John Deere a down for the count

[SkiDoojunky]

Guys went to start the ol a up the other day and pull it out of the the she'd. It barely made one revolution and was running like normal. I let it run for 30 minutes or so and shut it off. I went to pull it in it started right up again, ran for 30 seconds and died. It has plenty of spark, I just rebuilt the carb this winter but I will be damned if it will start. I put plugs in it, tried to pull start it, dried the cylinders out, tried staring it on carb cleaner and ether and nothing. The best I can get it to do is an occasional POP....that is it....it almost seems like it is out of time or something.....any thoughts?

Thanks junky

 

[BushogPapa]

Could be that there is Moisture in the Magneto..

Take the Mag cap off and Clean and Dry the inside of it..
Check and burnish the mag points AND, let the Sun shine into that open Mag for about an hour..
We have had moisture problems from time to time..especially if they had to spend the night left in the field..
Also...there IS that time when I think you may have just made them MAD...!!!
Have almost never had a problem starting.but..there IS a time when they just want to be LEFT ALONE for a few hours...!!!
I don't know why, but it CAN and WILL happen "sometime" to you..!!!
Change the Plugs (ALWAYS) when there is a starting problem with a 2-cylinder..
You did not say what year the "A" is..
For the "Later", Styled "A". I would use Autolite 3116 plugs...

Ron..

 

[Pappy]

Check your fuel flow from the tank to the carburetor. Open the drain on the carburetor and see that you have a good flow also.

Be sure you have gas in the tank.

Clean them points!

 

[Carl NY]

The points need to be cleaned up by running some fine emery paper thru them. They tend to oxidize after not being used.

 

[Greenday]

Fuel, Spark, Compression

 

[Badger bob]

My 51 A did something like that. i went to start it and it back fired and then it wood not start. so we pulled it and still no start. it turned out to be that the choke plate was jambed shut after the back fire and was flooding it. Bob

 

[AF 70]

Is it getting air through all the mud daubbers nests that shook loose when it was running?

 

[F-I-T]

Everyone tends to say the same things, just in differeing order.

First thing I do is to hook a timing light on the #1 wire and see if it blips. If not, fix that. If so, pretty good chance you have a pretty good spark.

Second, run the carburetor drain into a tin can and see that you have a steady flow of a pencil sized stream for at least thirty seconds. If not, fix that. Clean carb screen, clean cap vent, sediment bowl screen, sediment bowl valve, working your way from the carb to the tank. Maybe you'll even have to put some fuel in the tank.

I once had the throttle rod from the throttle handle to the governor pop out, and that hampered things.

 

[SkiDoojunky]

Got all 3 thanks for the replies guys.....I have been around this tractor for 35 years....it has been very consistent, turn on the gas, count to ten, pull ou the choke halfway and press the foot switch and it is running......it did that, died and now it won't start.....I'm stumped