1020 gas with fuel / starting problem

Chad Tanner · Jan 30, 2019

I recently picked up a 1020 gas tractor at auction for a winter restoration project. I believe it to be a 1973 model with serial # 168846T

The tractor started very easily at the auction, just a split second on the starter and it fired right up. The engine sounds great, no smoke and has very crisp throttle response.
I come back a few hours later, same thing, starts so fast that you don't hear the engine turn over. I get it home several hours later, starts the same way.

The next day, it's in a heated building, it fires right up again but immediately dies and just cranks over like it's never going to start again. I hit it with a couple shots of ether and it fires right up. I can shut it off and it will start again very easily. I can let it set for several hours and it will start again very easily. If I let it set over night, it fires right up then dies and just cranks over after that. To conserve the starter and battery, I shoot it with ether and it fires right up.

Whatever is happening here is 100% consistent and repeatable every time.

I appreciate any help I'm given
Thanks....
Chad

MSD · Jan 30, 2019

Fuel leaking out of carb? Fuel pump loosing it's prime? Try pumping the fuel pump up before starting with ether and see if that does it.

Chad Tanner · Jan 30, 2019

(quoted from post at 15:59:18 01/30/19) Fuel leaking out of carb? Fuel pump loosing it's prime? Try pumping the fuel pump up before starting with ether and see if that does it.

There's no fuel leaking from the carb.

I did'nt know anything about "pumping the fuel pump up" Is there like a primer or something on the fuel pump?

Chad Tanner · Jan 30, 2019

[/quote]

I should have said " it's not obvious that the carb is leaking gas"

I don't see any drips and the outside of the carb appears to be relatively clean/ dry

Chad Tanner · Jan 30, 2019

[/quote]

I should have said " it's not obvious that the carb is leaking gas"

I don't see any drips and the outside of the carb appears to be relatively clean/ dry

Chad Tanner · Jan 30, 2019

[/quote]

I should have said " it's not obvious that the carb is leaking gas"

I don't see any drips and the outside of the carb appears to be relatively clean/ dry

MSD · Jan 30, 2019

Should be a primer lever on the side of the pump if I remember right.

8850dave · Jan 31, 2019

Check electric fuel solenoid on the carburetor

Briar Hill Brittanys · Jan 31, 2019

Might check the screen on the carb inlet. The one on my 66 1020 was plugged, but not completely. There is also a screen on the tank shutoff. Hope this helps.

Chad Tanner · Feb 1, 2019

Thanks for the help and suggestions. It was a really nice day here in Missouri! I was able to take the tractor out and put it through it's paces. This was my first chance to really get familiar with the machine since I got it.

It was over 50 degrees outside today and the tractor refuses to start as normal. I hit it with a couple shots of ether and it fires right up. I let it warm up, shut it off, it starts right up again with only a split second of cranking. This engine sounds fantastic! It's so quite and runs so smooth! The oil is dirty black, the oil filter is marked July 2018. Even though the oil is dirty from use, it shows no signs of coolant contamination. There's never been even a hint of smoke out of the exhaust! The blow by tube is relatively clean, no oil dripping or smoke coming out of it.

So....As I mentioned, It was time to put it through it's paces. I quickly realized the problem! This old engine really had me fooled! It's just worn smooth out!

When under a load, It quickly began pushing coolant out of the overflow. I started noticing white smoke out of the exhaust, especially in a hard pull working the governor. By the time that we got back in the building, it was chugging some smoke out of the blow by tube. I should have known, It's got 7100 hours on the clock.

I still love the tractor, It's just hard to explain to my wife that our $1200 budget and plans to give this old tractor a cosmetic facelift just changed. Looks like we'll be doing an in frame overhaul before and along with the facelift and....I'm desperately lobbying to get a new spending bill passed for this project with a much higher debt ceiling!

I'm starting the tear down in the morning and working on this project all weekend.

Chad Tanner · Feb 2, 2019

(quoted from post at 19:58:27 02/01/19)
Thanks for the help and suggestions. It was a really nice day here in Missouri! I was able to take the tractor out and put it through it's paces. This was my first chance to really get familiar with the machine since I got it.

It was over 50 degrees outside today and the tractor refuses to start as normal. I hit it with a couple shots of ether and it fires right up. I let it warm up, shut it off, it starts right up again with only a split second of cranking. This engine sounds fantastic! It's so quite and runs so smooth! The oil is dirty black, the oil filter is marked July 2018. Even though the oil is dirty from use, it shows no signs of coolant contamination. There's never been even a hint of smoke out of the exhaust! The blow by tube is relatively clean, no oil dripping or smoke coming out of it.

So....As I mentioned, It was time to put it through it's paces. I quickly realized the problem! This old engine really had me fooled! It's just worn smooth out!

When under a load, It quickly began pushing coolant out of the overflow. I started noticing white smoke out of the exhaust, especially in a hard pull working the governor. By the time that we got back in the building, it was chugging some smoke out of the blow by tube. I should have known, It's got 7100 hours on the clock.

I still love the tractor, It's just hard to explain to my wife that our $1200 budget and plans to give this old tractor a cosmetic facelift just changed. Looks like we'll be doing an in frame overhaul before and along with the facelift and....I'm desperately lobbying to get a new spending bill passed for this project with a much higher debt ceiling!

I'm starting the tear down in the morning and working on this project all weekend.

I started pulling the sheet metal off today. I also done a compression test on each cylinder along with inspection of the spark plugs.
I was surprised by the results of the compression test! it's showing 140 pounds on all three cylinders! the test was done dry, cranking 5 compression strokes for each test. I repeated the test twice on each cylinder and came up with 140 pounds every time.

I've orderd a shop manual that hasn't arrived yet, so I don't know what the specs are for this engine. I'm thinking that 140 pounds is great! Can someone tell me what the factory pressure would have been?

The spark plugs are showing very hot or very lean. I found out the temp gauge is not working and the engine seems to get hot while the radiator is still cool. The coolant pushed out the over flow is very foamy. I removed the thermostat and tested it in a pot of hot water, it seems to be working.

I was thinking that the starting issue was due to low compression, however. It sure looks like it has good compression.

To follow up on the suggestions....My fuel pump has no priming lever and the carb has no electric solenoid.

Chad Tanner · Feb 2, 2019

(quoted from post at 06:20:30 01/31/19) Might check the screen on the carb inlet. The one on my 66 1020 was plugged, but not completely. There is also a screen on the tank shutoff. Hope this helps.

I'll be looking into this tomorrow. What were the symptoms that led you to find the partly clogged screens?

Chad Tanner · Feb 2, 2019

(quoted from post at 06:20:30 01/31/19) Might check the screen on the carb inlet. The one on my 66 1020 was plugged, but not completely. There is also a screen on the tank shutoff. Hope this helps.

I'll be looking into this tomorrow. What were the symptoms that led you to find the partly clogged screens?

Briar Hill Brittanys · Feb 4, 2019

It started running rough, and dying. Then it would be hard to start. Found the carb inlet screen with "stuff" plugging in troubleshooting. Drained the tank, had to replace the shut-off, replaced the screen at the carb, and it's run great ever since. The solenoid on the carb doesn't work, so I just let it idle down for a short spell after working it. Seldom have a "dieseling" problem. Hope this helps.

buickanddeere · Feb 4, 2019

The fuel screen is hidden inside the fuel line elbow just prior to the carb.

1020 gas with fuel / starting problem

Chad Tanner

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MSD

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Chad Tanner

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Chad Tanner

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Chad Tanner

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Chad Tanner

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Chad Tanner

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