tea 20 Carb Q.

[Richard JH.]

Morning all,
My 1954 TEA -20 has a cracked carb body.
Just getting it ready to try, as I got it in seized condition.
My Q is,
If this carb is not going to work, does anyone know what the carbs are like we see on Amazon for the TEA 20?
THey seem a bit less expensive that those out of the UK.
But,
Are they any good?

Thanks in advance for any help.

all best,
Richard.

 

[pomester]

Replacement carbs of overseas manufacture get mixed reviews on this forum. The bodies will be alloy instead of iron, quality control questionable. The price is right....

About three threads down on this Harry Ferguson forum is a thread about TEA carburetors. It was revealed that while most had Zenith carbs, at least some came with Marvel-Schebler. Which does your tractor have? I'd be inclined to search for a used OEM unit and purchase new as a last resort.

 

[Charles in Aus.]

If it is an alloy bodied Zenith then replacement is probably the only long term option . The replacements from the UK are made by the same company and to the same standards , by all accounts they are well worth the extra money and are a straight bolt on replacement.
If it is a Marvel Schebler carb then consider having the cast iron crack repaired by bronze . It is a simple task for an experienced welder and will save you time and money .

 

[Richard JH.]

Thank you for your replies gents.
The one I have is an alloy bodied Zenith.
If I Do require one Charles, I will go with the proper one then.
I have been messing with it a bit, had it all apart and cleaned it, but it seems it was cleaned and no fuel through it, then sat a lifetime and engine seized through standing.
In other words, no gumb in the carb, all dry and clean.
However, after I checked it all out, it still floods, but hard to say if it is the repaired crack causing this, (Looks like JB weld) or whether it is the needle valve/float.
Will take it to bits again, see what's up.

I never knew the original carbs were iron, Pomester. Thanks for that!
I will keep you posted and thanks again.

R.

 

[Charles in Aus.]

Only very late carbs were cast iron and very few at that in the UK and most overseas markets .
Check the needle and seat for leaks and the float for sticking and pin holes . They are simple carburettors and don't take much to fix . If the crack is in the bowl then a repair is most likely going to hold , butterfly shaft and jet seat areas are more difficult .

 

[Richard JH.]

Thanks for the info about cast iron, Charles.
Took this one off again, and it doesn't seem to be leaking from repaired area around bowl.
Thing is, this one has the needle and seat arrangement where you can't get them apart so it seems. the needle goes in from the top of the brass fitting, then the seat seems to be pressed into place over it.
No holes in the float, and its the right way up.
Put it back together and tried it, and it ran!....But only for a few seconds as no water in it.
stopped it, and the petrol poured out again from the choke butterfly area.

Reason for no water, is I don't want to put antifreeze in until I have flushed it, and we are still getting enough frosts to do damage.

Thank you again for the reply Mr C.

best,
Richard.
Edited to show needle valve /seat set up.
Needle not sticking and float not sticking. Pours fuel out like water though!

 

[Charles in Aus.]

An extremely rough and ready ' Farmer's ' diagnostic not recommended but works as a diagnostic . Once out smack the needle down onto the seat with a piece of wood , this deforms the seat and helps it seal . It's a last ditch field repair to use when you are sure the seat is clear of debris . It won't work permanently and probably won't stop the leak completely but might help until you can replace the needle and seat . Be sure the float pivot isn't snagging as well .

 

[Tom H.]

Morning all,
My 1954 TEA -20 has a cracked carb body.
Just getting it ready to try, as I got it in seized condition.
My Q is,
If this carb is not going to work, does anyone know what the carbs are like we see on Amazon for the TEA 20?
THey seem a bit less expensive that those out of the UK.
But,
Are they any good?

Thanks in advance for any h

 

[Tom H.]

Hi found this on eBay, no affiliation. Tom

Ferguson TEA 20 Carburetor | eBay

<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;">Used original Carb from a 1954 Ferguson TEA20 with the Standard 85mm engine. This carb seems to be complete but in unknown condition. Will probably need to be cleaned and or rebuilt. Don't settle for new Chinese carbs that will only give...

www.ebay.com

 

[stevieb49829]

Make sure the bowl repair left nothing inside for the float to hang up on. steve

 

[stevieb49829]

Thanks for the info about cast iron, Charles.
Took this one off again, and it doesn't seem to be leaking from repaired area around bowl.
Thing is, this one has the needle and seat arrangement where you can't get them apart so it seems. the needle goes in from the top of the brass fitting, then the seat seems to be pressed into place over it.
No holes in the float, and its the right way up.
Put it back together and tried it, and it ran!....But only for a few seconds as no water in it.
stopped it, and the petrol poured out again from the choke butterfly area.

Reason for no water, is I don't want to put antifreeze in until I have flushed it, and we are still getting enough frosts to do damage.

