Welcome! Please use the navigational links to explore our website.
PartsASAP LogoCompany Logo Auction Link (800) 853-2651

Shop Now

   Allis Chalmers Case Farmall IH Ford 8N,9N,2N Ford
   Ferguson John Deere Massey Ferguson Minn. Moline Oliver

Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

Fires but won't start

Welcome Guest, Log in or Register
Author 
jim St. Aubin

08-31-2006 12:09:11




Report to Moderator

Help! My 1955 Ford 640 always fired up on the first try no matter what the temperature outside. I"ve used it lots lately and it has become increasingly difficult to start. Now she"s dead.

It gets lots of gas but the points didn"t seem to spark. I replaced the plugs, points, coil and rotor. It almost starts and kicks a little smoke now. It won"t start with starting fluid.

Any suggestions how to get old Betsy moving again? I re-charged the battery and plan to purge the cylinders.

[Log in to Reply]   [No Email]
Jim St. Aubin

09-06-2006 06:12:22




Report to Moderator
 Re: Fires but won't start in reply to jim St. Aubin, 08-31-2006 12:09:11  
Update....we got spark at the plugs and coil. The wires look good and aren't heating up. The starter began smoking so we are replacing that. It started for a minute, sputtered, and died. Good gas at the carb.

When we get the new starter we will try the timing by twisting the distributor.....



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Jim St. Aubin

09-01-2006 05:33:35




Report to Moderator
 Re: Fires but won't start in reply to jim St. Aubin, 08-31-2006 12:09:11  
Update....I purged the plugs and there was a little spray of gas. Now it seems like the starter is beginning to smoke. It started for 10 seconds but was very weak with no good compression. I pulled a spark plug and there appears to be no spark. They are fouling a little but not badly. And correction, I replaced the condenser, not the coil. My expert thinks maybe the starter is drawing too much current and should be replaced. Any suggestions?

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
mowr

08-31-2006 19:48:50




Report to Moderator
 Re: Fires but won't start in reply to jim St. Aubin, 08-31-2006 12:09:11  
You said you plan to purge the cylinders. Does that mean it's flooding; the plugs gas-fouled when you take them out? If so, you have carburetor problems (sunken float, dirt in needle and seat, bad needle and seat assembly, non-vented or only partially vented gas cap?), as you probably already know. If you've eliminated that possibility and think it's spark related, one weird thing I've seen on these is that the distributor was driven by a sleeve/shaft assembly that was sweated together, but had loosened up. I noticed the engine seemed to be losing power, like the timing was off. Reset the timing; a little later, the same thing. Once I found the cause, I drilled through the sleeve/shaft assembly and installed a pin. Had no more of that problem.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
coflyboy

08-31-2006 19:24:42




Report to Moderator
 Re: Fires but won't start in reply to jim St. Aubin, 08-31-2006 12:09:11  
All of the previous posts are very good, but there is one thing you might try. I had the same type of problem on my 641. Long story short, the ring terminal connector on the ignition wire attached to the ammeter was an under rated crimp connector and was dropping voltage (got very hot and the wires were oxidized). I found the problem first by connecting a heavy jumper wire from the hot side of the battery to the battery side of the coil. Fired right up. Using a voltmeter I then checked all connections, after removing the jumper, for voltage drop. The ignition switch and ampmeter should not drop more than a half a volt.
HTH

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
supergrumpy

08-31-2006 13:03:59




Report to Moderator
 Re: Fires but won't start in reply to jim St. Aubin, 08-31-2006 12:09:11  
won't run on ether usually means ignition

pull dist cap and turn engine over till points are closed, pull coil wire out of cap and hold near engine block, turn on key and open/close points with screwdriver (keep testicles out of the way), if coil/connections are good you will get good blue spark and probably a good jolt in your arm

let us know what you discover



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
old

08-31-2006 12:34:43




Report to Moderator
 Re: Fires but won't start in reply to jim St. Aubin, 08-31-2006 12:09:11  
How much is lots of gas?? Do you have gas running out or dripping from the carb?? If you do you have a carb/flooding problem and may need to do some carb work to it. You also need to pull the center wire of the cap and make sure you have good spark there. If you don't you either have a problem with the points not working as they should or some other problem in that area

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
hay

08-31-2006 12:27:02




Report to Moderator
 Re: Fires but won't start in reply to jim St. Aubin, 08-31-2006 12:09:11  
check the obvious and make sure the carburetor is delivering gas to the cylinders. could be out of time perhaps? mebbe the timing gear or chain broke or slipped and that could be it. turn engine over to get the timing marks where they should be and check position of rotor under the cap and make sure it's pointing to no.1. if not then the timing is off.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
[Options]  [Printer Friendly]  [Posting Help]  [Return to Forum]   [Log in to Reply]

Hop to:


TRACTOR PARTS TRACTOR MANUALS
We sell tractor parts!  We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]

Home  |  Forums


Copyright © 1997-2023 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters

Website Accessibility Policy