Diesel vs gasoline

[Oliverguy-NE Ohio]

I am in high school and I am in FFA. I am going to do a tractor restoration project for it. I am still learning but getting better at fixing and working on tractors. Me and my grandpa have rebuilt two engines together but this will be my first solo rebuild. He'll obviously be there if I need help with anything but for the most part I'm going to try and do it myself. I have already chose the model of tractor I want to do, and Oliver super 55 but can't decide whether to buy the diesel or gasoline variant. I'm trying to consider whether the gas or diesel would be easier. I am pretty well experienced with gasoline engines and not as much with diesel but I like the idea of not having to do as much maintenance after the restoration I.e. new spark plugs cleaning the points carb tune-ups etc. So anyway what do you think would be the better option, diesel or gas. Thanks for your help.


Edit: if my situation stays as it is now I'll be putting about 75 to 100 hours on it a year pulling logs in the winter and driving it around in the summer and doing little jobs like mowing our pastures. I do / have been considering getting into hay and mowing our pastures for hay so then I would use the super 55 for hay in the summer which would mean I would be putting on more hours doing a little more hard work.

 

[Oliverguy-NE Ohio]

I think I've almost officially decided that I want to go with the gas. now of course if a nice running diesel one comes up I'm going to go look at it but the percentage of that happening is pretty low so again I think I'm going to go for the gas. now I need to decide between super 55 in the John Deere b but I'm leaning towards the super 55

 

[JIM MN]

Go gas! All the parts you need are available. You can make a great running tractor.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I am in high school and I am in FFA. I am going to do a tractor restoration project for it. I am still learning but getting better at fixing and working on tractors. Me and my grandpa have rebuilt two engines together but this will be my first solo rebuild. He'll obviously be there if I need help with anything but for the most part I'm going to try and do it myself. I have already chose the model of tractor I want to do, and Oliver super 55 but can't decide whether to buy the diesel or gasoline variant. I'm trying to consider whether the gas or diesel would be easier. I am pretty well experienced with gasoline engines and not as much with diesel but I like the idea of not having to do as much maintenance after the restoration I.e. new spark plugs cleaning the points carb tune-ups etc. So anyway what do you think would be the better option, diesel or gas. Thanks for your help.


Edit: if my situation stays as it is now I'll be putting about 75 to 100 hours on it a year pulling logs in the winter and driving it around in the summer and doing little jobs like mowing our pastures. I do / have been considering getting into hay and mowing our pastures for hay so then I would use the super 55 for hay in the summer which would mean I would be putting on more hours doing a little more hard work.

If your winters are very cold, go gas.
I grew up on a Dairy in Northern, In. Most don't remember the impending Ice age. Winters were very cold.
It was SOOOOO cold, the river froze over and the cows could walk on the ice. The ice was about 5-6 inches thick.
All are diesel tractors sat in the winter and we used gassers, because the diesels wouldn't start.
My 2019 Kubota starts just fine, however my winters are not as cold.

 

[John E. Popper]

now I need to decide between super 55 in the John Deere b but I'm leaning towards the super 55

Even though I'm a JD 2-cylinder guy, I'd go with the Super 55. Way cooler. Plus, a Model B would be a little low on power for baling.
-John

 

[Oliverguy-NE Ohio]

Even though I'm a JD 2-cylinder guy, I'd go with the Super 55. Way cooler. Plus, a Model B would be a little low on power for baling.
-John

that's why I was thinking about the super 55. Most people know what a B is. At super 55 tends to catch more eyes

 

[Gambles]

I've got an early Super 55 and I've got a late 550. Since this is an FFA project for you, I'd recommend getting a gas 55/550. Why? Because it will be the one that will cost you less to get it running while you are still in high school. I won't mention where I got the engine parts (so the YT gods aren't offended), but a gas overhaul kit is relatively inexpensive. An ignition system is super simple to troubleshoot. Crappy ignition parts can be remedied with a Pertronix.
Now if you happen to get a diesel 550 that runs great, so be it. But perhaps Dieseltech will chime in here and tell us what an injection pump overhaul for one of these 50 year old tractors cost....if parts are even available.

 

[Dieseltech]

I've got an early Super 55 and I've got a late 550. Since this is an FFA project for you, I'd recommend getting a gas 55/550. Why? Because it will be the one that will cost you less to get it running while you are still in high school. I won't mention where I got the engine parts (so the YT gods aren't offended), but a gas overhaul kit is relatively inexpensive. An ignition system is super simple to troubleshoot. Crappy ignition parts can be remedied with a Pertronix.
Now if you happen to get a diesel 550 that runs great, so be it. But perhaps Dieseltech will chime in here and tell us what an injection pump overhaul for one of these 50 year old tractors cost....if parts are even available.

Stanadyne/Roosa pumps I can still repair and calibrate. I don't even like to see a PSB pump come in the door anymore due to NO hard parts support. Years ago parts and rebuilt heads were available, but no more, only gaskets and O rings. They are time killers as it can take three or four pumps to HOPEFULLY get ONE to work.

 

[Jeremiah's Tractors]

Diesel no question, todays gas is crap especialy the ethanol.

You can get off-road fuel (no ethanol)

 

[wore out]

"Crappy ignition parts can be remedied with a Pertronix."

LOL! IMHO there's nothing more finicky and likely to fail without warning than those! YAMMV!

 

[Gambles]

"Crappy ignition parts can be remedied with a Pertronix."

