53 NAA cranking then dying immediately

AlyM · Sep 12, 2022

This has happened on and off since I got it, but it's not starting back up now. I'm still struggling through learning about tractors in general.

Recently purchased (actually traded a vehicle for this tractor). Not a pro - I'm just a young adult trying to manage my home. I've got 10 acres of land to mow and that's all I'm using this tractor for at this moment. I had to replace the fuel bulb assembly due to leaking, and the tractor worked for at least a couple hours since then.

I know the basic idea is an engine needs three things to run: fuel, air, and spark. I know we're getting fuel - I've turned the bulb assembly to all the way on, to the point I can see fresh fuel being injected into the bulb. It is now full. There is gasoline in the tank. Likely around 1/4th full.

I can turn the key and you hear the engine turning over, plus see exhaust (non colored, just can see it blowing the grass below), and see the fan turning over. However, it doesn't continue after turning the key. To me, that indicates the battery and key / cranking is fine.

I have turned the PTO off before cranking, I have checked the oil and hydraulic fluids, the temperature of the engine is fine and we have let it set over night to make sure. I have attempted cranking with and without pulling the choke.

I never grew up on a farm and have very little know-how in these subjects. I am not understanding many of the things I hear people say. I don't know what to do with spark plugs to test them, but I Know that's one of the "three" things I need to verify. I did check the air oil cup and it wasn't full or dirty.

Any advice is welcome, please go gently on me, I'm trying my best to learn but I don't have the background nor a mentor to help me. I'm relying on manuals and the internet.

If you look at my previous posts, the last post I made was regarding this same tractor & I took everyone's advice and have the bush hog all the way up (1.5+ft off the ground), tilted down in the front by about 2+ inches, sharpened blades, and put a screen in front of the radiator where I keep it brushed down often so it doesn't overheat. These suggestions have worked well for the two days I mowed, each about 1 hr of run time. The first day I ran it, I ran it in too deep grass and it died out like I'm describing above and wouldn't crank but the next day after letting it set over night it cranked right back up. The second day I didn't make that mistake and it ran just fine the whole time until I put the tractor up. The third day it made about 10 minutes and died and wouldn't crank back up; and still the next day later it still will not crank. It died just cutting like normal.

Bruce (VA) · Sep 12, 2022

You need to tell us first if it is 6v or 12v.

These tractors are amazingly simple machines; they are over 70 years old and were designed to be maintained by the operator.

Some basic troubleshooting skills and a few common tools will get them running.

Butyour friends (and maybe your experience ) will often get in the way of fixing your tractor. Rarely are guesses like It's the coil helpful. We can
make a long list of possible causes for the tractor not running and start picking our favorite to check out. Or, we can step back and recognize that the
trick to fixing these tractors (or trouble shooting any piece of equipment) is to be systematic about it. You need to isolate the problem system by
system, step by step and work from most likely to least likely and replace parts only when you confirm they are defective. Jumping ahead to 'so-and-so
said it could be whatever' or just replacing parts will waste your time and your money.

It takes three things for an engine to run: spark at the right time, compression, & gas/air in the right mixture. Compression is easy; check it with a
gauge. But, you don't lose compression overnight, so if your tractor won't start, or suddenly cuts off, forget about compression for the moment, &
concentrate on narrowing the problem to fuel or spark. If you don't do that, you are going to end up chasing your tail around that tractor & spending a
boatload of money to fix what could easily be a loose wire or a clogged fuel tank vent. I offer this advice from personal experience because I am not a
magician. I do not have the magical ability to simply diagnose the problem & go right to the fix. And I dont like playing guessing games either. So,
whenever my tractors stop, I confirm both spark & fuel then go from there.

I might not be capable of telling you why your tractor isn't running, but I sure can tell you how to figure it out for yourself.

Bottom line:

Does the tractor have a spark that will jump 1/4 in open air?*

Will the gas drain out of the carb bowl in a steady stream and fill a pint jar in less than 2 minutes?

How do I know this part is defective?

These are the questions you need answered as soon as it stops running and before you attempt any repairs or buy a new part.

