no gas at plugs

[chuck172]

My 8n won"t start. Normally when this happens the engine floods. This time the plugs are dry. I"m getting spark, weak-but spark. No gas at the plugs. I don"t have a plug at the bottom of the carb. Gas is leaking out of the carb air inlet.
I tapped the carb to free up a stuck float, nothing.
What"s the problem?

 

[Bob Harvey]

Others will chime in, but, you DON"T want wet plugs. Wet plugs are 'fouled' and that is a bad thing. HTH

 

[Bruce (VA)]

The plugs are not supposed to be wet. What's happened is that you didn't flood it.

Rather than tell you how to troubleshoot a sidemount and a frontmount distributor as well as the specifics of a 6v system as well as a 12v system, post back & let us know if it's a front or side distributor, 6v or 12v. And, if it's an N.

Don't look for a plug in the carb bowl. Look for a 7/16" bolt.
50 Tips

 

[chuck172]

It's an 8n side mount 6-volt.

 

[Bruce (VA)]

If the bolt in the bottom of the carb is rounded off & you can't check for fuel there, then get a flare wrench, remove the line from the elbow & check there. And, remove the elbow & check that while you're at it.

I'll assume that you know you have a weak spark because you checked it w/ an old plug gapped to at least 3/16", right? Or, are you going by color of the spark?

A weak spark can have a number of causes; in no particular order, a weak battery, bad grounds/connections, old plug wires, worn out rotor/cap/points, worn insulator on the side of the distributor & a worn out ignition switch. Rarely, a bad coil. And, means it's a round coil, very rarely.
50 Tips

 

[chuck172]

If I had a weak spark,and the engine doesn't start. Wouldn't that cause cylinders to flood?

 

[Bruce (VA)]

So, you assume you have a weak spark, right? Well, if that's the case, don't guess. It's easy enough to check.

Usually these engines flood because of too much choke.

 

[Dell (WA)]

Chuck.......didja know that you NEED that leaky plughole FILLED? On yer sidemount 8N, the plugger is a piece of sinsterated bronze balls. They melt when the carb is deep vatted with caustic carb cleaner. NEW sinstered bronze filter p/n: 8N-9694. Also available from JohnDeere as p/n: 95-78. $5 (cheap)

Install using a flatfaced drift (punch) and swedge (expand) with a hammer, the filter in the cleaned out drain hole hole. Earlier carbs used a felt filter with a C-ring .....Dell

 

[Dunk]

(quoted from post at 00:04:40 06/18/09) Chuck.......didja know that you NEED that leaky plughole FILLED? On yer sidemount 8N, the plugger is a piece of sinsterated bronze balls. They melt when the carb is deep vatted with caustic carb cleaner. NEW sinstered bronze filter p/n: 8N-9694. Also available from JohnDeere as p/n: 95-78. $5 (cheap)

Install using a flatfaced drift (punch) and swedge (expand) with a hammer, the filter in the cleaned out drain hole hole. Earlier carbs used a felt filter with a C-ring .....Dell

It won't help it run, none...

But it will help it last longer, ifn you do git her going.

 

[chuck172]

I have the aftermarket carb. No plug at the bottom. I just can't figure out how come my cylinders aren't flooding out. The engine isn't firing, the plugs are dry but the carb is getting gas.
I know the plugs aren't supposed to foul, I also know the engine is supposed to start.
What I'm saying is the carb is getting gas but the plugs aren't.

 

[Bruce (VA)]

Maybe you're doing the checks correctly & aren't taking the time to tell us. If you assume the cylinders aren't getting gas because the plugs are dry, you're wrong. If you assume the carb is getting gas because it's dripping, that's wrong as well. There are ways to check for spark & fuel that work & ways that don't. For example, having gas to the carb is nice, but having it past the float is what counts! That’s why removing the bolt in the bottom of the carb is the way to do it. (If you don't have the bolt, then remove the line as I said earlier.) Regarding spark, some folks think that checking for spark means pulling a plug wire off & looking for one. Well, it's the distance the spark jumps at the plug that gives you the info you want. It takes about 17kv to jump a 3/16" gap & 22kv to jump ¼” in the open air, so that's why you need to use a spark plug. Or, a store bought plug checker. Remember, it’s 14psi outside of the engine & about 90psi at a 6:1 compression ratio in the cylinders & compressed air creates electrical resistance, so you really need the 17-22kv to fire the plugs when the engine is running. There are other good ways to check for fuel & spark, but these ways work for me.

If you have done all of this, then tell us & we can stop going in circles & help you get it running.
50 Tips

 

[Larry in WNY]

Did you check the compression? I threw a lot of money at my 2N when it wouldn't start: new 12 volt system, battery, Zenith carb. and still it wouldn't fire. In the end, all 4 valves were stuck causing no compression and the ballast resistor in the 12 volt kit was bad causing a weak spark. Next time I'm starting with compression then checking spark and fuel. With help from the posts on here I got the right resistor from Napa. Runs great now.

Larry