Ford 8N having trouble starting -- many troubleshooting steps take -- suggestions?

[Soundguy]

Popcorn time.unch:

why people want to post advice when they don't know anything about the specific application simply AMAZES me.

a ford frot mount dizzy is unlike most other styles in fit and form.. though basic principle functions therin remain the same.. if not slight variations on a theme.. etc..

you know what.

I'm gonna let will finish troubleshooting this thread since he has so much experience with ford frot mount distribuitors.

he obviously knows farm more than I do about them...

 

[94BULLITT]

why people want to post advice when they don't know anything about the specific application simply AMAZES me.

I am beginning to think it could be a bad piston return spring:laughing:

Piston Return Spring - $54.99 : KaleCoAuto.com, Your home for the rare, unusual, and hard to find auto parts.

 

[murphy1244]

I won a bet on rebuildable spark plugs. Had them in my 56 FLH Panhead

 

[2458n]

Pay attention there is soon going to be a cheap used Ford tractor available. Not free for the taking,but some money to boot for hauling it off.

 

[94BULLITT]

Fudge. Got a call from the tractor guy.

He installed the new condenser and while the distributor assembly was out he tested everything again. While we were able to get strong spark/voltage from the coil on Saturday and get it running he said he is getting very weak spark today -- more like an orange spark/glow. Not sure how I could have blown another coil unless the one I got was bad.

He made the comment that on his 12V converted tractor he has a wire going directly from the key switch (he may have been speaking generally) directly to the coil so that it bypasses the resistor. He was suggesting I try a new coil and try bypassing the resistor to see if that helps.

The key was not left on or anything while the tractor was sitting between Saturday and today and supposedly the coil doesn't have any burn marks on it.

He couldn't get it firing so he couldn't test each cylinder by pulling the spark plug wire. I mentioned this test to him and he said if you have bad compression you might as well cut your losses with the tractor and look for something else.

Lets start with the basics.

1. Make sure the plug wires are on correctly.

The firing order is 1-2-4-3

The distributor rotates counterclockwise.

The plug wires go on like this: 1 is the top left, 2 is the bottom left, 4 is bottom right, 3 is top right.

Number 1 cylinder is the closest to the radiator and 4 is the farthest.

2. Since the tractor guy think resistor and before you buy one to eliminate the resistor take a jumper wire and hook across both terminals.

3. Get a spark tester and check for spark at the plug or just use a old plug.

Check that out and let us know what you find.

 

[Soundguy]

Pay attention there is soon going to be a cheap used Ford tractor available. Not free for the taking,but some money to boot for hauling it off.

fortunately I don't buy the 39-54 sereis enymore really. ( ok.. might hit on a naa if it had a good red tiger or aux trans I wanted.. )

 

[PorkChopsMmm]

Wow, you guys should be comedians! Try the veal?

I have a funny story for you. I called Tractor Supply a few weeks ago to see if they had any 8N parts in stock. All I got over the phone was "Derr derr we don't know..." so I went into the store at a lunch break. In the store I walk in and a guy asks if he can help me, when I ask where the 8N parts are he says "Tractor parts? We don't carry those." He was serious. And I said "solenoids, points, condenser, etc.?" and He said "nah, we don't have any of that." Well lo and behold I walk into the store today frantically looking for a coil and guess what I found... a whole section of 8N parts. 12V coil and all. They also had all of the other parts I have been buying off of the internet or driving all of West Michigan trying to find... well for more money, but still. Local.

OK -- with the new coil she started right up!!!! Now the bad news -- she stalled out a couple times but eventually got better. I have a couple of videos that should show my troubleshooting -- I think I covered most everything you guys recommended but SoundGuy I didn't see your last message with tips because I was outside (no internet).

Sooo.... here is what I was working with.

And here is what I found out.

- That at idle it at first was sputtering and dying when I took my foot off of the clutch. This is apparent in this first video. The gas bowl was open two turns. It fired right up.

(post broken up due to the forum blocking more than 1 video per post)

 

[PorkChopsMmm]

Part 2
- I then opened the gas up all the way full open and kept trying. The tractor would start up immediately, which is good, but would still "miss" at low idle. I started pulling the plugs to see if it changed firing and it died randomly when I was done. This was low idle -- it was struggling at this low idle.

 

[PorkChopsMmm]

Part 3
- I hooked the voltmeter up to the battery and it showed 12.46 volts. The slow starting at the beginning was me leaving the choke out -- it instantly got better when I let the choke in. While running and opening the throttle the alternator never started charging the battery. I will return that to the auto store and get another -- or at least have them test it. What isn't shown is I measured the alternator at the lone terminal and it was only at battery voltage.

I then checked the plugs at full throttle and the engine responded, I think appropriately, to each spark plug wire pull. **So if it is still missing, but it doesn't look like it is a bad cylinder, any suggestions on what else to test?**

 

[PorkChopsMmm]

Part 4
- I then tried hooking up the only test lamp I could find at Tractor Supply to test the coil -- either I hooked it up wrong or it is the wrong kind of light. It just constantly glowed. Hooked the ground to the engine block first, then the battery - terminal, and then the frame while the light "point" was connected to the hot on the coil. Sorry if you explained it better Soundguy, but my phone didn't pull internet out in the field and I couldn't see your past instructions.

Any more suggestions on the missing? At high idle it didn't sound too bad. I didn't dare drive it around for fear of it dying far away from both the house and the barn.

P.S. One small addition -- I double checked all of the wires and they were correctly connected to the proper location on the distributor, FYI.