1949 8N wont start, has electronic ignition, new plugs, very white bright spark

[Randy3173]

Gentlemen, need help with 1949 8n, was running great. Parked for four months in shed. Been converted to 12V system. Nothing has been added or changed. Now won't start. Front mount distributor, Has electronic ignition, new plugs, getting gas, has white hot spark, gas had Stabil in it. Getting air. Cranks and cranks. Won't hit at all. Tried all the regular things. Any suggestions? Fuel valve filter ok, carb inlet filter ok, Gas flow good thru plug on bottom of carb. Sprayed starter fluid in carb throat, Put starting fluid in spark plug holes. Still wont hit. Thanks! Please keep snarking to a minimum!

 

[Factotum]

Compression?

 

[Bruce(OR)]

is this now the 2nd thread or a repeat of one below?
Since you have spark and fuel, you did clean those plugs, correct?
No moisture in the cap?
Time to pull the 1 plug and bump it to TDC Comp and see where the rotor is pointing.
If it is not pointing at #1 then you probably have an internal problem.

 

[used red MN]

is this now the 2nd thread or a repeat of one below?
Since you have spark and fuel, you did clean those plugs, correct?
No moisture in the cap?
Time to pull the 1 plug and bump it to TDC Comp and see where the rotor is pointing.
If it is not pointing at #1 then you probably have an internal problem.

Hello Randy welcome to YT! Between Fact.. and Bruce you have been given some good direction.

Bruce, in case you don’t know in this new format on a PC if you hover your mouse over the user’s name you can see the number of “posts” they have made, they are called messages. On a phone you have to click their username. If you click the “number” of messages shown the members posts will show in chronological order. By that you can see it is his first post under this username.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

Checking the air intake for holes is another good one. Fresh gasket on the carb. It sounds like you checked it but ours seems picky and needs new seals from time to time. Seems like our Ford takes choke till it pops then quick open and away it goes. We had a hole in the rubber intake hose on the bottom once where it attaches to carb and the thing is so low to the ground you couldn’t see it. It wouldn’t start at all. You wouldn’t think that would help but it did. Eaten away from the ethanol fuel it looked like to me if it got in there and flooded a bit back from time to time. I replaced it with a modern large diameter fuel and hydraulic hose. No problem since. If you get to timing it helps to have a light I believe 4 degrees advance is the line you want to hit there should be a cover on the rh side flywheel housing towards the front of the tractor 2 bolts with round cover I believe at least on our later one this is the case nice line shows up when you hit the spot labeled 4 degrees adv.

 

[Tim PloughNman Daley RIP]

Gentlemen, need help with 1949 8n, was running great. Parked for four months in shed. Been converted to 12V system. Nothing has been added or changed. Now won't start. Front mount distributor, Has electronic ignition, new plugs, getting gas, has white hot spark, gas had Stabil in it. Getting air. Cranks and cranks. Won't hit at all. Tried all the regular things. Any suggestions? Fuel valve filter ok, carb inlet filter ok, Gas flow good thru plug on bottom of carb. Sprayed starter fluid in carb throat, Put starting fluid in spark plug holes. Still wont hit. Thanks! Please keep snarking to a minimum!

Dead battery. Battery life depletes after a week of setting with no float charger to keep it at 100% charging capacity. Test at local ALT/GEN shop first, replace with a good brand (DEKA INTERSTATE DURACELL EXIDE) if bad and won't hold a charge. Fuel Flow Test good -leave fuel alone. It's an electrical issue. I can't help you with your EI - I don't muck with EI. Advise you get into it with your parts instructions info. EI works best with 12V I do know. Easy to fry the system though if ya don't know what you are dong. STABIL means nothing - a snake oil product.

Tim Daley (MI)

 

[rbuckel]

Gentlemen, need help with 1949 8n, was running great. Parked for four months in shed. Been converted to 12V system. Nothing has been added or changed. Now won't start. Front mount distributor, Has electronic ignition, new plugs, getting gas, has white hot spark, gas had Stabil in it. Getting air. Cranks and cranks. Won't hit at all. Tried all the regular things. Any suggestions? Fuel valve filter ok, carb inlet filter ok, Gas flow good thru plug on bottom of carb. Sprayed starter fluid in carb throat, Put starting fluid in spark plug holes. Still wont hit. Thanks! Please keep snarking to a minimum!

Have you checked to make sure your exhaust and tailpipe are clear?

 

[Fixingfarmer]

If he has spark I think his efi module is fine. Agree with the stabil statement though might not be a bad idea to drain the gas and put a couple gallons fresh in see what it does

 

[Fixingfarmer]

After that your back to timing and compression like everyone has said above. It bothers me it didn’t pop on ether. Turns over well?

