Oil pan heater

[ShawnAgne]

Since Kid is my snow plow was wondering is it worth it to have a magnetic oil pan heater on it to keep stuff warm through the winter for plowing, or isn't it that big of a deal? Are the ok to just keep attached an on all the time? Which one do you recommend? Barn is insulated but not heated.
Getting all excited for another year of plowing since I have chains and weights this time around.

[Eugene]

I have used magnet engine heaters on timers. Set the timer to turn on the block heater 3 or 4 hours before you expect to need the tractor. Throw a blanket over the hood to retain a bit of heat.

[Gary S.]

Are you worried about oil flow or easier starting? For the going on 60 years and keeping it in an unheated spaces the 49 it has started hard in the 20's and below. I have used several different methods but the best and fastest by far is a heat gun applied to the manifold right above the carb. 3-4 minutes max and it's running.

[ricky racer]

I've never had to use a heater to start my '53 but it has the 6 volt system (I love my 6v. system) even in sub zero temps. One time when it was near -15 I had to put a heat lamp under it because after starting it up, the clutch peddle was partially frozen and wouldn't engage the clutch once it was released. My Cub lives in an unheated, uninsulated barn.

[Urbish]

When really cold (-10º-ish)I put a work light with a 100 watt bulb under but near my oil pan when my Cub was stored in an unheated, uninsulated garage. Seemed to do the trick.

[ShawnAgne]

Well my thought is
1. if the OIl is warmer the engine gets to operating temp quicker which is an issue in the winter I've read.
2. if its thicker my take longer to flow around and get circulating.
3. Its November 2nd and I'm not mowing grass or spraying with my 2 tractors anymore so just trying to think of stuff......

Guessing I could just go as is and I'd be fine but figured always be worth asking.

[Lt.Mike]

My Lo-Boy gets moved up to the front and is covered under a tarp when a big storm is forecasted. When it’s time to plow I brush the snow off the tarp, uncover the tractor and fire it up. I give it a few minutes to warm up then get to work.

[Glen]

Hi,
IH recommended using a thin motor oil in cold temperatures in the Cubs.
If you live in a cold area in Winter, you can change it in the late Autumn, to thinner oil, if you want.

Since you have a 184 LoBoy engine in your Cub, you could look at the 184 owner's manual for info about the engine.
Below is a page from the 184 owner's manual, with the lubrication table.
It says use 10W motor oil, or 10W oil thinned with kerosene, in the amounts it says in the table, for the temperatures shown.
Or use 5W-20 oil in the temperatures shown.

http://farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www.clea ... age-51.jpg

It is probably helpful to use thin oil in the air cleaner oil cup also, to help starting.
The 5W-20 is probably good for that. It was shown as one of the oils for the oil cup in the owner's manual for the newest Cubs.

Below is a page from the 184 owner's manual, showing the engine speeds.
I remember you were trying to set the speed in the past. The Cub engine did not run at as high a RPM as the 184 engine can go, so maybe it is better to set it for 1800 or 2000 RPM.

http://farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www.clea ... age-57.jpg

Cubs serial number 248125 and above, from mid 1975 on, ran at 2080 RPM, the manual for them says.

[ShawnAgne]

Hi Glen,
Yeah the issue with the speed was the linkage to the governor was way to short. Once I was able to actually check the rpm I believe slow was 1500rpm and full open was fast, not quite palmer boat engine fast but was fast.

Thanks for the links to the manual.

[NJ Farmer]

In Alaska the bush pilots will “drop” their oil into 5 gallon cans and bring the oil can inside their houses overnight. Then in the morning they will pour back in the nice warm oil into the engines and get a fresh easy start on their engines.

The Farmall was brilliantly designed to make this simple and possible as well due to the location of both oil filter drain and oil pan drain. Get a jug (small red fuel can from Walmart) with a funnel and remove the two plugs wait a couple of minutes and reinstall the plugs. Maybe it would be wise for the “older” fellows here maybe make a note on the steering wheel “don’t start until oil re-installed!!!”

Anyway another idea to kick around. For me when the temp is below 40 my Cubs hibernate until the warm spring sun wakes them up.....

NJ Farmer

[Bill]

I no longer use the cub for snow removal, when I did I used a dip stick heater and 1.25 battery maintainer. Always stored in a unheated building. I now use a 49" snow blower on a JD 318. Cub worked good but after several snow falls snow would pile up and would not have space to plow- store new snow.
Bill

[ShawnAgne]

I no longer use the cub for snow removal, when I did I used a dip stick heater and 1.25 battery maintainer. Always stored in a unheated building. I now use a 49" snow blower on a JD 318. Cub worked good but after several snow falls snow would pile up and would not have space to plow- store new snow.
Bill

Hi Bill, yeah we don't get the lake effect here in Versailles that you get up there in Freemont. Most I've ever had to plow was 6" on the township road (because I had the day off school and enjoy plowing) and was able to push it off the road into the ditch. BUT why I'm throwing around idea of putting a blade on the 300 for when the Cub just isn't enough or when I just want to play with somthing else....

[outdoors4evr]

Since you have a 184 engine, I'll comment. I run 5W30 during the winter months and have not had any difficulty getting it started. Last year my tractor had to sit outside under a canvas tarp (garage is being built). I parked it on wood so the tires and chains wouldn't freeze in and used a cheap harbor freight battery maintainer to keep the battery topped off between snow falls. Your 184 engine should have very little issue firing up in cold weather - just needing some choke for a minute or so. Note: I do have a pertronix ignition module installed. This may contribute to easy starting.

[BigBill]

Go by your owners manual for cold weather winter weight oil. Running the wrong oil weight can do in your engine, the rod bearing furthest from the pump and filter will starve from oil if the heavier weight oil is used in the cold winter temps.