Betsy's sputtering

[staninlowerAL]

Where would you start?..., and ran the wire through the hole in the valve.

1. Not sure where you ran the wire through the hole in the valve but the only thing it can do is help.
2. "Where would you start?" A picture of your carb/fuel side of the engine might suggest some possibilities. Questions like condition of the carb, (i.e does it have any visable damage like anything bent or warped), type fuel line, any in-line filter would show. What is the condition of the inside of the tank? Anything loose or float inside that might get over the fuel valve? Any bent place on the carb bowl that the float might contact? Any obstruction that might be in the carb fuel inlet? If there is a screen in the carb inlet, is it clean? Does the float work smoothly without hanging? Is the height set correctly? Check the needle valve condition and see that it does not stick. Old gasolene that has been sitting in the line/carb can leave a sticky, sometimes flakey deposit. If you're concerned about removing and attaching the fuel line, consider constructing the connector that I described in the PM I sent you. Basically you just have to either start at the fuel tank and work forward or at the carb and work backwards. Not a difficult job, just time consuming but after you clean it all up and get it back together, you know it should work well. Good Luck

[larryfoster]

Thanks, Stan.
I was planning at starting where the line goes into the carb.
If I have a good stream there, then that narrows it down to which direction.
Forgot about the screen on the inlet side of the carb.

The tractor had worked perfectly until the end of summer until I tried to plow my gardens.
It had set for a while before that and I was inclined to think that I had some condensation with the nights starting to cool down.
With ethanol, gas is really awful now for any moisture.
But, if moisture were the problem, I would have resolved that by now.

[staninlowerAL]

A word of caution: If you have to split the IH carb, pull the two sections straight apart to avoid breaking the idle jet tube which screws into the top half and extends to the lower end of the bowl section. The tube is thin brass and fragile and about the size of a filler in a BIC ink pen, easily broken if twisted when you split the carb. Learned that the hard way!! If it gets broken, it's repairable but only with special tools. There are several carb guru's on the forum that does carb rebuilds.

[larryfoster]

Thanks for the warning, Stan
I had a shop rebuild that carb 5 or 6 years ago when I was trying to get Betsy running.

Carbs make me nervous.
Too many small parts

[bythepond88]

Where would you start?

I would start by shutting off the fuel at the tank, disconnecting the line from the carb, putting a bucket under the end of the line, then turning the fuel back on to see what the flow from the fuel line looks like. If you get a good steady stream, the obstruction is in the carb. If it is still dribbling, the obstruction is either in the line itself, or the fuel shutoff/strainer assembly.

[staninlowerAL]

Carbs make me nervous. Too many small parts

No need to be nervous. The IH carb has minimum internal removable parts, 2 fixed jets, one idle and one volume (high speed) and a hinged float/needle valve assembly held in place by a small pin.

[larryfoster]

Thanks, bythepond88.
I cracked the line open at the carb and got a good stream.
Tried to blow out at the screen as well as at the side and ran some carb cleaner through.

Didn't have a chance to test it.
It will idle fine for hours.

I have another idea or wild goose or foolish thoughtto throw out.
I get a little gas seep around the top gasket.
It won't tighten any more.

Also, a very light seep where the line screws into the carb and it's tight, too.
Wonder if this causes a problem when it's warmed up and the heat may be expanding a bit sucking air?

[staninlowerAL]

Gas seeping at the gasket is likely caused by a bad gasket or warped carb top half caused by overtightening or a combination of both. Seep at the threads is likely caused by damaged threads in the carb inlet that was done when someone crossthreaded the fuel line when reattaching it to the carb. The brass fitting I described earlier will stop that one. Neither one is likely to cause the problem you are having. I would be more concerned about fire from the seeping gasolene. You did say in a previous post that there is a dribble of fuel after the initial volume drains in a container. Also a post said there is a good flow from the fuel line at the carb. Is this good flow continuous if you allow about a quart to drain? Find the cause of the dribble and you will likely find the problem.