robreynolds
New User
I went to an auction and bought a MF 35 with a
Continental Z134 engine. The carburetor had a lot
of water damage, so I installed a new one. I put
on a new cap, rotor, distributor dust cover, and
spark plug wires. It has Champion D16 spark
plugs, which are correct according to a cross
reference I found online. A guy at the auction
said that he remembers seeing this tractor run
about 5 years ago, which is when the old man
parked it.
Currently I have a lawnmower gas tank connected
directly to the carburetor just to make sure. I
verified that the firing order is correct and
starts on the correct cylinder. There is a nice
white spark on each spark plug. It cranks but
won't start. I took the intake hose off the
carburetor and stuck my hand in front of it, and
sure enough it is drawing air strongly. Then I
squirted a shot of gasoline directly into each
cylinder through the spark plug hole, and it still
doesn't start.
These tractors are as simple as a bowling ball. I
don't know why it hasn't fired up yet. It
occurred to me that maybe I had the battery
connected backwards, so I unscrewed a plug and
stuck my finger in the hole while holding the
spark plug against the block. Sure enough, it
creates pressure and makes a spark at the top of
the stroke, which verified that it is in fact a
negative ground system, so I've been doing it
right.
But obviously something is still wrong. What's
the next thing you would check?
Continental Z134 engine. The carburetor had a lot
of water damage, so I installed a new one. I put
on a new cap, rotor, distributor dust cover, and
spark plug wires. It has Champion D16 spark
plugs, which are correct according to a cross
reference I found online. A guy at the auction
said that he remembers seeing this tractor run
about 5 years ago, which is when the old man
parked it.
Currently I have a lawnmower gas tank connected
directly to the carburetor just to make sure. I
verified that the firing order is correct and
starts on the correct cylinder. There is a nice
white spark on each spark plug. It cranks but
won't start. I took the intake hose off the
carburetor and stuck my hand in front of it, and
sure enough it is drawing air strongly. Then I
squirted a shot of gasoline directly into each
cylinder through the spark plug hole, and it still
doesn't start.
These tractors are as simple as a bowling ball. I
don't know why it hasn't fired up yet. It
occurred to me that maybe I had the battery
connected backwards, so I unscrewed a plug and
stuck my finger in the hole while holding the
spark plug against the block. Sure enough, it
creates pressure and makes a spark at the top of
the stroke, which verified that it is in fact a
negative ground system, so I've been doing it
right.
But obviously something is still wrong. What's
the next thing you would check?