New Ford Owner Please Help

Hello all. Just got my first Ford tractor and Ive run into a problem. I tore it down to the block to replace a camshaft timing gear that had been stripped. I just installed a pertronix electronic ignition and my engine wont start. All it does is backfire through the carburetor and Im just not sure where to go from here. Im fairly certain the tractor is mechanically timed correctly and I do feel I timed the distributer correctly but still no start. Just backfiring through the carb. No idea where to go from here. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

8N, 9N, 2N?
If side-mount distributor, you most likely have the distributor out of time. There are two 0* marks on the flywheel - ensure you get the one nearest TDC on #1 cylinder (front of engine) compression stroke. The rotor should point at the corner head bolt if everything is installed correctly.
I have a Pertronix (tm) on my 8N with about 250 hours on it now - no problems at all. zuhnc

Are you sure you have the firing order
correct?

Welcome aboard but the first tools you need to invest in are the ESSENTIAL MANUALS. You also need to tell us what style of N you have -does it have the 39-50 front
mount distributor or the later 8N angle mount distributor. They are of different wiring. Why did you install EI? Granted, it is your tractor and you can do whatever
you want. It doesn't matter if OEM 6V/POS GRN, or 12V/NEG GRN switch over job, or an EI switch out job, just be sure it is wired correctly for that system. You need a
copy of the original owner manual, the I&T FO-4 manual, and a 39-52 MPC to start with. Know too that 99.98% of all non-starting issues are due to mucked up wiring.
Firing order in front and side N's is 1,2.4,3 CCW but DIST is timed much differently on each. You also need to consult your EI manufacturer and verify you followed his
wiring correctly. If you have a front mount distributor you could have reinstalled it 180 deg off which would have done severe damage to the unit and rendered it junk.
Ya gotta get the manuals if'N ya wanna be an N owner.


FORD 9N/2N ESSENTIAL OWNER/OPERATOR/PARTS/SERVICE MANUALS:

FORD 8N TRACTOR ESSENTIAL OWNER/OPERATOR/PARTS/SERVICE MANUALS:

Tim Daley(MI)

I believe it is a 9n thats what I was told. It has running boards but its a 3 speed so I do believe its a 9n. I have a front mount distributor.

if youre referring to the spark plug wires yes I do have the correct firing order.

I spoke with a rep from pertronix (ei manufacturer) and installed it per his instructions. I do have a manual for the 9n although I honestly havent opened it yet.

I timed the distributer correctly

Considering that it's impossible to set the timing on a frontmount w/ EI.......... just what exactly did you do? Pertronix says to center the plate; is that what
you did?

Firing order is 1-2-4-3, CCW. Double check that with an ohmeter because visually tracing the wires through the conduit is impossible. Numbers are on the cap.

fairly certain the tractor is mechanically timed correctly meaning you correctly aligned the index marks on the crank and new gear?
75 Tips

....

It's a front mount distributor, so there are no timing marks on the flywheel. Pull the plugs, rotate the engine till number one (front) cylinder comes up on compression. Observe that the rotor is pointing at the number one tower on the cap. If not then the cam timing is not right. If you firmly believe that the timing is correct, the firing order is correct, then remove the E.I. and install a set of points and condenser if needed.

(quoted from post at 12:40:09 08/24/21) It's a front mount distributor, so there are no timing marks on the flywheel. Pull the plugs, rotate the engine till number one (front) cylinder comes up on compression. Observe that the rotor is pointing at the number one tower on the cap. If not then the cam timing is not right. If you firmly believe that the timing is correct, the firing order is correct, then remove the E.I. and install a set of points and condenser if needed.

Click to expand...

^ THIS...

OK, we've established you have a front mount distributor. Forget about the other stuff, whether a 9N or 2N or 8N, as the trans has nothing to do with electrical. You
still didn't tell us if 6V or 12V or any more about the setup. The front mount distributor setup also uses the OEM Ballast Resistor regardless if 6V/POS GRN or if a 12V
switch over job was done. Also, if still 6V, you would be using a 1-Wire/3-Brush 11 AMP A Circuit Generator with the roundcan cutout. If a 12V job, you'd swap out the
GEN for an ALT and delete the cutout. Either one requires a fan belt tensioning device otherwise you will never charge the battery. The front mount DIST must be removed
from the tractor/engine and tuned up and timed off on your workbench. When mounting the DIST to teh cam shaft on engine. You MUST get it set correctly. If you force it
down 180 DEG off, you will bust the base (SEE PIC) the second power is applied and render it junk. I don't muck with EI so can't help ya there. You really do nee to get
a copy of the CLYMER I&T FO-4 Manual and the 39-53 MPC. Get a copy of Wiring Pictograms by JMOR and 75 Tips for N Owners by Bruce(VA). The ESSENTIAL MANUALS are needed
to do other basic PM jobs as well.

FORD FRONT MOUNT DISTRIBUTOR WHEN MOUNTED 180 OFF:

Tim Daley(MI)

. So it was a kind of half assed 12v conversion when I got it and I completed that. It is now a 12v negative ground with no ballast resistor (per the pertronix installation instructions) and an alternator. I dont have a conduit so I can clearly see my spark plugs are wired in the correct firing order. I did line up the marks correctly on the timing gears Im sure of that. I guess I will try getting new points and a condenser considering thats something I havent tried considering the points it came with were shot to hell. Is there any chance backfiring through the carb could be anything other than a timing issue? If so what could it be?

If you do put points and condenser in it, it will have to have the ballast resister. All front mount distributors need the OEM ballast resister regardless of the voltage.
I went back and read through all the posts on this. I never saw where you said you were getting a good strong spark at the spark plugs. It may not be an ignition problem at all. Are the plugs wet? Are you getting gas through the carburetor? Have you tried using starting fluid?

Sure, could be a valve issue, gasket issue, cracked distributor cap, even lean mixture can contribute

This post was edited by Smokeonthewater on 08/25/2021 at 03:46 pm.