Very frustrated!

[Bulletcub92]

In need of some help guys I’m very lost, I have a 1948 cub, distributor, 6 volt. I have spark, compression, fuel and air, but no luck. I had it running last summer and to my mistake I let it sit this winter and I haven’t had any luck since, any suggestions? Thanks in advance

[chuck ma]

So the motor spins but does not start? Did you drain the fuel and add fresh gasoline? How much compression do you have? Is fuel getting into carburetor and cylinders? Do you spark at each cylinder? Start with the simple things like changing the fuel with recently purchased fuel and cleaning carburetor . What about spark plugs are the clean?
Chuck

[Waif]

Might not hurt to prime the oil pump again.

Pull the main jet out of the carb and carefully catch gas while letting fresh gas enter and stale gas get flushed from fuel line while jet is out.
Shut off fuel and then clean jet.
Replace jet and try again.
If no go ,maybe clean points and check gap.

If you pull a spark plug again...check gap for .23.

Be patient. Not easy sometimes ,but if cub is not popping off don't fight it. Outsmart it eventually.

[Bulletcub92]

So the motor spins but does not start? Did you drain the fuel and add fresh gasoline? How much compression do you have? Is fuel getting into carburetor and cylinders? Do you spark at each cylinder? Start with the simple things like changing the fuel with recently purchased fuel and cleaning carburetor . What about spark plugs are the clean?
Chuck

Yes spins but no start. Yea fresh fuel, yes it’s getting to carb and cylinders, I’m getting very good spark at #1 but will check the rest this evening, compression was good a couple months ago but I can recheck. I’ve gone through carb and seems very clean.and I’ll reclean the plugs tonight also

[Bulletcub92]

Might not hurt to prime the oil pump again.

Pull the main jet out of the carb and carefully catch gas while letting fresh gas enter and stale gas get flushed from fuel line while jet is out.
Shut off fuel and then clean jet.
Replace jet and try again.
If no go ,maybe clean points and check gap.

If you pull a spark plug again...check gap for .23.

Be patient. Not easy sometimes ,but if cub is not popping off don't fight it. Outsmart it eventually.

Will try these tonight, giving me a bit of a headache since I had it running last summer a mowed with it once a week, it sat many years before I had it also. Points and gap should be ok I put a tube up kit in distributer. But I will check gaps on the plug

[Don McCombs]

Are you attempting your starts with a fully charged battery?

[Bulletcub92]

Are you attempting your starts with a fully charged battery?

Yep sure am, it’s spinning plenty fast. Last night it hit maybe twice for me but not hard hits. It’s gotta be burning some fuel it’s pushing smoke out when trying

[tmays]

Sounds like stuck rings or valves. Compression test will let you know.

[Waif]

Are you attempting your starts with a fully charged battery?

Yep sure am, it’s spinning plenty fast. Last night it hit maybe twice for me but not hard hits. It’s gotta be burning some fuel it’s pushing smoke out when trying

Oooo ,it's teasing you...

Had some awful hard starts this winter. Tractor would poof on what seemed like one cylinder.
Then almost start. Almost...
Multiple factors , but plug gap too big was the biggest one. Guess that counts as electrical?

Throttle position has a sweet spot for starting . Can be a third of it's range but each tractor can have it's ways. Choke does too. Choke position can be an ambient temp. deal also.
Then choke position after it almost starts if it does not run when it pops off.

You can take a quick peek at the linkage behind the carb at the choke lever to be sure it is not slipping. Or watch the outside lever ( the rectangular piece used for manual/finger control of choke plate on tractors without a choke rod to operator station) and be sure the choke plate responds to using the rod.

[Clip]

I had spark when testing by pulling the plug and grounding but didn't have enough oomph to do it under pressure. Swapped for a new coil and no more issues.

[Waif]

I've had dirty points ( not burned or pitted) clean up alright by closing them and dragging a fairly new dollar bill through them a few times.
An old sickle bar walk behind (head scratcher about the brand) that had sat for years fired up and ran after cleaning them.

[Don McCombs]

You might try pull starting it, if you're in a position to do that.

[ntrenn]

Fresh plugs...autolite 3116 NOT champion. Then work from there.
We fought the 63 to start for YEARS...then Pop converted to 12v. Hard starts are a thing of the past.
As a 6v system...the tractor ate everything electrical....starting with a battery every year or two. Plugs every year. Never would start when it was cold outside. As a 12v tractor...it starts in 15 below and uses plugs once a decade....and starts every spring like it was started yesterday....

[Bulletcub92]

You might try pull starting it, if you're in a position to do that.

Exactly what I just got done doing, had a little more luck!

[Bulletcub92]

Turns out it may have just been the carb the whole time, did a few pull starts and she started to warm up, would idle on choke but die as soon as choke was off. So pulled the main jet and cleaned it, also pulled fuel line and cleaned the screen which had a little junk inside. Buuuuut (there’s always a but) my main jet broke it half inside the carb. I’d say it had previous damage as I was not by any means cranking down on it. So I remembered my box of goodies I got when I purchased my cub had another ih carb, I dug for about an hour and found it and with my luck of course it also had a main jet broke inside.... so I’ll be getting some parts and cleaning her real good again and hopefully be back on here with good news soon!