Heating Pad for my L.

3181 Views 9 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Gravely Frank McM, Sep 3, 2013

NY112

Discussion Starter · Sep 2, 2013

I'll have to admit,I really can't stand winter time.

The only fun I'm gonna have is using my two Gravely's to remove the snow from my 4-car driveway and short city sidewalk. Overkill....I know. My neighbors just shovel or have an old,junk bottom-of-the-line snowblower that is useless.

Not me! I've got the 10A (see avatar)that is a beast and an old cast-iron carb'ed L of unknown year that will be pushing a plow that I restored.

The only problem with the L is the thought of pulling over that ice-cold engine.

I know with airplanes,there are sticky metal pads that owners stick to their oil pans,then plug in to 110V.

*** Q: Have any of you installed engine block heaters on these machines? Before I start looking,I'll bet some of you have excellent ideas.

Attached is a pic of the plow I restored. It now has a 3/8 edge. This plow was found sunk in the ground,rusted,covered with moss. Now it's almost a shame to use it:

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jrd

· #4 · Sep 2, 2013

There were block heaters for L model gravelys. Apparently they didn't work all that well, and also had a tendency to catch fire :Stop:

I've run strap start gravelys in quite cold weather. I'd always choke it all the way, pull it once, then back the choke off to 1/2 to 2/3, then pull again. I could almost always get it to fire on the second or third pull like that.

I've also used the light bulb trick. A 60-watt bulb throws off quite a bit of heat. To enhance, the effect, ditto Dayton_king, throw a blanket over the whole works to hold the heat in.

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jrd

· #9 · Sep 2, 2013

CADplans said:
How about one of those 110V plug in starter motors, crank it 'til it starts. :dunno:

In WWII the Russians operated aircraft and other machinery in insane cold temps. It's hard to bring a fighter plane inside and heat it up when you're at the front, so they didn't bother. They had steel spinners with couplers in them, and a 50hp engine mounted on a truck, with a driveshaft to the spinner. 50 below? No problem! Just crank that sucker up until it catches!

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Heating Pad for my L.

NY112

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