Tractor fuel.

Probably been beat to death here, but my searches didn't quite yield definitve results.

That 22-36 [combination manifold] I fixed up for the neighbor last spring is going on a "power eater" fan or water-break [not positive which, but supposedly set for continuous duty] next week for break-in as the weather has just been too sporatic for putting 3-16s in the dirt.

We thought this would be a perfect time to test out the water jets too as the break would confirm power loss if I miss the audible signs I hope to adjust it with.

However, I know modern kersosene is heavily stripped for clean burning in camp lantern and space heater use, so what should I mix? I'm wavering between #1 diesel with maybe 20% gas and jet fuel [if I can procure it] also cut with maybe 20% gas. If it's real dry; maybe a couple oz of 2-cyle oil to the mix.

Ideally the mix will ping enough force the use of the water carb under load to bring it back to a slight ping. Maybe 50 octane?


What say's the experts?

Also, I suspect this will yield slightly less HP, but slightly [maybe neither one even noticable] better fuel/hphr than gas; but really don't know.

On the positive, this will seldom be ran, as I recommended the oil should be changed and the tractor ran a bit on gas before winter storage if running low-grade-fuel, but it sure would be fun to replicate the original sound and smell of a McCormick Deering on tractor fuel. Can't let the Rumley guys have all the fun! :lol:

you will need to have the tractor almost boiling so you don't ruin the motor oil. keep it simple and just use kerosine. in the farmall manuals they are saying gasoline is 70 octane diossitllate is 36 octane and kerosine is 0 octane. you should get the most spark knock that you think you are looking for from kerosine.

(quoted from post at 23:51:47 07/08/09) you will need to have the tractor almost boiling so you don't ruin the motor oil. keep it simple and just use kerosine. in the farmall manuals they are saying gasoline is 70 octane diossitllate is 36 octane and kerosine is 0 octane. you should get the most spark knock that you think you are looking for from kerosine.

Click to expand...

From that I may be off:
maybe 1:1 kerosene or jet fuel: gasoline to get a good distillate mix. Still not sure how modern kerosene equates to that of 1900-1950 though; seems that the early stuff should have some octane of it's own, yet your manuals say it doesn't. :?

Thanks for the information!

I ran my 29 10-20 on kero and it did fine. I know the 22-36 has the water injection set up to keep the mixture from preigniting and causing pinging. The 3 HP and larger stationary engines like the IHC M 3hp also has water injection for use when running kero. That said, I think IHC was more concerned about the carbon in the larger engines glowing and causing the pinging more so than high compression causing the ping. The steam from the water in the fuel mix would douse the glowing ember. If you do run kero you must cover the LOWER part of the radiator to get the water temp up to prevent oil dillution. I found that if the lower water return elbow was good and warm to the touch it would be ok and not cook the head. Be sure to use good sae 30wt or 40wt oil. straight 50 wt would be better if it will be running at very hot temps for long periods. Those engines will run on diesel oil ok BUT the pariffins will gunk up the spark plugs and also cause exess carbon in the cylinder head to build up. I knew a guy in Oklahoma whos Dad ran straight crude oil from the test cock on a well in their 10-20 when he couln"t afford regular tractor fuels back during the depression. It did ok but he did have to clean the spark plugs at noon and in the evening because they would gunk up. I also ran my 35 F-12 on kero and did a HP test on a dyno. I did a comparison test for kero VS gas. The HP was the same at 13.5 for both fuels, but on the kero run I did have to lean the carb a bit so the HP hours were better on kero. When I would first start my 10-20, one full starting tank of gas was barely enough to get the engine warmed up like it should to run kero so keep that in mind. One last thing, when you run kero or anything but gas, be sure to let the tractor sit over night and let any kero float to the top of the oil and drain the oil from the middle valve on the oil pan. then refill with fresh oil to the top valve. Even if ran hot, there will be some dillution. I ran plain old kerosene and it smelled different enough to get people talking about what fuel I was using. If you see white smoke the manifold is too cold and is dilluting the oil.

By the way, Pinging is not good for any engine and will pit the valves and piston tops as well as pound the babbit out of the rods.

Thanks Bob!

Knowing that, I'm becomming more and more partial to the mid '29 to 1930 22-36s - the lower water elbow has a manual thermostat [not a great selling point against some of the competition so later ones were automatic, but sure fool-proof] and can have that manifold vaporizing tar on a pint of gas!

I warned him about the oil dilution, and recommended a full oil change before winter in addition to separating and topping off the oil the next morning. Actually, I've never heard or smelled a McCormick Deering on kero, so I'm probably as itchy to see it as my neighbor is.

For the price, I think #1 diesel will get me real close to [modern] kerosene and much cheaper around here [last I checked]. Probably start with at least 10% gas to give it some ocatane - I hate to pound the babbit out - 4 poured rods get's expensive, not to imagine pistons or valves [the latter can be found, but $40 each]!

You are correct, I want to use the water to cut the ping [though, believe or not, the operators manual claims it's best to leave just a bit, the brake power should let me know if I'm too far one way or the other], however, for that reason, want the fuel mix to be "pingy" enough to notice when the water is doing it's job.