13 degrees and will not start

A

AndrewSpencer

Active member
My poor 1953 Cub did not want to start.
She fired right up ran for 2 seconds (maybe closer to 5) and the caughed and died. Which is normal when cold. But then she refused to start. It would catch every time, spin faster than the starter for one cylinder, which would disengage the starter, but not catch another cylinder.
And thoughts?
Thanks!
Andrew
 
bad plugs for one thing. they work fine in hot weather then the first cold day --- nuttin! used to go thru that in the old chevy 235 truck motors ---- new plugs every fall solved the problem.
 
Thanks guys! I will check the plugs next. Of course the wife is a mile from home, high centered in the snow in our 4x4 lowered car and I am just trying my hardest to get the tractor started to pull her home. Nothing like panic to really help nothing work! :)
 
If you have some way to warm the engine. Put a magnetic heater on the oil pan. Put a tarp over it with some heat lamps under the tarp. The oil may be too thick for everything to move easily. The valves have to close to make compression. The gas is on, isn’t it?
 
Someone stopped and helped her push, at one point he wanted to drive, but got out when he realized it was a stick shift. :)

She got home as I was headed to the school house for the propane heater. Sounds like this will be a warmer temperature diagnostic…
 
Mine took a few tries today to fire up. I think it was my fault not leaving the choke on long enough. Eventually I got it going.

How old is the gas in the tank?

Is it cranking over slow due to weak battery or thick oil?
 
SONNY said:
better send a tow truck to get the car cause a cub aint gonna do it!
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Now there is where I disagree. Earlier this year there was a 1 ton dually pickup that spun out in a ditch. Front wheels on the road but both back were in a ditch. He had no tow hook on the front so I hooked a chain to his back trailer hitch. I needed him to roll the wheels to get him to break traction and not only did I pull is out of the ditch he wasn’t laying off the gas so I wasn’t stopping and I dragged him 20’ backwards down the road until he let off the gas. The then put himself right back in the ditch 50’ up the road. So I pulled him out the second time with better instructions. He then gingerly limped away knowing his defeat. A random guy passing by wanted a picture of my cub because it was the “damnedest little powerhouse he ever saw”. I do have my wheels loaded, double whee weights and chains to help with traction.
 
AndrewSpencer said:
My poor 1953 Cub did not want to start.
She fired right up ran for 2 seconds (maybe closer to 5) and the caughed and died. Which is normal when cold. But then she refused to start. It would catch every time, spin faster than the starter for one cylinder, which would disengage the starter, but not catch another cylinder.
And thoughts?
Thanks!
Andrew
Click to expand...
Hi Andrew

I had similar starter kickout issue and it was spark plugs. Went to Champion D21 plugs which are a hot plug and starts and runs well on these. I had some NGK's that were likely the nominal heat range and had the problem you have so in changing plugs went to the hotter range. I have Pertronix ignition which was cheaper then but pricey now but it did run better than stock points ignition.

Had to get it to start at 9 F so made sure battery (6 volt) was fully charged and kept on a tender. I was then studying the ampacity of these group one 6 volt batteries and what I have is 800 amps (CA) at 32 F and dropping to 640 amps (CCA) at zero F. So loosing 5 amps per degree F. There is value in taking the battery in the house and getting it to room temperature and then bolting back into the tractor just before starting it.

IH recommends 10W oil for service below 32 F so I had 20 weight and changed to a 0W-20. Working well in the cold weather as oil pressure is still good and no smoke so not too thin. Years ago when I first got it, it would smoke so went to heavier oils which cuts down smoke but makes cold weather starting harder. With frequent oil changes with detergent oils and Seafoam treatments over time got the engine clean and rings seated again so no smoke so will try a 5W-30 oil this spring.

So added a KAT magnetic oil pan heater for cold weather starting. Also used a movers blanket over the engine and radiator. Used a thermal imaging device to get temperature readings:

Outside: +9 F

Tractor Frame: +14 Inside building is uninsulated but sun is adding some temp rise.

Oil Pan: +77 F Just above KAT heater on oil pan

Engine block: +23 F

This was on Sunday 1/25/2026. Engine spun over well and started up easily.

Was plowing more snow today 1/26/2025 so evening before left off KAT heater and moving blanket, knowing the outside temp was going to be 24 F. Spun over almost as fast as with KAT heater but colder outside temp of 9 F.

