John Deere R Start-up

[@christopherkinney7357]

Dad had one when I was in jr.high and highschool. That smoke is pretty much the nature of the beast. Nothing wrong with it!!

[@jonelsonster]

That's what I've come to believe. Until it gets some heat into the combustion chamber, it smokes a little. It's not oil or water from a leaky head gasket, as some people have suggested. It's just inefficient combustion since the engine is cold.

[@bryanrichsr2978]

I THANK YOU SIR!!! For showing the people the correct way to start the R with a cranking engine!!! And also the way to shut it down using the decompression lever!!! I TIP MY HAT TO YOU SIR!!! 😉👍👍👍

[@jonelsonster]

There are a lot of videos out there showing different ways to start an R. But so many vary with when to turn the fuel on or when to release the decompression lever... So I'm glad I have the right technique. 😉

[@markdotts6798]

I'm not very familiar with this model. Why is the clutch engaged during the starting procedure? Is that correct?

[@HarlowBAshur]

@@markdotts6798 Makes little difference, although engaging the clutch before starting always seemed more correct to me. Less clatter and safer in the long run.

[@christinacummings8940]

Dad had a 1949 R when I was a kid in the 70's that smoked like a freight engine when it first started and then stop smoking after 2 or 3 min. It was something to do with the rings, but dad ran it like that for almost 20 years before he completely restored the tractor.

[@jonelsonster]

Since it still starts easily and pulls hard we aren't going to mess with it.

[@larrydavidson3402]

Nice running John Deere R, sure like the sound of the two cylinder.

[@jonelsonster]

Iconic 2 cylinder sound.

[@Gatekeeper-p6g]

My favorite sounding John Deere was the 2 cylinder called the Johnny Popper when I lived on a farm in 1956 a man way down the road from where our farm was located at you could hear him proceeding toward the farm where we lived at

[@jonelsonster]

They make a great sound!

[@ericchristman4713]

I could smell this video...lol Grew up on 720 diesel in the 70's

[@jonelsonster]

I can only imagine running one of these old diesels day in and day out. That's cool.

[@shannonburns6724]

Let that daughter drive that R. Get her used to it totally. Let her pull it at antique pulls.

[@jonelsonster]

They enjoy riding with me. But can't drive yet because they can't disengage the have clutch. But we have an Allis D-14 that they like to drive.

[@HarlowBAshur]

Neighbor had an R with rice-and-cane tires. When anybody got stuck real bad, that R was their best shot. Six inch wide nylon straps FTW.

[@jonelsonster]

Awesome!

[@garrettvillwok3693]

Would you be able to give us a starting procedure video from the seat? It would not only be fun but also informative.

[@jonelsonster]

Sure. I'll make a video of that.

[@Super1967ford]

Put it to work, driving it around is fun but I love the how they feel working the land. Nothing compares to an old 2 cylinder in the field. I’ve run massive track machines and all kinds but nothing has that feeling lol wish I could find the R I grew up with

[@jonelsonster]

Agree. Here is a video of us working it... kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooGzc5-terSqmJI

[@Super1967ford]

@@jonelsonster thank you, that’s how I remember it! My dad and grandpa would be out for hours and days on the field with the R and my grandpas 930 case (that I’ve got now)

[@stevemccoy8138]

I wouldn't worry too much about the smoke, as long as it clears up, and doesn't use much oil.😊

[@jonelsonster]

Agree!

[@AirborneRenegade]

I think it could be a ring causing it to smoke. The heat of the engine running causes the ring to expand and seal. I’d love to have an R at some period in my life. They’re very unique tractors.

[@jonelsonster]

Great point! Once the engine has a little heat, no smoke at all.

[@wolfietigerstripes3248]

Old diesels will naturally smoke till warm, thats what my dad used to tell me, he has a 720 diesel, and it always smoked till it warmed up a little. If there was a blown ring, you would have a risk of it running away on you as it would allow it to run off the motor oil instead. Hope this helps. Also i noticed you hit the decompression when shutting down, idk if this is true or not but my dad also had told me that his dad or my grandfather has told him not to do that since the valves would be warm by than and expanded due to the heat, and decompression works by holding open the exhaust valve, doing that when hot can risk damaging the valves by the piston running into it. Again idk if it is true or not but thats what i heard. Otherwise beautiful model R, love old john deeres.

[@AirborneRenegade]

@@wolfietigerstripes3248 A well taken care of diesel doesn’t smoke no matter it’s age. Rings would cause the engine to burn motor oil. Motor oil when burned in combustion releases blueish-white smoke. If they’re smoking there’s a problem. It’s not just age. Rings can seal off when exposed to heat because they’re made of metal. If they’re blowing smoke that isn’t grey or blue, they’re running rich upon startup. In the case of this tractor that smoke is blue and would suggest oil is seeping past the rings.

[@tommysavage1342]

It’s the nature of the beast especially if they sit for a while and dont work. I have a 1951 R and she’ll belch smoke when she starts cold and cleans up a little when it warms up. It dosent completely go away until i get it up to 220 degrees pullin a plow, disc, or renovator, and when she hits a hard spot shell breath fire out of the exhaust. You have to remember tolerances back in the day were not what they are today and had room for expansion and if your tractor has a ton of hours on the engine its going to have wear. Do yourself a favor and work the snot out of if a few times a year put some motor oil in the diesel to help lube all the injection parts, and if you do actually get it up to operation temperature let it cool down before you shut it off, and when you do shut it off pull the decompression lever until the engine stops turning to prevent the flywheel from kicking backwards.

[@jonelsonster]

I think you're right on. The old diesel engines smoke when they are cold. It's not until they get warmed up that they'll stop.

