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Ford 3000 no compression and timing

mikewood869

mikewood869

Well-known Member
I have a 1966 gas ford 3000 with not enough compression in all of the cylinders. Anyone know what the gap for the valves are? I haven't done a wet test yet. The reading are: Cyl 1 = 115, Cyl 2 = 90 & Cyl 3 = 100. The tractor was running before.
 
reading would be on the low side... but...

when was the tractor last run... If it ran just before this test, then per recommended compression low end is 115/bs. So it marginal.

If this tractor has not been run in a year or two, this test may not be correct as there is some rust and rings are not seated...

So.. do a wet test.. if compression comes up..


last month was helping a friend on a 51 gmc truck that would not run. Engine had not been run since he bought the truck so we dont know when it was last run..... Would NOT run or even pop.... and compression checked very low, 50s to 90s. dropped in a couple squirts of oil, compression came up, and then stayed up.

Now did you:
pull all the plugs,
hold the throttle wide open while cranking
with a good charger or jump from running vehicle?

All of which will make the compression come up. A dragging starter or bad cables will run low readings.

115 lbs ought to at least pop or try to run.... when back in the normal mode. 90 lbs will pop too so it should at least bark when cranked.
 
Pop when you let off starter is indicative of insufficient coil voltage while cranking. Maybe supply coil voltage from a different battery as a trial.
 
Forgot again to say, there’s some electric issues with the key switch or something. It gets spark after the key is turned to the run possession , it will have spark. With starter going, no spark. No spark with the key turned to accessories (click to the right after shutdown). It’s a pain , but has been happening since February or January of this year. The tractor needs compression before timing or electrical. That will be later hopefully if compression worked out.
 
I think you have more of an issue with the coil not getting proper voltage during cranking, that is why it hits when you let off starter.

Those compressions should start fine.
 
Sounds like the bypass wire is missing or not wired correctly. That is the wire that bypasses the resistance wire or ballast resistor while the key is in the start position. As JMOR suggested, try providing 12 volts directly to the coil from another battery when trying to start it. Or simply add a jumper wire from the main battery directly to the coil to in effect become the bypass wire.
 
We though we could make the tractor run better at first. We first tried messing around with the distributor (pulled it out of the tractor and turned it around) and that didn't work. At some point we noticed a ark coming from the distributor (I bought a new cap but haven't put it on yet). Then we went to the valves and those were a bit out. We eventually got the tractor to puff through the carb (the link to the video) and then then we did a compression and saw the numbers. We stopped at the end of the day (probably 9 pm est we stopped) and haven't worked on the tractor since. The tractor was running 7-06-2018, started to working on the tractor 7-07-2018, stopped working on the tractor 7-10-2018. At the time of this happening, we had other project or things happening (haying, working on a building).
When the starter is turning, the tractor has no spark. But if the key is released, there's spark. I was guessing key switch.

20420.jpg
 
When the starter is turning, the tractor has no spark. But if the key is released, there's spark. I was guessing key switch.
Click to expand...

As as already been said. The coils is normally powered while the key is in the start position by a bypass wire that bypasses the resistor to provide the full 12 volts (minus the voltage drop due to cranking the starter) to the coil during starting.

If the key switch is providing power to the solenoid such that the starter is turning, then the start position of the key switch is working as designed, and the problem with no spark while trying to start is most likely due to a bad or missing bypass wire.
 
(quoted from post at 08:24:42 07/26/18) We though we could make the tractor run better at first. We first tried messing around with the distributor (pulled it out of the tractor and turned it around) and that didn't work. At some point we noticed a ark coming from the distributor (I bought a new cap but haven't put it on yet). Then we went to the valves and those were a bit out. We eventually got the tractor to puff through the carb (the link to the video) and then then we did a compression and saw the numbers. We stopped at the end of the day (probably 9 pm est we stopped) and haven't worked on the tractor since. The tractor was running 7-06-2018, started to working on the tractor 7-07-2018, stopped working on the tractor 7-10-2018. At the time of this happening, we had other project or things happening (haying, working on a building).
When the starter is turning, the tractor has no spark. But if the key is released, there's spark. I was guessing key switch.

