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Distillate

Farmall Super A, AV, 100, 130, & 140 1939 - 1973
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TexasRed
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Distillate

Postby TexasRed » Sun Dec 06, 2009 8:45 pm

A stupid question here. I have a Super A set up with a distillate head, and I was wondering, what is distillate, and how do I mix/ find it to run the SA? Thanks, Don

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Bigdog
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Re: Distillate

Postby Bigdog » Sun Dec 06, 2009 9:25 pm

Distillate is a low grade fuel much like kerosene. Distillate tractors were started and run on gasoline until they warmed up enough to run on the lower grade fuel. Personally, I wouldn't mess with trying to run on it. The engine will do fine on gasoline.
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Re: Distillate

Postby Eugene » Sun Dec 06, 2009 10:14 pm

If the engine/tractor was not set up at the factory to operate on distillate - ain't worth the effort or expense to change over. To operate an engine on distillate you will need a seperate fuel tank for gasoline, intake manifold (yup a duel fuel manifold), check to see which piston set in installed and perhaps a carburetor change.
I have an excuse. CRS.

TexasRed
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Re: Distillate

Postby TexasRed » Mon Dec 07, 2009 7:19 pm

Thanks for the info. I have the separate gas tank and the intake manifold. Part of the shutter linkage is missing. Just thought it'd be cool to run it as it used to be. Guess I'll pass on the distillate idea!

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Re: Distillate

Postby cubbrian » Mon Dec 07, 2009 8:40 pm

The reasoning behind burning distilate (or kerosene) was due to the extremely lower operating costs verses gasoline. I just bought 5 gallons of kerosene today and it was 42 cents a gallon higher than gasoline. I guess times change.

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John *.?-!.* cub owner
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Re: Distillate

Postby John *.?-!.* cub owner » Tue Dec 08, 2009 10:33 am

Running on distillate required the engines to be kept hot. They did not work run well on distillate just puttering around, but needed to work hard to stay hot enough.


cubbrian wrote:The reasoning behind burning distillate (or kerosene) was due to the extremely lower operating costs verses gasoline. I just bought 5 gallons of kerosene today and it was 42 cents a gallon higher than gasoline. I guess times change.

Brian, you are lucky on the kerosene price, in this area it is nearly twice the price of gasoline. That is the reason I tried low sulfur diesel in my torpedo heaters, and found it burns just as clean as kerosene in them.
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Re: Distillate

Postby Jim Becker » Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:52 am

The kerosene you find today is much different than what was available 60 years ago. Today's product is highly refined for use in wick type heaters. It is frequently prepackaged in 1 or 5 gallon cans. If it wasn't for the red dye that has been recently added for tax reasons, it would be as clear as water. The old stuff was not nearly as refined. The color was close to that of weak coffee. It did not burn cleanly. The old kerosene produced plenty of soot and the odor, both from the liquid and the burning were fairly strong. It was always sold in bulk.

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Re: Distillate

Postby Dan England » Tue Dec 08, 2009 6:53 pm

Don: How is the SA doing? Did you do a restore on it or use it as a work tractor. I would like to swing by and see it when in your area. Dan

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Re: Distillate

Postby Harold R » Tue Dec 08, 2009 7:12 pm

Was this designed during the WW II years? Because of gasoline rationing? Or, just an attempt to get operating cost down?

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Re: Distillate

Postby Bigdog » Tue Dec 08, 2009 7:26 pm

Distillate fuels were in use in the thirties. It was primarily popular because it was cheap.
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Re: Distillate

Postby DanR » Wed Dec 09, 2009 7:45 am

I have an old Fairbanks Morse hit and miss engine that was duel fuel from the factory. It's fairly common. I don't keep kerosene but I do have Jet A fuel. The engine runs like a top and no smoke. Only problem is it smells like Boeing.
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TexasRed
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Tractors Owned: Don
1949 Farmall Cub "Lucy"
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Location: Henderson, Texas

Re: Distillate

Postby TexasRed » Sat Dec 19, 2009 8:30 am

Dan England wrote:Don: How is the SA doing? Did you do a restore on it or use it as a work tractor. I would like to swing by and see it when in your area. Dan


Dan, good to hear from you! The SA purrs like a kitten. We had hoped to restore it this winter, but other problems have pushed the Farmalls back for a while. I hope all is well with you and yours, and wish you a Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year! Don

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Re: Distillate

Postby Dan England » Sat Dec 19, 2009 4:19 pm

Hey, Don. Does the grandson still claim the SA as his tractor? I believe that he is experienced at helping you as you work with implements. We could probably have loaded the tractor and implements without his help but it would not have been an easy task. He provided major help when needed. Send pictures when you finish it. Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2010. Dan

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Re: Distillate

Postby spadra » Fri Jan 01, 2010 2:46 pm

Question for the experts: The factory manual for my Super A says that if running distillate, each morning you should drain the oil to the level of the lower petcock and re-fill with fresh oil. What does running distillate do to the oil that gasoline would not?

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Re: Distillate

Postby Super A » Fri Jan 01, 2010 6:08 pm

spadra wrote:Question for the experts: The factory manual for my Super A says that if running distillate, each morning you should drain the oil to the level of the lower petcock and re-fill with fresh oil. What does running distillate do to the oil that gasoline would not?

matt


The kerosene or distillate didn't always burn completely, especially if the engine was running too cool. So the unburned fuel would end up in the oil pan, and dilute the oil. If you drained the oil everyday down to the lower petcock, any fuel in the oil pan would drain out.

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