Ole Fergy

[Nashty1]

Welcome aboard the old people's tractor site as my wife likes to call it. A few things come to mind :

I didn't see where you mentioned model. Critical information!
If yours is like my TO-30 there is a stand-off pipe in the gas tank. If you open the valve on the sediment bowl 1-2 turns, then when the fuel gets too low you can open the valve all the way and it will have a gallon or so reserve fuel to get you home. So, if you look in the tank and it has some gas in it but not much, then you won't have flow just by opening it a turn or two.

Also, that arrangement has screens that plug up, they need to be cleaned.

I don't favor pouring gas directly into the cylinders, especially if you have low compression. Most likely some rings hung up on pistons and will loosen up after reaching operating temperature and cooling a couple of times. Mine did. Like someone else mentioned use a squirt-can to spray the fuel into the carb intake. Less chance of washing the cylinders. If you suspect you've washed the cylinders, try pouring a tablespoon or two of motor oil in the cylinders and spritzing gas in carb. It should bark, if not, then it's some other malfunction.

Finally, WHEN you do get it running, post back on here what the problem turned out to be, most folks on here appreciate the challenges of diagnosing the problem and feel cheated if we don't get vindicated. Or shot down as the case may be.

Good luck, Fergies are great little tractors and easy to work on.

Thanks to you & rustred , It's close.... mine is a TO-20, the flywheel dose not have a hole, just marks from 30 to DC & timing mark groove on hole under starter ( I even removed starter to be sure) It's firing @ 7o BTDC, , rotor points @#1 , good blue spark at plugs, good gas flow , even sprayed a mist of gas in carb intake, still no luck.

 

[olddavid]

Float needle valve stuck closed? EDIT: If it has a carburetor drain plug remove it and see if gas continues to flow after the bowl drains. Try blowing (using your mouth) through the line after disconnecting the line from the fuel tank. If you can't blow through it at all it's likely stuck but may pop loose if you blow hard enough.

 

[showcrop]

If you were to share what you are seeing, feeling, hearing, or tasting that makes you "confident it's in time & firing when it should, It seems like a gas or lack of type issue" people here could perhaps help you.

 

[Caryc]

Shouldn't it at least try to crank with the ether ? Called myself cleaning carb

Your battery and starter is what makes it crank over. Has nothing to do with your carb.

 

[TerryfromSWIowa]

Your battery and starter is what makes it crank over. Has nothing to do with your carb.

I agree starter cranks it gas, compression and spark makes it run it is carbureted.

 

[Nashty1]

Ole Fergy runs !, Thanks for all the help and comments .. Turns out the intake gasket to the carburetor had a severe leak and not allowing gas to get into the intake and why it would only hit with starting fluid . I had checked the timing again & again to be sure, I had gas to the carb and a good blue/white spark at the plugs, it was supposed to run . . . . Look for the little things, it could cause a big problem . . . . Thanks again .

 

[rustred]

And if u would have removed the plugs and squirted the gas in each cylinder a few days ago it would have started and stopped.. that would have saved u days of typing. Lol. I’m old but not an old Fergy, and can make any engine run.

 

[Nashty1]

And if u would have removed the plugs and squirted the gas in each cylinder a few days ago it would have started and stopped.. that would have saved u days of typing. Lol. I’m old but not an old Fergy, and can make any engine run.

I sprayed gas through the plug holes but it would only bark on the ether. bad part is, I saw the crack in the gasket/spacer and used it anyway .

 

[Jimmydog]

Ole Fergy runs !, Thanks for all the help and comments .. Turns out the intake gasket to the carburetor had a severe leak and not allowing gas to get into the intake and why it would only hit with starting fluid . I had checked the timing again & again to be sure, I had gas to the carb and a good blue/white spark at the plugs, it was supposed to run . . . . Look for the little things, it could cause a big problem . . . . Thanks again .

Thanks for letting us know what the malfunction turned out to be. Intake manifold leaks are fairly easy to diagnose but are easily overlooked. I figured you'd get it running. Now you'll get to work on the worst part of a tractor to work on: the SEAT.

 

[used red MN]

I sprayed gas through the plug holes

Glad to hear you got it running.The gasket must have been about completely gone on the back side. Takes more gas than one might think to get a cylinder to fire on a completely dry fuel delivery system manifold, valves and ports. Hard to diagnose a vacuum leak without the engine running. You need one of them new fancy smoke machines for that,