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What kind of gas?

caldonia

Member
I just purchased a1971 Flextrac Nodwell FN 15. The engine is a Ford 200 straight six. Got to thinking that engines of that vintage were built for leaded gas. Will I need to add lead to my gas? what octane should I use? Y
 

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Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
that's anice looking unit I see it has more of a Thiokol style track and not the usual d-dent style track you usualy see on a nodwell. I like the cab configuration and the engine likely was supposed to run regular leaded gas the difference is in the heads pulling the head and getting it loaded with sodium filled valves for unleaded will make it an unleaded capable engine.
 

mtncrawler

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
You can also buy lead additive for off road use. However everything I've read on the subject indicates most valve recession that occurs from using unleaded happens at higher rpm than these six cylinders usually run. Run it until it needs to be fixed has been my approach and I'm still running. I'm more worried about alcohol blends in the only easy found gasoline. I'm seeing rotten rubber carburetor parts and fuel lines and Napa says they have reformulated gas line to deal with this. The snowmobile guys are saying the alcohol separates out after a period of time and some are going to great lengths to find non-alcohol gas or at least shaking the sled around before starting it. What are you guys doing about this? By the way that is a cool looking machine.
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
IF the ethanol is seperating out, there is already a big charge of water in the fuel to begin with.....

On you tube there is a guy who removes the ethanol from gasoline. The first step is to add in enough water to saturate the alcohol molocules, so they mix with ony the water. Alcohol in dry fuel will keep water out. But when enough is present, the only reason it could seperating out is there is lots of water already in the fuel....

Fuel lines are all compatable and have been for years. So are carberator kits. Here in Iowa we've been using E10 since the late 70's. Initially we had issues with crap the ethanol would disolve in the bulk fuel storage tanks.. Eventually this cleared up. Currently lots of us are using E10 in sleds with out issues. Synthetic oils may help make it work too, don't know for sure.

Regards, Kirk
 

caldonia

Member
Hey guys, thanks for your quick replies. I have a lot to learn and I appreciate your help. it was a glorious day in the "Hole" and a fine day to bring home the "new" cat. Summer's worth of puttering with it should result in a fine machine to groom my sleigh trails. will post the process on the restoration pages. Thanks again for helping a newbie find his way.

Cheers to all.
 

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300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Great looking configuration for a Nodwell..first one here I have seen cabbed like yours...

Looking forward to the rebuild. Curious about the T16 diff, so don't spare any pictures!!

Regards, Kirk
 

caldonia

Member
Here's a look at the T 16 when I picked it up today. Anxious to put the power washer to it and get a good look inside. Removed the right hand cover to find it low on fluid but no obvious problems. This cat has 411 hours. Should be pretty solid. More to come.
 

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300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
With only 400 hrs it should be hardly broken in!! Makes me wonder why it would have seen so little use in soo many years?? This isn't all that unusual for a very low hour machine with antique status. My 62 ST4 just passed the 1,000 hr mark this winter. I have put nearly 25% of the of the hours on it myself and in 3 season's use with poor snow conditions to boot. Go figure....

Regards, Kirk
 

pixie

Well-known member
SUPER Site Supporter
Nice looking machine and great to get something with such low hours !
Congratulations !!

I'm looking forward to more pictures :flowers:
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Oh, I might add that by 1971 I am thinking Ford industrial series engines probably already had the sodium filled valves and hardened valve seats as the industrial engines saw heavier loads applied than the automotive versions. They were made with better components. My bet yours is an industrial Ford...They all knew unleaded gas was going to be phased in in 1972.

Best regards, Kirk
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Nice looking machine and great to get something with such low hours !
Congratulations !!

I'm looking forward to more pictures :flowers:


Don't ya just love it when a newbie shows up with a killer machine like this....How come we don't stumble on deals in the weeds like this!!

Yes we are going to need LOTS MORE PICS!!:clap:

Regards, Kirk
 

muleman

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
Funny, I remember when that was everybody's big worry back then. Then Agnes hit central Pa and things were not so important for a long while.:whistling:
 

Cletis

New member
Congrats Caldonia. I just got back from Bondurant last night. still plenty of snow there and great weather all week end. Your definitely in a great area. Where do you plan on running around after you get her up to speed?

Cletis
 

caldonia

Member
I will use this cat at my Riverside Tipi Camp to groom a trail for our horse drawn sleigh. I plan to add a blade as the hydraulics are in place and push some snow around as well. This will be a work cat that will most likely stay on private ground all winter. I pull a home made drag comprised of a T post triangle dragging a steel pipe with dully tire chains attached. Does a great job of knocking the air out of the snow to create a smooth hard track.
In the summer I am a river outfitter and run handmade wooden drift boats on the Snake River. We restore old woodies during slow time in the winter so now we have a summer cat resto project for slow time in the summer. It's a fun gig and it keeps a few of us old ski bums off the streets. I'm sure we will be asking lots of questions as the project moves along. Took the Nodwell for a one mile spin this afternoon just to get aquatinted with the track. Ran like a champ. The only problem I have found so far is a leak at the exhaust manifold. The rest of the work will be making it pretty. No doubt I will find a few more things to fix along the way.
Here's the Nodwell and the Boy Scout's 1976 Spryte that I have been excercising for the past 3 winters. This is the beast that got me hooked on snow cats.
Bad kitty!!!! Look what you have done to an otherwise fairly sane person!

Oh well, could be hooked on worse things, like Kristy Kats.
 

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Short bus

New member
You are making me home sick I am stuck working in Oklahoma missing the spring Sno-Cat skiing and cruising in Wyo oh well I hope I will get to try again next year.
I have been using lead additive in my 75 Tucker I don't know it I need to or not.
 
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