*If you dont own a spark checker w/ an adjustable gap, ( NOT a light) buy one. In the meantime, an old spark plug w/ the gap opened to at least will
work. Ground it to a rust & paint free spot on the engine turn the key on & look for a spark.
Amazon.com: Coil-on Plug Spark Tester Adjustable Ignition Spark Plug Tester Ignition Spark Test Tool : Automotive
Yesterday's Tractors - Fifty Tips for Ford 9N, 2N and 8N Tractors (now 75 Tips!) (yesterdaystractors.com)
75 Tips

HFJ · Sep 12, 2022

(quoted from post at 17:45:43 09/12/22) I have turned the PTO off before cranking

it's a good idea to step on the clutch too. it won't fix your problem, but it won't make it worse

Jim L WA · Sep 12, 2022

"I can turn the key and you hear the engine turning over, plus see exhaust (non colored, just can see it blowing the grass below), and see the fan turning over. However, it doesn't continue after turning the key. To me, that indicates the battery and key / cranking is fine."

Bruce (Va), has given you excellent advice. You should print out a copy of his 75 tips.

Just to clarify, Your title says it's cranking then dying and the part that I copied over makes it sound like it's starting but won't keep running. There is a difference between cranking via the stater motor and running. Is that what it's doing?

Tim PloughNman Daley RIP · Sep 13, 2022

6V or 12V? First thing is to take the battery to shop and have it tested on their machine under load. ...However, it doesn't continue after turning the key. To me,
that indicates the battery and key / cranking is fine... How do you determine that if it stops cranking or just clicks? Forget about fluids and anything else ---
electrical is the issue right now. Get The ESSENTIAL MANUALS.

FORD NAA OEM OWNERS MANUAL & OTHER INFO:

CLYMER/I&T FO-19 SHOP REPAIR MANUAL FORD NAA 53-54:

FORD TRACTOR 1953-1959 MASTER PARTS CATALOG:

Tim Daley(MI)

AlyM · Sep 13, 2022

Let's see what I can address...
1. The battery is 12v. I've got it on charge now
2. I'm posting pics of the oil cup and it had almost no oil in it. I'll clean and add oil.
3. Also posting pic of the air intake. Very dirty. Should I clean it?
4. neighbor came over and said it isn't firing. Not sure what that means.
5. I will check the spark plugs after I charge the battery back up
Once I do those things I'll report back... sorry for the lack of understanding. I am trying my best

This post was edited by AlyM on 09/13/2022 at 04:52 pm.

R Geiger · Sep 13, 2022

(quoted from post at 17:49:38 09/13/22) Let's see what I can address...
1. The battery is 12v. I've got it on charge now
2. I'm posting pics of the oil cup and it had almost no oil in it. I'll clean and add oil.
3. Also posting pic of the air intake. Very dirty. Should I clean it?
4. neighbor came over and said it isn't firing. Not sure what that means.
5. I will check the spark plugs after I charge the battery back up
Once I do those things I'll report back... sorry for the lack of understanding. I am trying my best

This post was edited by AlyM on 09/13/2022 at 04:52 pm.

With the air intake that dirty, it would be like having the choke on all the time, clean it already, clean the oil resviovor and clean the element inside of the aircleaner canister. the first photo is where you add oil to the engine, nothing to do with your problem.

AlyM · Sep 15, 2022

Latest updates...
went out and towed the tractor back to my carport so I could work on it without being eaten by mosquitos.
Pulled spark plugs out and tested each one - they worked well. A bit dirty though, photos attached.
Cleaned off that dirty thing and realized it wasn't mesh underneath, like I expected, so I opened it up and took pictures. I thought this was air intake but I'm not sure honestly what this is.
Took the screen off the side of the tractor above where the oil cup is located and looked inside. It was dirty. I'm going to get in and clean it today. Haven't figured out what the carburetor exactly is because I keep seeing that I need to remove the screw there and see if fuel is pouring out at a good rate, but I don't know exactly what that is. Will figure it out though.
Took a video of it cranking so you can hear it...

https://youtube.com/shorts/wZ4anCB2db0

heres a previous video I took of it running, before I fixed the leaky sediment bowl
https://youtu.be/fvnLRlVeYL8

This post was edited by AlyM on 09/15/2022 at 06:41 am.

