Farmall A

[grandpa Love]

Last Saturday my dad was here and we
drove the A around. The governor wasn't
working properly so we parked it. Had
just changed oil and put new oil pan
gasket on , it was seeping a bit of oil.
Noticed that the valve cover was leaking
a bit so we too it off and added a bit if
gasket goo. While it was off my dad
wanted to see the valves work so we ran
it for a minute or two. All good there.
Spoke with Gene Bender and he narrowed
down the governor issue and mailed me a
part. I took the front off the governor
and everything sat in the shop for 7
days. Yesterday I went down and put the
new part on. Tractor fired up and ran
for 5 seconds and now will not start.
After an hour of trying I moved all the
plug wires, tried every combination.
Different rotor cap and button. Pulled
plugs and cleaned with torch and wire
brush. Checked gap on plugs and points.
Good gas flow. Carb will suck you hand in
while cranking and you will have gas on
your hand. Good strong 12 volt battery.
Magneto. White hot spark on all 4 plugs.
I didn't mess with the gears behind the
weights on the governor. 2.5 hours of
everything I can think of and a restless
night of sleep thinking about it.
Advice? Help? Any one live close to
central Al.?? If it hadn't been running a
week ago I would think timing but it
hasn't been messed with

 

[grandpa Love]

I marked plug wires before moving them. They are back where they were when it was running. Starting fluid didn't do any good. Just caused some light grayish smoke to come out exhaust. Not back firing or trying to run with plug wires in any place. Have pulled cover off governor. Everything appeared correct in there. Linkage all works good. How can it do this just sitting alone in the barn!!!??

 

[Red Dave]

It sounds like timing to me. Did you move the governor gear? Did you take the cover under the rotor off? 1342 is the firing order.

Take all the plugs out. put your thumb over the #1 sparkplug hole and turn the engine over by hand. When the air pressure tries to push your thumb off the hole, that is the compression stroke for #1 cylinder. Shine a flashlight, or feel with something like a piece of wire to bring #1 piston up to Top Dead Center. At that point, the rotor should be pointing at the distributor terminal for #1 plug wire. If it doesn't, it is out of time.

 

[grandpa Love]

Didn't move the gear. How can it get out of time sitting in the barn? It would almost be easier to think through if it wasn't running so nice last week.

 

[Red Dave]

Did you take off the cover that is under the rotor to access the points? That can also screw up your timing.

If you have verified that the timing is right,and you say that it has a good hot spark, then there has to be an issue in the fuel system. Carburetor clean? Filters not clogged?

Not wishing to offend, but you do have gas in the tank, don't you? It wouldn't be the first time.....

 

[Ken Hansen]

Not wishing to offend, but you do have gas in the tank, don't you? It wouldn't be the first time.....

Yes that has happened! I could tell a long story about a Mack Diesel that would not start after being serviced.

Guy, not me really!, had made a mistake but it had nothing to do with the "no start" problem and spent hours doing thing only to find out it had run out of fuel as he pulled it in the shop!

 

[grandpa Love]

Yep. Checked fuel. Plenty. Runs out of the fuel line and bottom of carb when checked

 

[James Williams]

flooded bad,If you spray some starting fluid in the carb will it try to start,maybe main jet has stuck

 

[rc_cola85]

If it isn't firing on starting fluid then it sounds like an ignition problem. You might want to check and make sure you're getting spark at the plugs.

 

[Dave BN]

I had a governor problem that caused the engine to start only with the throttle in the idle position. I know that sounds impossible but that is how it was. Now that I have rebuilt the governor it will start with the throttle in any position. Since you just had the governor apart I would try starting it with the throttle all the way back just to see if you caused the same problem I had.
By the way I never did figure out what caused that and the need to rebuild the governor was for an unrelated problem with the governor.

Dave

 

[wh]

Check and make sure you have fire not only at plugs but also THRU the plugs. Many years ago I was running our 45 H and it quit instantly. Had local fix it man over after dad could not get it going. After everything checked out he said he had a new set of plugs. Put them in and it started/ran perfect.

 

[grandpa Love]

Took each plug out and stuck it in its wire. They all fired blue-white. Popped nice.....

 

[wh]

Dad always said that fire and fuel don?t mix. If it is firing and you have gas and in time it will run. Is it possible your dist cap is bad? Have heard of plugs that the engine compression would keep from firing. If in time, have gas to cyl, and have fire to plugs, then I would double check plugs.

 

[wh]

Had neighbor a few years ago had a super a quit on him. Came and got me and dad. Checked and had no fire. Put points and condenser in. Had good fire but it would not start. Checked and checked, about to pull our hair out. Pulled plug and it was dry. Needle had stuck in carb. Tapped on carb and it started instantly.

 

[old]

I was on the phone with him yesterday trying to help him and he changed the cap and the rotor while on the phone with me plus he used a torch on the plugs to make sure they where not fouled

 

[rc_cola85]

If you're getting smoke out of the exhaust with starting fluid, and the plugs are firing about the only things it could be is timing or loss of compression. I'd say the former is more likely since I doubt you'd loose compression on all cylinders at once unless something big broke. Might want to set it up on TDC on compression stroke for #1 and see where the rotor button is under the cap. If the ignition is in time the thing should run.

 

[dewy]

one of my super c will not start unless throttle is in idle position...sometimes i forget,check everything,replace points,,wont start ,then i remember an put throttle to idle an fires right up....what causes that.....dewy