Hard starting B

Have a 42 B that I start by hand. When I stop the tractor I turn off the gas and let the carb run dry. When I want to start the tractor another day I have to crank the tractor with choke on to refill the carb and then turn it off. If not I'd crank for half a day. When I know it's "primed" I can then shut the choke off and start cranking to start the engine. Will crank for what seems like 10 minutes but it finally starts. It puffs and huffs some and gives hints it will start but nothing. when I get it running and hot and turn it off and try to start it again when hot forget it. Better to just pull it. You'd be there for ever till it cools.

When it's running it works well and I don't have trouble. It's getting her going I have the trouble. It's a mag start. I had this problem last year but not so bad. If I pull start the tractor it's not an instant start either. It acts like the engine is retarded rather than cycling over. Does that make sense? It's rolling over but would never start. I have to step on the clutch and try again and it will take. When it takes to properly turning over it may not start right off either. What's going on here?

I've use the gas from over winter long ago. I've used the tractor many times since spring started and this has been the norm for starting each time. When hot only towing it will work period and not always at that. Sparks good, runs smooth when running, gets to heat and nothing noticeable changes.

Any thoughts on this issue? Like the tractor and use it for cultivating corn, beans and all the other things in the 1/2 acre garden. Need it to start much easier than it does.

When your turning it over do you hear the impulse click like it should?? s for what you call priming the carb your not really doing that. If you pull the carb drain plug and then turn on the gas you should have gas coming out that drain in less then 15 seconds. Or in other words the carb fills with gas real fast. When was the last time you serviced the air cleaner??

Spark is probly not as hot as you think. Even with fuel a not so hot spark will be hard to crank start but will run and pull a load fine. When the magnets get a little weak hand cranking can be discouraging. I big cause of hard starting when at run temperature also. Sometimes referred to as hot.

Ed, why do you run the carb dry? Leave the gas in it and see if that helps.
Is your spark blue. If not blue it's not hot enough. LOL Bob

Thanks guys for the response. I do have some questions.

Dick, I'm not sure how I would test the spark off the mag. Volt meter? How not sure. If it's bad what is the solution to fix it? New coil or point and condenser, or spark plugs?

Old, with me having poor hearing I can't hear from my side cranking the tractor if the impulse is working or not for sure. It's opposite to where I stand and with the tractor in the way it's impossible to hear anything from that side. Add in a hearing loss and I'm really unsure what's happening. To get any help would be out of the question. No one can turn the tractor over for me to be on that side and hear. Wife to weak, son to young, neighbor to busy. So I am guessing it's working. Also with the carb the priming is for getting fuel to the cylinders. I'm not priming the carb. The flow of gas to the carb is fine. As to a plug on the bottom there isn't one so nothing to open. Guess not all carb's were the same. Yes it's a Zenith but with nothing on the bottom. So there is no way to do what you are asking me. I checked the other B I have and it has the Schabler carb on it so another as well. Also not sure what your referring to by cleaning the air cleaner. I have cleaned the cup and kept oil in there for as long as I have owned the tractor. There isn't a way to take the guts out and give it a real cleaning is there?

Chalmerbob, I drain the fuel to keep it clear of any gas in the carb. I have had problems in the past with leaving the gas on. Leaking through the carb and or sediment bowl at times and running all my gas on the ground. Also if left it leaves gas in the carb that over time that goes stale and burns poorly. Yes the tank gas does the same but I can drain that off with out issue as what I would need to do with the carb is to remove it and I just don't like doing that.

Also to Ramblingeagle not sure there is any shop doing this in my area anymore. If there is they don't advertise to well to let us know. I did have one place I went to to have another repaired once and only once. The guy was a true jerk. So outside of his shop of what I won't go to even if Hell froze there isn't any place I know of. If anyone knows where a good place is in CNY I'd take the drive and see what could be done if it needs anything.

Thanks for the help and if anyone has answers to my questions chime in as well. Thanks guys.

Improper point setting or bad points can also cause hard hand crank starting. With a bad coil or condenser will probly not start at all. The magneto has a miniature generator as a means for the power to make spark. It has magnets in the armature as well as around the outside of the armature to make electric power when turning. When the magnets get weak it puts out less electric power for the spark. As Bob stated you need to get a bluish spark. If you have a yellowish spark it will run fine but can be hard to start. Most electric shops that rebuild magneto's can remagnetize the field and armature.

To test spark you take an old plug and gap it as close to a 1/4 inch as you can then lay it on the block some place and crank it over. You need a good blue/white spark that jumps the 1/4 inch gap.
As for the carb I have NEVER seen one with out some sort of drain plug on the bottom. Ya they are not all the same but as I said never seen one with out one. If it is like some you can also pull the cap off the main jet and that does the same thing.

Steve at B&B can rebuild a magneto for you. You would have to send it to him.

ED You would need to hold a spark plug wire about 1/4" away from a metal surface (engine block) and turn the crank to watch for the blue spark.
Send the Mag to Steve, and he will check it out for you. Ask Glenn to help you when he come up to see you.
LOL Bob

Thanks guys. Not sure who Steve is but he sounds like the wiz with these things. Any direction to him or where I send the mag?