8n won't start

[mike bruns]

48 8N 6 volt is a flakey starter. I've done all the ignition tuneup items and rebuilt the carb twice.It gets a lot of fuel in the lower intake tube but everytime I pull a sparkplug they are dry. The spark is not very impressive but i'd expect to see a wet plug. For some reason it likes short bursts of turning over. If you spin it for a time it will not light but a few short bursts and it will go in decent weather. At 20 degrees I just got one pop and then nothing.

 

[jeffalex2]

Just some thoughts:
1. When you rebuilt the carb, did you soak it and blow it out so that all the passages got unclogged?
2. Another issue could be intake leak. If you can crank it, no start, and plugs aren't wet...gas ain't gettin to the cylinders. Make sure the carb gasket is good and the manifold gasket isn't leaking.
Note: on the old flat heads, since the plugs are on top and the pistons and valves are down, you can flood the cylinders and the plugs remain dry.
3. Remember that these old iron tractors are machined to close tolerances. Once they wear out a little and it gets below 40 degrees, you start to loose intake draw and more importantly, compression...which just makes it that much harder in cold weather.

 

[Dell (WA)]

Mike.......enny tyme you have "starting issues", change yer sparkplugs. DON'T ARGUE!!! Yer center insulator has been CONTAMINATED with invisible fuel deposits (FLOODED) and them lazy sparkies won't jump the gap.

Recommend Autolite 437's gapped 0.025". Don't throw yer FLOODED sparkies away, clean'n'dry them one-atta-time in HOT running engine and save'um fer next time (and there will be a next time)

Keep yer itchy-twitchy fingers away from them handy-dandy carb tweek'ums. Understand???

You write......"The spark is not very impressive but i'd expect to see a wet plug"......describe "impressive"......iff'n they won't jump a full 3/16"-gap with blue-snott authority, they're BAD sparkies.

You write......"If you spin it for a time it will not light but a few short bursts and it will go in decent weather"......guess what??? spining for a time is FLOODING yer sparkies......a few short bursts prevents you from FLOODING yer sparkies.

You write......"At 20 degrees I just got one pop and then nothing"......guess what??? you gott weak sparkies!!!! and then you FLOODED yer sparkies. Biggest cause of weak sparkies is yer weaksister ignition switch. $15 (cheap) Change it!!! You doubt??? jumper yer ignition switch with some alligator clippies and try to start it after you change yer FLOODED sparkies. .......Dell, yer self-appointed sparkie-meister

 

[Dan from WI]

Mine was doing the same thing as you describe last month when I first tried firing it up. Changed the plugs, points, condenser, cap and rotor and had brilliant blue spark and the tractor fired almost immediately.