Starting A John Deere Two-cylinder Tractor By Hand

Early John Deere tractors of the two-cylinder variety can be started by hand if the tractor is equipped with a magneto ignition system. Tractors with battery ignition can sometimes be started by hand if the battery is not completely discharged, as the ignition system can function on as little as 3-4 volts.

This applies to styled and unstyled letter-series John Deere tractors with an external flywheel, such as the John Deere A, B, D, G, H, and R. Certain letter-series John Deere two-cylinder tractors use a crank inserted into the front of the tractor to start the engine similar to other tractors and cars of the day, such as the L and M series.

Later generation two-cylinders with number designations (such as the 520, 630, 70, etc.) may have certain provisions for hand starting, but because of higher compression ratios and parts interference, it may be easier to pull-start them using another tractor as a source of power.

Before starting the tractor, verify that it has the proper fluids:

• Fuel in the tank. If there are two fuel tanks, either one should have fuel in it. Modern fuels can be used in either tank. The reason for two tanks comes from a lack of availability of quality fuel when these tractors were built. The large tank was meant to hold “tractor fuel,” which had a volatility similar to mineral spirits. The small tank was meant to hold gasoline. The fuel selector on the tractor dashboard are labeled F, G, and O to select Fuel, Gasoline, or Off.
• Coolant in the radiator. These tractors can be started and run for a short period of time without coolant (1-2 minutes), but it's best to have coolant in the engine as a precaution.
• Oil in the engine. On the right hand side of the motor below the clutch is a unique petcock that allows you to check the amount of oil in the engine. The petcock appears as a coupling nut screwed into the engine, and it has a bolt screwed into it. To check the oil, loosen the outermost plug (the bolt) a turn or two. Oil should leak from a hole drilled into one of the flats of the coupling nut if the engine has enough oil. If oil does not leak out of the petcock, check to see if the weep hole is clogged with debris. If the hole appears clean and oil does not come out of the petcock when the plug is loosened, the engine needs oil.

To start the engine, follow these steps:

• Turn the fuel selector to F or G, depending on which tank has fuel in it. If fuel begins leaking out of the petcock on the bottom of the carburetor, close the petcock.
• Open the throttle half-way.
• Close the choke by rotating the choke lever to a vertical position.
• Open the petcock on each cylinder, next to the spark plug.
• Verify that the clutch is disengaged, the gear selector is in neutral, and the brakes are applied.
  • If the engine is equipped with battery ignition, turn the key to the on position. Engines with magneto ignition will not have this provision.
• Grasp the flywheel on the top and begin to roll it counterclockwise. Only keep hold of the flywheel between the 2 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, and a tight grip is unnecessary, only enough grip to rotate the flywheel comfortably. Be prepared to let the flywheel spin faster when the engine starts - too firm of a grip will result in injury.
  • Note: tractors equipped with electric start where starting by hand is required use the steering wheel as a connection to the flywheel. The steering wheel is removed from the steering shaft and is inserted into the hub of the flywheel. Rotate counterclockwise to engage the dogs and continue in the usual manner.
• When the engine fires, or when there is obviously raw gas coming out of the petcocks in the case of flooding, open the choke fully(lever to a horizontal position), depending on the air temperature and the engine's desire to start. Some engines require very little choke, others require the choke to be mostly closed until they are warm.
• If the engine has fired with choke but is not running, open the choke and continue turning the flywheel.
• When the engine is running on its own, close both cylinder petcocks and allow the engine to warm up.
• When the engine is warm, open the choke fully.
• Enjoy the unique sound of a John Deere two-cylinder!

To shut the engine down, there are a few methods to accomplish this:

• Simply turn the fuel selector to the “O” position, and wait for the tractor to run out of fuel in the carburetor. This is the preferred method of shutdown.
• You can also close the throttle to an idle position and “snuff” the engine out by putting the tractor in it's highest gear and slowly engaging the clutch while holding the brakes. This simply overloads the engine and slows it down to a point where it cannot continue operating on its own; however, this does cause unnecessary wear on the clutch discs, especially if the idle is higher than usual.