Thank you again for the reply Mr C.

best,
Richard.
Edited to show needle valve /seat set up.
Needle not sticking and float not sticking. Pours fuel out like water though!
View attachment 65729

Richard, if you were using the choke to get it started, and you only ran it a very short time, the engine did not have enough time to clear the spare gas out of the intake that was created by using the choke. Don't be too concerned about that until it does it after warming it up and running it for a while. Then, if it is still doing it, check the float level.

 

[Richard JH.]

Thanks Charles, Tom , and Stevie.

This type of float doesn't have a pivot Charles, it just floats up and down in its chamber.
I did give it a bash as you suggested, and providing l don't choke it too much. It doesn't seem to flood!
Early days yet though!
Nothing to interfere with the float. Steve,
The repair seems to be where main jet fits.
Tom,
Thank you for the link.
I have my local scrap bloke checking if he has one. So will leave that one for now.
Being on Canada can make shipping high at times!
Again. Thanks. And will keep you posted!
The repaired gear lever starter works like a champ.

 

[Charles in Aus.]

Ah yes the Zenith free float . I sometimes get confused between the TEA 20 and FE 35 Zenith carbs , both very different .
Glad the bash it and see stop gap worked , even if it only slowed the leak down a bit it points to the seat and needle being the likely culprit . Be careful in unscrewing the old one , they sometimes gall in their socket and take a bit of colourful language and patience to remove . Once a new one is fitted also true up the mating surface of the bowl on a piece of plate glass and wet and dry paper to ensure the joint doesn't weep .

 

[Richard JH.]

Thanks Charles. Will do.
Do I need a carb kit you reckon. Or just the bits l know I need?
Thats mebbe a silly question!

Thanks again, and needle and seat screwd out clean as a whistle.
I think someone was going through this tractor decades ago, As it has a new distributer, and tank was empty, repaired and clean.
Top end looked rough after all the standing!
Stood a lifetime by looks of it.
Rusted to death.
Cleaned up not bad, and no valves stuck.

We used to find stuff looking like this on the bottom of the sea back home..

 

[Charles in Aus.]

Well that is certainly in need of love and care . With a history like that I would certainly remove the oil stainer and sump , a straightforward job that will allow you to clean out disturbing amounts of residue .
A kit for the carb willninclude some nylon bushes for the butterfly valve shaft . Sometimes the shaft wears an outsize hole in the body that allows it to suck air and ruin the idle and mixture . It's all fairly intuitive work and will.make a world of difference to the running.
I won't be online for a day or so , post any questions and I'll respond when I can .

 

[Richard JH.]

Thanks Charles, Will keep you posted! The oil came out clean, so think the top end damage was condensation, but yes, will pull strainer and such.
I bought about four oil filters too!

 

[Richard JH.]

Well charles,
Put water in him and ran him a bit today.
He started well, bug near smpked me out as he was leaking at exhaust where it joins manifold, And at manifold.
Ran him long enough to see that top end was getting some lube.
Then he stopped .
Thought out of juice, so filled the small temp tank and had a hard time getting him started.
He would run, but bog out. then flood.
May be that carb, and sucking air at manifold.
When l had him going though,

he turned like a cutting horse!
Governor needs settng.
Lots of fiddling to do yet!
Was running when took picture.

 

[Mad Farmer]

Nice cleanup on the rockers/head. How'd you do that?

A question on the Zenith vs MS carbs. Can they be swapped easy or is there differences in the linkages and/or air intake and manifold?

 

[Jim L WA]

Ditto what Mad Farmer said about the cleanup. I also would like to see the answer about a carburetor swap.

 

[Richard JH.]

I seem to have read that the carbs can be changed, but this might be heresay.

Well, as far as cleanup went, l didnt remove the head, as valves were not stuck, so pulled the rocker arm and push rods. Plugged all the holes and used a wire brush on a dremel to skoot off the crud.
The push rods and rocker went into a lye solution for a few days, then washed, brushed off, and oiled.
Caustic soda destroys organic matter. Like oil that binds rust to metal.
Rust comes off easily after a lye (caustic) bath.
If you ever use it though. Do not get it on youf skin or in eyes.
It will eat them too!
And
Never give anyhing a caustic dip that is aluninum.
It wont quit until it has eaten it.
The cam followers were sticking a bit, but squirting dowm the holes with a homemade penetrant got them going after a while.
Just turned a hind wheel, then tapped the push rods if they stayed up.

Engine was seized. But same penetrant in plug holes and patience and it broke loose.
Put oil in steering box tonight.
Tightened manifold. And need a gasket for exhaust against manifold before l try it again.
Can the 3 pt arms be put on a spline out?
One arm lower than the other.

All best
R.
penatrating oil was a 50/50 mix of ATF and Acetone. Don't get that all over your skin either, but it works better than bought stuff.


Aologies if spelling is crap.
Can hardly see it typing on this phone.