1937 A Quit Starting :(

[acorn]

I had my 1937 A starting every time on the first crank after priming. Yesterday I fired it up, and after a few seconds it kind of sputtered like it was running out of gas, and quit. I haven't been able to get it started since

What I've done to it:

1. Fresh, rebuilt carb from Lind Bros
2. Went through the Mag
   1. New points and condenser
   2. No rotor and cap
3. New plugs and wires
4. New Muffler
5. New Throttle spring
6. New Clutch brake pad

Like I said, after all that, It's been starting up super easy every time, until now. It is definitely getting fuel through the carb. I have spark at both plugs (although I'm not sure if it's weak or not). I took both plugs out a couple times, checked and cleaned them - they looked fine, but dry. I took the cap off the mag and sanded the points a little, cleaned them, made sure there was a spark there. Turning the flywheel, there's still good compression, blowing out the petcocks at the right times, Magneto is snapping at the timing mark like it should. There is plenty of gas in the tank and, as I said, it runs through the carb and out the petcock at the bottom of the float bowl when I turn the fuel on.

I'm running out of ideas... Could the coil have just gone bad? That didn't get replaced. Seems sudden. Any other ideas?? Thanks!

 

[teddy52food]

Does it have a bluish white spark that jumps at least a quarter inch every time the impulse trips?

 

[Fixingfarmer]

Does it try to start with a whiff of ether?

 

[Fixingfarmer]

Does it try to start with a whiff of ether?
Float trouble? they can be adjusted to shut too tight I know that’s not the normal problem usually issue is it’s pouring gas out but I had one recently that I must have not set it to put enough fuel in the bowl

Turn and a half out on the idle?

If it doesn’t start on ether then the question is why is there a bad gasket or manifold problem or???

 

[acorn]

Does it have a bluish white spark that jumps at least a quarter inch every time the impulse trips?

Hi! I would check this at the coil button, with the cap off, correct? Wico C by the way

 

[acorn]

Does it try to start with a whiff of ether?

I sprayed a little ether in the left cylinder and replaced the spark plug. That didn't do anything. I haven't tried on the air cleaner side

 

[acorn]

Does it try to start with a whiff of ether?
Float trouble? they can be adjusted to shut too tight I know that’s not the normal problem usually issue is it’s pouring gas out but I had one recently that I must have not set it to put enough fuel in the bowl

Turn and a half out on the idle?

If it doesn’t start on ether then the question is why is there a bad gasket or manifold problem or???

I haven't messed with the carb yet. It came set at two turns out on idle side, and it started and ran great that way so I had not changed it.

You mentioned a gasket and that makes me think.... The problem actually started about the same time I noticed there was a leak between the carb and manifold, and the left bolt looked a little loose so I tightened it.... Hmmmmm

 

[Fixingfarmer]

Very common place to leak that gasket between carb and manifold and throttle shaft in the carb is another

Manifolds can crack as well they sell new ones for a reason

 

[acorn]

Thanks for your responses, guys. For now, I'm praying it's not the manifold. I do suspect a weak spark, and so I just ordered a new coil. The old one's wires are all janky anyway. We shall see. I'll update when I get the coil installed.

 

[teddy52food]

Hi! I would check this at the coil button, with the cap off, correct? Wico C by the way

Check it on the terminals of the cap where the plug wires go. It has to be good there to fire the plugs.

 

[J.Wondergem]

I had my 1937 A starting every time on the first crank after priming. Yesterday I fired it up, and after a few seconds it kind of sputtered like it was running out of gas, and quit. I haven't been able to get it started since

What I've done to it:

1. Fresh, rebuilt carb from Lind Bros
2. Went through the Mag
   1. New points and condenser
   2. No rotor and cap
3. New plugs and wires
4. New Muffler
5. New Throttle spring
6. New Clutch brake pad

Like I said, after all that, It's been starting up super easy every time, until now. It is definitely getting fuel through the carb. I have spark at both plugs (although I'm not sure if it's weak or not). I took both plugs out a couple times, checked and cleaned them - they looked fine, but dry. I took the cap off the mag and sanded the points a little, cleaned them, made sure there was a spark there. Turning the flywheel, there's still good compression, blowing out the petcocks at the right times, Magneto is snapping at the timing mark like it should. There is plenty of gas in the tank and, as I said, it runs through the carb and out the petcock at the bottom of the float bowl when I turn the fuel on.

I'm running out of ideas... Could the coil have just gone bad? That didn't get replaced. Seems sudden. Any other ideas?? Thanks!

If the plugs are dry, you aren't getting fuel.

 

[acorn]

If the plugs are dry, you aren't getting fuel.

That is certainly the logical conclusion - but I think I must have checked them at the wrong time or something.. because SOMETHING is coming out the petcocks... We'll see. Thanks for your comment!

 

[Fixingfarmer]

I sprayed a little ether in the left cylinder and replaced the spark plug. That didn't do anything. I haven't tried on the air cleaner side

Spray down the horn of the carb. It will not be very effective if you fill that cylinder with ether on the exhaust stroke? Won’t light probably will backfire very well because of the wasted spark.

I assume you tried swapping the plug wires?

 

[J.Wondergem]

That is certainly the logical conclusion - but I think I must have checked them at the wrong time or something.. because SOMETHING is coming out the petcocks... We'll see. Thanks for your comment!

My JD D wouldn't start yesterday so I put a spark tester on one spark plug. It fired once, tractor popped, no more spark. I cleaned to points again, popped once more. That next time I checked to points gap, was good , cleaned it again , that time it fired and kept firing and started. Sometimes it don't make since, so don't give up. My plugs didn't look wet either, probably because the petcocks were open

 

[acorn]

My JD D wouldn't start yesterday so I put a spark tester on one spark plug. It fired once, tractor popped, no more spark. I cleaned to points again, popped once more. That next time I checked to points gap, was good , cleaned it again , that time it fired and kept firing and started. Sometimes it don't make since, so don't give up. My plugs didn't look wet either, probably because the petcocks were open

Awesome, thanks for the encouragement! That's actually kind of what has been happening to me. I have gotten a couple of "pops", but no actual start. And the spark doesn't seem to be consistent. Hopefully, between the new coil, and the act of taking it apart and cleaning and gapping the points again fixes it all Coil is supposed to arrive today!

 

[acorn]

UPDATE: I ordered the wrong coil at first Finally got the correct coil and changed it out a couple days ago. Still wouldn't start. Spark tester shows good spark on both sides now though. So, I pulled both plugs and squirted ether in both cylinders, put it all back together, and got it started! Once it started, it ran fine. Won't start again now, though, without the ether. I can get it to fire once in a while. I think it's a fuel problem after all, and I plan to go through the carb again soon.

 

[brendonh]

can you belt it in with the 60 so you can work on it without having to use the armstrong starter?

 

[acorn]

can you belt it in with the 60 so you can work on it without having to use the armstrong starter?

That is a very good idea, but the 60 is actually still in pieces from a lower radiator tank repair I could belt it with the B though - it starts pretty easy

 

[brendonh]

good, belt her up and feed her brake and parts cleaner directly, just make sure that stuff will actually burn, I've run across some cans that won't.

 

[NoDakInMN]

I would order the video from Robert's Carb repair, get the necessary drill bits from them and go thought the carb completely. Worst that can happen is you find out for sure that everything is fine. Make sure there are no air leaks around the the throttle and choke shafts as well and check float function by hooking a clear plastic tube to the bottom of the bowl and bringing it up beside the bowl, this will create a sight glass that allows you to monitor gas level in the bowl. Eliminate as many unknowns as you can.