Super C Locked Up

SC Farmall · Mar 13, 2017

So I parked my Super C last fall and it was running ok. Go to crank it up Saturday and the engine seems to be seized. The starter engages, then pulls a lot of amps but will no move the flywheel. Tried two batteries, one of which is brand new so its not a lack of amps. Tried turning the crank by hand, couldnt get it to budge. Tried putting the tractor into gear then rocking by hand, again would not budge.

I have not pulled the plugs to look in the cylinder yet. Whats the best course of action? Soak the cylinders in WD-40 or ATF? Pull the tractor real slow and dump the clutch to bump it free? Hook the air compressor to the cylinder to try to move it that way?

I'm open to ideas, as I said it ran fine in September when I parked it, It was uncovered but the flapper sealed pretty well, and the air cleaner should have kept any moisture out of the intake.

Oldiron29 · Mar 13, 2017

Pull off the starter make sure starter is not jammed to flywheel. Pull plugs and see if it
is full of water or antifreeze. I water came down the muffler. if antifreeze bad head
gasket. If none of these than soak it with atf and acetone. After about a week of soaking
rock rear wheels back and forth in high gear see if it pops loose. oldiron29

joseph1946 · Mar 13, 2017

If it has a belt pulley, try slapping it backwards to turn the engine away from corrosion. I have got many tractors loose this way.

gene bender · Mar 13, 2017

the starter is jammed take it loose and listen for a click the Bendix can jam it wouldnt hury ti take it out and wash the bendix with some diesel fuel or wd-40. A weak batt can cause the problem also. When you have the starter out look at the teeth on the ring gear if they are worn that can also cause a problem.

BarnyardEngineering · Mar 13, 2017

Pull the spark plugs and the air cleaner hose off the carburetor. Just to make sure it's not sitting full of any type of fluid.

Most likely some water got into one of the cylinders. Flappers are not 100% weather tight. Okay for a few days, but not all winter.

If you can get a borescope and poke it into each spark plug hole to take a look, that would help you figure out which cylinder it is, and which one to concentrate on.

Worst case you'll have to pull the head.

fastfarmall · Mar 13, 2017

Yea i agree with Gene on this,the ring gear on the flywheel has some slight damage, if you split it get a new one or turn it around.

khouse6 · Mar 13, 2017

when you remove plugs, take compressed air and blow any water, etc, out of the cylinders, before you soak. oil floats on water, so if you do not do
this, the penetrating oil will not reach the corrosion

David G · Mar 13, 2017

Pull plugs first to make sure it is not hydro locked.

Paul Shuler · Mar 13, 2017

I 2nd what Gene said. Been there done that.

MikeL. · Mar 13, 2017

Does it have oil in the pan? Could of ran it
without any and she siezed up? Just a
thought. As far as putting fluid in the
bores, I have always used transmission
fluid, because of how thin it is mix it with
a little bit of brake fluid. Let say it's in
a squirt oil can. Put 3/4 tranny fluid and
not quite the rest with brake fluid. Make
sure it's mixed very well. Keep applying it
in the bores as needed. I freed up a case
1030 but it took a week of soaking. Little
by little took the starter off and used a
pry bar.

SC Farmall · Mar 13, 2017

So looks like I need to pull the plugs and get to soaking. I pulled the starter Saturday and it would spin free when not in contact with the flywheel.

I'll start a soaking regimen of ATF and Acetone today. Is there a good place to attach a breaker bar to the crank to try to work it? Or is the crank pulley up front the best attachment point?

D beatty · Mar 13, 2017

Go along with guys saying starter is stuck.

SC Farmall · Mar 13, 2017

If I loosen the starter bolts enough to back the starter away from the flywheel, the starter spins with no problem. Could there still be some sort of an issue with the starter?

gene bender · Mar 13, 2017

So when you put the starter back in did it turn the engine over.

SC Farmall · Mar 13, 2017

No, I have a clamp on amp-meter and used it to determine if it was pulling power. It was pulling approximately 5 amps, wouldnt budge the flywheel.

When loosened and backed away from flywheel, drew 2.5-3 amps.

kevinj54 · Mar 13, 2017

(quoted from post at 15:09:23 03/13/17)
No, I have a clamp on amp-meter and used it to determine if it was pulling power. It was pulling approximately 5 amps, wouldnt budge the flywheel.

When loosened and backed away from flywheel, drew 2.5-3 amps.

There is something wrong with yer meter.

1 headlight draws way more than you show.

AlinMO · Mar 13, 2017

Definitely would be more than 5 amps as 5 amp X 6 volts = 30 watts. If starter was locked, it would be several hundred watts. Maybe reading is 50 amps. However he said he could not turn over using hand crank so I'm thinking his starter condition is irrelevant Did you have clutch pushed in as transmission could be locked.

Roger46 · Mar 13, 2017

A clamp on amp meter will only work on AC current, not DC. I am surprised you get any reading.

kevinj54 · Mar 13, 2017

(quoted from post at 15:39:27 03/13/17) A clamp on amp meter will only work on AC current, not DC. I am surprised you get any reading.

They make DC clamp meters.

BarnyardEngineering · Mar 13, 2017

A Super C engine does not have so much compression that you couldn't turn it over with the hand crank, or by putting it in 4th gear and trying to roll it with the rear tires.

Heck you should be able to turn it over with the fan belt.

Whatever you do, DO NOT do something stupid like hook it to the back of your truck, get it going down the road, and dump the clutch. BAD IDEA. Good way to get hurt, and a great way to ensure the tractor will never run again.

SC Farmall · Mar 13, 2017

I have a DC amp clamp. And it may have been 50 Amps and i've mentally dropped a 0. Its a 12 volt system.

I tried spinning by the fan and the belt slipped on the crank pulley. So then I tried by hand directly on the crank pulley, no luck.

I will not be pulling it down the highway with the truck, the pull and bump start idea would have been at little more than a slow roll. But looks like the general consensus is to soak until its movable by hand or with breaker bar.

Janicholson · Mar 13, 2017

Take the starter out and put a large screw driver in the ring gear teeth. Watch closely while prying to see any movement. It
works. Jim

Haas · Mar 13, 2017

Pull the plugs and take a look. You could have water or antifreeze in one or more cylinders.

David G · Mar 13, 2017

I would not even spend time checking amps until you know mechanically what is happening.

Pull the plugs
Crank it over by hand, if it does not spin freely, something is stuck.

Once is spins freely, try the starter.
Then put plugs back in and work on getting it running.

Janicholson · Mar 14, 2017

Block down the clutch. It could be in two gears at once. Jim

SC Farmall · Mar 28, 2017

Pulled the plugs and taped the starter and it started spitting water out of the middle two cylinders. I guess my flapper got blown open during a storm and rain made its way down. Runs fine now.

Super C Locked Up

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Similar threads