Originally Posted By: Rick in PA
The Lanz Bulldog is pretty neat. I hadn't seen a tractor application of a hot bulb engine before.
I've seen these at a tractor show. They're pretty cool. Rumley Oil Pull from the early 1900s, runs on any grade kerosene, has a huge cylinder and a unique cooling system. The air is drawn through the radiator by using the exhaust to create a draft, much the same way exhaust is used for draft in a steam locomotive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUW0_L3RX9k
While there were some tractors designed to run on kerosene, many old tractors up through the early 50's were designed as a "duel fuel" tractor. My 1950 Case model "D" is a good example. It has two tanks, the smaller tank holds about three gallons of gasoline which is used to start the tractor. Once the tractor is warm, it is switched to the main tank which is suppose to contain "tractor fuel." "Tractor fuel" is a low grade fuel, kinda a cross between gasoline and diesel fuel and will only work in the engine if the engine is hot. The manifold is designed in such a way that the exhaust gases heat the fuel before it is burned. At the end of the day, the operator switches the fuel back to gasoline so that it will start the next time it is used.
Tractor fuel is no longer available, but you can make your own by mixing two gallons of diesel fuel with three gallons of gasoline. At today's diesel fuel prices, this is no longer an economical way to run these old tractors, so 99 percent of people owning these old tractors simply run gasoline.
