8n stalls out after running fine for a couple minutes

hansviking

New User
maybe someone can shed some light on my problem. I know the battery is not great, but I can start it with a jump and it ran just great, but recently after I jump it, it stalls out after running for a couple minutes. it is getting fuel to the carb, I have cleaned the carb jet. could there be an electrical problem I'm not aware of?
Thanks for your thoughts,

Hans
 
Google 75 tips for Ford Tractors it will show you
how to trouble shoot most problems. You need to
post more information on your ? but 75 tips will
get you started or fixed. Post back for more help.
 
Well if the battery is not in good shape and maybe the charging system is not working then it could be as simple as not enough battery to keep it running very long.
Lack of info makes it hard for us to help you help your self. 6 or 12 volts?? front mount or side mount distributor?? When was the last time you cleaned out he air cleaner oil cup and put fresh oil in?? It maybe full of water or ice this time of year
 
Hans.......umm, generally yer carbie holds just enuff gas fer a few mins of runnin'. You claim you have fuel to the carb. How didja determine that? Drain fuel from the nut at the bottom of the carb? Sometimes the rubber tipped float valve can gitt stuck in the seat. Try a gentle "tap" on the side of yer carbie when it stalls out.

Howsomevers: a leaking condenser in yer dizzy will also stall yer engine inna cupple of minutes too.

Learn how to adjust yer carbie. Its the first thing neubie owner do is diddle them handy-dandy carbie tweek'em's. WRONG thing to do. Adjust the down-pointing mainjet to 2-turns and LEAVITT!! Adjust the side-pointing idlejet for FASTEST idle, not smoothest idle. Understand the difference? Usually, itt'll be 1/8-1/4 turn. BTW, yer N-idle is an incredibly SLOW 400-rpms, ennythang under 500-rpms is good ........HTH, Dell, yer self-appointed sparkie-meister
 
If the generator is working as it should, the battery is irrelevant since you could take it out altogether and put the two ends of the battery cables together to complete the circuit. At least it works that way with cars.

It sounds to me like something is heating up and shorting out.
 
If it is running on Genny, and you remove the battery and then
put the battery cables together, you will short generator
armature to chassis.

Good move! Not... :(
 
It is important for you to tell us if your tractor has a 6 volt or 12 volt electrical system & if the distributor is on the front of the engine or on the side. The troubleshooting is different based upon the configuration of your engine.

It takes three things for an engine to run: spark at the right time, compression, & fuel/air in the right mixture. For the moment, forget about compression & concentrate on narrowing the problem down to spark or fuel.

There are three very important tools you always need to have in your N tool box: a 3 inch piece of wire w/ alligator clips on each end, a spark checker w/ an adjustable gap (* see below) and a 7/16 box end wrench. (see tip # 50 at the link below) And, you really do need a working ammeter on the tractor; it is a very important diagnostic tool. With these tools, you can quickly narrow down most N problems to spark or fuel.

Next time it stops, check quickly for fuel (** see below) then spark. When I say quickly, I mean get off the seat, grab the tools & do it right then. Do not wait a minute or two. First, check for fuel. Get a can & put it under the carb. Remove the bolt in the bottom of the carb; as long as the fuel is turned on, you should see gas flowing out of the carb. Let it run for at least 30 seconds. If it’s a dribble, or runs for 5 seconds & stops, or none at all, you have solved half the problem: it’s fuel related. If gas flows well out of the carb & only stops when you turn it off at the sediment bowl, chances are very good it’s not a fuel problem. So, next, turn the key on, crank the engine & look at the ammeter. What is the needle doing? Does it show a constant discharge, no movement at all, or does it move back & forth slightly? Next, hook up your spark checker, turn the key on & crank the engine. If the spark jumps the 1/4” gap, you probably don’t have a spark problem. If it won’t jump the ¼” gap, you have a spark problem. If the ammeter needle shows a constant discharge, or doesn’t move at all, that also tells you that you have a spark problem. Jump the ignition switch w/ your jumper wire & see what happens. If it runs, you found the problem. If it doesn’t have spark after you jump the ignition switch, post back for more info on further troubleshooting. (and do not forget to turn the ignition switch off; see tip # 38)

If it does not have gas coming out of the carb at a steady stream w/ the bolt out for at least 30 seconds, you have a fuel problem. First, remove the gas cap. Your vent could be clogged & it vacuum locked. If that doesn’t work, tap the carb bowl w/ a hammer handle in case the float is sticking closed. (don’t whack it w/ the head of the hammer; you can crack the bowl). If you still don’t see gas flowing, the N has three fuel screens; one in the brass elbow, one in the top of the sediment bowl & one on the stem of the sediment bowl in the gas tank. Check the screen in the elbow & the screen in the top of the sediment bowl. (don’t worry about the one in the tank) Both probably need to be cleaned. If you have the fuel knob turned on all the way, & 1 gallon or less in the tank, it may be trying to feed off of the reserve inlet which is probably clogged. Only open it 2 full turns. Put at least 2 gallons in the tank. (and do not forget to turn the gas off; see tip # 9)