 

[Fixingfarmer]

I wonder if the plug wires are on the right ones. That would do it. Has it run since converted?

 

[Jim L WA]

Gentlemen, need help with 1949 8n, was running great. Parked for four months in shed. Been converted to 12V system. Nothing has been added or changed. Now won't start. Front mount distributor, Has electronic ignition, new plugs, getting gas, has white hot spark, gas had Stabil in it. Getting air. Cranks and cranks. Won't hit at all. Tried all the regular things. Any suggestions? Fuel valve filter ok, carb inlet filter ok, Gas flow good thru plug on bottom of carb. Sprayed starter fluid in carb throat, Put starting fluid in spark plug holes. Still wont hit. Thanks! Please keep snarking to a minimum!

He Randy3173, welcome to the forum. After reading your post a couple of times, ll have two questions. 1. could you have flooded it? 2. How are you checking for spark?

 

[Randy3173]

Have you checked to make sure your exhaust and tailpipe are clear?

No! good idea!

 

[Randy3173]

After that your back to timing and compression like everyone has said above. It bothers me it didn’t pop on ether. Turns over well?

Yes, cranks fine, just like before I parked it.

 

[Randy3173]

He Randy3173, welcome to the forum. After reading your post a couple of times, ll have two questions. 1. could you have flooded it? 2. How are you checking for spark?

Yes, I know it floods easily and tried not to flood it. I'm checking for spark by removing # 4 plug and grounding it to the block, then crank engine a time or two and watch, spark looks good. Also did same with #3, #2, #1.

Gentlemen, need help with 1949 8n, was running great. Parked for four months in shed. Been converted to 12V system. Nothing has been added or changed. Now won't start. Front mount distributor, Has electronic ignition, new plugs, getting gas, has white hot spark, gas had Stabil in it. Getting air. Cranks and cranks. Won't hit at all. Tried all the regular things. Any suggestions? Fuel valve filter ok, carb inlet filter ok, Gas flow good thru plug on bottom of carb. Sprayed starter fluid in carb throat, Put starting fluid in spark plug holes. Still wont hit. Thanks! Please keep snarking to a minimum!

Thanks to everyone for the ideas! Additional information, Found sediment bowl had about 1/4 in. of dirt in it. Wasn't rust as it wasn't magnetic. Drained carb bowl again, bought a spray can of 50% ether. Sprayed 50% ether in air throat of carb, tractor ran till ether ran out! Then wouldn't repeat that. I had put new plugs in, but now appear dirty. Could the intake manifold be so dirty as to not let the gas get to the pistons. I put ether in the spark plug holes then and still wouldn't hit. Gotta be something simple (ran with ether at first then wouldn't do it again). I bought new non-ethanol gas, used a funnel and tried to fill carb bowl as best I could, still wouldn't hit. Gonna take carb off and clean the intake and carb. Maybe there will be a tractor for sale......

 

[Randy3173]

Thanks to everyone for the ideas! Additional information, Found sediment bowl had about 1/4 in. of dirt in it. Wasn't rust as it wasn't magnetic. Drained carb bowl again, bought a spray can of 50% ether. Sprayed 50% ether in air throat of carb, tractor ran till ether ran out! Then wouldn't repeat that. I had put new plugs in, but now appear dirty. Could the intake manifold be so dirty as to not let the gas get to the pistons. I put ether in the spark plug holes then and still wouldn't hit. (Plugs too dirty?) Gotta be something simple (ran with ether at first then wouldn't do it again). I bought new non-ethanol gas, used a funnel and tried to fill carb bowl as best I could, still wouldn't hit. Gonna take carb off and clean the intake and carb. Maybe there will be a tractor for sale......

 

[Hobo,NC]

Gentlemen, need help with 1949 8n, was running great. Parked for four months in shed. Been converted to 12V system. Nothing has been added or changed. Now won't start. Front mount distributor, Has electronic ignition, new plugs, getting gas, has white hot spark, gas had Stabil in it. Getting air. Cranks and cranks. Won't hit at all. Tried all the regular things. Any suggestions? Fuel valve filter ok, carb inlet filter ok, Gas flow good thru plug on bottom of carb. Sprayed starter fluid in carb throat, Put starting fluid in spark plug holes. Still wont hit. Thanks! Please keep snarking to a minimum!

