pumphouse as the water softener would be cycling soon and the discharge 
> line
> is run in the open and usually has a low spot with water sitting in it.
> When I checked the temp in the pumphouse was 28 and the line was frozen
> solid right to the softener.  I plugged in the heater and threw a quilt 
> over
> the tanks and softener. I also unplugged the softener so it wouldn't try 
> to
> cycle. When I got home that night I thought I better check the tractors 
> and
> equipment for antifreeze. All were fine except the one I was sure was 
> fine.
> This is a 53 Allis Chalmers CA. The level was too low to see in the 
> radiator
> so I started it up.  The generator was not turning so I shut it down, I
> could turn the generator by hand so I started it up again and the belt was
> slipping on the crankshaft.  That was because the waterpump was froze 
> solid.
> I shut it down and put a lightbulb under the waterpump and covered the 
> hood
> with a moving quilt.  Thursday night when I got home and checked the water
> pump would turn so I started it up and got a little spray.  I ran it a few
> minutes and pulled the plug on the bottom radiator hose to drain 
> everything.
> The only damage is the thermostat housing has a crack which I should be 
> able
> to braze up when it warms up some to be able to work. No visible cracks or
> leaks anywhere else.  I had seen pictures of Allis blocks cracked along 
> the
> side below the head before. I guess I was lucky on this one.
>
>
>
> Bruce Fallon
> Langley,WA 98260
> bfallon at whidbey.com
>
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