Ford 8N Fuel Issues

[cdumond]

while recently running my 8N it started acting up like it was running out of fuel. It was low so I added more fuel and it ran fine as usual. The next day it started acting the same way, shortly after start up acting like it was running out of fuel.
When it first starts acting up, if I slow the throttle speed it will straighten up for a minute or 2 and then starts spitting and sputtering again until it eventually dies.
I have checked the screens and even completely replaced the sediment bowl assembly but the problem is still there. It appears to be getting fuel as when I loosen the sediment bowl assembly or screw on the bottom of the carb I get gas.
Any suggestions?

 

[HFJ]

(quoted from post at 19:05:50 08/21/23) while recently running my 8N it started acting up like it was running out of fuel. It was low so I added more fuel and it ran fine as usual. The next day it started acting the same way, shortly after start up acting like it was running out of fuel.
When it first starts acting up, if I slow the throttle speed it will straighten up for a minute or 2 and then starts spitting and sputtering again until it eventually dies.
I have checked the screens and even completely replaced the sediment bowl assembly but the problem is still there. It appears to be getting fuel as when I loosen the sediment bowl assembly or screw on the bottom of the carb I get gas.
Any suggestions?

you get gas, but for how long? with sediment bowl valve open and plug removed from bottom of carb, the flow should fill a pint jar in 2 minutes.

my guess would be the reserve pickup on your replacement sediment bowl is already plugged, and so you need enough gas to reach the top of the main pickup tube (about one inch in the tank). when you pour more in, it starts working again. been there, done that, got the t-shirt. my replacement bowl's reserve pickup plugged before i could back out of the shed. rusty tank.

 

[Mad Farmer]

(quoted from post at 15:05:50 08/21/23) while recently running my 8N it started acting up like it was running out of fuel. It was low so I added more fuel and it ran fine as usual. The next day it started acting the same way, shortly after start up acting like it was running out of fuel.
When it first starts acting up, if I slow the throttle speed it will straighten up for a minute or 2 and then starts spitting and sputtering again until it eventually dies.
I have checked the screens and even completely replaced the sediment bowl assembly but the problem is still there. It appears to be getting fuel as when I loosen the sediment bowl assembly or screw on the bottom of the carb I get gas.
Any suggestions?

Need to check fuel at carb bowl drain.

 

[HFJ]

oh. i should ask if you know about the reserve pickup to begin with

2 turns of the sediment bowl valve opens the main pickup, which runs out of gas with an inch left in the tank. to get that last inch, you have to open the valve the rest of the way.

i wasn't shocked when my replacement plugged, just shocked at how fast it happened.

This post was edited by HFJ on 08/21/2023 at 03:32 pm.

 

[cdumond]

Thank you for the reply. I bet it is plugged again as I only dumped a couple of gallons in it and opened the valve all the way to reserve. Can I clean the new assembly or just go ahead and replace it as cheap as they are?

 

[cdumond]

Should I just start with a new assembly? I definitely went right to reserve and turned the knob all the way on

 

[HFJ]

(quoted from post at 21:37:12 08/21/23) Should I just start with a new assembly? I definitely went right to reserve and turned the knob all the way on

you could clean it or replace it, but it sounds like it will plug again either way. welcome to my world

 

[cdumond]

I m not sure if it is getting clogged because when I remove the drain on the bottom of the carburetor, fuel flows out. How would you suggest I ultimately resolve this issue? Is the carburetor easy to clean?

 

[showcrop]

Read HFJ's post.

 

[HFJ]

(quoted from post at 22:30:50 08/21/23) I m not sure if it is getting clogged because when I remove the drain on the bottom of the carburetor, fuel flows out. How would you suggest I ultimately resolve this issue? Is the carburetor easy to clean?

the only ultimate resolution i am aware of is to replace the gas tank.

the carb is easy to clean. what you're probably seeing when you loosen the plug on the bottom is just the fuel draining out of the bowl. while the bowl has fuel in it, the engine will be happy. once you burn that up and a restriction in the fuel line prevents it from refilling at a good rate, the engine starts doing what yours does. that's why i suggest the 2 minute pint jar test - the bowl doesn't hold that much gas.

my solution, for the time being, was to simply abandon the reserve pickup. i went so far as to replace my sediment bowl assembly with one listed for my WD instead. it gives me a half inch more of usable gas in the tank than the ford design did

 

[Eman85]

Remove the plug at the bottom of the carb with the fuel shut off and let the carb drain. Open the fuel shut off valve and when you get fuel out of the carb plug hole start the timer and see how long to fill a pint jar. There are 3 screens 1 in the tank, 1 in the bowl and 1 in the carb inlet fitting.

 

[Jim L WA]

It may not be a fuel issue at all. It could be a condenser or coil or even the ignition switch breaking down and you are getting a weaker and weaker spark until it finally quits.
Most people don't have an adjustable spark gap checker, but if you have an old spark plug, any old spark plug, open the gap to 1/4 inch. As soon as the tractor quits or almost quits, plug one of your spark plug wires onto that test plug and lay it against the head. With key on, crank the engine over and see if a spark will jump across the 1/4 inch gap. If your 8N has an angle mount distributor an easier test is to just pull the coil wire out of the distributor cap and hold it a good 1/4 inch from the engine block and do the same test.
Let us know what you found.

 

[lha]

I believe You're onto something with the condenser. Mine ran worse than before when I replaced the points& condenser on my 9n. It
ran like crap and was banging out,then I took it off,checked it and the condenser was bad out of the box. It had a crease in
it,so I got an old one,ran great.

 

[fatl844]

I believe You're onto something with the condenser. Mine ran worse than before when I replaced the points& condenser on my 9n. It
ran like crap and was banging out,then I took it off,checked it and the condenser was bad out of the box. It had a crease in
it,so I got an old one,ran great.

while recently running my 8N it started acting up like it was running out of fuel. It was low so I added more fuel and it ran fine as usual. The next day it started acting the same way, shortly after start up acting like it was running out of fuel.
When it first starts acting up, if I slow the throttle speed it will straighten up for a minute or 2 and then starts spitting and sputtering again until it eventually dies.
I have checked the screens and even completely replaced the sediment bowl assembly but the problem is still there. It appears to be getting fuel as when I loosen the sediment bowl assembly or screw on the bottom of the carb I get gas.
Any suggestions?

Did you get those figured out

 

[Asheron]

I put on the new coil and it started right up. Slowly has it warmed up I increased the throttle and seemed fine alittle rough and sounded like it wanted to die then after a few
Min it died and won't start back up. Do you think that installing the battery regularly wave ground Gen hot. I read about positive ground but didn't remember when I took the old one out

 

[old]

I put on the new coil and it started right up. Slowly has it warmed up I increased the throttle and seemed fine alittle rough and sounded like it wanted to die then after a few
Min it died and won't start back up. Do you think that installing the battery regularly wave ground Gen hot. I read about positive ground but didn't remember when I took the old one out

The Negative post is smaller then the positive post on a battery so unless you widened the post when you took the battery out you should be able to use that as a way to know