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318 chrysler combine engine problems

jon f mn

jon f mn

Well-known Member
My combine has a chrysler 318 v8 in it and it does not run right. It starts fine and runs smooth once it's going, but when a load is applied or you rev the throttle it spits and sputters and won't go for quite a while. Once it's going again it runs smooth. Does the same if you slow it down then rev it or just hit it with a load to open the governor.

What I have done so far is a total tune up including points, plugs, condenser, rotor, cap, wires, coil and plugs. I still need to get a new resistor which they were out of. Also took the carb apart and cleaned and inspected and it looks good. It has a new electric fuel pump that pumps plenty of gas and the carb gets gas.

One thing that interests and confuses me is that the distributor has a vacuum advance on it, but it has never been hooked up as it still has the factory rubber plug over the nipple and there is no place with a barb to hook it to the manifold.

When you rev it or load it adding choke does no good either.

I know it could he the resistor, but it looks fine and I will replace it anyway when I get home next.

I'm running out of ideas on what it could be that is causing this. I know it has to be something simple because it starts and runs good otherwise. What do you folks think the problem could be?

Thanks! Jon
 
that vacuum advance mite be the cause ,jon, does the distributor have flywheel weights under it like are 300 430 case tractors /?,,. then again it sounds like a carburetor accelerrater throttle pump,.hope you get wiser guys to chime in ,, good luck jim
 
Sounds like fuel to me, but it sounds like you already have that covered. Does it have a belt driven governor that handles the advance instead of the distributor? Dad had one in an Oliver combine, can't remember the model.
 
I would think the vacuum advance should be hooked up BUT even if it isn't it wouldn't cause it to spit & sputter. SO I'm thinking fuel.
 
The resistor is not bad if it goes bad the engine will start but not stay running when you let go of the key. Now I would suspect the accelerator pump in the carburetor. If they get worn it will stumble under load and upon acceleration. Timing might cause the problem of deceleration. the other possibility would be if there are any vacuum hoses that are cracked or leaking otherwise.
 
yes , but that carb may not have one ,.. what jon needs to find is a guru that worked on these problematic gassers 40 yrs ago , and knows every trik in the book..don't get me wrong , the 318is probably better than a bigger Chrysler or a 350 chevy ,,we had a 350 in a 510 that never really ran perfect ,, the 327on the other hand was wicked rascal, til she caught fire and burned , brother sold the motor to a demolition derby nut ,,. he swapped the motor out into different cars a dozen times
 
Did you take the two big plugs out of the bottom of the carb bowl and remove the jets and blow every thing out?? Make a short jumper wire to by-pass the ballast resistor to see if it runs better. Make sure the points are set correct. You have a belt driven governor...doesn't use the vacuum advance.
 
like Steve said they Never used the vacuum advance on the industrial engines on the Case combines anyway,, Jon does your distributor shaft have side play? my 1160 acted like yours,, I luckily had a NOS one on the shelf and she was back to purring like a kitten,, may not be your issue but I have seen worn ones on more than one of my Mopars
cnt
 
Have you checked the fuel line to the gas tank and the gas tank itself? I knew a chrysler V8 in a car years ago with similar problems and gunk was built up in the tank and the lower part of the fuel line.
 
Our Massey super 92 had a straight 6 Chrysler in it. 265 or close to that.

One harvest we cut one day and then experienced what you did. No power, slow to rev, stumbled, but ran OK once it got going. We spent three days rebuilding the carb and replacing anything removable (including the belt driven governor). It turned out to be a plugged air cleaner. The first day the wind had been just right to fill the thing with chaff.

Have you run it without the cleaner? I could see a wasp nest in there.
 
carb has a accelerator pump, but he says choking it does no good so that takes it out,,, I have five or six of them here they all run very well, a very smooth and responsive 100hp @ 2200 rpms,, I am betting it electrical

cnt
 
The one I'm combining wheat with has the original coil, ballast resistor, and dist. cap....flambeau paint on them and half way up on the cap. Not bad for 47 years old.
 
