[Vwdiesel] winter fronts

[Nate Wall]

I've run lawnmowers on kerosene. The engine has to be warmed up using gasoline first,
though.

--Nate

Drew MacPherson wrote:

> On Sun, 16 Feb 2003, Harmon Seaver wrote:
>
> >    When diesels came along? I think Rudolph Diesel built his first successful
> > engine in 1896. 8-)
>
> Smart alek... :)  I was referring to when diesels became readily available
> and viable on the agricultrual and industrial scenes in the 40s and 50s.
>
> >    Actually my garden tractor has the option of burning
> > kerosene. You can get order a dual fuel tank and bigger jets for the carb, and
> > also a different (lower compression) head. I've also read of people wrapping a
> > copper fuel line around the exhaust manifold to heat up the fuel to lower the
> > viscosity. A lot of older gas tractors had this option, it's still quite popular
> > and widely used in Europe and the Third World. You have to start on gasoline,
> > get the engine hot, then switch over -- and also switch back to gas before
> > stopping.
>
> Yes, the dual-fuel option (low grade (kerosene) and gasoline was an option
> on most agricultural tractors in the 30s and 40s.  A few of our antiques
> have it.
>
> >     Did you ever check the thermostat? I'll be it was stuck wide-open, which is
> > the normal fail-mode.
> >
>
> There was nothing wrong with the thermostat.  At -45 C the air in the
> engine compartment was robbing heat from the block, and the thermostat
> never had a chance to open.  The cardboard on the grille reduced the flow
> of air through the engine compartment and helped the engine stay warmer.
> Once the temps "warmed up" from a chilly -50 to a balmy -30C range (I was
> on a round trip to North Bay, Ontario) the engine returned to normal
> operating temperature.
>
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