Thanks skinner, like you, I think I just need to get the rings broke loose and it will run. The tolerances on the old machines might not be as tight as modern engines but I find them to be indestructible. I believe it to be original paint, and the general consensus is to leave it in its work clothes. There are a lot of parts of it where the original paint is in good shape, but much of the undercarriage and operators station are pretty rusty where dirt and water collected, so I'm open to any tips on preserving what's left in order to avoid repainting.

2 Fingers, I’ve found old tractors or engines in general to be what I refer to as “oil stuck” where it hasn’t been turned over in a long time. Dragging it has been the best method to free up an engine. But I’d pull the plugs and borescope the cylinders first if you to make sure it’s not stuck for another reason. Welcome to the hobby/club! Nice survivor!

Thanks CatMan. The engine rolls over freely so I'm not too worried about that part, but I will borescope it anyway to check things out (if I can get my wife to crank it for me). I did a compression test on the front two holes and came up with 10 & 30 psi, which leads me to believe the rings are stuck and need a little combustion to get them to seal again. I had the same problem with my Cletrac, and once I added some motor honey on top of the pistons, it took right off.

a mix of penetrol and mineral turpentine works well to seal the old paint prevent further rust and make it sort of shiny after a wash down with water(not high pressure) to remove any dirt

Thank you, that's a combination I would have never come up with on my own.

we use boiled linseed oil and acetone. Something like three parts boiled linseed oil to one part. Acetone wipe it on with a rag, but don’t dispose of the rags in your trashcan, because the rags have been known to self ignite.
I leave them out on a concrete slab, where there’s nothing to burn for a few days till they dry up. 

Does the linseed oil cause the dust to stick to the surfaces of the Cat?

It’s not bad once it dries that’s what the acetone is for to help with drying you can use more and it will dry faster. There are new products you can buy now to save the patina. One is called sweet patina thinking of using it on a wheel tractor for high gloss look.

Thanks everyone for comments regarding the boiled linseed oil/acetone mix. My new to me 20 after a hot bath, I had noticed layers of "something" sprayed over the paint at one time. Whoever restored this thing must have hosed it down with the same stuff, except I noticed it kind of off color, dingy and yellowing somewhat. I will fire up the hot water washer again and see how much more I can blast off. The paint itself looks fine. Perhaps the mixture was not quite right when they sprayed it. Amazing what one can learn reading these threads! JM

Thanks. Since the chemical makeup of the paint back then was so different than today's paint, I always wonder how to preserve it and what products are safe to use. I'm sure the old paint was less environmentally friendly and probably hazardous to your health, but it sure does hold up well.