Jim L WA · Sep 15, 2022

AlyM, Good update. Trace the fuel line from the sediment bowl. It will lead you to the carbruater. The plug to remove is at the bottom of the carbruater.
Those spark plugs are fouled with soot, indicating the fuel mixture is too rich, probably from plugged up air cleaner or it could just be the carbruater is set too rich.
Once you determine you have good fuel flow THROUGH the carbruater, then you need to check for spark.
With the key turned on, pull the coil wire, the one that goes into the center of the distributor cap from that cap and while holding it about a 1/4 inch from a clean spot on the engine (don't hold the end of it), crank the engine and watch for spark. Let us know what you found.

AlyM · Sep 15, 2022

With the key turned on, pull the coil wire, the one that goes into the center of the distributor cap from that cap and while holding it about a 1/4 inch from a clean spot on the engine (don't hold the end of it), crank the engine and watch for spark. Let us know what you found.

What I did yesterday, which I thought was how you check for spark, is I pulled the spark plugs out one at a time, and held the spark plug 1/4" from a piece of metal on the tractor (the hood or engine), plugged in to the wire still, and turned the key over to see if it sparked.
All plugs did spark properly.
Was that not correct?

HFJ · Sep 15, 2022

(quoted from post at 13:42:05 09/15/22)
What I did yesterday, which I thought was how you check for spark, is I pulled the spark plugs out one at a time, and held the spark plug 1/4" from a piece of metal on the tractor (the hood or engine), plugged in to the wire still, and turned the key over to see if it sparked.
All plugs did spark properly.
Was that not correct?

that's good, Aly. the spark u see from each plug came from the coil, showing the coil to be working.

Jim L WA · Sep 15, 2022

(quoted from post at 09:42:05 09/15/22)

What I did yesterday, which I thought was how you check for spark, is I pulled the spark plugs out one at a time, and held the spark plug 1/4" from a piece of metal on the tractor (the hood or engine), plugged in to the wire still, and turned the key over to see if it sparked.
All plugs did spark properly.
Was that not correct?

Click to expand...

Like HFJ said, you did good. you are getting spark to the plugs. However I take it that the spark jumped from the plug to the metal piece on the tractor? If so, this is a miner issue but you should reverse the small wires on top of the coil. The spark is supposed to jump from the center electrode in the spark plug to the little tang above it while holding the outside of the plug against metal. But that's not your problem right now.

What about the fuel flow test?

AlyM · Sep 16, 2022

Y'all, I am embarrassed. I feel like a fool.
Perhaps though, there may be something wrong, and you guys can help me with it... First, let me describe what happened last night.

I took the whole air cleaning system off and cleaned the heck out of it. Refilled that oil cup, put it back up. Unscrewed the bolt below the carb, one drop of fuel came out. Well there's the issue, right??
Unscrew the line to the carb where the fuel screen should be?? Not a drop of fuel coming out. Okay, further back. Go back to the sediment bowl. Unscrew the fuel line from there, not a single drop comes out...
Did the sediment bowl set up get clogged? Unscrewed it from the tractor, had a funnel ready to catch the fuel from the tank and pour it into the gas can so I could put it back after I fixed the issue....

..... nothing came out...

Okay, I know I checked that there was fuel before I started all this... Checked again, and yes there's about 1" of fuel in there. Less than I thought originally, but there's still fuel in there.

Maybe there's a clog? Stuck a stick up the hole under the tank and it goes thru easily. Not clogged.. My fiance suggests the obvious - just add more gas... so we do.. and it works.

So the issue was definitely not getting fuel... but there was an inch of fuel in the tank, so can someone help me figure out how this tank is set up? I know there's 1 gallon reserve somehow, and I am not understanding how it is designed. There's also some garbage in the tank that I'd like to get out, if there's a way to open it up.

