What am I overlooking??

[Goose]

I’m trying t get a H Farmall running that hasn’t run for a couple of years.

It always ran OK, and then a couple of years ago I wanted to move it so I could mow where it was sitting. It started up, ran for about 5 seconds and stopped. Then wouldn’t start again. I walked away from it at the time. Due to other projects and health issues I’m just now getting back to it.

A week or so ago, I charged the battery and tried to start it. No go. I checked the ignition with a small timing light and I had fire at the spark plugs. I checked the carburetor and there was no gas in it. I pulled the sediment bowl, and there was no screen in it. I opened the valve on the sediment bown and nothing came out. I siphoned the gas out of the tank and removed the sediment bowl. It was plugged with some dirt.

I let the tank dry out inside and blew a bit of crud out of it with an air hose. I then installed a new sediment bowl and checked the inline screen at the carb. Good fuel flow to the carb. Tried starting it and it fired right up and ran for about 10 seconds and quit. Wouldn’t restart. I checked for fire at the spark plugs and there was none. I swiped the breaker points with sandpaper to make sure there was no corrosion preventing good contact. Still no fire. The breaker points, condenser, spark plugs, and plug wires were all new several years ago. It probably hasn’t run ten hours on them. I installed a known good coil, and still no fire at the plugs. A test light shows 6 volts at the post on the distributor when the ignition switch is on.

That’s where I am now. After I came to the house this evening, it occurred to me I should have tried a different wire from the coil to the distributor cap. Maybe I’ll do that next.

Would a condenser that new act up and fail within a few hours? Anything is possible with electronics.

I’m open to suggestions. That’s about as simple as an ignition system as there is, and I’m stumped.

 

[used red MN]

A test light shows 6 volts at the post on the distributor when the ignition switch is on.

You have to look if the points are closed when you see this voltage. If they are closed and you have voltage on the distributor terminal the points are not working. When they are closed the test light should go out. It is possible that sand paper grit is between them not letting them contact. Use a cereal box with the inside of the box swiping both points contacts such as twice once each direction” or a business card once.

 

[leroy in ne]

Try test light at distributor with engine turning over. Light should go out when points are closed if they make good grounding contact. Alternate make sure points are closed light should be out when on distributor terminal.

 

[rustred]

With engine cranking over light will be flashing.

 

[olddog]

You didn't mention Dist Cap and Rotor. Cracked or wet?
After you get spark, because it set for a while, check the air cleaner for obstructions.

 

[JIM MN]

Clean the points, get spark. Fresh gas, use E-91, NO ethanol. Get gas to the carburetor, choke, and see if it will fire?

 

[JOCCO]

Goose yes a coil wire, rotor button issue is worth looking at. Try some gas or starting fluid carburetor too. My gut feeling you are dealing with low voltage and week fire. Of course setting and plugged sediment bowl could lead to carb being dirty.

 

[Blackhole49]

You said good fuel flow TO the carb, but not thru the carb. Do you have good flow at the carb drain? Also, my very reliable 8n fired briefly when I tried to start it this spring, then nothing. Mine ended up being a very corroded connection under the boot on the coil wire at the coil. All other plug wire connections were shinny bright.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

You said good fuel flow TO the carb, but not thru the carb. Do you have good flow at the carb drain? Also, my very reliable 8n fired briefly when I tried to start it this spring, then nothing. Mine ended up being a very corroded connection under the boot on the coil wire at the coil. All other plug wire connections were shinny bright.

All the flow to the carb does absolutely no good if there's no spark.

 

[Steven Allen]

Wide reports say that some condensers are bad out of the box.

 

[Blackhole49]

All the flow to the carb does absolutely no good if there's no spark.

Also, he states it ran briefly and had spark then lost it. Hence the second line of my response.

 

[fusion1]

I have told this story before
I have a Ferguson TO-30
after sitting all winter I went to move it would not start
tried everything had spark and had fuel, cranked but would not start
had a old timer stop but to take a look
when I tried to start it he looked at me and said your exhaust is plugged
sure enough the mice had filled the exhaust up with corn
plugged solid, took the pipe off the manifold
and it started .
might be something to look at.

 

[Ellis Kinney]

Check your battery connections carefully. I had an M that would start and run fine and just quit. There was a crack that I couldn't see in the battery lug. I found it by accident when I jumped off the tractor as it was trying to quit and my arm bumped the battery cable and it started up again. I finished the day with a pair of vise grips on the lug. Also, maybe your needle valve isn't dropping, ( I know you said no spark ). If it starts tap on the top of the carburetor for a few seconds. Good Luck, Ellis

 

[JOCCO]

I have told this story before
I have a Ferguson TO-30
after sitting all winter I went to move it would not start
tried everything had spark and had fuel, cranked but would not start
had a old timer stop but to take a look
when I tried to start it he looked at me and said your exhaust is plugged
sure enough the mice had filled the exhaust up with corn
plugged solid, took the pipe off the manifold
and it started .
might be something to look at.

Rare but true.

 

[46m]

Try new points. Always works for me.