# 850 ford freezing up



## 13pigs (Dec 18, 2010)

I have a 850 ford that will start fine in the winter and idle fine for an hour or two. When I start moving the tractor, the carb seems like it is freezing up and it stalls. It will run for about ten to fifteen minutes before it stalls and if I spray starting fluid in it, it will start back up and run for alittle bit before it dies. If I let the tractor set for an half an hour it will start the same thing all over again. I have drained the carb thinking it may have water in it but didnt help. I also have put gas line antifreeze in it but that didnt help either. I have only had this problem when it gets below freezing. Should I rebuild the carb or does anyone have any ideas?


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

No ideas but wanted to welcome you to the forum!


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## Jerry/MT (Feb 11, 2010)

13pigs said:


> I have a 850 ford that will start fine in the winter and idle fine for an hour or two. When I start moving the tractor, the carb seems like it is freezing up and it stalls. It will run for about ten to fifteen minutes before it stalls and if I spray starting fluid in it, it will start back up and run for alittle bit before it dies. If I let the tractor set for an half an hour it will start the same thing all over again. I have drained the carb thinking it may have water in it but didnt help. I also have put gas line antifreeze in it but that didnt help either. I have only had this problem when it gets below freezing. Should I rebuild the carb or does anyone have any ideas?


It sounds like, from your description, you are experiencing carb icing and unfortunately there's nothing much you can do about it. The physics of the problem is that for high humidity situations and temperatures below ~50°F this can occur due to the evaporative cooling that occurs in the carb. the cooling and the high air velocies in the carb drop the temperture in the carb below freezing and the water vapor condenses and freezes. 

Fuel additives won't help this though many people claim that it does. The moisture doen't come from the gas, it in the air. The only real way to deal with it is the way it is done on recip aircraft engines and cars with carburetors- carburetor heat. 

Usually it is self clearing as the combined intake and exhaust manifold get heated up by the exhaust gases. Some people fabricate a "shield" around the manifold and carb to try to hold heat around the carb. I have a Ferguson TO-30 that this happens to and I let it run til it self clears.


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

I've seen it with propane but never with gasoline. Too weird!


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