New to me 54 Ford NAA

[90Moneypit]

I bought a 54 NAA from a guy a week or so ago and I'm stumped. Tractor fired up, ran around his yard, picked up a 5' Box Blade and drove onto my trailer then stalled out and battery died before getting it started again. No biggie, older battery, had started and stopped a few times so maybe not much recharge time. Already converted to 12V Negative ground so easy enough to figure out if it's charging once I get it started again. Get it back to my new house (4 acres so the NAA is perfect size), throw a jump box on and it fires up just fine. Get it off the trailer, take a quick victory lap and head towards the shop maybe 1000' away to check the charging system and change fluids, etc. before putting her to work. Kick it in 4th, add throttle and it makes it maybe 200' and dies. Won't restart and run the jump box dry. Tow it the rest of the way to the shop and pull a plug (black soot but not wet), getting spark. Grab a tune up kit, change plugs (.025" gap), cap, rotor, points and condensor look new but change the cap and rotor because there's a smudge on the tip of the rotor and I'm already there. No start. Look at the ignition switch and there's maybe 3 strands of wire still connected, A-HA! Replace the switch and still won't start. Give it a little taste of starter fluid to the carb and it backfired... so here I am asking where I should start poking around next. Previous owner also said he put a new, rebuilt head on it recently AND the radiator is leaking from somewhere around the bottom corner near the hose.

 

[Paystar]

I was going to say check fuel screen in tank, but if it only backfired on starter fluid....are you sure the timing is correct?

 

[John0829]

You know you are getting spark, good an blue I assume, anything else is not good enough. Check to be sure the fuel is getting to the carb by removing the line at the carb or if it has one the plug on the bottom of the carb. My guess is that since it was running until it was moved around some, that the tank has something in it preventing the fuel from getting to the carb. Or it could be as simple as the screen in the sediment bowl plugged up.

Now as for the backfire, DID you make sure that the little metal clip was in place under the rotor? Unless you are familiar these old tractors most people do not know about the clip. It must be in place for the timing to be correct.

 

[ultrarunner]

Note to self about clip under rotor…

 

[Southernspeed]

Back fire with starting fluid points to either timing, very low compression, choke closed/air supply issue or exhaust blocked ..... but it ran! Without the starter fluid comment I would've suggested fuel supply. clogged up filter or blocked tank breather. Only way I can see timing shifting from running well to not running is the drive gear slipping (roll pin sheared if they're built that way?) Bit of a mystery eh!

 

[EdGooding]

Now as for the backfire, DID you make sure that the little metal clip was in place under the rotor? Unless you are familiar these old tractors most people do not know about the clip. It must be in place for the timing to be correct.

 

[John0829]

Back fire with starting fluid points to either timing, very low compression, choke closed/air supply issue or exhaust blocked ..... but it ran! Without the starter fluid comment I would've suggested fuel supply. clogged up filter or blocked tank breather. Only way I can see timing shifting from running well to not running is the drive gear slipping (roll pin sheared if they're built that way?) Bit of a mystery eh!

Unless he had loosened the distributor for some reason there is no way for it to jump time short of a major failure and he would have noticed that. The cam and gear are keyed.

The clip missing could change the timing just enough to cause it to backfire. I keep a spare clip or two around since I have been known to misplace/lose them on occasion.

 

[90Moneypit]

Checked all those things again including the clip and after pulling the sediment bowl realized that I'd failed the Carl test... despite it looking like there was gas in the tank, due to baffles... it was not full enough to feed the carb... I think I need to buy a pair of clown shoes after that one. Waiting on replacement sediment bowl gaskets since it fell apart when I opened the bail but I'm going to be real suprised if it doesn't fire up once it's actually getting fuel. Can't believe I didn't start there...

 

[ultrarunner]

It happens but not giving up is the key.

My neighbor thought his 6volt battery in his Ford was no good…

Battery tested good when I load tested it yet nothing.

Turns out the starter was jammed and a little ticking back and forth was all it took to free it up and then started right up.

 

[EdGooding]

Checked all those things again including the clip and after pulling the sediment bowl realized that I'd failed the Carl test... despite it looking like there was gas in the tank, due to baffles... it was not full enough to feed the carb... I think I need to buy a pair of clown shoes after that one. Waiting on replacement sediment bowl gaskets since it fell apart when I opened the bail but I'm going to be real suprised if it doesn't fire up once it's actually getting fuel. Can't believe I didn't start there...

When you open the fuel valve on the sediment bowl, you normally only open it 2 full turns. When you get low or run out, you continue to open it all the way which provides another gallon to get you back to the barn. You don't normally want to run with it fully open all the time because you get rust flakes and stuff that gather in the low point there and can clog the screen filter on the sediment bowl.