What is an All Fuel tractor??
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What's Tractor Fuel???Tractor fuel (or distillate) was similar to kerosene, but derived from petroleum (kerosene is often derived from coal). Think of paint thinner - it says on the label "Contains petroleum distillates". The engine needed to be really hot in order to vaporize that stuff. You couldn't start up the tractor with it. That is why there is a small gasoline tank on an "All Fuel" tractor. Once you got the engine started and warmed up, you switched a valve to the distillate tank. It wouldn't develop as much power as gasoline; but at the time, during the thirties and early forties, it was much, much cheaper than gasoline. THAT was the advantage! When gasoline became as cheap as tractor fuel, the all-fuel engines were discontinued. When that happened, the engine compression was increased in order to get more horsepower (the full potential of the gasoline).Now, we ALL run them on gasoline! The engine needs to be really HOT to work well with the "heavier" fuels. It needs to be "WORKING" to get that hot. When we use the tractors for putt-putting around, it is difficult to keep the engine temperature up high enough. Don't worry, your two cylinder tractor, no matter how OLD it is, does NOT require special fuel. As is, the engine will run beautifully on gasoline. You just won't get any horsepower advantage over the tractor fuel, because of the low compression engine. Just buy "regular" gas. You don't need any "octane" because the engine compression is low. Your tractor will never "ping". |
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"Classical Gas"
Mason Williams, 1968
