[AT] cold Farmall

[charlie hill]

Mike,   In my 20's I worked for a logging company.   In really cold weather 
I've seen the log skidder tires freeze into the mud where they were parked 
at night.  The standard procedure was to build a fire under the axles 
between the tires.  Also,  sometimes there would be a bit of water in the 
emergency air tanks on the log trailers.  Typically the truck would start 
out ok but the first time out on the road that the brakes were applied that 
bit of water would freeze and cause the emergency brake valves on the 
trailer to shut the brakes down.   I have actually built a fire out of 
newspaper and twigs under the trailer axle right in the middle of  US Hwy 
17.  It doesn't take long to heat that valve up and melt the ice thankfully.

Charlie


-----Original Message----- 
From: Mike Sloane
Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2012 6:44 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] cold Farmall

If you can't find 6 volt battery cables, make your own out of electric
welding cable sold by the foot at a welding supply outfit. Prices vary
from $2-4/foot, depending on the gauge, but you probably don't need all
that many feet for a tractor.

As far as starting in cold weather, farmers around here used to drain
the oil and the water out of the the engines at night and bring that and
the battery inside to keep them warm overnight. I also heard stories of
farmers building small fires under the oil pan to warm the engine, but I
am not entirely sure I believe that one - it sounds more than a little
risky to me.

This is dairy and "truck farming" (vegetables) country so there wasn't
much activity requiring tractors during extremely cold weather around here.

Mike

On 1/19/2012 6:05 AM, charlie hill wrote:
> Ron,  6 V systems will work but the cables and all connections have to be
> very good.   Bigger cables always help as they flow more current more
> easily.  It is  hard to find 6 V cables these days.  Everything you see in 
> a
> typical auto parts store is light duty 12 V.   The easiest thing might be 
> to
> put a block heater or heat lamp on the engine to keep it nice and toasty
> warm.  Have you changed the oil in it since last year?   If so did you put
> heavier oil in by any chance?
>
> Charlie
>
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