Jim L WA · Sep 16, 2022

Don't feel like a fool. I'm sure you aren't the first person to try to trouble shoot a non starting problem and was out of gas.
Here is how the system works. That stem that goes up into the gas tank has a filter on the lower portion of it. When the gas tank is full the valve is supposed to be only open two full turns. That lets the fuel come down through the top portion of the stem into the bowl and then into the carbruater. When the fuel level gets low, about 1-2 gallons left, (this was the reserve level.) The tractor would run out of gas and the operator would then open the valve all the way and now the reserve gas can run out through the filter on the lower portion of the stem. That filter is there to catch any sediment floating around near the bottom of the tank.
So, you have learned quite a bit about your tractor. Fill the tank and get on with your tractor work.
Also it's a good idea to close that valve when you park the tractor for over night or longer. That way if the needle and seat in the carbruater aren't up to snuff, you wound loose gas or have it run up into the engine and into the crank case.

This post was edited by Jim L WA on 09/16/2022 at 09:51 am.

jimtrs · Sep 16, 2022

(quoted from post at 12:10:57 09/16/22) Y'all, I am embarrassed. I feel like a fool ..... My fiance suggests the obvious - just add more gas... so we do.. and it works.

You are not the first, and won't be the last to overlook the obvious

So the issue was definitely not getting fuel... but there was an inch of fuel in the tank, so can someone help me figure out how this tank is set up? I know there's 1 gallon reserve somehow, and I am not understanding how it is designed

After 70 something years, who knows what you have for a sediment bowl assembly. The original, and correct replacements, will have a stand pipe about an inch high up into the fuel tank. Once fuel reaches this level, you are out of fuel. The original idea of the standpipe was to allow you to open the valve fully, then you would be allowing fuel in from the base of the standpipe, through a screen. This would be your "reserve". Enough to get back to the barn. Problem is it rarely gets used and gets clogged up solid.

There's also some garbage in the tank that I'd like to get out, if there's a way to open it up.

Nope. Suck it out, dob it out, remove the fuel tank, invert it and flush it out, etc. or just leave it be.

This below, is your crankcase breather. it allows your crankcase to be vented to atmosphere. The filament keeps oil droplets from escaping allowing mostly just vapor to vent.

HFJ · Sep 16, 2022

(quoted from post at 13:52:51 09/16/22) After 70 something years, who knows what you have for a sediment bowl assembly. The original, and correct replacements, will have a stand pipe about an inch high up into the fuel tank. Once fuel reaches this level, you are out of fuel. The original idea of the standpipe was to allow you to open the valve fully, then you would be allowing fuel in from the base of the standpipe, through a screen. This would be your "reserve". Enough to get back to the barn. Problem is it rarely gets used and gets clogged up solid.

my tank has some rust and the reserve opening was plugged when i got it. i ended up replacing the sediment bowl assembly, and the new one plugged up as i was backing out of the pole barn after installing it.

i have a sediment bowl listed for an Allis-Chalmers installed now. works great, no reserve. now the tractor (2N) runs out of gas with about a half inch of gas in it, as opposed to the inch the Ford designed bowl ran out with.

AlyM · Sep 17, 2022

I am using a factory replacement sediment bowl, and that makes logical sense on why there's 1" of gas and it isn't getting it all. Good info there.

Follow up question. How much fuel should the tractor be using? I see troubleshooting advice for if the tractor is using more than average fuel intake what to look at... well, I don't know what average is.
It goes thru about 5 gallons of gas in about 1.5-2 hrs run time, first gear, brush hogging. Is that "average"? Is that low? I don't know.

I appreciate all y'all's help. Thank you all.

Jim L WA · Sep 17, 2022

I'm not sure but that seems a little high. I brush hog on second gear on my NAA. I don't think I go through that much gas.
I remember seeing the photo of your spark plugs and they looked like the engine is running too rich. You could try turning the large adjustment screw on the carburetor in (clockwise) 1/4 turn and see it that helps. It's the screw towards the front just above where the fuel inlet elbow is.

JMOR · Sep 17, 2022

You can do the same thing I did, research the Nebraska Tractor Test for your NAA. I expect it to be a little more than the 8N which was, "Nebraska Tractor Test says 2.7 gal/hour at max load". Myself, doing lighter work (than 'max load'), I experience about 1/2 of their number, closer to 1 1/4 g/h & most others on that thread estimated about 1/2 of the Neb max load number.

53 NAA cranking then dying immediately

AlyM

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Bruce (VA)

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HFJ

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Jim L WA

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Tim PloughNman Daley RIP

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AlyM

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