6211 Engine seized or froze?

[firefoxz1 4]

I went out yesterday to get some quality tractor time cleaning up from the storm we had to find that the engine would not turn over. I reached under to turn the engine a little by hand and I could not get it to budge. When I parked it it was fine. I lifted the hood to find ice around the flywheel frozen solid ,at least this is what I hope does not allow the engine to turn. This tractor sits outside (I do not have a shed or garage) and the wind blew my cover off and being the hood has heat vents in it right above the engine this sleet rain mix went right down into the flywheel. I guess this tractor is out of commission till it warms up enough to melt or I feel brave enough to take the cover off and chip away the ice. Any other suggestions because I feel I am going to have to do the later because I don't see warm enough temps in the future to melt on it's own.

[gregc 3]

Move south! :psm06

[Al 6]

Hi, Cover it with a tarp, weight the tarp down around the edges, and put an electric heater under the "tent". Just be sure the tarp can't get close enough for a fire problem. Al Eden

[MarksA-C 93]

Put the Wifes car outside the garage and bring the tractor in 8D:D:Q Just kidding! I would take a cardboard box and cut it enoguh so it fits right over the engine, and then put a black garbage bag over that. I woul_d also weight down the tarp a bit more. I have about 10 cinderblocks on the tard over my 2 riders behind my garage. No worries, not going anywhere. (Frozen to the groundsm03:Q)

[dav 2]

the big ten was hard to start in new hampshire. i put a 100 watt light under the tractor and tarped it overnight. surprisingly, it actually did make it easier to start. that wont help thaw your tractor this time but may help the next. where i had to park my truck always had the grille facing into the wind. (if i pulled front end in, the truck wouldn't back thru the windrow from the plow) snow would blow in and pack around the distributor. i would run a cord to it and 'borrow' one of the girls' hair dryer. 5 to 10 minutes on high heat and things had melted enough to start the truck. the hair dryer will probably melt out the ice in your motor but not quickly. also as the water runs away from the motor area, it will refreeze on the cold metal.

[cahickm2 0]

Put a block heater on it. I have a block heater on my 2112 and it makes a world of difference. TSC sells a small block heater that fits perfectly under the generator. Cost me $30 and some metal cutting.

[firefoxz1 4]

The cover has the pull cord around the bottom that I pull tight around the bottom of the wheels. I can't figure out how it blew off. All the "cheap" covers on the other ones are still there. If I find the cover maybe I'll be able to figure it out. Maybe it didn't even blow away and someone confiscated it for themselves? I do think I am going to seal up those slits for the rest of the winter via duck tape or something. It isn't that hard to take the cover off so I think I'll just do that and chip it away. dav: I have used a light bulb before for other things. I have a metal dished worklight and put a flood light in for more heating power.

[tec2484 1]

I thawed my aunts water pipe with a arc welder once, could you do the same thing with a good size battery charger or small arc welder?

[quantico 2]

I have purchased a couple heat guns from harbor freight and they seem to work very well especially for the price. You have to be careful with heat that hot, but in zero temps they should be easier to safely run. The old stand by someone allready commented on. the hair dryer is an excellent all around device and I always keep a spare or two in my garage. You can use them to warm a carb / heat a frozen lock / unfreeze a gas cap frozen on / heat your hands while trying to start a machine screw with frozen fingers / dry your gloves and wet shoes / they are the wonder of modern living... well anyway I like them. :p

[FastPaul 0]

Come on guys. None of you thought to steel the wife's blow dryer and put that under the tarp for an hour or so !!

[KVANDY12 0]

After reading all the post on the frozen fly wheel, make me feel good that I live in S.C. With non of them there problems. I forget all about these bad things. Oh I lived in minn. 50 year ago as a boy and younger man. Good luck ya-al Ken

[firefoxz1 4]

Update: It wasn't that it was completely froze up it's just a chunk of ice wedge between the starter gear and flywheel. Bad news is I'll need a new gear, took a tooth off. I'll put a spare starter on for now. I may modify a screen for wintertime use. I think I'll block off most of the screen and then I'll use my infared temp gauge to make sure it not running to hot. Does anyone know what the optimum running temp would be?