1952 Cub wont start

Tlcall

New User
1952 Cub just quit running. Found where tip of rotor broke off. Installed new points, plugs, rotor, distributor cap, condenser. Tried to start, would not. Examined installation and found I had put coil wire on number 2 and number 2 on center post of distributor. Fixed all that. Still wont start. I have examined all your posts on here and checked my system. What happens when you do a stupid thing like I did ? What have I destroyed ? Help needed.
 
If you have tried starting it a lot of times maybe its flooded. My 47 cub had the points go bad this spring and after a few mess ups with the mag and wiring and cranking it mine was flooded. Mine is 12 volts
so it cranks like crazy and floods easy if it don't start. Is yours a mag or distributor? My suggestion would be to pull the plugs and see if they are wet. If so let the cylinders dry out. While the plugs are
out check for spark and make sure the wiring is correct. If you have a mag its very easy to be off 180 degrees with the mag when you have it apart for points so make sure it is firing on the correct cylinder.
Get #1 piston up to TDC on the compression stroke and see where the rotor is pointing. If you have no spark then other things are possible including a film on the new points and a bad, new condenser.
 
Have spark to plugs. Plugs were dry. Took carb off and had it ultrasonic cleaned. Set valves to proper settings. Checked pistons to make sure all were moving. Good compression on all cylinders. Sprayed starting fluid into carb. No fire. Let plugs dry from spray. Tried gas again, plugs dry. Have gas going up intake, does not seem to go to cylinder.
 
Is it a distributor or mag? I'm thinking from what you described your wires are not on in the right order. You probably know but firing order is 1-3-4-2 with #1 next to the radiator. A distributor can be put on in any position and the normal firing order could start somewhere other than the apparent #1 position on the cap but a mag can only be messed up 180 degrees unless it has been taken apart at the timing gear area and messed up. Previous owners can do that to you. Remember your tractor was running until the contact fell off your rotor so there is something you didn't get back together correctly so make sure it is firing on the correct cylinder its supposed to fire on.
 
Ok. Got it running. A little ashamed to admit, but I had spark plug wires in wrong order (AGAIN)
And the distributor was way off. About 60 degree !
Timed it to TDC. Purrs like a kitten.
I’m not much of a mechanic, my dad taught me to work your way thru it and ask a friend for help..
Learned a lot on this one.
Thanks Charlie M.
 
Glad you got it fixed. Stuff on these old tractors is easy to fix but it takes some knowledge from either messing up (sometimes multiple times), asking someone or getting a manual or a combination of things.
 

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