engine surging/rough running

[Arkansas]

Tractor; 53 Jubilee

Sometimes when I'm operating on rough ground, the engine will begin running rough, like it's running very lean. When it has done this in the past, I've had to pull slowly back on the choke till it runs smooth, and hold it there just to get back to the house. What I've noticed during the rough running is the governor linkage moving back and forth, as would be expected, and sometimes I've been able to 'cure' the problem by putting her over into 4th gear and letting out on the clutch so to 'load' the governor, and everything smooths out again and it'll run great for hours, days, weeks, etc.
Question, is it possible for slightly worn governor linkage to cause this symtom? Carb float sticking?
Problem does not seem to be related to engine ops temp, rpm, or load, but only seems to occur on rough ground, and always smooths out with some choke, until I learned I could really load it so to cause the gov to really 'kick in'.
Any ideas?

 

[Dell (WA)]

Arkie........sounds like you have WATER in yer gasoline tank and the ruff-ground is causing it to slop into yer carb suckem-tube causing ruff-running. You do know gas and water mix, don't you??? Well, not 'zackly. (grin)

While you just think loading yer engine with governor causes the miss to go away; actually yer causing yer carb to flow more gasoline and the engine flywheel inertia is smoothing out the ruff-running.

Me? I'd putt some panzzer pizz innna the tank to suck-up the WATER. "heat" is common name. It is actually a form of alcohol. $5 (cheap) 'course you could also use Jim Beam or VODKA........hick! Dell the inebriated

 

[old]

A lot of times a problem like that is caused by dirt/rust in the tank and or in the carb. Going over the rough ground in turns makes it get mixed up in the fuel and that in turn clogs jets etc. If I where you I would pull the drain plug out of the bottom of the carb and drain out say 1/2 gal of gas, catch it so as to save it and also to look at it for small specks of dirt/rust which can/will sit on the carb on the bottom

 

[Arkansas]

Water/trash was my first thought, but the glass bowl never has water in it. I've removed the plug and drained the carb; no water, no trash. When I got this tractor in Aug 09, I noticed I did not have use of the reserve fuel capasity by opening the gascolator valve all the way. So I removed the tank, and fuel bowl assy, cleaned it out, and that works now. I've rebuilt (disassemble, clean, new jets new gasket; I guess that's an overhaul) the carb.
It was hot summer when this first happened, and thought maybe vapor lock? But since has occured in sub freezing temps too.
This problem does not occur often enough for me to lose any sleep, but there is a problem, very intermittent, and I'm just looking for ideas.
It seems if the problem were water in the tank sloshing around enough to for the bowl to get a gulp, it would do it again soon after clearing up, cause I can continue on after an episode on same rough ground for hours, till I run out of gas and turn on reserve. That's another thing about water; shouldn't I be able to turn on reserve and get water, if there was water in the tank? I'll try the vodka I always smooth out after a snort, maybe it'll work for Miss Molly too?
Arkie Hick

BTW, Dell, my name is Del

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 15:32:49 03/01/11)
Water/trash was my first thought, but the glass bowl never has water in it. I've removed the plug and drained the carb; no water, no trash. When I got this tractor in Aug 09, I noticed I did not have use of the reserve fuel capasity by opening the gascolator valve all the way. So I removed the tank, and fuel bowl assy, cleaned it out, and that works now. I've rebuilt (disassemble, clean, new jets new gasket; I guess that's an overhaul) the carb.
It was hot summer when this first happened, and thought maybe vapor lock? But since has occured in sub freezing temps too.
This problem does not occur often enough for me to lose any sleep, but there is a problem, very intermittent, and I'm just looking for ideas.
It seems if the problem were water in the tank sloshing around enough to for the bowl to get a gulp, it would do it again soon after clearing up, cause I can continue on after an episode on same rough ground for hours, till I run out of gas and turn on reserve. That's another thing about water; shouldn't I be able to turn on reserve and get water, if there was water in the tank? I'll try the vodka I always smooth out after a snort, maybe it'll work for Miss Molly too?
Arkie Hick

BTW, Dell, my name is Del

OU might try the Vodka, but I wouldn't feed it to my tractor. You are probably just funnin, but remember that 80 proof is 40% alcohol & 60% something else. What do you suppose the 'something else' might be?

 

[Arkansas]

(quoted from post at 12:42:37 03/01/11)

(quoted from post at 15:32:49 03/01/11)
Water/trash was my first thought, but the glass bowl never has water in it. I've removed the plug and drained the carb; no water, no trash. When I got this tractor in Aug 09, I noticed I did not have use of the reserve fuel capasity by opening the gascolator valve all the way. So I removed the tank, and fuel bowl assy, cleaned it out, and that works now. I've rebuilt (disassemble, clean, new jets new gasket; I guess that's an overhaul) the carb.
It was hot summer when this first happened, and thought maybe vapor lock? But since has occured in sub freezing temps too.
This problem does not occur often enough for me to lose any sleep, but there is a problem, very intermittent, and I'm just looking for ideas.
It seems if the problem were water in the tank sloshing around enough to for the bowl to get a gulp, it would do it again soon after clearing up, cause I can continue on after an episode on same rough ground for hours, till I run out of gas and turn on reserve. That's another thing about water; shouldn't I be able to turn on reserve and get water, if there was water in the tank? I'll try the vodka I always smooth out after a snort, maybe it'll work for Miss Molly too?
Arkie Hick

BTW, Dell, my name is Del

OU might try the Vodka, but I wouldn't feed it to my tractor. You are probably just funnin, but remember that 80 proof is 40% alcohol & 60% something else. What do you suppose the 'something else' might be?

Tators? I guess it depends on whether it's the good stuff, or the Arkansas stuff :wink:

Really, come on, I was joking (about the vodka, not the problem described).

 

[souNdguy]

could be water.. but could also be trash.. either of those will lean you out.. and a starving engine will hunt as the gove keeps throttling up and back chasing the rpms.

soundguy

 

[Bob Harvey]

Could this be a result of ethanol/gas leaving the water in the carb.? Just a WAG, but it wouldn't hurt to drain the carb when it happens and see if there is any H2O in it. HTH