What Happpened??

[Tom in St. Louis]

Wanting peoples opinions on what may have happened.

Was moving some firewood with my 52 8N the other day. All of a sudden, the engine quit and I could not get it started again. Did not have time to work on it, so I let it sit over night.

I assumed it was probably an ignition issue, so the next day I went down to the tractor to trouble shoot it. I remember a few years ago, the float on the carb stuck open and fuel leaked out. So I took a wooden stick and whacked the the carb a few times, then tried to start it. Surprise, surprise, it started.

I am thinking the carb float was stuck in the closed position and when I whacked the carb, the float came loose.

I was wondering what someone else thinks was the problem.

Thanks.

Tom

 

[J Hamilton]

I've had a bad or failing condensor give the same running, then suddenly quit and no restart issue

 

[Rag-packer]

Tom -- I think thats what it was. I seen it happen before.

 

[Abbby]

Typically fuel related issues do not cause tractor to suddenly stop. Stuck float open will cause it to run really rich then maybe choke tractor until it dies. Float stuck shut will cause tractor to slowly run out of gas with some sputtering then dies.

 

[Tom in St. Louis]

So, what else could have caused the problem? I did do anything to the ignition before it started and it starts and runs okay now.

 

[HarryVanderpool]

If it is running normal, the question is if it will happen again.
Re-occurring, sudden loss of engine has usually been an ignition problem for me. Ignition switch, coil, condenser, not holding my mouth right, etcetera.
Let us know if it happens again in the same manner.

 

[Den N Ms]

-Tom in St. Louis , HI,you do not say how long it had been running while moving wood.If just a couple of minutes then yes the rubber tipped needle could have been stuck to the seat from setting all summer.The gravity feed fuel system puts very little pressure on the needle to force it open,or it may not have the little spring clip on the float that pulls the needle valve open.After tapping the carburetor with a stick it may not stick again and if it does maybe pull the carburetor and remove the bowl and see if the little clip on the float is connected to the needle valve,or if is missing.While off remove inlet elbow and clean screen and bowl and fuel passages with a can of carb cleaner spray with straw.

This post was edited by Den N Ms on 10/23/2022 at 08:50 pm.

 

[Tim PloughNman Daley]

Many assumed fuel related issues result to be electrical issues and vice versa. I concur it isn't a carb issue --- you lucked out knocking on wood, just happenstance. Did you calibrate that wood stick ; > ) Have you done The Fuel Flow Test with engine cold? Pass? Yes? It's NOT a fuel issue, leave alone, it's electrical. Get into entire wiring setup. I'd be looking into if 6V or 12v and what condition the battery is in first, tested at a shop. Avoid guessing, perform true root case problem solving methods thru proper troubleshooting. Leave the guessing to choosing your lottery numbers and to all the magical mystical oracle bone voodoo worshipers.

Tim Daley(MI)

 

[Hobo,NC]

Whut a great time it would have been to have had a voltmeter hanging on the dash.

 

[jimtrs]

(quoted from post at 20:44:34 10/23/22) Typically fuel related issues do not cause tractor to suddenly stop. Stuck float open will cause it to run really rich then maybe choke tractor until it dies. Float stuck shut will cause tractor to slowly run out of gas with some sputtering then dies.

Agree.

All of a sudden, the engine quit

(quoted from post at 21:24:08 10/23/22) So, what else could have caused the problem?

This actually could be a pretty long list.
Here's just a couple of possibilities

Out of fuel
Clogged fuel bowl
Clogged fuel line
Clogged carburetor

Ignition points slipped
Points lost continuity
Condenser failing
Coil failing
Ignition switch failing
Wiring failing

Diagnoses is in order, when it happens.

 

[showcrop]

Did you scratch your head after hitting the carb with the stick?

 

[Jim L WA]

Hi Tom. Like a couple of the others said you will just have to wait and see. It's too bad you didn't try to start it the next day BEFORE whacking the carburetor. Then maybe you would have known a lot more.

 

[Tom in St. Louis]

I thought it was an ignition problem at first too. But sine it started and ran, it is not likely an ignition problem.

 

[Tom in St. Louis]

It is not an electrical issue. I did not do anything to the electrical system to get it running.

 

[Tom in St. Louis]

I had been hauling wood up my driveway for at least 20 or 30 minutes. I turned the engine off and restarted it at least 3 or 4 times.

 

[Tom in St. Louis]

I do have a voltmeter on the tractor. I don't recall anything unusual about ghe voltage before or since I got it restarted.

 

[Tom in St. Louis]

It was not out of fuel when the engine quit, it had half a tank of fuel. It could not be an ignition system problem because I did not do anything to the ignition system to get it started and I don't think ignition systems fix themselves.

 

[Tom in St. Louis]

No, should I have scratched my head or something else?

 

[HarryVanderpool]

(quoted from post at 17:17:50 10/24/22) It could not be an ignition system problem because I did not do anything to the ignition system to get it started and I don't think ignition systems fix themselves.

Ignition systems DO fix themselves. Then they again fail.
It is called an intermittent problem. These can be tricky to "catch in the act", making them hard to diagnose and repair.
Just keep on tractoring and let us know if it happens again.

 

[ASEguy]

One clue as to what happened is how it died. If they die like you shut off the key it may be electrical. If it floated away, it may be fuel. I am close to St. Louis.

 

[grandpa Love]

Coil got hot, tractor quit. Coil cooled off, tractor started. You hit carb ... Didn't do a thing, because coil was cool ..... Yes the ignition fixed itself.

 

[Lynn Patrick]

Same can be said for the "weak sister" (remember that one?) ignition switch!

 

[Eman85]

(quoted from post at 17:17:50 10/24/22) It was not out of fuel when the engine quit, it had half a tank of fuel. It could not be an ignition system problem because I did not do anything to the ignition system to get it started and I don't think ignition systems fix themselves.

OK, so did you take the carb apart and check/fix the float?

 

[Hobo,NC]

(quoted from post at 19:19:56 10/25/22) Same can be said for the "weak sister" (remember that one?) ignition switch!

A properly wired voltmeter would have confirmed a bad ignition switch : ) in other works a confirmed KILL...