Letting water out of tractor

k mac

Where do you let the water out of a david brown tractor .Mine is giving trouble starting these cold mornings and someone suggested letting the water out and collecting it cause there is anti freeze in it and running hot water thru may help it start.

blue5000

There should be two taps, one at the bottom of the radiator and the other on the engine block. If you find the one on the rad first the one on the block looks the same.

snowman707

blue5000 wrote: »

There should be two taps, one at the bottom of the radiator and the other on the engine block. If you find the one on the rad first the one on the block looks the same.

some of the last browns didn't have a tap on the block, just a brass stud you unscrew


Op is the heater plug working ? if not throw a kettle of warm to hot (not boiling) water on to the air intake manifold

there is a also a fuel excess knob on the bottom of the injector pump for cold weather starting

k mac

Don t think the heater switch is working, no lights work on the dash so its hard to know.Have used the fuel excess switch when trying to start but no luck.Also afraid the diesel could be froze as it is diesel i got during the summer

Avns1s

What model and year is it? The early DBs just had the excess fuel tap on the injector pump for cold starting. A heater may of course have been added later.

k mac

It is a 84 1490

pakalasa

If you dont use the 'rich fuel' screw on the injector pump you wont have a chance of starting it. It's right underneath the pump with a pin, about 2 cm going through it. Screw this in before starting, and back out when started.

As mentioned already, there are 2 water taps to drain both the block and radiator. Boiling water will help alright. When you have the tractor started and well warmed up, you could stop it, drain the water and put back in the water with the anti-freeze. Better than leaving the tractor completely drained at the end as some will always be left and might cause damage.

Check that the heat bulb on the air-intake is working. Unscrew it and get someone to 1/2 turn the key with it held against the tractor to earth. You should see it working.

I have a '76 DB995 and I'm well used to cursing it at this stage.:D

snowman707

pakalasa wrote: »

As mentioned already, there are 2 water taps to drain both the block and radiator. Boiling water will help alright. When you have the tractor started and well warmed up, you could stop it, drain the water and put back in the water with the anti-freeze. Better than leaving the tractor completely drained at the end as some will always be left and might cause damage.

.:D

the water with the anti fr. could be anything to -8*C , putting this into a hot engine could crack the head or the block


tried starting our IH 885 at -11*C this am and it wouldn't fire,

took off the first filter (from tank) and put on a new one and primed it , and it fired first turn,

diesel had obviously gelled,

pakalasa

Well it's no different than putting boiling water into a very cold engine. But I do agree with you!

corkcomp

hot / boiling water isnt the answer tbh! a lot of 4 cyl DB's are difficult starters, as long as your diesel filters are clean and the diesel is not gelling up you need to use the excess fuel screw at the bottom of the pump (make sure u turn it off again as soon as tractor starts!) and hold the key to the heating position for 15 - 20 sec.. if your battery / oil lights on the dash dont go slightly dim when u turn to heating position your wiring / glow plug might be in trouble ... failing all that put some lighting papers or a blow torch under the air intake while cranking

k mac

Well even though the frost is gone the tractor still won t start . Had the battery charging all night but still no good all there is now is a clicking noise when i try to start it and its not turning at all.What is the problem now ?

bbam

The clicking noise could be from the starter, it could either be goosed or a bad connection not bringing enough power to it... check to ensure all connections are good and they shouldn't get warm when trying to start it..
When jump starting our 996 I always put the leads onto the positive terminal on the starter rather than battery as this eliminates power lost from bad connections...
Our 996 is by no means a prime example and we never use the excess fuel switch as it's siezed in the pump..
New filters and a new heater plug every year before the cold and she starts fine. They can be smokey at first start but soon clear..

pakalasa

Did you take off the battery to charge it. Probably bad connections. That's where I'd start first.

blue5000

Try cleaning the connections on the battery and starter with sandpaper and tighten all the bolts.

bbam

blue5000 wrote: »

Try cleaning the connections on the battery and starter with sandpaper and tighten all the bolts.

Including remaking the connection where the leads go into the battery pole clamps...