9N and cold weather

[Dave/MO]

I have a 41 9N that sits outside in the elements all year. Working on getting cover. We got about 2.5 inches of the white stuff and I tried to start the tractor with no results. I have heard that the oil can sometimes get thick during the winter. any ideas how to keep fluids warm.
 

[Bill Rowles]

The important thing to do is put the fluids in the tractor at recommended specifications for local conditions. In Ohio, I use 5w-30 or 10w-30 in the engine. An engine block heater can be useful to heat the machine a few hours before starting it, but I don't use one. A battery trickle charger is the best tool to keep the tractor ready to start, if you don't use it often.....a battery that is not in good condition and fully charged will not be able to start a cold engine when you need it, and the battery life will be short if it is unused and left not-fully-charged for a long time.
Be careful with high temperature heaters; they have burned down a lot of buildings and destroyed many tractors due to fires.
 

[HCooke]

Maybe a magnetic oil pan heater. Also need to warm up the manifold. Cold gasoline does not vaporize as well.

I have heard stories that 60 years ago farmers would drain the oil from the tractors at night and heat it on the stove in the morning before putting it back in the machine. I don't know whether this is true or not, but I am glad I don't have to do that.
 

[Jimmyjack]

If you have electricity, put on a lower hose heater and be done with it. All it needs is an hour or so and it will pop right off. It wont get above seven here today and I have them on all my tractors.
 

[BOB HAWBECKER]

6V or 12v?
 

[Geo 2 Ns]

I used to do this on fork lift that sat on the dock over the weekend,in greenbay wi.I found that if I pulled the spark plugs out turn engine over to loosen it up,then put 1 or 2 plugs in try to start,once eng would fire A little it would start.this was A must start situation'good luck and have A great newyear
 

[old]

The best way is a lower radiator hose heater. That way it heats the entire block and cooling system which in turn heats the whole engine including the oil. Ya the hyds etc do not get warmed and can be slow. See that is just another good reason to own more then one tractor LOL. As for the snow I didn't even worry about firing up a tractor to move the snow not enough to bother with. I live at the Lake of the Ozarks and yes I have snow and I have a mile long driveway and it has yet to slow us down any
 

[Colin King]

My tips for cold start would include:

1) Remove oil bath cup
2) Shoot 2 seconds of ether up breather intake
3) Hold down clutch & turn over engine
4) Allow engine to warm up several minutes, then slowly release clutch

The colder it is, the lower your amperage output is from your battery. This will have a negative effect on your start-up. You can, in a pinch, jump the tractor (to starter if 6 volts) to increase the amount of power available to the coil.

You can also carefully use a hair dryer to warm your manifold. This will improve vaporization of the fuel.

If you use your tractor a lot in below freezing weather, I suggest using a lighter oil in both engine and diffy and getting a block heater or hose heater.

General good maintenance goes a long way to making any start-up easier, whether 6V or 12V. Keep your connections bright and shiny, your points and plugs in good shape.

The 2N I just finished fired up at 4F on the 2nd rotation and it's on 6 volts. I wouldn't hesitate to try starting that 2N engine at -20F.

Colin, MN
 

[L. B,]

I have a Kats circulation pump it heats the engine cooling sys. Also they make a block heaters that go in where the freeze plug is. The circulation Kats is the best its like starting it on the 4th of July,
 

[Del Huebner]

Here is some info on the Kats Hester.
Kats Engine Heater

 

[old]

Not enough room on the N series tractors to use a freeze plug type. They just plan and simple do not fit
 

[KrisNMo]

Are you talking all N series or just the 9N? Because my NAA came with a freeze plug heater and when it burned out I went down to the farm store and bought another. The Katz package had NAA listed on the package.

 

[old]

Ah but the NAA is not one of the 3 models on the N series ford tractor it has a valve in head engine not a flat head engine like the N series has as in 9N/2N/8N. Totally different engine design on the NAA