[AT] 444 Massey Startup

[charlie hill]

Block heaters are wonderful devices!  I used to have a GMC road tractor
with an 8V71 detroit in it.  It would start in cold weather but it wasn't 
always
easy and I hated to grind on it and hated spraying starting fluid in it even 
more.
I kept a trickle charger on the batteries anyway so when I realized it had a 
block
off on the block for installing a heater I put one in.  On cold nights I'd 
plug in
the block heater (110 V) and the trickle charger to keep the batteries hot 
and I'd leave
the cab heater fan turned on low.  I could go out on a 20 Deg morning and it 
would be
50 or 55 in the cab and the Detroit would fire as soon as I hit the starter 
button.
Well worth the effort and little bit of current.   Fortunately I could 
install a heater
on it that looked just like a home water heater element that bolted directly 
into the
engine water jacket but they are available in many configurations including 
magnetic
rigs that stick to the bottom of the oil pan and heat the oil instead of the 
coolant.
Most everyone here knows that but it's worth considering if you haven't.

Charlie

-----Original Message----- 
From: Cecil Bearden
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2017 8:58 PM
To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
Subject: Re: [AT] 444 Massey Startup

The continental gas and the diesel were the same block, just had higher
compression pistons and a different head.   We had an 85 on Propane
also.  They were good tractors, just hard as the devil to start when
cold.  If we would have had the batteries available back then that we
have now, it would have been much different.

Cecil


On 7/23/2017 11:15 PM, Ralph Goff wrote:
> On 7/23/2017 9:44 PM, Cecil Bearden wrote:
>> We had a MF 85 diesel that had the continental diesel engine that I
>> think was in the 44 or 55 diesel.  It would pull pretty good, but It had
>> to be pulled to start every morning.  If it was below 85 degrees it took
>> ether and a good battery.  If it was below 50, it had to be pulled.  The
>> continental diesel was a very low compression engine for a diesel.  I
>> pulled a 14ft disc with that tractor as deep as it would go after we put
>> duals on the tractor. The manifold would get cherry red at night and
>> glow.  In late fall nights it was a nice way to keep warm.
>>
>> Cecil
>> This triple 4 has the gas engine so as long as the gas is flowing and the 
>> points making spark it
> will start any day of the year.  I think they were a Continental gas
> engine.
>> Ralph in  Sask.
>>
>>
>>
>> ---
>>
>
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