How To Buy That First Homestead Tractor
(Page 4 of 5)
September/October 1971
By J.V. DORNER
The 350 diesel has four 3-3/4-inch pistons that travel a 4-3/8-inch stroke. The engine develops slightly over 40 Hi at 2200 r.p.m., which is not especially high . . . but diesel always seem to deliver more performance per horsepower because of their exceptionally high torque and "lugging" ability.
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The 350's crankcase holds five quarts of heavy duty detergent oil, its cooling system 16 quarts, the transmission and differential seven gallons of SAE No. 80 oil and fuel tank 11-1/4 gallons. The capacity of the IH Touch-Control is 13-3/4 quarts of hydraulic fluid and it takes two quarts of SAE 10W oil to fill the independent power take-off system.
The 350 rides on 5.50 X 16 tires in front and 12-28s in the rear. With five forward gears operated by a single-plate dry disc clutch, this diesel tractor covers ground at speeds ranging from 1.5 to 16.7 m.p.h. and will pull three 14-inch plows.
Some IH 350s are equipped with a Torque Amplifier which provides a lower gear speed for each of the five gears. Thus, without disengaging the clutch or stopping the tractor, a driver can temporarily create a lower gear for crossing short stretches of rough terrain. Similarly, the operator can start a heavy load rolling in TA and then "shift up" once under way without ever actually shifting the tractor. The TA functions, in other words, very much like the low side of a split axle truck.
As you probably know, diesel engines ignite the fuel they burn—not with spark plugs—but with the heat of the compressed air in their cylinders. These powerplants, then, must be turned over quite rapidly before they'll start and it takes a 12-volt electrical system to do it on the 350 . . . no handcranking here. Emergency starting can sometimes be done by towing the tractor, but that's a little too dangerous for most folk's taste.
International Harvester has christened the hydraulic system on the 350, "Hydratouch". It's a fairly sophisticated design and can be used to power the hydraulics on almost any remote cylinder or mounted or towed implement. The Hydratouch controls are located under the operator's right knee when he's seated at the wheel of the tractor.
One thing to keep in mind about a diesel engine is that it does have filters placed between the fuel tank and the injection pump. These filters strain all water and dirt from the diesel oil before it reaches the ultra-smooth innards of the pump and must be replaced regularly . . . the secondary one every 250 hours and the final filter after each 500 hours of operation. See the tractor's service manual for specific directions for this job but do change those filters on schedule. The life of a diesel injector pump depends on this bit of preventive maintenance and new pumps can run $350.00. Nuff said.
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