Air cleaners

I have posted elsewhere about acquiring a "new to me" tractor, a 1952 model tractor. Since I was born in the 60's when I hear the term air cleaner my mind automatically goes to paper or cloth types, with the occasional foam type thrown in and found on push mowers. This old tractor (here after referred to as Red or Lil Red) has an oil bath type air cleaner.

Having studied this thing for a couple of days I have a few thoughts I want to share. First I want to say that there is no other filtering system that I can concieve of that is capable of filtering so much dust or pollen while still allowing that much air to flow through the system!
The second thing I see is why the automotive industry stopped using this type of system, it is expensive to make, compared to paper element types, and it allows the engine to burn some oil vapors, which the EPA would not allow these days.
As the "end user" there is a lot more maintenance involved with this older system. A paper element can be used up to 6 months, if it's not too dusty where the system is operated, but the oil bath air cleaner must be serviced every 10 hours of operation, more often if used in dusty areas.

Lil Red comes from a very different era than I do, and the technology found on this tractor just facinates me. Since it is still in operation, and my grandfather has it's older cousin (same basic tractor just built in 1947) that has been in continous operation for as long as I can remember, I guess the phrase "built to last" just does not mean what it used to.

Oil bath ? --I really wish that I understood engines and such. All I can say is I am a blonde. I took home ec. People need to teach subjects in school not to just to one sex. I never though I would need to know this stuff.

Ok. I know that is about you Red but I have to learn to do the pull cord thing on motors. I have to WAIT and have my son start those mor me this slows down work here ANY TIPS. What could I be doing wroung. He moves so fast I miss what he does --he says it will not start if he slow it down . Any tips?

Sorry I missed this,

engines super basics 101

Consider the typical lawn mower engine. It inhales, compresses what it has inhaled, burns what it has compressed and exhales. Four cycles or strokes of the piston in the cylinder. Simply (and crudely, with apologies) suck squeeze bang blow. The intake stroke (suck) is where a valve opens, the piston moves downward, and creates a vacuum or sucking of air. This air has or needs to pass through the carburetor and carry with it fuel. As the piston stops moving down toward the crank shaft the intake valve closes and the piston starts back up the cylinder. Since the valve is closed the air mixture is trapped and gets squeezed into a very small space. At this point the spark plug fires and ignites the mixture violently and sends the piston hurling downward on the power stroke (bang) then as the piston ends that movement and starts back upwards the exhaust valve opens, and the burnt fuel and air are discharged from the engine.

That is how it works, tips to follow

Starting the small engine can be an art form, as they age they become tempermental, much like people

Starting a cold engine (that is one that has not been started in a while) will likely need either the choke on, or you will need to operate the primer bulb. Determine which your engine has, then proceed.

If it is a unit that has a choke, put the choke on, ensure the ignition is on, and slowly pull the starter rope until you feel a strong increase in resistance. This is the compression (squeeze) stroke. Slowly pull through this stroke twice, then the third time it is coming on STOP! Get in a position with enough rope to pull through with all your strength, you are trying to spin the motor with enough force that it will have the momentum to continue spinning for two complete revolutions. Be ready, if it starts turn the choke off slowly.

If a strong smell of gas is noticed, turn the choke off as well, it is flooded, and you need to either wait about a half an hour, or pull pull pull to clear the flooding

A primer bulb unit just does not have a choke that you can operate, instead push in the bulb and hold it for a count of two, release, and repeat three to five times, then follow the pulling technique above, repeat pushing and holding bulb every three attempts (hard pulls) to start the engine.

Hope this helps, if not I will try to demonstrate via video with a couple of my units.

Good Luck