Case 311 won't start after re-timing

[Gary in Cheney]

Just about finished with my 311 restoration but can't the thing running again. I figured I should start new with the electrical so I changed the wires, distributor cap, plugs and everything in-between. Problem is the thing won't start.

Here is how I re-timed - book says that firing order is 1-3-4-2

1. Hand cranked clockwise so that timing mark is 7/32 before the DC mark. I believe that is the #1 piston is all the way up.

2. Checked the position of the points. Rotated the distributor so that pressure on the rotor shows the points just starting to open.

3.Mounted the distributor cap. Position of the rotor is noted to be for #1 plug.

4. Placed plug wires back into distributor in 1-3-4-2 firing order going clockwise from #1 on distributor.

5. Firing order is from right to left (#1 being by the radiator)

Other settings and info.

Points are gapped at .020
Plugs are gapped at .025

-Carbeuretor has been checked and serviced with a new carb kit.

I did notice that my fuel may have been contaminated a bit with a little rust due to the fuel tank sitting empty for an extended period of time. Have not flushed tank since but after draining a little fuel the color went away.

Brand new battery turns the crankshaft. I've checked and all 4 plugs are getting spark. I do get a little combustion but not much.

Looking for other things to check or any corrections to how I retimed this old boy.

Thanks for any sugggestions.

Gary

 

[TimBinWV]

Could be your #1 piston was up on the exhaust stroke, and not the compression. Take #1 plug out, bump starter until you feel compression in #1, then move it to the top by hand. You may find yourself 180 degrees out of time. Good Luck!

 

[Uggie]

I would agree with Tim. It sounds to me like you have it 180 degrees off. Did it ever try to back fire? If it tried to start and have any sort of back fire. It is 180 degrees off. If that doesn't work. One other thing I would check the points. While you were trying to start it, you could smoked the points by leaving the switch on and the points were closed. It doesn't take long for that to happen. Point gap is correct. I always run my spark plug gap .20

 

[Gary in Cheney]

Uggie-

The engine never backfired. I got combustion meaning one of the pistons fired because I could hear it and and saw a little exhaust come out of the muffler....but that was about it. I will check to see if I am off 180 degrees on the timing but not sure how to tell if I smoked the points and what I would do to correct it.

Any further suggestions?

 

[Gary in Cheney]

Thanks for the information. I am self teaching myself on all this. I failed to mention in the original post that I did go the route of feeling for the compression on the #1 piston and a friend mentioned to me this same possibility but I don't know how to tell if I am on the exhaust stroke or compression stroke.

When you say that I should move the piston to the top by hand how can I tell when I am at the top?

 

[Randy in NE]

It should be pushing air out of the spark plug hole all of the way until you get the piston to the top. Then you can take a screw driver or a piece of wire and drop it down the spark plug hole. Roll the engine back and forth until you feel the piston at the top. That will then be TDC. Reposition your distributor so that the points are just starting to open. That should get it close enough to get it started. Then you can adjust the distributor for fine tuning it.

 

[Gary in Cheney]

Thanks Randy. I will give that a try. I may be confusing myself but if I rotate the crank until the timing mark is lined up with the DC mark on the flywheel then wouldn't that also mean the #1 piston is TDC?

 

[Randy in NE]

It should. I have never had my tractor split so not sure if it is possible to install the flywheel 180 degrees out or not. Once the piston gets to the top of the exhaust stroke it has to be at TDC. And #1 is the front piston. I just timed one of mine about a week ago. Once I was all done #1 on the distributor cap was at about the 1 or 2 o'clock positon. Then it is 1-3-4-2. Not sure what all you did but are the valves set at 0.014"? If you have the valve cover off, are the valves operating properly? Fuel flow into the carb?

 

[Gary in Cheney]

Randy-

That's a good point. I did replace the clutch and thus had the flywheel removed. There are 4 bolts to mount the flywheel but I am pretty sure there was an offset to prevent it from mounting 90 or 180 off from DC. Though I marked it, I don't remember whether I made sure it was re-mounted into the same bolt holes and I prefer to not split the tractor again.

Looks like I will have to open up the number 1 spark plug hole and feel for DC instead of lining up my DC mark.

 

[Joe (Wa)]

#1 & #4 fire 360 degs apart so if you can see the timing marks on the flywheel, the engine is either on #1 or #4 TDC on the compression stroke. You want to be #1 TDC on the compression stroke.

Find #1 on the compression stroke by air pressure at the plug hole as the posters describe. You can see the crown of the piston in the plug hole when it nears TC. Rotate distributer head for points just starting to open and the rotor just starting to pass under the #1 plug wire cap tower. Doesn't have to be perfect.

Running flywheel turns CCW and has 2 timing marks. Bottom mark is ----DC (for dead center). Top mark is ----IGN (for ignition timing 4 deg BTDC). Engine running rotate dist head for timing pointer on ----IGN mark.

This dist starts to advance at approx 550 engine rpm so set the timing no faster than 500 rpm to give some leeway for worn dist parts.

With an induction timing light, #1 plug wire is generally used for the pickup but using the coil wire (center tower) will give more light to find the timing mark and is the same timing result as using #1.

Joe

 

[Joe (Wa)]

No problem with the flywheel, the bolt holes are indexed. Won't mount if not correct.

Joe

 

[C. Amick]

Hold you hand over the air intake on the carburetor while cranking the engine and see if there is suction. If not, you are likely 180 degrees out of time with the camshaft and crankshaft.

 

[Gary in Cheney]

Got her fired up and purring like a kitten. Thanks all for the tips. Timing wasn't off 180 but I definitely had to do some more adjustments to line up TDC with the #1 piston.

I will post pics of the final restoration pics as soon as I finish getting it put together.