Just my odd curiousity, is there a spec in early books as to the lenght of the pony motor starting rope?
I have the method I use and works fine. Just a trivia question as to anything printed.

Thanks, Herb

Don't know the particular specs but I think the original one for the D4 and D2 were about 6 ft long, 1/4" diameter and made of cotton. As a kid I remember it being about as long as Dad was tall.

I wanted to say it was 4.5 to 5 feet long. Around here, if a tractor had one in the toolbox, it pretty much stays with it. Exceptions were the ones made of plastic bale rope/tree rope, or ones ill fitted made with 3/8' truckers rope. Any rope is better than none I suppose. Better yet is a good strong battery with the electric pony start! I swear I've come across a couple that I had wished had an optional pulley that could handle 8 wraps to accept a rope 20' long, because they were so hard to start!
If they all started as easy as my D25U1600 or one of my D69U's, we would live in a perfect world. One tug on the D2, the D6 not even one full snap of the pulley, and its running..

Jim, I make mine as 2 wraps on the flywheel + 6-8 in for grip. I seem to remember seeing a length many years ago. But have have no idea where.

The spec for the D2 and D4 is, .250" x 74".

I posted a stand alone Post for this subject in the last year or so and I cannot find it using the Search dis-function--so what has changed as I can no longer locate where to find my Previous Posts as initiated by "edb" ?

Pony Starting Engine Rope Length

My recommendations are for D2-4 - 7 feet, and D6 - 10 feet of 1/4" diameter polypropylene sash cord with a minimum tensile strength of 250 lbs. This information is from a Caterpillar Technical Partsgram issued in May 1966.
The lengths I give will suit a machine with Cat hydraulic or cable blade so you can safely pull start the pony whilst standing on the ground and not balanced on the "C" Frame or track.
Cheers,
Eddie B.

Thanks everybody!
Herb

Hey Eddie, Found your old post in Sept 24, 2014.
Horizontal Pony Starter Rope

Hi Team,
went to The Dealer yesterday and got them to look up the above rope lengths by Part Number on their NPR.

From a 1966 Cat Technical Partsgram I have it says :- 1/4" polypropylene sash cord with a minimum Tensile Strength of 250 lbs.

My original D4 one here appears to be 1/4" braided cotton and is 6 feet long.

By the Cat Numerical Parts Record at The Dealer I was given the following lengths :-

D2 & D4 (3B3808 rope) is given as 2 Metres = approx. 6'6"

D6 (8B9724) is given as 3 Metres = approx. 10'

Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Eddie B.

 

Thanks to Josh; I never knew the Cat specs on the starting rope... I know that you don't want it too long!