8n will fire but not start??

[sox3]

Before you tear into the carb, shut off the fuel and see if it will start on carb cleaner. You need to eliminate the fuel as a problem. I always use Birkbill, but any
type will work. Make sure the Air intake is not plugged too.

 

[94BULLITT]

OK, I went back to the crime scene. Starting at the the radiator on the head cover I marked the pistons 1, 2, 4, 3. I rechecked the points and they were at .016 and I adjusted. It must have been the gap on the plugs were .025 not .026. People say I am getting dyslexic??? It is simpler not taking off the metal and sliding the radiator to the side. Thanks for the info Murphy, and I guess that I just took your post the wrong way. Anyway, I re-did checking the wires. I pulled the spark plugs and I get about a 1/4 inch of spark from the spark test. They all seem to be close to the same.

I have had this tractor since 2005. It sat in a field at a tractor repair shop for a couple years I saw it every time we went to church and back home, and one day it was gone so I stopped in the new day to see what happen to it and they had brought it in and fixed it up and I bought it for $1,200.oo. I had to get new rims on the back after the first year due to rusting and I have to do the same for the front wheels now. I never keep more that a gallon or so in it and drain it in the winter to the bowl. year before last in the fall it started to stop running after and hour or so. Last year it did it again and so I would use it an hour at a time, and this fall after cleaning the garden it just shut off and I would not crank again and I ran the battery dead. I charged the battery and it started but ran sluggish and sputtered and spattered and I got it to the driveway so when I found out what was wrong I could push it into the garage.

I did not notice the leaking at the choke until it was in my garage. I cut the fuel off and put a can under it to catch the fuel. It stopped after a bit. I put on all the stuff and have checked it. The starter has a new solenoid and seems to have more power, but it still skips every now and then. It is not leaking now, but will not start. It sure sounds like it wants to take off. I checked the fuel line and it is getting fuel at least to that point.
I did not get what Soundguy was saying about the carburetor. So I need to get a kit first and try that and then a carb?

I do not have a crank and knew of them for some tractors but that is news to me. I will look online for one.

The economy has hit us all very hard. I do not have the luxury of having money I can use unwisely. I am the student here. I do appreciate everyone's kindness. If I have pissed someone off then it will not be the first time that I have done that. It usually does not last long and bygone's will be bygone's. Thanks

How did the plugs look when you had them out? Where they fouled? If they weren't try shooting some carb cleaner or starting fluid in the carb in the carb and see if it will start. To answer your question earlier Berkebile Gum Cutter is a good carb cleaner. If the starter is kicking out it probably the bendix. You can take it to a starter/ alternator repair shop and get it fixed.

 

[Carl k]

"Starting at the the radiator on the head cover I marked the pistons 1, 2, 4, 3." This could be the problem. The order of pistons in the motor are 1, 2, 3, 4 staring at the front of the tractor moving toward the rear. The firing order is 1, 2, 4, 3. The order the wires need to be on the distributor cap is 1, 2, 4, 3 the way the rotor spins. Could you have wires 3 and 4 be mixed up between the distributor cap and the motor?

 

[parispete]

I will change them around and see. I will get the Berkebile Gum Cutter tomorrow and order a carb kit. I will see who can do the bendix and get the starter fluid tomorrow and we will see what happens. I did look at the plugs and they seemed like new. They are the dark kind and it was hard to see if they were fouled, but they did still look new. The rest of the tractor behind the dash looks like Leonardo da Vinci installed them and the wires look like they could use a changing as well. I think if I can get it running I will start to buy wires and other components to just have a couple days to just change everything out for new. It is not that much if I get them over time. Thanks and talk to you guys soon.

 

[parispete]

By the way what is a good carb kit and where could I get one that is the best in your opinions?

 

[94BULLITT]

If the plugs were dark it sounds like it is flooded. Crank the motor over with the plugs out to blow the gas out. You may be able to clean the plugs with carb cleaner. Put the plugs back in and see if it will start. Tractor Supply or a local tractor dealer that sells TISCO should be able to get a carb kit and a wire harness. I don't know if you really need to mess with the carb right now. Good luck and let us know what happens.

 

[94BULLITT]

I wanted to add that if the starter is kicking out it will make it hard to start and easy to flood.

 

[Soundguy]

interesting thread going here... i see plenty of things going on... hmm..

