Steps taken to get a dead tractor running again

old

Well-known Member
So I see people ask about this and what all they try to do to get one running again. I figured I would post the steps I take or should I say some of the steps since I am sure to leave out a few.
#1 I check the fluids. If oil level is ok in the engine and hyds
#2 Make sure the engine will turn over but not move it much
#3 ATF treatment and fill the cylinders with ATF and pour as much down the exhaust as I can.
#4 I use a piece of wire from the battery to the coil and watch for a small spark when I touch it to the ignition side of the coil. No spark means point needs some work.
I check the gas tank and if it looks good pour in a little gas with the air cleaner tube off if easy to do that is. I watch for the carb to leak and if so shut the gas off
#5 after a day or so I pull the spark plugs back out and spin the engine over using a 12 volt battery. Yes it makes a mess and you learn not to stand on the plug side of the engine. Made that mistake a couple times LOL.
#6 I hot wire it and see if I can get it to run.
#7 from there I do what I need to do to make it run well. By the way I do not worry about coolant till after I have it running. Yes one can not run it long as in less then 5 minutes with out coolant but it can be done for a short period of time
 
Old another thing is take valve cover off and make sure valves are loose so you don't bend a push rod or break a rocker arm.
 
And you can see if the oil pump ....if so equipped....is pumping oil up to the top of the engine.
Ben
 
I have only had one bent push rod in any of the ones I have messed with and never a broken rocker arm
 
5 minutes or less will NEVER hurt one. Yes if you run it op long as to have steam coming out the radiator cap due to lack of coolant you have run it way to long. Never crack a block doing it yet but have junked more then one tractor due it having a crack block because of water only in the cooling system
 
I follow all the steps listed except when I try to start it, I don't rely on the carb to meter fuel and air. I use a can of compressed carb cleaner from Autozone/Oreillys. Just put the spritz nozzle on, crank the engine, and spray a bit right into the carb intake without choke. If it picks up and goes, modulate finger pressure on the can to see if it'll stay running, and look for oil pressure.

Only then, do I take the carb apart, check for good fuel flow from the tank and clean the carb then try to run it from the fuel tank.
 
I don't do any thing with the carb other then maybe pull the drain plug and let some gas flow before I try to start it. I only mess with the carb if it will not run as it should with out messing with the carb
 
I have a few David Brown cropmasters, all dead, and have been able to get them all running. I have only had one tractor I haven't been able to start, a DB 30c. When I got it, it had been sitting in a shed for 20 or so years, and the engine was partially seized. I freed it up by towing it around the paddock in 2nd gear for a while, but I cant get it running consistently. I think I might try the ATF treatment. Can I use 80-90 or hydraulic fluid instead of ATF?
I always replace the points, condenser and coil and bypass the fuel tank with a pop bottle with a hose inserted into the lid.
 
run any engine for 5 minutes without coolant and you have scored the pistons. and no you wont crack the block running without coolant, its the pistons you have damaged.the pistons get too hot and expand and the skirts are scored. 30 seconds running without coolant is plenty.
 
ATF is not all its cracked up to be. if you dont have any you can use reg. hyd. oil or mystery oil. dont use gear oil. the thing is engines sitting for years are best taken apart and go from there. as long as you have lube in the cyl's before trying to turn it over.
 
Not only racks will stick,but on rotary pumps,metering valves will stick.Both can cause a runaway engine.We advise having an emergency way to rapidly block air flow to the intake of the engine.
 
(quoted from post at 16:10:02 08/16/18) I don't do any thing with the carb other then maybe pull the drain plug and let some gas flow before I try to start it. I only mess with the carb if it will not run as it should with out messing with the carb

I've got an AC WD 45 I'm working on right now that will crank over but not start. And I've got two thoughts.

1. Am I getting spark at the plugs?
2. Am I getting gas (into the engine)?

I get gas out the bottom of the carb when I turn it on at the tank... But not sure my carb is working right after sitting for eight years. So probably need to open it up and clean it out.