Randy this is the problem with your reply you say has white hot spark. The first thing I normally check is spark, this seams to butt hurt folks BAD ha ha. I am not there even if I were I don't put all my faith in my judgement I prove it beyond a doubt. Asking folks to prove it brings out the best in them I don't know why but it does. If what I am going to say butt hurts you just say it butt hurts I will leave you be. Remember all we have is a statement that must be proven so we can put that issue behind us and not ramble on about every possible issue that could be. Its called process of elimination go after the low hanging fruit first.

I would buy a $10 spark tester read the instructions and learn how to use it. WHY its gonna come in handy down the road you can eliminate spark issues fast and efficient on every ICE engine you come into contact with.

Engines suck squese bang blow it takes spark fuel compression and air at the right time so its a process to diagnosis these issues with out a guess. I am gonna put the spark issue behind me fast and efficient how you go about is your call I get'er done every day its my day job.

Before this site changed over I posted several crank no start N issues I had come into the shop. In less than 5 min. I knew the direction I needed to go it all started with a spark tester that was my guiding light. I should not get evolved with this I try to stay out of it cuzz for most hear their diagnostics are poor at best. The first mistake they make is assume and post a book about all the possible issues that's not the way it works.

 

[HCooke]

" Sprayed 50% ether in air throat of carb, tractor ran till ether ran out!" Sounds like your carb got gunked up while it sat. Time to remove the carb and clean it out.

 

[Randy3173]

Randy this is the problem with your reply you say has white hot spark. The first thing I normally check is spark, this seams to butt hurt folks BAD ha ha. I am not there even if I were I don't put all my faith in my judgement I prove it beyond a doubt. Asking folks to prove it brings out the best in them I don't know why but it does. If what I am going to say butt hurts you just say it butt hurts I will leave you be. Remember all we have is a statement that must be proven so we can put that issue behind us and not ramble on about every possible issue that could be. Its called process of elimination go after the low hanging fruit first.

I would buy a $10 spark tester read the instructions and learn how to use it. WHY its gonna come in handy down the road you can eliminate spark issues fast and efficient on every ICE engine you come into contact with.

Engines suck squese bang blow it takes spark fuel compression and air at the right time so its a process to diagnosis these issues with out a guess. I am gonna put the spark issue behind me fast and efficient how you go about is your call I get'er done every day its my day job.

Before this site changed over I posted several crank no start N issues I had come into the shop. In less than 5 min. I knew the direction I needed to go it all started with a spark tester that was my guiding light. I should not get evolved with this I try to stay out of it cuzz for most hear their diagnostics are poor at best. The first mistake they make is assume and post a book about all the possible issues that's not the way it works.

 

[Randy3173]

Hobo, thanks for the advice! I'm getting a spark tester today! Just frustrated and trying to cover all the bases, TMI i guess.

 

[Tim PloughNman Daley RIP]

Gentlemen, need help with 1949 8n, was running great. Parked for four months in shed. Been converted to 12V system. Nothing has been added or changed. Now won't start. Front mount distributor, Has electronic ignition, new plugs, getting gas, has white hot spark, gas had Stabil in it. Getting air. Cranks and cranks. Won't hit at all. Tried all the regular things. Any suggestions? Fuel valve filter ok, carb inlet filter ok, Gas flow good thru plug on bottom of carb. Sprayed starter fluid in carb throat, Put starting fluid in spark plug holes. Still wont hit. Thanks! Please keep snarking to a minimum!

The FORD Front Mount Distributor is the #1 most misunderstood feature on these old FORDs. A tune-up is done with unit on your bench and timing is set per manuals, no timing light is used. Setting points correctly can be a task today because some brands are junk and can't be set/gapped right. Points gapped at .015". Best to use STANDARD IGNTION/BLUE STREAK p/n FD-6769X. NAPA stocks them. Alternate brands are TISCO ATK-6FF, and CNH 87744524. Set timing then test circuit before mounting on engine. That is the tricky part. Mounting. Done one correct way and if wrong, will destroy the base. Many do not know this and end up frustrated when they can't get tractor to run. They then assume they need to go to 12V or and EI setup. Nothing wrong with either one but realize EI only eliminates the need for points. You can fry the system if one wrong move is made. The entire wiring needs to be verified correct as well. Front Mount uses the BALLAST RESISTOR, no questions. Firing Order is 1,2,4,3 CCW as shown. Crossing up Plug # 3 nd Plug #4 wires is a common mistake. I had my own repair shop and got many guys with their non-running front mounts that they had done an EI on and cringed each time I had to work on them. I never had a need nor a desire to go to EI. As far as I know the PERTRONIX EI kit is the most reliable. You have to follow the intstructions to a TEE. EI works best on 12V.

Tim Daley (MI)