Hard to start this morning

With the help of many on here I was able to get my new 52 8 n tractor running smoothly yesterday, much appreciated! Went to pull into garage this
morning to finish up a little wiring and wouldn?t start! Is this normal for these n tractors to be hard to start on colder mornings? Is it possible that since I
made all the adjustments after running for quite a while and was warmed up good this is the reason it?s not wanting to start cold?

Hard starting in cold weather has a lot of likely causes. So take your time can read through this list. Oftentimes you will discover multiple problems.


No matter what else you do, the battery must be fully charged. A float charger is helpful; not a trickle charger, but a float charger. A battery charger, even a "trickle" charger, left unattended will eventually boil out a battery. I use float chargers for two reasons: battery longevity and a sure start. Battery sulfation occurs at a specific rate at "X" temperature. Over time, sulfation reduces battery performance and eventually its effects are irreversible. Sulfation of batteries starts when specific gravity falls below 1.225 or voltage measures less than 12.4 for a 12v battery, or 6.2 for a 6 volt battery. Sulfation hardens on the battery plates reducing and eventually destroying the ability of the battery to generate current. Using a float charger significantly reduces sulfation. Your battery loses 33 percent of its power when the temperature dips below freezing, and over 50 percent of its power when the temperature falls below zero. A fully charged battery will not freeze until -76?F; however, a fully discharged battery can start to freeze at 32?F. So??keep the battery fully charged! If you have a digital volt meter, 6.03 volts on a 6 volt battery and 12.06 volts on a 12 volt battery is only a 25% charge! I use Deltran battery tenders on all the tractors, the golf cart & 29 Ford. Pricey, but they work & have in-lines fuses. All are hard wired to the vehicles. (*see below)


If you need to jump it, see tip # 43. No, it doesn?t need to be 12v. Plenty of N?s start just fine on 6v in below 0* temps.


Clean grounds & battery terminals are always important. Don?t forget to loosen the starter from the block (see tip # 36) and polish the block & all starter mating surfaces w/ sandpaper to insure a good electrical ground.


If you can?t remember the last time you replaced the battery cables, it?s time to do it. Just because the terminals are clean doesn?t mean there is no corrosion under the insulation. And, this is another case where size matters (see tip # 41)


A charged battery, clean grounds & new cables aren?t going to mean much if the tractor needs a tune-up. At a minimum, every fall, remove the cap, check the points for pitting or burning, re-gap them & put a dab of lube on the cam. (BTW?..if you?ve wondered why some folks get years of use out of a set of points??.this is one of the reasons). See tips 66, 67 & 68.



Things that aren?t all that important in warm weather become serious when it gets cold?like timing. A few degrees of timing either way at 60 or 70* isn?t likely to result in a ?no-start? situation. Well, it can at 10 or 20*.
Check the timing! Yes, you can set the timing on a front distributor.



Distributor gaskets are important on a sidemount & critical on a frontmount.
As is the gasket under the coil. Just like with the battery cables?.if you can?t remember when you replaced the gaskets, do it this year.



Push the clutch in when you start the engine (tip # 29)



Oil viscosity can make a difference. If the tractor is going to be consistently operated below 20* F, switch to SAE 10w30; at 0* go to SAE 5w30.



Pull the air cleaner cup & check for ice.



Use a fuel stabilizer. I?ve used Marine Sta-Bil for years, but recently switched to Star Tron because Sta-Bil has a 1 year shelf life.



This tip won?t make it start easier, but it will make it run better: turn the main jet out ? to 1 full turn for cold weather operating. Cold air is denser so you need a richer mixture.



While each N has its own starting sequence, none of them will start well by just yanking out the choke rod & holding it out for 5 or 10 seconds while the engine cranks. This is a gravity fuel system on a low compression engine; it is easily flooded by too much choke.



Try this:



Key on, gas on 2 full turns, clutch in, 3/4 throttle, press the starter button. Let it crank for at least 3 - 4 seconds before you pull the choke rod. Then, don't hold it out for more than 2 or 3 seconds.



If you find out it will not start w/o excessive choking, you have problems.



If you flood it, the plugs are fouled & it will be it next to impossible to start. Replace the plugs. You don't need to toss them; heat the tips for a few seconds w/ a propane torch to burn off the invisible spark-robbing deposits from today's additive filled gasoline........or wash them in brake cleaner.



