Should you be able to keep engine running on starting fluid?

800 Ford on propane. Always started quick and ran good until a few days ago when it sputter and died. I pulled air intake hose and sprayed 1 second bursts of starting fluid into carburetor while cranking,nothing,didn't hit once. Installed new points,condenser,coil,copper core plug/coil wires,distributor cap,coil ballast and rotor button. It start's and runs 2 seconds then die's. Chocking and/or strating fluid helps liitle if any. I've kept battery charged above 12.5v and a booster battery on it. I've gone through connections to be sure they are bright and clean,ohmed and checked for voltage drop. Coil has direct power from battery via jumper wire. Propane is not a shade tree project so my main question here is wherether I should be able to keep engine running on starting fluid if everything is right on ignition side. The only propane mechanics around here are forklift places and they just change parts until it run's or the customer go's broke. If I can eliminate fuel as the problem I'll change the ignition parts again one at a time. I've heard people say they got 2 or more bad parts from parts store.

(quoted from post at 19:36:32 06/27/17) 800 Ford on propane. Always started quick and ran good until a few days ago when it sputter and died. I pulled air intake hose and sprayed 1 second bursts of starting fluid into carburetor while cranking,nothing,didn't hit once. Installed new points,condenser,coil,copper core plug/coil wires,distributor cap,coil ballast and rotor button. It start's and runs 2 seconds then die's. Chocking and/or strating fluid helps liitle if any. I've kept battery charged above 12.5v and a booster battery on it. I've gone through connections to be sure they are bright and clean,ohmed and checked for voltage drop. Coil has direct power from battery via jumper wire. Propane is not a shade tree project so my main question here is wherether I should be able to keep engine running on starting fluid if everything is right on ignition side. The only propane mechanics around here are forklift places and they just change parts until it run's or the customer go's broke. If I can eliminate fuel as the problem I'll change the ignition parts again one at a time. I've heard people say they got 2 or more bad parts from parts store.

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es, you can keep it running on starting fluid. I have seen a tractor started and kept running on starting fluid spray long enough to load it on a trailer! I have driven my Tracker for miles with a propane hose stuck in the air intake. Regulated speed with tank valve.

Are you able to verify you are getting a good blue spark by pulling a plug and turning over ? Points gapped at .25-.26 ? Unless there's a problem with the distributor or the new ignition parts, you should have ignition taken care of then. Look over all the parts, connections and even that copper flat strap in there.

On the LP system, is the coolant level up and is it circulating through the vaporizer ?

Is this one a factory LP or conversion ? If conversion, what vaporizer does it have, Impco model J by any chance ? These are easily rebuilt or replaced. Check the wiring connection on the conversion vaporizer. I'm not familiar with the factory LP version, but it is covered in the shop manual for these tractors.

I have an 850 LP conversion that I kept running for 14 years as my only tractor, and have been through the no start a few times and as of right now as its sat a long time, but the top half covered bottom allowing air to pass through. Few times it was just the contact points. The vaporizer was not working properly, frosting over, until I rebuilt it. I have never done anything to the carburetor. This one does not like to run in the colder temperatures, until warmed up and the vaporizer is getting hot coolant through it.

Starting fluid is a losing proposition, fine when used very sparingly, trying to run on it, no.... you need to find the fuel or spark problem.

Are you able to verify you are getting a good blue spark by pulling a plug and turning over ? Points gapped at .25-.26 ?

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I think you mean .025 to .026

Looks like you eliminated the ignition... If spark is good and it will hit it may not hit right off if you let it set for 30 seconds after you sprayed it and it try's to run ignition is notcher problem Fuel is your problem...

BTDT 100's of times if I let it set for 15/30 seconds after I sprayed it good and it try's to run I go after fuel issues..

NO I doubt you can keep it running on ether... Propane YES as JMOR posted it takes a good supply tho...

Yes. .025. Seems I've left 0's out where needed at work a few times too Even more alarming, I re-read my post at least once, the 1/4" type-o remained.

When you did your conversion to 12v does it have a resister bypass? If so it sounds like you may have a bad resister and only have spark when the starter is engauged. Try jumpering the resister.

Well we have opinions that starting fluid can be used to see if engine is starved for fuel then we have opinions that it can't. One feller seemed think I was contiplating converting over to starting fluid as the primary fuel. I'm surprised more people haven't worked out ways to isolate fuel from ignition as source of trouble before trying to fix it. I appreciate all the tips on ignition but the looming question is wherther it is even a fireing problem. It appears little is known about trouble shooting propane. As I said earlier, forklift shops around here just change parts til it run's because they don't know how to trouble shoot. If I try the propane hose in carb intake one of these days you can bet I'll have backflow and flashback preventers in the hose. I'm afraid my puckering string might snap from worrying over a backfire through carb.

(quoted from post at 02:09:08 06/28/17) Well we have opinions that starting fluid can be used to see if engine is starved for fuel then we have opinions that it can't. One feller seemed think I was contiplating converting over to starting fluid as the primary fuel. I'm surprised more people haven't worked out ways to isolate fuel from ignition as source of trouble before trying to fix it. I appreciate all the tips on ignition but the looming question is wherther it is even a fireing problem. It appears little is known about trouble shooting propane. As I said earlier, forklift shops around here just change parts til it run's because they don't know how to trouble shoot. If I try the propane hose in carb intake one of these days you can bet I'll have backflow and flashback preventers in the hose. I'm afraid my puckering string might snap from worrying over a backfire through carb.

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obo 'doubts' it, but I'm a first hand witness of loading the tractor. As to a backfire & flame at end of hose, what is at other end of hose on Bar-B-Q grill? On weed burner? Etc. Like I said, driven miles with that. Worst that can happen is death & then you will have no more problems! :twisted:

It all boils down to science, specifically, the science of stoichiometry. You have to have the right fuel/air mixture, or the engine won't run.

With a can of starting fluid, it's real easy to spray too much and "flood" the engine, or not spray enough causing a lean condition.

Fuel is fuel, whether it is propane, starting fluid, or gasoline. If you've got good spark, compression, and the right timing, it will run with the right amount of fuel.

So in addition to spark and fuel, you need to check timing and compression.

In the absence of another fuel I've generally found it difficult to keep an engine running on ether alone. As already noted, it is very difficult to manage the mixture. The main problem I find is that many ether cans have such a small flow rate that they won't keep an engine running. However, those that produce a large aggressive stream will generally fuel an engine well enough to run. That said, it seems to me that you've already ruled out ignition problems. If you can make it cough for a couple seconds, that tells me it's firing...

Rod

Remove distributor cap with points open switch on check for voltage at points