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Moved to CA in Dec and got back to IN few days ago and happy to find my old 5020 John Deere tractor started like it had been run the day before--after setting for 4 months.
How long can a diesel engine set idle before freezing-up? I know this could vary by a lot.
Will a gas engine freeze-up faster since it does not have the lubricating ability of diesel in the diesel engine?
Seems to me if you'd let the engine cool down over night and then turn over motor when it's cool and hard to start that this would leave some lubricating diesel in the cylinder and on top of the piston.
I've read that diesel fuel will 'keep' a lot longer than gas but I still wonder about using the old diesel fuel in this tractor. Expect I oughta drain it next time I go back to Indiana and put some fresh diesel in it.
There's no easy answer to your question. I've seen engines inside buildings freeze solid over a winter (two stroke motorcycle). And seen others sit outside in horrid conditions for years and not get stuck. We bought a '49 international 1.5 ton truck on a farm sale once that had been sitting outside in a tree line so long that a large hackberry had grown up through the frame. Obviously hadn't been turned over in many years. Set a battery in it, poured some gas down the carb, hot wired it, and it sputtered to life. When I'm gonna store a gas engine for a while, I'll pull the plugs and fog the cylinder with WD-40 or similar. Figure it can't hurt. I wouldn't worry about 4 month old diesel. It will grow mold if you let it sit too long, so an antifungal treatment is cheap insurance.
That can't be your tractor. It has to be a JD publicity photo.
A big diesel engine in reasonable shape will not seize up for quite awhile were I live. Many years is usually no problem. When I was a kid we used to revive junkers to drive that sat along fence rows for quite a time.
If your worried I would get fuel stabilizers before worrying about motors run once and awhile. Getting those old wrecks running always required fresh fuel. A good trick to remember is to run it for a good time to make sure the engine and oil are dry before parking for awhile. Also top up the fuel tank to stop condensation problems.
From the looks of that picture you take wonderful care of that equipment. You can put that baby in your will.
ya know I am of the mindset that providing a machine was in fin condition(well lubed with proper oil/coolant etc.)they can sit for years/decades.
I have a 66 Ford Bronco(77000 original miles)I am looking at as I type this.
I let that thing sit I bet for 7 years before going out one day,lifting that heavy hood looking at that tiny simple 170cc straight 6 popped the radiator cap(full/green) grabbed the belt and spun it with no problem.(last time I ran it/1993)
My one 1951 JD A I have let sit for 4 or 5 yrs and went out before replying to this post and turned over the flywheel (though they turn over hard anyway)
Usually,when someone tells you (when one is froze up)it was fine( )
Their fibbing ya!
If it was put up (right)I would say every 5 years turn the thing over few times.Should be go to go?????????
I was a mechanic on wind machines in the orange groves in S. Cal.In the spring time
after there were no more signs of frost I would go around and (Pickle) the engines for the
summertime off.Most of these were propane so the fuel issue wasn't there.I always used a
mix of engine oil and gas 50/50.I would warm the engine up at an idle then drizzle mix down
intake through carb until she smoked like a train and then shut her off.Then I pulled the
battery to charge in a shed and took duct tape and taped up any opening the engine had
(exhaust,dipstick,crankcase breathers,ect)The only thing on a diesel I would do is treat
the fuel,pull batt.,and seal up with tape.I like the tape because it only takes one mouse,rat,
mud dobber,wasp or whatever to get into the machine!Also, rats that pee on top of a pressureplate and clutch can seize that thing right up...
Engines will keep a long time, as mentioned. I had a 1946 Chevy six cylinder which sat in the woods on the farm, not being run, from 1959 till 1975, put clean fuel to the carb, a fresh 6 volt battery into it and drove it out of the woods. I do wonder how well they will keep with this new methanol, gas or diesel stuff being pumped by govt. mandate. I have heard a lot of boat owners have had fuel tank problems as the tanks were fiberglass and the methanol ate them up. One other engine we had at the farm was a 1928 chevy six cylinder which was used to run a buzz saw to cut up fire wood each winter, we would drain it and pull it into the woods (It was mounted on skids) when done with for the season. Never messed with any prep, other than new gas and battery, checked the oil as well. I am leary of the new fuels out there and its effect on long term non-use. ATB
Note that cloud pt and pour pt values are not given. But... for general use, fuel needs to be treated for increased cloud or gel resistence when temps drop into the low teens. Even storage inside in ambient temps at or below the teens could allow your fuel to gel. The only way to then get the engine running is the bring the temp of the fuel up. There is usually a 15 or 20º difference between regular #2 pump diesel and winterized diesel.
