Hard cold starting H

Dwashebek

Member
I have a hand start 1940 JD H tractor that is extremely hard starting when cold. I must pull start it, and I only need a few feet to get it going.
Once that is done the tractor is very easy to hand start. I have new spark plugs and the plug wires look fine. Any ideas will be appreciated.
 
Every 2 cylinder has a personality when it comes to cranking. My 42 H will only start cold if I just barely open the throttle and fully choke it. Turn the flywheel til it fires, then push choke off and it will fire right up. Will crank without choking after that.
Richard in NW SC
 
So what you are saying is that once you pull start it , you can shut it down within a minute and it will start back up by hand? I'm trying to get past your "once warmed up" comment here. So it is not actually "warming up" if only run a few minutes and then it starts normally? How long must it sit again before it needs pulled again ? In a mag tractor it could be a faulty condenser but also could be like post below in that you are not choking enough or too much. Could be a faulty impulse in mag but it should do it all the time if it was. My vote is condenser.
 
I have a '39 that had been overhauled when I got it.
I nearly cranked myself to death till I found out how.
The throttle had to be all the way back and no choke.
You don't have to "crank" it, just roll the flywheel
slowly. When you slowly pass the second tight point (compression)
it just starts running.
I have another the same way. I have two that have worn
throttle shafts and bushings that start that way but unless
You can quickly grab the loose throttle shaft to keep if from
dancing around it dies.
All gas tractors have their own personalities.
 
It really doesn't,t warm up, I just let it run for a few minutes, then shut it off. Then to restart I spin the flywheel just a half turn and it starts right back up.
 
I give it half throttle and full choke. I'll try very little throttle and half choke to see if it starts. Thanks very much.
 
I just hand started it now. Tried different combinations of throttle and choke. It started with no choke and quarter throttle. I think I might just change the condenser. I've never dug into a magneto before. Are the points and condenser visible by removing the four screws on the"distributor cap"?
 
D-, almost all of the "H's" I've seen (including mine) seem to start best exactly the way you describe; throttle all the way back and NO choke (unless it's well below freezing). They seem to flood VERY easily so there should be minimal choking. A flooded "H" is no fun to start by hand....

I do know of one "H" that requires one turn of the flywheel with the choke, but then the choke needs to be opened completely and it'll pop right off - with the throttle pulled way back.
 
Older Harleys were like that. No one else could start mine. There was a sequence of four things to do before even turning on the key. After that, it would start on the first kick.
 
Have U ever checked the compression? If the compression is down, so is the vacuum. Sounds to me like you're having to crank it a lot to get fuel to the cylinders. It starts right up when U pull it, but U have to crank it a lot suggests a weak spring in the mag. The points might be burnt a little but I don't think it would run at all if the condenser was bad.
 
I figured this out. No choke and very little throttle. I've started it multiple times using this combination and it fires on the first spin of the flywheel. Thanks to all of you with your advice!
 

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