Will be plowing again tomorrow but cooler with projected temp of 19 F. So put KAT heater back on and will check temps again and judge cranking speed.

Heating the oil seems to help somewhat as the load from the oil pump is reduced. Maybe KAT heater and blanket are worth about 15 F or so.

Ricky from Michigan has a fully rebuilt/restored CUB still 6 volts and starts at -20 F. So the tractor as designed (no heaters, just in a building) can start in cold weather if everything is dialed in.

Paul
 
When cold starting mine, l have to fiddle with the choke initially until l find the sweet spot around halfway. I let it idol there until it warms up a bit. Then l can turn it off, and run normally. I also agree with the D21 plugs, but my other concern is possibly some moisture freezing up in your fuel line. You said it started initially then died. A tarp cover and a couple oldfashioned incondessent flood light lamps aimed at the oil pan and carb is the way we used to do it.
 
Moisture in the start can freeze on the plug under the conditions described. It generally will not freeze more than one so the restart runs rough for a few seconds until the heat of the compression takes care of things. I really can't offer help because I do not know what you have available but I sure do hope at least a battery charger. Good luck. Vern
 
What I’ve figured out that works for me when starting in really cold temps is don’t even try the starter. Use the hand crank, and before I pull out the choke I shoot starting fluid into the carb. Then choke it and it starts on the first crank. I did go get a magnetic heater for the oil pan last week and it has made it easier to crank.
 
In a pinch, I've drained the oil out into a container (like an old washer fluid container) and brought it inside and set it by a heat vent. The oil warms up pretty quickly and when you dump it back into the tractor it'll turn over a lot easier. I bring my battery inside too when it gets really cold if I'm not planning to use the tractor for a while.

As far as starting, I've found that when it's really cold you have to let it run with the choke partially on for a minute or two before it'll run smoothly with no choke. I've turned the choke off too quickly before and then I killed the engine. It will fire back up with choke again though.

I usually set the throttle a little higher too so it idles higher at first, that seems to help as well.

My old starter wasn't too hot either as I found out. I didn't know any better as I never had a tractor before, so I thought it was just normal. I put a "new" used starter on and it cranks over much faster now. Still 6V but turns over pretty good with a fully charged battery.
 
My suggestion is poor 2-3 quarts of boiling water on the carburetor. It worked everytime for me on a 47 cub parked outside and used for snow plowing of sidewalks/
 
For all of you Cub owners who like Winter Operations…….a professional tip.

Drain your oil the night before in a 5 qt jug…bring it inside for the night……the next day pour the warm oil into your engine. It make the engine start sooo much easier on your engine. When your done running the Cub drain the oil back into the container. As a safety tip for the older Cub drivers maybe install a clothes pin with a streamer on the steering wheel reminding you that no oil is in the engine. Some people need an extra reminder when the get older…..

Cranking 0 degree oil with a 6 volt starter is hard for the newest of reconditioned engines and forget the ones that are tired or not so top-notched.

The beauty of the Cub design is the drain plug and the oil filter housing drain are co-located so one funnel is used and simple to drain.

NJ Farmer
 
drag out the old torpedo heater and blast away is the fastest way to warm motors up! gotta use it on the NH skidder every day! takes a half hour or so. lean tin or plywood up to hold heat in.
Also something the King of Obsolete up in Manatoba uses is called chimineese diesel heater ---- they use them up there to start Xenas snowmobile and their cats with. Takes about an hour. I dont know anything about them but they like them up there.
Gotta be ready for winter BEFORE it gets here and not wait til the coldest day then try to figure out something!
 
NJ Farmer said:
For all of you Cub owners who like Winter Operations…….a professional tip.

Drain your oil the night before in a 5 qt jug…bring it inside for the night……the next day pour the warm oil into your engine. It make the engine start sooo much easier on your engine. When your done running the Cub drain the oil back into the container. As a safety tip for the older Cub drivers maybe install a clothes pin with a streamer on the steering wheel reminding you that no oil is in the engine. Some people need an extra reminder when the get older…..

Cranking 0 degree oil with a 6 volt starter is hard for the newest of reconditioned engines and forget the ones that are tired or not so top-notched.

The beauty of the Cub design is the drain plug and the oil filter housing drain are co-located so one funnel is used and simple to drain.

NJ Farmer
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This is what I do when it gets really cold out. If it's in the 20's or 30's I just turn it over and fire it up. But when it's close to zero or below zero I just drain the oil out and bring it inside. Same with the battery.
 
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