Farmall 140 runs for 30 seconds and cuts off

[Rob8423]

I am trying to get a farmall 140 running that has not run in 10-15 years. It will crank and run great for about 30 seconds and then cuts off, it will not restart unless I wait about 15 minutes then it does the same thing.

I assume it is a fuel problem. I have cleaned carburetor and replaced pin, float seems to be ok.

Any ideas?

[Dale Finch]

Have you cleaned the sediment bowl, if it has one?

Is the tank clean? Try using a "pony tank" with a fuel line directly to the carb...this would eliminate both the tank & fuel line.

Does it have an in-line filter? If yes, it could be clogged, or installed backwards (look for a flow direction arrow).

[ricky racer]

Yep, it's a fuel problem. It's either not getting sufficient fuel to the carb or the carb needs attention. I suggest you pull the incoming fuel line from the carb inlet, turn on fuel and watch the flow into a collection can for about 5 seconds. If the flow isn't good or slows down, address the issues as Dale suggested.

[tst]

depending upon year there is a fuel filter in the carb inlet fitting, remove fitting, check screen on it

[Lt.Mike]

Agreed, fuel starvation problem.
Count your blessings as it may be involved taking time to clean everything out but it’s not rocket science and costs very little to make right.

[Rob8423]

Thanks. I will try those suggestions.

Does the screen in the carb inlet fitting come out? I was afraid to force it too much.

[tst]

It is part of the fitting, just make sure it is clean and you can blow through it easily

[Don McCombs]

The screen is a part of the fitting...

[Gary Dotson]

Ditto on the inlet screen! I encountered one, a couple years ago, so badly plugged that I almost destroyed it, removing the blockage. If you don't know it's there, you might not remove the fitting, so it's easy to miss it.

[Rob8423]

Just wanted to provide a follow up. It was the sediment bowl. I had cleaned it but did not realize it had a screen in the top that was removable. The screen and the opening above it needed cleaning. Runs great now.

[SamsFarm]

Thank You for following up!

[AriesEd68]

I have a 1974 Farmall 140 and having a similar problem. It starts but stops running after about a minute and will not start again until awhile later. I cleaned the sediment bowl and screen above it but I notice when I turn the fuel back on, it slowly drips to fill the sediment bowl back up instead of a steady flow of fuel. Would that likely mean it is stopped up above the bowl and do I need to drain the gas and remove the whole sediment bowl assembly from underneath the fuel tank to clear it and fix the problem?

[Don McCombs]

Look into the tank with a flashlight to see if there is an obstruction at the outlet going to the sediment bowl. It is not unusual for there to be debris in that area.

[Mht]

Check the flow without the bowl attached. If you have good flow put the bowl back on loosely and let it fill before tightening it up. I believe an empty bowl sometimes gets air locked or something like that and won’t fill quickly if tight. Loosening it up let’s the air out and it will quickly fill if everything upstream is clean and flowing properly

[AriesEd68]

I tested fuel flow again without the bowl and with the bowl not tight and the sediment bowl quickly filled with a steady flow of fuel from the tank. I also tested fuel flow from the bowl down to the carb inlet and there was a steady flow through the fuel line to the carb. It still starts but shuts off after just a few seconds now. Not sure what I should try next.