Folks who live in places a lot colder than I do here in VA will argue about battery blankets or magnetic oil pan heaters as compared to lower radiator hose heaters or dipstick heaters. While the consensus leans toward lower radiator hose heaters, I can?t offer a personal observation; the only thing I?ve ever used to heat an engine was a 100w light bulb laid against the intake manifold. Freeze plug heaters are difficult to find for N?s because of the limited space in the water jacket. Magnetic oil pan heaters on the intake manifold will help as well. And after you get it started, it will not run as well as it should in cold weather if the engine never gets to it's proper operating temperature. Use a thermostat! See tip # 25.



While water in gas today is unusual because of all the ethanol, it?s not unheard of. The problem stems from what?s called ?phase separation? in the gasoline. The alcohol binds to the water & it settles in the bottom of your tank. The way to mitigate that is to keep the tank FULL and use fuel stabilizer. Less air means less moisture in the tank for the alcohol to absorb. If you?re lucky enough to live in a state where you can buy ethanol free gas (and it does not require a bank loan to do it) then add alcohol to the gasoline. (e.g., ?HEET?) Otherwise, the 10% ethanol in the gas is more than enough to deal w/ the water.


And finally..............the tractor won't run very well with a cracked block! Check your anti-freeze; use a 50/50 mix of anti-freeze and distilled water.



* Battery Tender website: http://www.batterytender.com/
75 Tips

Thanks Bruce for the tips! First thing I did to tractor is converted to 12 volt. Also completely rewired with new harness and all other wires were new also including battery cables. Wiring was a mess! It is charging very well so I?m thinking battery is good. I also installed all new tune up components including carb! With you points mentioned though I adjusted timing and governor along with carburetor after warming up for an hour or so to smooth out how tractor was running. I?m thinking I might have done so in a way that makes it harder to start when cold. What do you think? I appreciate you referencing the 75 tips also......I need to go through them and read them again as I?ve already forgotten a few! (I?m so old) Any ways I really appreciate you taking Tim to give tips and advise! It is very helpful to someone who knows very little about these tractors !

All carbs are supposed to be adjusted when the engine is at operating temp, so that's not your problem.


Assuming you have a strong spark and a properly adjusted carb, the only other likely cause of hard starting is the operator.



Try the starting sequence I suggested which is essentially lay off of the choke.



If that doesn't work, post back.
75 Tips

First before we start, yes, it is your tractor and you can do anything you want to it ?just be sure you know what you are doing. Now, if you are a newbie to Ford Tractors, did you first get the essential owner/operator/parts/service manuals and read them/do some homework? You said, "...first thing I did to tractor is converted to 12 volt." Why? Was it running fine on the 6V system when you got it? If it wasn?t running, why would you buy a non-running tractor unless it was dirt cheap and no blown engine? Don?t succumb to the myth that 12V or even EI is a better system. Each has its merits, 12V but handful of legitimate good reasons to convert ?a weak/worn engine would be the biggest, but to just convert because you read it on it on a tractor board isn?t logical if it was running okay before. These Fords ran on 6V/POS GRN systems for a long time, even before the N?s were even around. Fellas began switching to 12 volts 20-30 years after they did come out; most at first probably because guys couldn?t figure out the 6V system. I have never had a need to convert to 12V and it started in cold weather fine. Replacing parts without a good reason, testing is the usual method, is not the normal/logical way to proceed. You say the wiring was a mess so okay, that is acceptable but, you also did a 12V switch over job so ?was it done/wired correctly? Most non starting issues are due to mucked up wiring regardless if 6V or 12V. Bruce has given lots of good info. Don?t assume because the battery was purchased last July it is good. Get it tested at a starter shop or auto parts store. Having the correct battery and the correct cables matters big time. You should use a good brand GRP 25 or GRP 35 battery, 650 CCA or better. Start there and then verify the wiring is all correct. Your ?52 will have the angle (side) mount distributor. The OEM generator and voltage regulator should be gone, out of the circuit completely, and a 12V alternator installed. If using the OEM 6V round coil, you need the external ceramic 1-OHM resistor. If you switch to a 12V coil, you do not use the external resistor. Also, if you have lights, often times they get wired incorrectly as well and can cause issues. Lights were accessories, never OEM installed. You can disconnect them while you troubleshoot the electrical system. Like this:

