Friends of Ferguson Heritage Ltd.- TVO Recipes

The Friends of Ferguson Heritage- TVO Recipes

Tractor Vaporising Oil was withdrawn in 1974. Requests on the FoFH "Market Place" for TVO recipes produced some interesting replies:

Robert Campbell uses the following, and says that it works well:-
1. 4 gall heating oil
2. 1 gall petrol
3. 1/5th pint 2 stroke oil

Tim R Sutton's TVO Mix is:-
1. 20 litres 28 second central heating paraffin
2. 5 litres of unleaded petrol
3. 3 litres diesel (I use red diesel)
4. A nice but unnecessary addition - 250 mls 'Castrol R' 2-stroke oil (for the smell!!)

Jimmy Everiss has similar success with with this recipe, in which the proportion of heating oil to petrol is the same:-
1. 75% 28sec Burning Oil (Central Heating Oil)
2. 15% Petrol
3. 10% Diesel

René de Bruin has much the same recipe:-
1. 75% paraffin (cheap)
2. 15% Petrol (ignition/vaporization)
3. 10% Diesel (upper-cylinder lubrication)
René says that if the diesel is low or no sulphur, then upper-cylinder lubrication will suffer: his answer is to use 5% diesel and 5% two-stroke lubrication oil. He also reminds us to keep the mixture in an airtight container, as the petrol will evaporate quicker than the paraffin. Any loss due to evaporation can be made up with petrol, but it is of course more expensive this way. He ends:-
We ploughed on this mix in heavy soil with a Dearborn 14" or 16" double furrow without loss of power all day and it still works fine. We examined the spark-plugs for residuals after that day and found combustion to be optimal and therefore continued to use this mix. In Holland we can buy TVO but only in 220 litre drums which we don't because of the price and it being bulky.

and finally, Trevor offers TVO Scones:-
1. 2 Teaspoons of TVO
2. 1/2 lb of sifted flour
3. Knob of butter
4. 4 oz's of glazed cherries
5. 4 oz's of currents
Mix above ingredients into a thick consistency and roll out to 1/2" depth. Using a small pastry cutter form into scones, bake in a hot oven for 15 mins until golden brown.
Thanks, Trev, I'll put one by for later. Don't try this one at home, folks.

E-mails from Ted Simmons and Graham Holland arrived simultaneously, drawing my attention to the following, which can be seen in full on Holland-Brand's (FergieParts) website.
A Shell ^TM Technical Services Bulletin suggests running the engine on kerosene [paraffin]. If a knocking is heard, stop the engine and add 10% Shell Super Unleaded petrol to the kerosene. Keep adding petrol in 10% increments until the knocking disappears and the engine runs smoothly, stopping the engine for each addition.
Shell ^TM say that a kerosene/petrol mixture is almost certainly more hazardous than the individual components, and stress the need for safe handling. They suggest that the safest and most natural way to mix the components is to pour them into the machine fuel tank and leave the natural turbulence of filling to do the mixing.
The (now rather dated) Bulletin also points out that standard grade kerosene does not carry Road Excise Duty (UK) and blends with gasoline [petrol] should not be used on the road without Customs and Excise sanction.

Since the above appeared, Hamish Lowe in Scotland went to the trouble of contacting HM Customs and Excise, Glasgow. He wrote:-

" Up to 1960 a common fuel for agricultural tractors was TVO which is no longer made by oil companies. A small number of these tractors have been preserved and are used mainly at vintage shows and "road runs" To enable these tractors to be used the owners have a "recipe" for making TVO which consists of

75% 28 second heating oil

15% petrol

10% Diesel

As you will be aware there is no excise duty paid on the heating oil and as such it should not be used in road going vehicles. I have been requested to obtain written confirmation that a fuel mixture as described above can be used in vintage tractors without committing an offence against Customs and Excise laws, and that it may be placed on the internet to inform others of this fact. "

HM Customs and replied:-
" ...we are satisfied you may use the recipe for making TVO so long as it's use is restricted to Vintage tractors ( 25 years plus). "

Thankyou Hamish, and thankyou, Customs and Excise.

For those living near enough to North-East Derbyshire, Aztec Oils Limited of Bolsover can supply TVO to their own or to your recipe. See our 'Directory of Suppliers' for contact details.

FOFH Home