 

[Egon]

Before you tear into the carb, shut off the fuel and see if it will start on carb cleaner. You need to eliminate the fuel as a problem. I always use Birkbill, but any
type will work. Make sure the Air intake is not plugged too.

Any chance you could try a pull start.:thumbsup:

 

[94BULLITT]

Any updates????????

 

[don45640]

OKAY! I might be a newbie here,but I have replaced MANY ignition components. I have tried to read the total thread,but I might have missed something.
Now,Pete.... there are some other things that might be wrong,if you've tried the advice given previously.
(1)Your timing may be off.
(2)Make sure the shaft of the distributor hasn't sheared a pin or something.(this happened to me with a car).
Now,I didn't take the time to look up the engine and its type of ignition,so the above may not apply.
(3)Any doubt as to timing can be removed by using an inductive timing light.Just clamp it over the #1 spark plug wire and connect to pos. and negative battery posts or even to a separate battery.When it flashes,your TDC (top dead center) timing mark should be seen when the light flashes as you crank the engine over.
I'll familiarize myself to this type of spark distribution system of old.I've disced with an old Ford, and I had to tap the carb every few passes in the field to make it keep running LOL! don-ohio ^)

 

[Soundguy]

you might want to get familiar with that n front mount ignition system befroe giving advice. it would have saved you a half page of typing.

front mounts have no timing mark inspection hole nor do they have marks on the flywheel.

distribuitor is offset tang driven DIRECTLY off the front of the cam.. VERY hard to get it installed out of time without busting the dizzy housing.

 

[don45640]

So................are you saying you can't check the timing of the engine with a light? That would be hard to believe,Soundguy.
BTW,Pete.....the distributor can actually short out,and have intermittent spark,or there can be a lot of side-play in the shaft. If it isn't firing right,the timing light will tell you this.
So anytime you're working on something,find Top Dead Center,scribe a mark, chalk it and check it with an inductive timing light. don-ohio ^)


.

 

[Soundguy]

I guess I waisted my time typing that post to you.

I said there is NO view port to the flywheel on that early N, nor did it have marks.

the flat coil assy on the dizzy doesn't lend well to regular lanps, but some will work.. IF you had marks.. or COULD see them.

Never mind.

You can fix his machine since you know so much about it.

I'll just set back and watch...

you static time that dizzy using a ruler while it is on your bench!

So................are you saying you can't check the timing of the engine with a light? That would be hard to believe,Soundguy.
BTW,Pete.....the distributor can actually short out,and have intermittent spark,or there can be a lot of side-play in the shaft. If it isn't firing right,the timing light will tell you this.
So anytime you're working on something,find Top Dead Center,scribe a mark, chalk it and check it with an inductive timing light. don-ohio ^)


.

 

[don45640]

Read my post again, SG! You put your OWN mark on the pulley...........or do you understand that. And anything with a spark plug wire can be timed with an induction timing light. don-ohio
P.S.: Yes......you wasted YOUR time.LOL!

 

[Soundguy]

i see you've never worked on a front mount N and simply don't know how to time one...

I read your post. i didn't disagree that some timing lamps would work. the inductive will.. the ones that need the outgoing primary side of the coil .. not so much.

pulley? good luck there.

again.. I see you've never worked on one....

 

[Carl k]

Soundguy is correct. The front mount distributor is static timed, its in the I&T manual. I know I did it twice on my 8N, each time I changed my points. Not hard to do. Soundguy probably did it 100 times. Nothing to bounce that timing light off.

 

[murphy1244]

Read my post again, SG! You put your OWN mark on the pulley...........or do you understand that. And anything with a spark plug wire can be timed with an induction timing light. don-ohio
P.S.: Yes......you wasted YOUR time.LOL!

Your telling Sound guy how to time a Ford???:laughing::laughing::cool2::laughing:

 

[Soundguy]

Soundguy is correct. The front mount distributor is static timed, its in the I&T manual. I know I did it twice on my 8N, each time I changed my points. Not hard to do. Soundguy probably did it 100 times. Nothing to bounce that timing light off.

apparently don thinks differently.

probably because he's never seen a front mount N ignition.... deffinately hasn't worked on one, the way he's talking....

 

[Carl k]

Here's a site that shows how to time a front mount distributor:
Timing the Front Mount Distributor