[@northdakotakid8787]

Totally natural to smoke on cold start. They all do unless the EPA screwed with them. We had a Massey 44D that smoked the same & it had a unique smell too. Much different than our 6 cylinder Case 1070.

[@jonelsonster]

Yes I think you're right. While the engine is cold or even cool you don't get a full clean burn of the fuel, so it smokes. Once it warms up everything burns completely so there is no white smoke.

[@ericvogel1126]

Smoking is quite normal for any cold diesel. It is just unburned fuel until the combustion temperature normalizes.

[@jonelsonster]

Thanks! This is what I've come to understand. The early cylinder head/poison combustion chamber design was not very efficient with the model R. And until it got some heat, it couldn't burn all of the fuel.

[@robertfoote3255]

All those 2 cylinders need to be warmed to be in their efficiency range. A rebuild might help a bit, but a dyno test will tell you if it really needs it. Nice!

[@jonelsonster]

We did a dyno test a couple of weeks ago... kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJmzm6p9gLCrg5I

[@wendynelson8942]

Your brother is cool.

[@jonelsonster]

Yes, I'm very lucky to have him as a bother and you as a sister in law.

[@nhojhtims5501]

Nice tractor. Sounds good to me.

[@jonelsonster]

Thanks 👍

[@John-Deere]

That's so cool!

[@jonelsonster]

👍🏻

[@weirddeere]

Great looking and sounding R! If you want to get it outside before starting, start up your pony, engage it with no compression, put the tractor in gear (1st or reverse) and drive it outside under pony power. I've done it with my later Deeres, it works well

[@jonelsonster]

Good idea. I never would have thought to do that.

[@weirddeere]

@@jonelsonster Locking both levers engaged makes it easy

[@09amusement]

How can such a small pony motor make so much noise! You must have really understanding neighbours. Regards from 🇬🇧

[@jonelsonster]

Yeah, it's loud. The pony spins about 4000 rpm with no muffler. Luckily the nearest neighbors are about half a mile away.

[@riedjacobsen8620]

​@@jonelsonsteryeah, about 1/2 mile or more takes care of any neighbor complaints! We had a couple of Rs as neighbor with pony engines.

[@charliemacrae1045]

She is probably smoking on start up because she has worn valve guides. When she warms up she burns off the oil and things tighten up. No biggy. Maybe the rings too. Does the crankcase have a lot of blow back?

[@ronaldwhite9954]

I 2nd this comment. That's where I would start.

[@jasonreynolds7753]

Worn valve guides, I agree. Nice tractor!

[@jonelsonster]

That's a good idea about the valve guides. And no, there isn't any blowby we've noticed.

[@davidstratton9161]

All old diesels smoke cool start

[@jonelsonster]

Yes, I think you're right. As soon as the engine warms up, no smoke at all.

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

So is that similar to like a locomotive or a big cat bulldozer where you got to have a pony motor to get it going?

[@jonelsonster]

Yes, the gas motor starts the big diesel.

[@butchhuebsch3445]

Start the pony. Go back to the house, get a cup of coffee. Drink it. Go out start the main. Won't smoke

[@jonelsonster]

Good idea. Let the pony motor get heat into the big engine.

[@josephjarrell8342]

It might be smoking because of a plugged or dirty injector not giving the fine spray

[@jonelsonster]

Thanks for the advise!

[@christopherdavis966]

A Ground Pounder!

[@jonelsonster]

Yup!

[@danw6014]

You could have dirty injectors that are not atomizing the fuel very good, so your not getting a good burn until it warms up. Todays diesel fuel is not kind to diesel engines.

[@jonelsonster]

I've done some reading since I posted this video. A lot of people have commented, but I think it's mainly combustion chamber temperature, like you say.

[@199412valve]

Have you tried adding a cetane booster to the diesel fuel?

[@jonelsonster]

I hadn't even thought about it, but it's probably a good idea, especially when it's cool outside. It helps improve combustion, doesn't it?

[@199412valve]

@jonelsonster the higher the cetane in the diesel to a point the easier it is to ignite. So in lower compression diesels or diesels that have a lower injection pressure it does help starting.

[@rudycarlson8245]

Does it have the right back wheels? It looks like it’s sitting lower than it should?

[@jonelsonster]

I believe Rs came from the factory with either 34" rims or 26" rims. Most R's have 34 inch back rims with 14x34 tires mounted on them. The Rs that have 26"rims usually run 23.1x26 tires and sometimes people call them "rice special" tractors. Our R has the 26 inch rims, however we have a shorter 18.4x26 tire, so it is sitting low. But it still sits level because it has a lower profile front tire. If we bought the tall 23.1x26 tires it'd sit the same height as most other Rs you see...but those tires cost a fortune ($1400+ per tire). So for now, we are keeping these tires. If we ever need new tires in the back, we'll look at getting the tall 23.1x26... but that won't be for a long time. You can see rice special Rs, 80s, 820s, and 830s.

[@rudycarlson8245]

@@jonelsonster yeah Tractor tires are expensive! I had to pay $196 for one at one point! thanks for the info! What year is your R? Any video that you can put out on this tractor is appreciated thanks for any video that you can do!

[@ranulfoarias9839]

Very nice tractor and video , engine needs to work harder and smoke go away

[@jonelsonster]

You are right

[@gordonshelby8476]

Just a cold Diesel engine. Normal.

[@jonelsonster]

I agree. Many have said leaving head gasket or injectors that leak into the cylinder... But the tractor has power. Oil stays clean and it just runs very nice. And in the summer, when it's in the 90s, it doesn't smoke at all. It's only even it dips down below 70 degrees F. Thank you for the reassurance!