carburetor adjustment on a farmall 560

[Dan-IA]

Well Dad's tractor had sat around for most of two years but we got somebody to poke at it a little and make it run to push snow.

And it does. Sorta.

In order to start it you now have to have it half-throttle and full-choke. And it must always be at full-choke, no matter how warm it gets. There is a dead-spot in the throttle from fully closed to almost half-throttle, where it makes no difference at all if you move the throttle. If you speed the tractor up too much it will stall suddenly. But if you close the throttle real quick you can make it recover to a slow idle.

Dad had this tractor set with an amazingly low idle RPM, but even then it at least got the oil pressure gage to go clear over to the high end. Now the oil gage only comes up to half. I'm not worried about the oil thing first though, I'm just saying that too much laying around has caused it to develop an issue or two.

I'm suspecting an air leak between the carb and the intake manifold to start, but then after that, I need guidance. I've never set a carb before, but it's time I learn. I tried to push snow with it and it can't be trusted to stay running, and has no power. This was one of Dad's favorite horses, so this is just unacceptable.

So after I install that new carb gasket, how do I go about adjusting this thing? Thanks!
 

[MisterT]

[Revredneck]

Where in IA are you? I would be willing to help you, if you are nearby.
 

[Maark]

Dad's 560 was that way also until I opened the points wider.
 

[Dan-IA]

Yeah, when I said we 'got somebody to poke at it',
I mean he did take the carb off and clean it out.
The needle was stuck. He also pulled the gas tank
off and cleaned it and put a new sediment bowl on
it.

But it looks like he re-used the old gasket
between the carb and intake manifold, and any
other gasket he'd have just sat down with an
exacto knife and cut out to make a seal. But
there's a loud hissing sound from that area of the
tractor. (I did notice that some hissing was heard
out the dipstick hole, but I think this may be
something else.)

Anyway I did a (very) crude test and wrapped duct
tape around that gasket and I did get smoother
acceleration through the lower third throttle
range--that's why I think that should be replaced.
 

[Dan-IA]

That's a good point, I know Dad did things like that on the Super C. He'd pull the ignition wire about halfway out of the top of the coil so it had to jump a gap there too, in order to get a hotter spark.
 

[Dan-IA]

I'm about an hour west of fort dodge, Sac City is about fifteen miles away. And you?
 

[Dan-IA]

Okay. I dug out an old shop manual for it that Dad had laying around. Basically all I had to do was go warm it up and screw the idle screw all the way back in and back it out a turn. Runs good now. That wouldn't quite let it idle at the 425RPM mentioned in the book, but backing out a spring-loaded screw on the governor arm did that quite handily. That was an easy fix.



For future reference in case anyone else needs it, the screw I turned was a small one at the top of the carb just below where it bolts to the engine, and on the side of the carb with the throttle,governor, and choke linkages (the side towards the engine. It turns easy and has lines around the edge like it was designed to be adjusted with your fingers, and has a spring under it too.

Now I don't need the choke on all the time to keep it running. Yay!!! Thanks!