This tractor is not used on a daily basis and ran fine all last winter, plowing snow. Now starts ok and may run for 10 - 15 minutes and then stalls, can start again but will continue to stall for a few tries and then wont start until is sets for 5 or 10 minutes and the process repeats again. Drained gas and replaced with fresh leaded gas and also then ran 2 bottles of seafoam through, and replaced spark plugs. I'm going to replace points, condenser and rotor today, but I still think its something else that's the cause of this, anyone have any thoughts on this. Thanks.
JD 1520 gas tractor
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
Joined
·
529 Posts
1" Fuel tank vent. Think of the fuel tank like a pop bottle. You cant suck out the pop without letting in air. If the vent is plugged you will use fuel until it pressure locks and until enough air bleeds into the tank you are out of luck. If right after if fails you pop the gas cap and hear a "swishing sucking sound" as air is let back into the tank, this is the problem.
2: An ignition short. Ignition coils are a wrapping of wire around a magnetic core. The wire is coated in varnish to insulate it and isolate it from the rest of the wire. Over time the wire gets cracks in the coating. When the wire heats up the wire expands and the cracks open allowing the electricity to short out. When the engine cools the cracks shrink, sealing the electrical leak until the engine is hot again. Failures like this usually act up like someone is rapid flicking a switch on and off before they die outright.
3: Far less common is a valve or push rod that is so far out of spec that when it finally heats up ( after 5-15 min) it expands beyond spec and holds the valve open. Like the electrical it will fail when hot then shrink back down when cold. This one would happen with an engine of more than 500 hours or one that had a poorly tempered valve to begin with.
2: An ignition short. Ignition coils are a wrapping of wire around a magnetic core. The wire is coated in varnish to insulate it and isolate it from the rest of the wire. Over time the wire gets cracks in the coating. When the wire heats up the wire expands and the cracks open allowing the electricity to short out. When the engine cools the cracks shrink, sealing the electrical leak until the engine is hot again. Failures like this usually act up like someone is rapid flicking a switch on and off before they die outright.
3: Far less common is a valve or push rod that is so far out of spec that when it finally heats up ( after 5-15 min) it expands beyond spec and holds the valve open. Like the electrical it will fail when hot then shrink back down when cold. This one would happen with an engine of more than 500 hours or one that had a poorly tempered valve to begin with.
Joined
·
12,697 Posts
Get the condenser changed to offer a Idea. Condensers can heat up and fail. So right now that is my guess.
Check to see if you have a fuel pump with a screen, Also make sure all filters are allowing fuel flow.
Al
Check to see if you have a fuel pump with a screen, Also make sure all filters are allowing fuel flow.
AlI did check to make sure fuel was flowing to carb it does, but coil and condenser were my first thoughts, just having moved back to the family farm last year, have no idea what has been done with this tractor, and now only one here lots to do, this is one of many issues, place was neglected. This is a loader tractor and frame is right in way of distributor and can barely see under the distributor and going to be a slow process. Thanks.
changed points, condenser and rotor, now tractor doesn't even start no spark, been years but don't the points have to have a gap set, and if so does anyone know what it is. Have 2 sets of gappers in tool box and labor day weekend cant call dealer till Tuesday. I'll have a go at it today. Also I notice the spark plugs are getting fouled with buildup and have hardly run the tractor this summer, cant come up with a reason for this. Thanks.
Joined
·
12,697 Posts
The points should have the gap set when the rub block is on top of the lobe. Don't know about a JD, Ford 5000 is .25 Massey Harris are .20.
Al
Al
Joined
·
2,524 Posts
On my 9N, I used to set the points to the gap of a matchbook thickness.
Joined
·
529 Posts
An initial gap of .035 will get it running if that is the issue. Those points need to be spotless clean as well. If you touched the contact surfaces with your fingers they aren't any more. Clean them with electrical contact cleaner.
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!