As for the coil... I need to check power to the coil. But what else. Have somebody crank it over and see if I can watch the spark jump a plug wire (without zapping myself)? Other good ways to test the electrical side/points/condensor/plugs?
 
While I have never timed it as such I have run a good many engines with out coolant and never hurt one yet. The last one I did that to was my IH584 Diesel that had caught fire and melted the radiator. I ran it long enough to back it off the trailer and then drive it around 30 feet or so and it runs just fine now that I did the work it needed to be done to it
 
ATF is a high detergent type pf fluid and thin so it seeps down into and around things well and cleans the rust and carbon at the same time. 80 or 90 oil will not work well because it is to thick and Hyd oil is not near the lube as ATF is and does not clean up rust etc. well
 
Why use ATF? Well, this is one answer. ATF has a very high detergency. It is also a superior lubricant.
Years ago, automatic transmissions were full of bushings and thrust washers. Moving parts on shafts had bushings instead of bearings. Oil passages between components were found in between a pair of bushings. In order to have any kind of a service life at all, a really good lubricant was needed. Later, more and more bushings were replaced with sealing rings and bearings. Thrust washers in critical locations were also replaced with bearings. But, there was one thing that you would always see in any shop.
The guy or guys that worked on automatic transmissions always had the cleanest hands. That was from frequent exposure to ATF. It would dissolve the dirt and grease stains from the mechanic's hands.

It works similarly in an engine. It dissolves a lot of the dirt and old sticky grease and oil. It also penetrates and lubricates moving parts like piston rings and pistons.
 
Simple way to test spark at the center wire of the distributor cap is to remove the ignition side wire from the coil and take the center wire of the cap and hold it about a 1/4 inch from the block and turn on the ignition. Then touch the wire back on and off. Each time you pull it off you should get a spark. As for each plug wire hold each wire about a 1/4 inch from the block and spin it over. A lot of times I use an old plug that has been gapped as close to a 1/4 inch as I can.

As for the carb and gas pull the air cleaner tube off and hold you hand over the air intake and spin it over with the ignition on. You should get both a good suction and gas on your hand. Shoot it might even try to run

But be sure to test the spark first then go to the carb making it less likely to cause a fire
 
(quoted from post at 23:21:21 08/16/18) Simple way to test spark at the center wire of the distributor cap is to remove the ignition side wire from the coil and take the center wire of the cap and hold it about a 1/4 inch from the block and turn on the ignition. Then touch the wire back on and off. Each time you pull it off you should get a spark. As for each plug wire hold each wire about a 1/4 inch from the block and spin it over. A lot of times I use an old plug that has been gapped as close to a 1/4 inch as I can.

As for the carb and gas pull the air cleaner tube off and hold you hand over the air intake and spin it over with the ignition on. You should get both a good suction and gas on your hand. Shoot it might even try to run

But be sure to test the spark first then go to the carb making it less likely to cause a fire

Hot dang this is some good advice. I will be trying this out, hopefully next weekend. Thanks for the assist as usual, old. :)
 
I'd post all the ways and thing I have done but to do so would take up way to much room and might get boring to read it all LOL
 
(quoted from post at 11:10:53 08/18/18) I'd post all the ways and thing I have done but to do so would take up way to much room and might get boring to read it all LOL

Hahaha, I understand. This tractor is an odd duck. Sitting for 8 years. Was able to get it to crank over. Figure I need to check for spark and gas, and get all the old gas out and put fresh in. But oh man, I tell you, dry sediment bowl seals do not want to go back together after sitting for that long... They just leak, leak, leak. Probably outta pull the whole assembly from the gas tank, there's probably crap blocking the outlet and not letting it flow. But so many other things to check (spark, carb). It should at least start with poor gas flow. Oye.
 
So what do you have?? I have had more then one tank end up bad due to trying to remove the sediment bowl assembly. I have found if I drain the tank then pour in some ATF and let it sit a while that helps free them up and also cleans the tank some. As for running f the carb does in fact fill it should start and run a minute or 2 before running out of fuel
 

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