Model 50 engine problems

Hotstart1

New User
Hello everyone, new guy here so please go easy on me.

I married into a small farm in the pacific northwest two years ago. All of our equipment is 40s and 50s vintage. We primarily bale hay. Our 50 usually runs a small disc mower. Last year while in the field, the 50 decided to start running rough regardless of throttle setting. We limped it back home and i started tearing into it. We replaced the coil, ignition wires, distributor, plugs, basically the whole ignition system. The engine still ran rough so I dug deeper.
We have since rebuilt the carburetor and heads, and set valve lash to .022 cold. The only problem is now the engine wont start at all. When we roll it over, it coughs and occasionally backfires out of the carburetor. Im at a loss as to what to check next. Any pointers would be appreciated.
 
When you say "distributor" do you mean the entire distributor or just points and capacitor (condensor for non electricals)? Replacing the entire dist may have created a timing issue. Did you rebuild the carb yourself? Does it have the gas shutoff that is operated by oil pressure? Just some questions to help the "gurus" here who may be able to help.
 
(quoted from post at 10:36:30 04/17/19) Have you reversed the spark plug wires? Could be your problem.
We looked at the leads and I dont think they're reversed. It seems like an ignition or timing issue to me though.
 
Sorry I meant just the points, condensor and rotor. We had the carburetor overhauled by someone who knows these carburetors better than we do. Same goes for the head.
 
When I had my B professionally painted he
also painted a 50 at the same time. The
gentleman with the 50 and I picked up the
tractors together. The owner of the paint
shop was pulling the 50 all over trying to
get it to start. All they got was a cough
and backfire. Just for kicks I changed the
plug wires at the distributor and it
popped right off. Hope your's does the
same thing.
 
(quoted from post at 12:17:03 04/17/19) When I had my B professionally painted he
also painted a 50 at the same time. The
gentleman with the 50 and I picked up the
tractors together. The owner of the paint
shop was pulling the 50 all over trying to
get it to start. All they got was a cough
and backfire. Just for kicks I changed the
plug wires at the distributor and it
popped right off. Hope your's does the
same thing.
I'll give it a try when i get home tonight.
 
When I got my 50 home I got it to start and
it ran less then a minute then it literally
covered me with oil out of the muffler I
thought it had busted rings or something
thought I would be over hauling the motor
for sure come to find out it sat in the
tool shed for five years so I started to
tare it apart I took the oil bath air cup
and long and be hold soybeans came rolling
out on to the floor the mice had been
living in there for years the oil that was
coming out of the muffler was from the oil
bath cup needless to say it runs great now
might check yours
 
Something else i forgot to mention was that the oil was getting fuel in it before this problem started. We did a routine oil change and pulled probably a pint of gas out of the case.
 
Update time!
I checked the breather and intake for obstructions and swapped the ignition leads with no luck. Decided to pull the distributor completely off and found a couple stripped teeth.
 
Was it gas or water in the crankcase? Water separates from the oil and goes to the bottom of the crankcase so its easy to measure. Gasoline mixes with the oil and stays mixed. Gasoline in the oil raises the oil level and makes the oil smell like gasoline along with thinning the oil. If your 50 has the manual shutoff valve at the sediment bowl the only way gas can get in the oil is if the gas is left on at the sediment bowl and carburetor runs over and leakes into a cylinder while the engine isn t running. Its very common for that to happen with a Waterloo built two cylinder gas tractor.
 

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