400 from hell

Dodger 45 · Aug 17, 2009

I bought a 400 international over a year ago. I drove it 5 miles home. It ran a little rough but the points were bad. During the next few weeds, I did a little work on it. The only problem is that it just kept getting worse till it would not start. I called in two guys who are very good at old tractors. They both gave up. At this time it is timed correctly using valve position and timing marks and rotor position. The carb has been gone through four times. It will suck your hand into the carb intake so it is pulling air. When we try to start it we choke it till the carb has gas running out of it and choke by hand, but the plugs never get wet. The starter and battery are new. It makes no sense. Help !!

Adrian Billheimer · Aug 17, 2009

Did anything sit open for any length of time.
I rebuilt the carb on my 450 a couple years ago and it would not start, then I took the gas line off just for the heck of it and found it full of mud and little worms, something nested in there while I had it apart and I didn't see it when I put it all back together.
So check everything, even if your sure.

Good luck, Adrian

Brownie 450 · Aug 17, 2009

Have you put gas in the spark plug holes & then tried to start it? You can put some gas in a pump oiler to get fuel in the cylinders. You have vacuum, but how much---which cylinders? Have you checked the valve clearance? Might be tight on a couple of valves. I'd try pulling it to start if trying the gas in the cylinder doesn't work.

Red Mist · Aug 17, 2009

Could also be you have a bad manifold gasket - or manifold cracked behind your line of sight - allowing air to lean the mix out.
mike

GordoSD · Aug 17, 2009

Governor tube not properly seated into carb? Is the same guy rebuilding the carb every time? If so try someone else.No way should you have dry plugs if the carb is right. Venturi missing?

Gordo

David Goode · Aug 17, 2009

We had a Ford 8N that had the similar problems, ran very rough and tough to start. Went through the carb four times, cheked the timing and ran almost everytest on it and found nothing visibly wrong. Then one day we were preforming a cylinder leak down test and heard air rushing out of the intake manifold. A new manifold fixed the problem and examination of the old manifold found that 60 years of use had burnt through the intake and exhaust portions. That may be your problem.
-David Goode Coggon, IA

redblood · Aug 18, 2009

Take the muffler off and try it. I have seen them collapse before.

Joe

Rumplestiltskin · Aug 18, 2009

Hi, Dodger.

Are you reconnecting the air cleaner before you try to start it? It seems unlikely (since it ran previously), but if the air cleaner is clogged all that suction won't do you any good. You can have all sorts of gas at the carburetor and the plugs will stay dry. Try it with the air cleaner disconnected (if you haven't yet) and see if it improves.

Mark W. in MI

400 from hell

Dodger 45

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