I agree with this. Some engines were jetted too lean and could use a size bigger main jet, (or needle adjustment/change if a Carter) float level is next on a list. From the ignition end of thing check the distributor cam shaft bushing (no play is alowable. Jim
 
Could it be timing? Or maybe points set too close? I adjusted the timing 2 years ago when it was running bad, but that turned out to be a bad coil. Maybe with the new coil I need to re-time it. I also didn't have the specs on the points so I set them similar to my dc case settings and they are pretty tight. Could points set too tight cause this? I can get the propper settings and re-set those too.
 
Thought about that too. Hate to keep throwing parts with no bennifit tho. But a new one of those is not far down the list.
 


Chrysler's are pretty picky on points setting, .016-.017, I normally set timing at 2 1/2 degrees more than spec in automotive apps.
Is it the later LA 318 with carter carb or older poly 318 with wavy valve covers and Stromberg carb.
 
My swather does the same thing.
Fine junk in the tank that starts coming out once a year when I use it.
I did the same as you, full tune up with no improvement.
Every season now I buy about 5 of the inline filters.
The first one is usually getting plugged in the first hour, the second one a few hours, by the time the fourth filter is in it will go for days.
 
I'll echo what others have said about the distributor bushings - we had a Chrysler 400 V8 in a combine that about gave us fits until we replaced the distributor. The old one had just enough play in the shaft to throw the points gap off spec.
I believe I replaced the distributor a couple times over the years we had that combine.
 
Just to rule out a couple of things, it's NOT the resistor, and it's not the fact the the vacuum advance is non-functional, that is/was common when car or pickup engines were used as industrial/ag powerplants.

NOT sure what you've got going on, but it would be interesting to observe the performance of the ignition system on an ignition scope, and either see something wrong or rule out the ignition system as the cause of your issue

Trouble is that those of us that still have an ignition 'scope and make housecalls are few and far between!
 
CHECK THIS FIRST. I had the weights sticking on a truck distributor once sounded just like what you have. Drove me crazy until I figured it out. They would move then stick, make sure they move freely.
 
Expanding on the distributor bushing thought. Also make sure the distributor drive shaft bushing in the block is good. If that bushing is worn and the drive wobbles it will do weird things.
 
My bet is the timing , I had a 318 we stuck into a 66' Valiant , and drove pretty hard. The timing chain was wore , and jumped teeth on the gears . So we changed the timing chain and gears , and she would lite up the tires once again. Don't expect you will be able to lite up the tires on your combine , but might well be just the problem .
 
When you replaced the electric pump does it produce the same pressure as the last one? You need flow but not much pressure. My 310G had a high pressure pump, which caused a lot of problems, similar to the ones your experiencing
 

Use a spark tester and eliminate spark if spark test pass induce fuel into the carb to eliminate a lean condition. The nice think about your engine is unlike a tractor you can look into the carb and see the fuel spray being adomized thru the venturi. The other nice thing if the engine is readily accessible and you can apply a load on the engine while its stationary you should fine it EZ to narrow down the issue are issues

If you add fuel and it clears it up you need to focus on fuel, if it does not are make a little difference focus on ignition and basic engine health.

Tractor folk are the unskilled tractor folk but but but and come up with excesses that muddy the water when a induced fuel system test fails... There are no But's no excesses its a go are no go test use the results to eliminate it.

Spark test, at the least confirm it can pass a spark stress test using a spark checker (not your trained are untrained eye) before you go chasing your tail.

It could be multiple issues eliminate one at a time. Those engines and especially a old one are know for worn distributors if its not worn back up and build a plan to attack it.
 
