'53 Super A running rich

[The Country Toad]

hello all!!!!!!!!!!! i'm new here and i wonder if i could bother everyone for a little guidance as i'm just now starting my search for some solutions to some probs i'm having with a 53 super a. i dont mean to sound lazy and fail to do my due diligence in searching on my own but i've done a lil...... i'm just looking for some direction as to what to check out to save a lil time. i'm in zone 7a and imma need this ole girl SOON for the garden!!!!!

here goes. my dad and i rebuilt this gal a couple of years a go. zenith carb, non ethanol gas ALWAYS, usually runs like a top. a couple of weeks ago while turning the garden she started loosing power badly. idles fine but i could tell she wasnt smooth at higher throttle. i thought maybe it was the carb so i pulled it off and took the bowl off, pristine, no gunk no trash looked great, the float is free and while i havent measured the float height yet per the service manual i feel like its not the prob as far as starving for fuel. the needle valve is free and doesnt stick. i did pull what i think is the main jet out and blow some air thru it but it was very very clean. pulled the plugs, theyre carboned up and black. loss of power, black plugs, smells rich, the exhaust has alot more carbon on the flap. i feel like it just all at once started running rich. i put the carb back on and now itll idle a lil but dies when i give some throttle.
so, i'm sure i dont have the main jet adjusted right since taking it off. i've noticed from the searching ive done here the first question is always... which plugs you running? i dont have those numbers right now but i plan on pulling them again today.
so can i ask some questions?
which plugs do ya'll like? which ones are the "Hotter" plugs?
could the float just jump out of setting like that?
how do i set the main jet? yes, i have a service manual, jut i just havent dug into it yet.
anything else that i can look at ?
i fee like my spark is all sound but.... i'm open to suggestions.
thanx all for your patience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
brad

[Gary Dotson]

A lot here to digest but I’ll touch on a couple items. The main jet is located bottom, opposite the air intake behind the load mixture screw. If you’re real sure it’s squeaky clean, adjust the screw 1 3/4 turns out from fully seated as a starting point and fine tune from there. Don’t be too quick to rule out ignition, your symptoms sound very much like a failed condenser. A lot of ignition problems are blamed on the carb.. Which spark plug you use depends on use and location. Those of us, who mostly play with our tractors will run the hotter D21 plug, a hard working tractor, in a hot environment a colder plug. such as the D16. Those are Champion #s, use the brand of your choosing. I’ve been running some Autolite 386 and 3116, recently. Hopefully, I’ve given you a couple pointers that will help.

[Eugene]

Suggest complete engine tune up; compression tests, valves, ignition.

SeaFoam in fuel and engine oil to help free up stuck rings.

[The Country Toad]

Thank y'all so much for the starting points!!! I'll let you know what I find out! Or screw up. Ha! Ty again!

[Dale Finch]

Might check your points to make sure they don't have pitting and are adjusted correctly... I may be wrong, but I think they are gapped the same as the Cub .020

Check that the insulator on the side of the distributor isn't allowing the connection to ground out, too. That piece can crack & it's hard to tell.

Good luck!

[The Country Toad]

I'm running D18y plugs looks like.
Points plugs seafoam insulator and condenser. Got it!!! Ty!

[The Country Toad]

good morning all!!!!!!!!!! i work weekends so i finally got a chance to get back at this super a.
i swapped out plugs, d18y champions and gapped at .025, changed condenser and points gapped at .020,
installed the carb setting the main jet at 1 3/4 turn off full seat and set the idle screw at 2 turns off full seat.


so heres what i got. starts like a dream but idles high. give it some throttle and she dies on me. when idling i cant get the idle to come down at all. even with it set screw closed all the way. open it up more and she dies on me.
so i'm still leaning rich i think. float? during all this i havent adjusted the float thinking they dont go out of adjustment without some help like being gummed up or cracking or something.

while waiting on some advise i'm gonna take the carb off again and see if the float....floats... and check the height as well.
i appreciate all the help everyone!

brad

[The Country Toad]

Well another update. I did some tilling w one of my other tractors and let the super a sit for a bit. I tried again and she started fine and idled down a lil and even ran for about 30 sec at mid throttle smooth as a whistle. Then I idled it back down to let her settle in and it idled for about 10 sec and died. After she dies like that she won't start up without sitting a while. Just sounds like a flooding issue to me. But I'm not exactly sure how to fix. Float or main jet adjustment?

[The Country Toad]

Ok this is the level of smart y'all are dealing with here.... I didn't have the fuel cut off above the sediment bowl open. Bahahahah !
With the carb off... I knew I had a small drip from the fuel like and I knew the fuel cut off wasn't closing all the way....so hence letting it sit and it would start up and die.. haha! Oh I'm a good one ain't I!!!

Well with that being said. Now fuel is leaking from the carb maybe from the air cleaner tube. I'm assuming that's the float set too high. Update in a bit

[Jim Becker]

Not the first time that has happened.

Leak from carb may be level too high. But it may also be a bad float valve. Before going after either of them, make sure the float moves freely with no binding on the hinge pin or rubbing on the side of the bowl. Also make sure the float hasn't cracked and let some gas leak inside the float.

[The Country Toad]

Not the first time that has happened.

Leak from carb may be level too high. But it may also be a bad float valve. Before going after either of them, make sure the float moves freely with no binding on the hinge pin or rubbing on the side of the bowl. Also make sure the float hasn't cracked and let some gas leak inside the float.

yes sir! thank you! i took the carb off again and made sure it was set to 1 5/32 and even when i took the carb off the first time i felt like the float was free because i could shake it and hear it rattle easily. i checked again and the needle is free, the float is free and i feel really confident that theyre not cracked or anything. while i havent taken them off and "floated" em... i feel good about their integrety. thank you so very much sir!!

well i think i just had the gasket sitting wrong. after it was leaking i took it off again to look at the floats and confirm their setting and when i put it back together,... no leaking.

heres where i'm at now. starts great... idles smooth... i can run it at all throttle ranges and cruise around the farm with it but when i load it up either with the cultivators in the dirt or 4th gear... it coughs really hard or coughs and dies on me. starts back up fine. i can either adjust the idle set screw for a smooth idle but she really sputters at higher rpm and loading it is a no go, or i can give it some throttle and adjust the idle screw til it smooths out but it surges at idle. granted, i know that the main main job of the idle set screw is that that....idle. but i'm experimenting i guess.

i'd originally set the main jet at 1 1/2 turns off seating. however i've turned it out 1/2 more turn off seating.

so i guess my question is.... with the symptoms of sputtering or shutting off at higher rpm or loaded up or increased throttle but idles nicely. which way should i turn? float or jet? oh!!!!!!!!!! and i've been able to run it for 30min or more and get it good and hot to try to rule out a coil or another ignition problem.

again i cant thank you all enough. i've learned quite a bit here and researching this site! i just cant get dialed in.

[Gary Dotson]

Since I’m not there, I can’t tell if you’re running rich or lean. Your description sounds lean. Work with your main jet adjustment, to find out what it wants. You say you opened it more and it helped, don’t be afraid to go more, if that’s what it wants. As I said, 1 3/4 turns was a starting point.

[The Country Toad]

Coil. Yep! I felt like I had nothing to loose so I just bought a new coil and I ran it for a good long while...not even a hiccup!

Thank you everyone so very much for all the help and advice!!!!