More starting problems

[Jim in SC]

I just read pokitisme's post. Mine is similar, but I sureI need a little help.

I've owned my Farmall H for a little over a year. It was running okay when I got it and it ran until last September. With winter coming on I decided to do some work on it. I rebuilt the carb, replaced all the wiring, including the battery cables (O gauge wire), put in a new ignition switch, changed the plugs (gapped at 0.23"), replaced the plug wires, installed new points (gapped at 0.20") and condenser, and put in new water temperature and ammeter gauges, The ammeter shows discharge when the lights are turned on. The tractor has a 6 volt system with a good, year old battery. Since doing the work I've mentioned, I've tried starting it, but all it does is turn over, flood the carb, and backfire. I've double checked the timing by pulling the plug on the #1 cylinder and am getting a spark at TDC. I tried putting the old condenser in and re-gapped the points. The engine has good compression and is blowing air out from the exhaust mainifold and sucking air in at the carb, but it won' fire. When I stop cranking the engine, I get fuel gushing out the air intake on the carb.

Nothing has helped.

What am I missing? Any suggestions? I guess I could try putting the old points back in. If that doesn't work, I should I pull the carb and check it out again?

[Dale Finch]

Did you double check the plug wires to MAKE SURE they are in the right order. I think we've all goofed on that at least once.

[Slim140]

Did you double check the plug wires to MAKE SURE they are in the right order. I think we've all goofed on that at least once.

Yes, a Cub will run on 2 cylinders, don’t ask how I know

[ajhbike]

Maybe carb not put together right so you get the gushing?. 100% Dale is right, that firing order will get ya too (or getting compression and exhaust mixed up for TDC)

[Jim in SC]

Okay, I'll double check on the plug wires in the morning. Maybe go with the old wires that I have laying around somewhere, just to make sure. That's a good comment on the carb, but Ill try the wires first, hopefully it'll do the trick and I won't have to mess with the carb again! I'll post again when I give the wires a try. Thanks to all!

[Jim in SC]

Dang. I changed out the plug wires and the points. Checked to make sure the distributor cap was on right. Nothing. Same problem. I guess next is to take the dang carb off and see what's up with it. Could it be the coil?

[ShawnAgne]

Do you have a check light? I'd trace to see if you are getting power to the coil. If you are pull the wire from coil to distributor on the distributor side, crank and see if you are getting a spark. This was my issue with the 300 which showed me my electronic ignitor went out. Did you do all of this? If you are getting any fuel into the motor it will try and start.

[Jim in SC]

Okay, Shawn, I'll try that, but first I'm going to pull the carb to make sure that the throttle valve plate is not somehow hung up and not allowing fuel to flow to the cylinders, i.e. perhaps the throttle shaft didn't get seated right when I last installed the carb. I'm thinking this may well be the problem, the more I think about it. We'll see.

[Jim in SC]

I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to put it to rest. I FINALLY finished my H. The starting problems were narrowed down to a bad carburetor, which I had rebuilt by a carb guy in Minnesota, who also knows a bit about electricity, which turned out to be my other problem. He told me that the old 6 volt systems were just fine for starting low compression engines, but that, because of the low voltage, it is critical to have good grounding surfaces everywhere needed on the tractor. He said it was a common problem for tractors that had been "restored, including painting of parts piece by piece." That described mine perfectly. Long story short: I removed the starter, generator, and distributor, then ground off the paint there, which was serving as an insulator. That solved the problem! Starts great now.

I'm including a picture of my H in it's finished state. I also posted the same picture on the Cub section of the forum, because the '59 Cub on the trailer is my next project. I'll remember the no paint on contact surfaces this time though!

Jim

[oldfarmkid]

Glad you found all your problems and got everything fixed. Thanks for the update with pics. Also have an H, live in the upstate between Anderson and Greenville.

[Jim in SC]

Glad you found all your problems and got everything fixed. Thanks for the update with pics. Also have an H, live in the upstate between Anderson and Greenville.

I got my H from a fella outside of Fountain Inn. I spent a few years living in Clemson too.