Your description gives every symptom of a malfunctioning accelerator pump. As I recall, there are check balls in that circuit. You can look down 9nto the throat of the carb even with the engine off and see if there is a small spray of fuel when you open the throttle. If not, you found the problem.
Also, look into the float level. A restricted needle and seat can cause a lean condition that will cause hesitations. Float level too low or a buildup of junk in the bottom of the float chamber can also induce a lean condition.

Everything you stated points to a fuel problem. Not ignition.

Things like a bad condenser will affect the entire operating range. Distributor bushings will cause the timing to vary over the whole range of operating RPMs. Resistor will only affect starting - not running.
 
If that carburetor has a main jet adjustment screw try opening it as this will enrich the fuel mixture. Hal
 
I had that 318 engine in a Dodge pickup that did the same thing. It would drive you nuts at a stop light -- wouldn't get going except by babying the gas pedal. It had a single exhaust pipe and a crossover pipe from one cylinder bank to the other side and then into the exhaust pipe. It turned out that the crossover pipe was so gummed up with carbon that it was causing the stumble. Excessive back pressure I guess. Cleaned it out and the problem went away. Might be worth checking if you have that crossover pipe.

Also had a Ford Country Squire wagon the the internal parts of the muffler collapsed making it do the same thing - again excessive back pressure.

Hope this helps.
 
If the ballast resistor is only letting say 4 volts to the coil it will be enough spark to run but weak spark won't fire a full fuel load. I've had JI Case combines with 318s since 75.
 
Well that is one thing can be crossed off as the exhaust is all new, 2 new pipes from manifold to w new mufflers with just turn down pipes after. This would be one of the few things I'm sure of.
 
I have been working on engines for about 50 years. I also worked professionally in dealerships for about 25 years of that time. I have a pretty good idea what makes them run as well as what makes them NOT run. His symptoms point to a fuel problem.

Everybody has a short answer. None of them have been there to see it, feel it, hear it, or diagnose it. Nor have I. I simply gave my honest opinion based on my many years of experience. It is easy enough to verify either opinion. Hopefully, something that was told to Jon will fix the problem.
 
I had a friend that was using a gas JD(I think) that would run good without a load but as soon as it was loaded it would start missing and die. They replaced plugs, points, rotor, distributor cap and condenser plug wires and plugs, no help. I pulled the cap and tried to move the distributor shaft, lots or wobble. They had already called the JD mechanic to come out. Went to the parts house, got a distributor and installed it. They were picking cotton when the mechanic got there.
Elmo
 
I agree, if you aren't there it is only a educated guess. We have always had Dodge trucks and pickups and this past week I was working on a 360 in my 76 1/2 ton club cab. Truck would start and run fine, but if you put it in drive it would kill. Took the thermoquad off and put on a almost new Edelbrock carb. I was sure that would fix the problem...not. Checked the coil voltage and found 4.18 volts. Put a jumper on the coil side of the ballast resistor and it ran and drove fine. Put on a new ballast resistor and all is good. Have seen the same thing on my combine engines.
 

This day and time new does not confirm good... Every thing can be confirmed That's why a good mechanic gets the big bucks..

Most every thing that has been suggested can be confirmed its the road you take to get there that will make you are break you.
 
Does that carb. use some kind of power piston to raise metering rods/ rod, don't know if it's one, two of four barrels. Must of been in the 70s most of the Chrysler V/8s belched bad accelerating. Don't remember the name of those 2 bbls. but they had a metal plate over the metering rods on top, used to adjust something in there to change the stroke on those rods. Used to find the GM quadrajet vacuum power pistons stuck too.
 
Jon, I'm with Determined on this one. My 1010 did the same thing. Would run fine in the yard or on the way to the field but put it under full load and it would stumble. Ended up being some chaff or rust in the tank that would suck down into the intake stem of the fuel bowl when under full load. Blow air up in there and it would be good for another round maybe two them do it again. Arrrgh. Parked it back in the shed and finished with the modern combine. If I ever get the old 1010 out of the shed again, then I'll have to drain the tank and flush it out before it will be right again.
 
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