I'm wondering if you're not actually asking about the the engine actually seizing from either oil gumming up in the crankcase or rust formation between the rings and cylinder walls? Crankcase oils are far more stable than either gasoline or diesel... but they will breakdown and gum up the rotating assemblies (crank, cam and gears) in the engine. Usually takes years. They might also get slowly pushed out from where it SHOULD be. For long term storage it was recommended to me that I should remove all fuel from the tank and drain oil from the engine, trans and differential and store in a environmental stable facility. MY '55 sedan is stored thusly. It's also stored indoors, in a interior access only facility. (Ain't cheap)! It's still recommended that it be turned from time to time so that oil doesn't get totally removed from between the crankshaft and bearings and it the rings don't rust to the cylinder walls. My '55 has been stored since 1999, no issues that I'm aware of except a few spider webs, etc... My Camaro has been garaged for 8 years (late 2003), but it's going to get an engine rebuild before it sees the road again. Still gets started once about every 3 months. And shut off before it has a real chance to get overheated... which is about 5 minutes of idling. (Has blown head gasket or cracked head, but my plan is to replace the 305 with a real horse of a 350ci, so whether it gets siezed or not is immaterial).
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
Yeah, rust between cylinder walls and piston rings is my main concern. Hadn't thought about rust at rod bearings and mains but perhaps these areas would be less likely to rust and "freeze/stick" the engine.
Sounds like you've got some interesting vehicles. Old but good machines can be a real pleasure.
Dad has a story about an old flathead 6 that he had to use one time. Being that he was a broke teenager in the '50's he was always working on this car or that to get/keep them runnin. He "acquired" a junker on the cheap and it needed a motor. Grandpa pointed to an old flathead 6 laying on it's side in the weeds and said use that. Grandpa swore up and down that it was a dang good motor. Now being that it had been in the weeds for as long as Dad could remember he had his doubts but having even fewer options he pulled it out and dropped it into the car. It ran, ran well, sold the car to a buddy for a profit and ran for as long as he remembered the friend having the car. Never blew smoke or used oil to his knowledge. Moral of the story: You'd be amazed what you can put a motor thru and not have it freeze it up.
My Uncles got a small sawmill from their Army assisstance after WW2. Uncle Bill and my cousin used it to build every house their family lives in, including barns, and outhouses in northern Alberta. It was constantly rebuilt and modified in homesteader fashion (hillbilly for my American friends).
It still works today with its model T engine. The model A engine didn't have enough power so it got thrown in the bush quickly. That thing sits for years and cranks up fine.
In 1971 a good friend of mine and I were gifted a 1950 Chevrolet pickup. We had drive 70 miles to the farm where it was stored at. When we got there and looked at it we realized it was more of a matter than just putting a battery in it and starting it. The six cylinder engine and transmission lay crossways in the engine compartment. We dove in and in a couple of hours had the engine, transmission and drive train all in the proper places and secured. Then we took the drain plug out of the oil pan and to our surprise water poured out. The engine had been filled with water for who knows how long. We got all the water drained out and put the oil pan plug back in and put oil in the engine. Then we connected a new battery to it and turned the ignition key and hit the floor starter. To our amazement it turned over and started. After another hour and one half of work we drove the old Chevy PU home 70 miles. I doubt in anyone could do the same with the trucks or cars we have today.
The reason those older engines can sit and still fire up is due mostly, or entirely, to extremely loose tolerances.
That being said, to the OP, by nature a diesel has very tight tolerances. For a modern engine, even though it may start and run after sitting for a lengthy period of time, if you start and run it right away it can do permanent damage or cause premature wear on bearings and rings. I like to at minimum turn them over by hand after disabling the ability to fire, either ignition in the case of gas, or fuel in the case of diesel. Spraying something in the cylinders is not a bad idea per say, however in a diesel be very, very careful since their compression numbers are twice that of a gas motor and you can hydro lock the motor. The easiest way to do that in a diesel is by removing glow plugs if the engine has them. If you do this, rotate the motor with the plugs out at least once to remove excess, and do NOT have your face anywhere near the GP holes when you do this, it will come out at a very high velocity and sometimes sound like a gunshot. That being said, rotating the engine a few times by hand will do two things, tell you if it's seized or if there is rust in the cylinders, and start the oil pump pushing oil to the bearings etc without a load on the motor. After that, if all is well, turn it over with the starter a few times. Also be aware the current low sulfur fuels do not have the lubricity like the old fuel, so fuel additives are a must. The new trucks are puking injection pumps left and right because of the low sulfur fuels. This would be very important in a diesel engine stored for long periods.
"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance." Declaration of Independance, July 4, 1776 11B30
VERY nice tractor. Given it's condition you obviously take good care of your stuff. 
grabbed the belt and spun it with no problem.(last time I ran it/1993)
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