Tim,
The whole 6V/12V debate has been discussed and debated ad nauseam.
Both systems have their merits.
A tractor owner does not need a reason that meets Your definition of 'good' to convert
any more than he needs a reason that meets your definition of 'good' to stay 6 volts.
"Because I read it on a tractor board", "Because I like original",
"Because I only use my tractor to start my RC airplanes"
"Because my grandpa said so"
"Because my wife won't sleep with me"
"Because Mike and Willie said"
"Because my tinfoil hat only operates on 12v"
"Because my dog likes it better"
"I got a random text that said to"
"After saying 400 Rosaries I had a vision"
"A goat ate the wires"
"An alternator matches my earings better"
"My son's mohel said to"
"Because I won the Powerball"
I could go on and on.
There really is but one reason needed and it covers both sides of the debate.
One reason that should end all this constant haranguing about it.
"Because I want to."
That my friend, is reason enough for you, me and everybody here - both individually and collectively.
It is time to stop second guessing everybody and requiring that they justify their decision.
It is time to move on from this topic.

Thanks for the response Tim. Bought tractor for 200 dollars from my brother-in-law (felt like that was a good price) and the tractor was running when parked with the exception of charging system. Also according to him the carburetor was a issue. Battery was very old also. He borrowed another one and ended up buying it so never messed with this one. When saying wiring was a mess I meant there was a lot of bare wires that was repaired with black electric tape, looked like 3 or 4 rolls to me. So I figured with repairs to generator, wiring,and new battery it might be cost effective to change to 12 volt with the kit from yesterday?s tractors. The wiring diagram is actually one used when I rewired,along with the one sent with kit. Have the manual ordered and have done a lot of reading on this site and others and yes felt I would rather use the 12 volt system than repairing 6 volts system( but I don?t know maybe mistake on my part) as far as battery goes it was bought about a week ago and also tested good yesterday morning. When rewiring I doubled and tripled checked then checked again to make sure I didn?t put a wire in the wrong place. Voltage regulator is in box with all the other old parts. Lights are all wired but am waiting on hooking them up until tractor is running good. I?ve looked at a lot of tractors for sale for 900 to 2000 around here and honestly looked to be in the same condition as this one. Tractor was running really good Sunday with exception of a little smoke ( previous owner said uses oil) so that is why I was surprised when wouldn?t start Monday morning.

Hi Elbert, you got good advice from the other very knowledgeable guys. Since you are new to the N tractor world, I'll ask this. Did you close the fuel shut off when you left the tractor yesterday. It's a good habit to get into. If your answer is no, than it may have flooded. You could pull the spark plugs and see if they are wet, if so dry them out and try starting him with no choke, maybe even some starting fluid sprayed into the carburetor intake.

Jim thanks for the tip I do always shut off the fuel when turning off tractor

Bruce , I went back and checked firing and discovered my points were burnt. I replaced them and tractor started right up. Ran it for about 5 to 10 minutes and turned it off and wouldn?t start back up. I am thinking my points burned out again. Sunday while working on it I also discovered my new points were fried . This is the third set of points. I was advised from yesterday?s tractor to go to oreilies and purchase a coil for a 72 Chevy truck as I wasn?t happy using the 6 volt coil with the resister while doing the conversion. I do not have a ballasted resister or in-line resister in the system. Do you think this is why my points are burning up?

Chances are the points are burning up because you have cheap points, wrong gap or are leaving the key on. Or all 3.

Go to NAPA and get an IC14SB 12 volt coil . Do NOT use any resistor. And get a set of Echlin points while you are there, CS35.

Gap is .025. Turn the key off.
75 Tips

Thanks Bruce I will find a Napa store tomorrow and do that. As far as leaving the key on I think I burnt my first set like that but for sure the last two key was turned off. I?m also very careful on setting gap at .025 I appreciate the part numbers and the help!

i have not changed points in my side mount 50 for several years. I use NAPA points. HAve you replaced the condenser? They used to come as a set, points and condenser but no longer.

I changed condenser when I first done tune up but haven?t done so
with the last two sets of points. The condenser came from
yesterday?s tractor

I don't care where you bought the points from, they should not burn out that fast. You have other problems than bad points.

Could it have been the wrong coil ?

"Because I won the Powerball"

I keep waiting, but they say I need to buy a ticket first? LOL

I always shut my fuel valve and wait for it to start to die then turn the key off. seem to work better for me that way.

No. The wrong coil did not burn up your points.
75 Tips