20420.jpg
Click to expand...

You pulled the dist and turned it?
With it puffing out the intake I'd say you have it out of time.
The photo shows a spark going to the hold down clip.
The cap is burned up and you should replace it before moving on the anything else.

Valve lash is .017 - .019 on all valves

Sean in PA is correct, when the engine is cranking over power to the coil is supplied to the bypass wire from the solenoid, not the key switch.
 
(quoted from post at 19:48:52 07/25/18) Sounds like the bypass wire is missing or not wired correctly. That is the wire that bypasses the resistance wire or ballast resistor while the key is in the start position. As JMOR suggested, try providing 12 volts directly to the coil from another battery when trying to start it. Or simply add a jumper wire from the main battery directly to the coil to in effect become the bypass wire.
Click to expand...

yes, the crank bypass wire to the coil is no longer connected or working. It runs from the selenoid second small terminal to the coil... That way in the cranking mode, the coil is directly powered from this "bypass wire" and this wire also bypassed the 3 ohm drop resistor in the normal run circuit.

Most the time this wire does not work because.... someone put the wrong solenoid back on as the original one failed,,, often due to corrosion and heat damage if not kept clean at the big lug terminals. And when the wrong one is installed the bypass circuit is dead and no spark till the ignition key is returned to "run " position.

to solve this... run a jumper from the pos post of battery to pos lead on top of the coil.... thus "hot wiring" the ignition. Then crank.. engine should run if in time.... or at least fire... when done you MUST pull the "hotwire" to kill the engine and to keep from running down the battery and possible burning the points.

Thus, in the old days you HOTWIRED the engine by running the "Hot wire" to the coil thus allowing the engine run if crank... next you jumpered across the solenoid to crank it and off you go... cops and sirens a following...
 
My guess is that you had one thing wrong, no power to coil, now you still have that issue plus you now have the distributor out of time.
 
We pulled the head sometime in the beginning of August and back to work on the tractor again. The head gasket arrived today. We are going to be pulling the valves out and cleaning them. Is there a tool to compress the springs on the valves (one from autozone didn’t work)? Vice grips and a screwdriver didn’t work (got one out that was a pain and half of the spring retainer went flying somewhere, so half to order a part again). Been working on other projects so the tractor was put on hold.
 
We redid the valves last weekend and the compression increased so we throw the tractor mostly back together (enough to get the tractor to run). When putting the tractor back together, we noticed that the vacuum tube broke (it wasn't broken before we took it off). Does anyone know what the size of the tube is? I have ordered fittings but don't know the tube size.
 

Tube # C6NE12226A discontinued
Just find some 3/16 tubing and make your own.
Compression sleeve # 351112S- $8.55 each, it takes 2
Most automotive and hardware stores the would have the tubing should also have the fittings.
 
(quoted from post at 07:54:55 08/11/18)
21284.jpg
Click to expand...
My brother was able to get the tractor started yesterday and it sounded like crap. We lost D0NN12A457A (rod), so maybe that is why the tractor isn't running good. Right now there is a piece of hay twine controlling the throttle. The fitting hasn't come in so we caped the ends. The video that I have isn't good.
 
Seems like the tractor is running better at the moment. Had to buy a throttle rod for the tractor because I lost it (the rod going from top of carb to dis). I ordered the fittings for the vac advanced tube
three weeks ago and called today. Found out today that they stopped selling the fittings so we plugged the hole on the intake manifold. I'm going to put the sheet metal back on tomorrow. We will see how long
the tractor will run for before the tractor starts running like crap.
Ford 3000 gas tractor running
 
The tractor seems to be running good. We are going to see how long this will last (2nd or 3rd valve job in 2 years). After thinking back, could this be caused because of no muffler on the tractor just the
pipe? I also bought a air filter for the tractor (probably hasn't been changed in 30 or 40 years). In the end of the video, I didn't give the tractor enough throttle and it stalled.
Ford 3000 gas tractor running up and down road
 
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