Hey everyone, I need some help. I have a sick '51 8N sidemount with a Zenith carb. About a month ago we were working in the garden when all of a sudden the tractor started stuttering. Just for a few seconds and then everything cleared back up and it was back to normal. I didn't think much of it, just figured it passed a little something through the fuel line or something. A week or so later it does the same thing but this time it doesn't stop. It will barely run, acts like it is starved for fuel. With the throttle near idle it would almost run, but as soon as you try to increase speed it starts roller coastering up and down. I tried letting it run for a while to see if it would clear up but that did not work. I then proceeded to take the carb off, open it up and cleaned it out. Carb was not dirty but I cleaned it good anyways. Every passage had a wire through it, the whole thing chem dipped, wire brushed, compressed air, brake cleaner... reassembled. Back on the tractor same thing.
Oil was changed last fall maybe, not many hours on it anyways. January seen a tune-up with plugs points and a tweek to the carb and timing, it was running really good. I checked the points again anyways and reset to .025". Changed the air cleaner oil, cleaned the plugs with a wire brush and then burned the ends off with a propane torch, drained the fuel and refilled with fresh even though the tractor has not been sitting. Oil pressure is as good as its ever been 25-30 psi cold and a little less hot, not great but the point being that it has not changed. I did a compression test and had almost identical numbers the the one I did a few years ago. I checked the spark with a opened up plug and wasn't getting a good spark, so I swapped the coil out with another I had and no change. The tractor will run, but it sounds almost out of time. Sooo, I messed with the timing too, I knew I had it perfectly timed but I just wanted to see if I could get a response out of it. Whether adjusting the timing or the carb nothing seems to make much of a difference to it until you push it so far it just dies. It doesn't run better or worse, it just barely runs and then too much of anything and dies. I've had it in the yard all day working cause thats where she died but decided to try to limp to the shop since we are expecting rain, and it will go, but just barely, has no power. I don't know what else to change, adjust or check. Any help or ideas would be appreciated. Ty
Oil was changed last fall maybe, not many hours on it anyways. January seen a tune-up with plugs points and a tweek to the carb and timing, it was running really good. I checked the points again anyways and reset to .025". Changed the air cleaner oil, cleaned the plugs with a wire brush and then burned the ends off with a propane torch, drained the fuel and refilled with fresh even though the tractor has not been sitting. Oil pressure is as good as its ever been 25-30 psi cold and a little less hot, not great but the point being that it has not changed. I did a compression test and had almost identical numbers the the one I did a few years ago. I checked the spark with a opened up plug and wasn't getting a good spark, so I swapped the coil out with another I had and no change. The tractor will run, but it sounds almost out of time. Sooo, I messed with the timing too, I knew I had it perfectly timed but I just wanted to see if I could get a response out of it. Whether adjusting the timing or the carb nothing seems to make much of a difference to it until you push it so far it just dies. It doesn't run better or worse, it just barely runs and then too much of anything and dies. I've had it in the yard all day working cause thats where she died but decided to try to limp to the shop since we are expecting rain, and it will go, but just barely, has no power. I don't know what else to change, adjust or check. Any help or ideas would be appreciated. Ty