There are ways to check for spark & fuel that work & ways that don't. For example, having gas to the carb is nice, but having it past the float is what counts! That’s why removing the 7/16” bolt in the bottom of the carb is the way to check for fuel. And, same thing w/ spark at the plugs. Some folks think that checking for spark means pulling a plug wire off & looking for one. Well, it's the distance the spark jumps at the plug that gives you the info you want. It takes about 17kv to jump a 3/16" gap & 22kv to jump ¼” in the open air. Remember, it’s 14psi outside of the engine & about 90psi at a 6:1 compression ratio in the cylinders & compressed air creates electrical resistance, so you really need the 17-22kv to fire the plugs when the engine is running. A store bought plug checker (in the picture) will work better than an old plug because it won’t shock the snot out of you like an old plug might!

Post back with results or more questions.



*If you don’t own a spark checker w/ an adjustable gap, buy one. In the meantime, an old spark plug w/ the gap opened to at least ¼” will work. Ground it to a rust & paint free spot on the engine turn the key on & look for a spark.

** On most gas engines, you would check for spark first. But, the N gas tank has a pin-hole size vent that easily clogs, causing vacuum lock. By the time you check for spark on a hot engine, the vacuum lock will dissipate w/ the engine off
IMG_20141215_110947_517_zps2c6250d7.jpg

75 Tips
 
" the battery is irrelevant since you could take it out altogether"

Just unhooking a battery cable on a running vehicle can easily burn up a generator in a few minutes.

But if you hook the battery cables together, you will fry the generator.
75 Tips
 
If you took a battery out and hooked the cable to each other you would let a heck of a lot of smoke out of the charging system. Also on a car with an alternator if you grab each cable in your hand at the same time your likely to end up DEAD because with out a battery the alternator sees a dead battery and goes to max charge and can put out over 90 volts at over 35 amp which is more then enough to kill you not a good or smart thing to unhook an battery on a running machine plus can fry the alternator also
 
Thank folks for all the help. I'll start with that carb plug and go from there...it is a six volt positive ground, generator front left mount..1952 8n. Thanks again...I'll check back if I still cant figure it out. :)

Hans
 
(quoted from post at 13:36:42 01/17/15) If it is running on Genny, and you remove the battery and then
put the battery cables together, you will short generator
armature to chassis.

Good move! Not... :(
t works on cars. I've driven one over a hundred miles without a batter. Had not one problem during, or after.
 
Did you bother to read the post before shooting from the hip???

It said to remove the battery, then hook the cables together.

So did you hook your battery pos and neg cables together and
drive that hundred miles??
 
When they say front mount that means it has the distributor right on the front of the engine and just behind the radiator and it has a 4 nipple cap. The side mount sits on the right side of the engine at an angle and has a 5 nipple cap and a round can coil. If it is a true 1952 then it would be the side mount 5 nipple cap distributor
 
Drove it hundred mile ya right the system would fry before he got that far unless it was maybe the older alternator system with the external VR and even then I do not think it would last that long
 
Unless a diesel or a magneto system it would not run at all, no battery, and no salt or Genny, as the cables would be shorting the output.
 
Yes if cables where connected. Now if they where laying there not touching any thing maybe a few miles if lucky but probably any light that got turned on would be bad and the radio well it would have smoked
 
Also on a car with an alternator if you grab each cable in your hand at the same time your likely to end up DEAD because with out a battery the alternator sees a dead battery and goes to max charge and can put out over 90 volts at over 35 amp which is more then enough to kill you not a good or smart thing to unhook an battery on a running machine plus can fry the alternator also

That is plain out BS! :roll:
 
(quoted from post at 16:08:36 01/17/15) If the generator is working as it should, the battery is irrelevant since you could take it out altogether and put the two ends of the battery cables together to complete the circuit. At least it works that way with cars.

It sounds to me like something is heating up and shorting out.

Dave just curious, if you hypothetically could connect the battery cables together on a running car engine , what is the exact reason for doing so ?
If you were successful in doing so, what kind of car was it.?

I ask since I know that connecting those two cables together would be like trying to connect the two cables of a DC arc welder together.
 
(quoted from post at 21:02:12 01/17/15)
Dave just curious, if you hypothetically could connect the battery cables together on a running car engine , what is the exact reason for doing so ?
If you were successful in doing so, what kind of car was it.?

I ask since I know that connecting those two cables together would be like trying to connect the two cables of a DC arc welder together.
t was a 1964 Plymouth Valiant, with the push button transmission, 225 slant six. Great engine. I had to get it home after someone stole the battery. Maybe I just got lucky, but it worked. My high school auto shop teacher said it would work in one of his classes, so I gave it a try.
 

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