Oil & Fuel 49 8N lost prime again and hard to start

[cfb]

Hello All:
December 4, 2017 was a great day. I just replace the fuel assembly and line to the carb, rebuilt the carb, and put fresh gas in the tank and primed with heavy lube the oil pump through that plunger port in front of the engine. With barely a pull of the choke and one push of the starter button, the tractor started AND I got oil pressure in about 15 seconds. Through advice from the forum, I started it up several times afterward, a day gap, then two, then a week and then a month, then two months with same result. So in May I brought it up to the garage to work on other issues. It was harder to start. Yesterday it started once but was very hard starting. And, more disappointingly, no oil pressure. Spark is still good, gas flows nicely out the bottom of the carb and no detected change in compression.

a. I put Stabil in the gas tank over the winter and now the gas is 6 month old. Could that be the starting problem?
a1. If I don't use the tractor over the winter, should I drain the tank and always then start with fresh gas in the spring?

b. Now that the weather is 90 degrees, could that have softened the oil and that is why I lost prime. I did prime again, but the tractor would not start.
b1. Once the starting issue is resolved, I don't mind priming the oil pump 2x a year, unless it will lose prime more often in warmer weather, am I ultimately facing an oil pump rebuild?

thanks Forum, you've always been helpful!

 

[Tractorable]

I have a ‘52 8N and went through a no start/hard start issue over the winter. Turned out my carb settings were way off. On mine, both jets are turned 3/4 out. Now it starts easy and runs perfect at low speed and high speed.

Make sure the carb float has 1/4in space between it and the carb body gasket. Also make sure to shake the float to make sure no gas leaked into it. You should always set the idle speed screw first located on the throttle linkage until the butterfly valve just barely opens. Dial in the idle speed to 400rpm, just enough to not stumble. Then set the idle air and main jets. Start with 3/4 turn out on a stock marvel schebler carb.

Point gap on a front mount distributor 8N is 0.015in.

Can’t help you with the oil pump priming. Mine has great oil pressure right at startup.