Ford 860 Backfires

ThadS

Member
Happy Easter everybody!

I am continuing to troubleshoot this darn tractor. I got the ignition firing well and reliably. But now it will backfire and die. Based on what I have read on here that suggests timing or lean mixture.

It would not run for more than few seconds before backfiring and then dying. I check the spark at all four plugs again and it was good. I removed the air intake pipe from the carb and hit it with a couple of blasts of carb cleaner. Then it would start and run for a little bit and backfire and die. Progress...right? :)

I started it up again found that when I choked it a bit when it first backfire I could get it to recover for awhile. If I continue to nurse the choke I can keep it running but it is obviously weak. After it does die, fuel rushes back out of the air intake on the carb.

I recently ran ATF in the fuel and have not adjusted anything on the carb. I have completed a compression test, so I do not think that there is a valve sticking. I have spot checked the timing by checking where the rotor is at when getting blow by my thumb on cylinder one. I do not see the timing marks on the flywheel however.

I am thinking it is a lean mixture but it ran just fine last summer with the carb set this way. Do you guys have any other thoughts? I have to admit this tractor is getting pretty frustrating.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but I want you guys to have most of the details.

Thanks in advance for the help.
Thad
 
(quoted from post at 08:29:29 04/19/14) How did it run BEFORE you worked on the electrical?

It ran pretty well for most of the summer. I mowed, plowed, disc'd, and brush hogged with it. I also did some dirt work. At the end of the summer it started acting weak like it was missing occasionally. I replaced the points and coil then, and replaced the condenser a couple of weeks ago because the wire got pinched by the dust cap. Before that it had an issue with sputtering and dying after running it for about 30 minutes. I resolved that by putting a heat sleeve over the fuel and only running non-ethanol fuel in it.

Thanks,
Thad
 
if spark is good, and you didn't dink with timing, and it gets weak and backfires and dies. and choke helps it.

it for sure sounds like a lean issue.
 
I just posted in the thread on tractor stalling on how i fixed my problem. My tractor was doing same thing yours is, i mean exactly the same. Turned out the back nut of the post on the points were the condesser and distributer wire attch wasnt tight. Causing speratic contact. Cant tell its not all the way back unless you loosen front bolt and remove wires, then tighten back not. Hope this helps, I know how frustrating it can be
 

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