LOL! IMHO there's nothing more finicky a likely to fail without warning than those! YAMMV!

Hey, I’m sorry you are not smart enough to troubleshoot and understand basic ignition systems. Perhaps you could enroll in a basic high school or eighth grade remedial class to pick up some pointers.

 

[Tony in SD]

Not sure where you live but you mentioned using the tractor in the winter, in very cold climates, diesels of that vintage, will need to be plugged in to get it started. And you will need #1 diesel fuel to keep it running. #2 fuel will jell up usually at the filter & reduce fuel flow.

 

[NoDakInMN]

It's up to you, but you are still in the basic learning stage of the hobby. I say basic learning stage because the learning never really stops. But since you already have done a few gas tractors, it may be a good time to expand your knowledge base by going with a diesel. This would be useful if, as you say, you are interested in buying, fixing and selling tractors. Diesels have a little more meat on the bone in that regard as you can invest in some repairs and turn a tidy profit. That gets harder on a gas tractor as their overall value is less. Lots of people learned the hard way that after sticking a fair amount of money into fixing up a tractor, it isn't worth what they invested in it. Then it becomes a labor of love, not of profit, because, from a profit standpoint, you could accomplish the same thing by buying hammers for $10 and selling them for $8.

 

[Oliverguy-NE Ohio]

It's up to you, but you are still in the basic learning stage of the hobby. I say basic learning stage because the learning never really stops. But since you already have done a few gas tractors, it may be a good time to expand your knowledge base by going with a diesel. This would be useful if, as you say, you are interested in buying, fixing and selling tractors. Diesels have a little more meat on the bone in that regard as you can invest in some repairs and turn a tidy profit. That gets harder on a gas tractor as their overall value is less. Lots of people learned the hard way that after sticking a fair amount of money into fixing up a tractor, it isn't worth what they invested in it. Then it becomes a labor of love, not of profit, because, from a profit standpoint, you could accomplish the same thing by buying hammers for $10 and selling them for $8.

I'm going on vacation this week but when I get back from vacation there's a 550 about 2 hours from me so I'm going to go look at that and see how it runs. that's a gas. there's a super 55 about 3 hours from me for a really good price but it's diesel. he says it runs good it starts right away. but before I do anything I'm going to look at it and do what you guys said to do which was basically make sure the pump wasn't okay condition.

 

[Destroked 450]

The first thing you said you would do with the tractor was drag fire wood in the winter
That’s when a old diesel will give you the most fits getting it started in cold weather
I run blue tractors but my mom’s family were all Oliver, I prefer diesel’s but only if it’s newer than the early to mid 60’s. Parts availability for early injection pumps can be a major issue, I’m not sure about the Super 55 but my brothers pre cup injection 1650 was a non starting POS when temps dropped into the 30’s, 1655 was direct injection and a good tractor
For that Super 55 stick to gas, if you want a diesel trade up to something newer

 

[Oliverguy-NE Ohio]

The first thing you said you would do with the tractor was drag fire wood in the winter
That’s when a old diesel will give you the most fits getting it started in cold weather
I run blue tractors but my mom’s family were all Oliver, I prefer diesel’s but only if it’s newer than the early to mid 60’s. Parts availability for early injection pumps can be a major issue, I’m not sure about the Super 55 but my brothers pre cup injection 1650 was a non starting POS when temps dropped into the 30’s, 1655 was direct injection and a good tractor
For that Super 55 stick to gas, if you want a diesel trade up to something newer

okay I was leaning more towards the gas anyway.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

"Crappy ignition parts can be remedied with a Pertronix."

LOL! IMHO there's nothing more finicky an likely to fail without warning than those! YAMMV!

Got the old F500 out to go on a weekend trip with my son to go pick up a lathe we had purchased.

The truck had never gone on trips longer than 20 miles in about 30 years, so the moth-eaten ignition system wasn't much of a gamble. We were about to embark on a 200 mile round trip so out of fear, she got plugs,wires, points, condenser, fuel pump, and carb overhaul.

The trip down was a nice sight seeing trip, since 50mph was a nice cruising speed for that truck. Picked up the load and headed home, all was well, until I noticed an occasional miss about 15 miles from home, and a little later at an intersection, it quit altogether. A quick check revealed no spark. I was pretty nervous, the sun was going down, in the middle of winter..... not knowing what else to do I flicked the points a couple times with my pocket knife, and she came to life. My son, 15 at the time, was holding his phone on the distributor for light, said, "that's all it takes to fix a points system?"

Near as I can guess some rust must have worked loose off of the advance unit and started flying around under the cap until it fell between the points.

 

[scootergmc]

You can get off-road fuel (no ethanol)

Depends where you live.

 

[scootergmc]

Hey, I’m sorry you are not smart enough to troubleshoot and understand basic ignition systems. Perhaps you could enroll in a basic high school or eighth grade remedial class to pick up some pointers.

There's something to be said for solving chronic problems with updated/modern parts. I didn't get the impression he didn't go to high school.

 

[Russ from MN]

Diesel no question, todays gas is crap especialy the ethanol.

We use E10 gas in everything except 2-strokes that require mixing and have no problems. I think we must have better gas here in MN!

 

[super99]

I'll second what Dieseltech said! No new parts and few shops left that will work on them. One shop told me that he won't work on them until he gets 4 or 5 because he has to change his machines over to work on them and takes too much time to set them up.