1963 Ford 2000 trouble starting

Started and ran weekend before but now having problems starting. Has spark! New plugs, wires a year old at most and battery charged. Turns over just will not start.
 
(quoted from post at 09:20:45 11/12/19)
Wet,

getting fuel then. Got moisture in your distributor by chance? That my not stop spark, but may make it go places it shouldn't at the wrong times.
 
(quoted from post at 09:20:45 11/12/19)
Wet,

getting fuel then. Got moisture in your distributor by chance? That my not stop spark, but may make it go places it shouldn't at the wrong times.
 


How well did it run last weekend? How long have you had it? Has the power been as expected when you worked it? What sort of work have you done with it? How many hours on the proof meter? Is the external appearance of and the number of hours on the proof meter consistent with the overall condition of the tractor?
 
In my experience, you can have "good" spark and still have trouble starting. Check the condition of your points. I finally gave up on replacement points and condensers due to the very poor quality of replacement parts. Over a year ago I installed a Pertronix conversion and haven't looked back.
 
It ran well last weekend once got it started via pulling with truck and popping clutch. I've had the Ford for about 5 or 6 years and already have the Pertronix. The power been as expected when it is running? I use for plowing snow in the winter and during the other times it is used for gathering wood etc...? The external appearance and the number of hours on the proof meter are consistent with the overall condition of the tractor?
 
(quoted from post at 06:01:45 11/13/19) It ran well last weekend once got it started via pulling with truck and popping clutch. I've had the Ford for about 5 or 6 years and already have the Pertronix. The power been as expected when it is running? I use for plowing snow in the winter and during the other times it is used for gathering wood etc...? The external appearance and the number of hours on the proof meter are consistent with the overall condition of the tractor?

How many hours does your proofmeter read and does it appear to be the original?
 
(quoted from post at 10:55:37 11/13/19)
(quoted from post at 06:01:45 11/13/19) It ran well last weekend once got it started via pulling with truck and popping clutch. I've had the Ford for about 5 or 6 years and already have the Pertronix. The power been as expected when it is running? I use for plowing snow in the winter and during the other times it is used for gathering wood etc...? The external appearance and the number of hours on the proof meter are consistent with the overall condition of the tractor?

Approx 2970 hours will verify when get home and that sounds about right for a 55 yr old tractor. Average 50+ hours a year.
 
(quoted from post at 12:11:43 11/13/19)
(quoted from post at 10:55:37 11/13/19)
(quoted from post at 06:01:45 11/13/19) It ran well last weekend once got it started via pulling with truck and popping clutch. I've had the Ford for about 5 or 6 years and already have the Pertronix. The power been as expected when it is running? I use for plowing snow in the winter and during the other times it is used for gathering wood etc...? The external appearance and the number of hours on the proof meter are consistent with the overall condition of the tractor?

Approx 2970 hours will verify when get home and that sounds about right for a 55 yr old tractor. Average 50+ hours a year.

That is the second or third hour meter.
 
(quoted from post at 19:06:24 11/13/19)
(quoted from post at 12:11:43 11/13/19)
(quoted from post at 10:55:37 11/13/19)
(quoted from post at 06:01:45 11/13/19) It ran well last weekend once got it started via pulling with truck and popping clutch. I've had the Ford for about 5 or 6 years and already have the Pertronix. The power been as expected when it is running? I use for plowing snow in the winter and during the other times it is used for gathering wood etc...? The external appearance and the number of hours on the proof meter are consistent with the overall condition of the tractor?

Approx 2970 hours will verify when get home and that sounds about right for a 55 yr old tractor. Average 50+ hours a year.

That is the second or third hour meter.

2623 hours
 
After some thinking maybe it has been longer than last year that I did a tune-up. I went ahead and ordered plug wires, ditributor cap, rotor and 4 more plugs and then I will know that those items will not be the cause. Once I get them and install I will report the status and hopfully it will be good news.
 
OK, when you said "new plugs" I assumed you meant you had replaced them AFTER the starting problem cropped up.

Here's something to try before your parts come in: Take out your spark plugs and burn off any carbon using a torch or a burner on your gas range. If you do this using an acetylene torch, use a slightly oxidizing flame and be very careful not to melt the electrodes. I'll bet your tractor will fire up with the cleaned plugs. Try starting initially with no choke and open throttle, as there's probably already plenty of fuel in the cylinders.

When you replace your plug wires, be sure to use resistance wires to protect your Pertronix unit.
 
> Yes I did replace the plugs but the plugs appear to be fouled already

OK, that's useful information. When plugs foul rapidly, it's because the mixture is really rich, or the combustion is poor. (They can also foul from oil burning, but that won't happen very quickly.) If you have a weak spark, then that will cause the plugs to foul and in short order they'll short out and quit firing completely.

Are all the plugs fouling equally? Or are one or two fouling out faster than the others?

Have you tried running a compression check? You can buy a compression tester at your local auto parts store for about thirty bucks that will tell you something about the condition of your motor. (I think that's what showcrop was getting at with his hourmeter questions.)
 
> What are resistance wires?

Resistance, resistor, carbon or suppression plug wires have a graphite conductor, while standard wires have a copper conductor. The resistance reduces the RF noise generated by the ignition system so it doesn't interfere with radios. All automotive spark plug wire sets are suppression, although hotrodders are known to sometimes use copper plug wires. If you buy OEM plug wires from New Holland, they will be resistor wires, but many aftermarket plug wire kits use copper core wires. I'm not sure whether YT sells resistor or copper core plug wires.

The type of plug wire is normally marked on the jacket. If you can't read it, just pull back one of the boots and examine the conductor. If it's a solid wire, it's copper. If it consists of multiple fine black threads, it's carbon.
 
Thanks for the follow-up. You might want to check those plugs for fouling after a couple of hours; there still might be a problem.
 

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