Won't fire...or the only stupid question is the on

(I tried jumping my dead, dead truck last week, and I think I over-drew the alternator and sucked the battery on the tractor down)

Got on the tractor, she turns over A-OK.
But doesn't start!

I have fuel in the fuel tank, but when I look at the glass bowl under the fuel filter, it's dry. I'm kinda assuming I should see liquid in there???

So my plan is to work from that filter back to see if I can find rust, etc plugging it -- does this sound like the plan?

Thanks guys,
Matt
1955 Ferguson TO-35

Soon as I loosened the thumb screw, gasoline started flowing (then genius me turned off the fuel shutoff...)

While I had the bowl off, I scrubbed it clean so it's clear and not opaque anymore. Ran to NAPA and thankfully they had the right size gasket (old one was shot), and I bought a new washer for the thumbscrew end while I was at it.

Put the bowl back, turned the gas on, hit the key and she fired up near instantly!

To answer some of the other questions, She's a TO-35 Deluxe. She runs like a top -- other than an battery/charging problem I'm having right now (soon to be a new post...) she's always fired up impressively well, even in the dead of winter. Got her last fall.

Is fuel flowing yet? Out of curiosity, do you own a TO-35 Deluxe or TO-35 Special? Not that the model has bearing on the fuel problem - I'm just wondering. I have a TO-35 Deluxe (gas), think she's great but am generally always adjusting to some mechanical shortcoming. I wouldn't trade my tractor rather I accept that she is older than I am and deserves respect.

Jim

Regarding the fuel problem, my two cents? I would 1. look for fuel in the tank, 2. "check" the operation of the shutoff valve, and 3. check the screen atop (and inside) the glass bowl. I think I'm repeating what others have said though.

The original sediment bowls had a screen on the tank side of the shutoff valve/sediment bowl. There is also a little filter in the valve body above the glass bowl. Either of these may be clogged. Then there is the "secret filter" in the elbow to the carburetor. Your problem is most likely in the shut off vave/sediment bowl, but if they're clogged check the "secret filter' also.

I recently had to get a MF65 running and had the same problem. No gas in the fuel bowl. The guy before me just didn't put enough gas in to get it to cover the pipette in the tank. Make sure there is more than 1 gallon of gas in the tank. remember there is a reserve. Now I am sure you thought of that.

BTW I too also didn't get fuel in the filter even after taking it off spilling what gas was in the tank, cleaning and every thing completely. After cursing I resolved to take it apart again. This time I forgot to close the filter valve off and after a 1/8 turn the fuel started to flow just fine. I'm not sure why but over tightening the bowl cut off the gas flow. Try backing the fule bowl off a little.

Jeff