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300 Utility Fuel trouble

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JoeKansas
10+ Years
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Posts: 49
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 2:37 pm
Zip Code: 67357
Tractors Owned: I.H. 300 Utility
Location: UK

300 Utility Fuel trouble

Postby JoeKansas » Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:30 pm

I basically never post here, but knew some of you would have this problem sooner or later.

My 300 Utility has had fuel and carb problems since I got it years ago. Sometimes it'd run enough with the choke pulled out to get me through my chores and sometimes not. Me always hot and mad and short temper- I'd beat on the carb bowl trying to shake something loose in there to get me some fuel flowing! Take the gas tank lid off, place mouth in filler hole and blow in there to force fuel thru to the carb- :mrgreen: Don't laugh ~ it works.

I finally took the empty tank off, cleaned it out with Super Clean degreaser, then poured in what I think was Phosphoric Acid to eat the rust out. That worked great because when it was done the steel inside the tank looked sandblasted!

Then, I hosed it out real good, then poured a pint of acetone in and sloshed that around a bit, poured it out and poured in another pint of acetone and sloshed.

Let that evaporate and then poured in a quart of "Red Kote" which I got from O'Reilly auto part. Twirled the tank around to get the redkote all over the inside of the tank, then let the excess drain back out into its' container.

Let the tank set for 24 hours, reinstalled, and........ I didn't know gas in the fuel bowl was supposed to be clear!

My carburetor has been a continual headache for years. Always over flowing, or making the engine run like crap. I always figured it was rust causing the problems.

While I had the tank off, I took the carb of (for the 1,439th time) and looked in there. In the recent past I had to put on a new float because the old ones had COLLAPSED , and had a pinhole leak whick let one float fill with gas and wouldn't allow the float to float and shut of the fuel supply! Like I say, I put in a new set of floats, but the overflowing continued.

FINALLY, I decided maybe with this new float I would adjust the float level and see if that would help. My eureka moment came when as I was holding the carb body upside down up to the light setting the level to 1-5/16", I just happened to look at the point to where the needle valve was supposed to contact the float body- Hell- there was a .030" GAP. The float doesn't touch the needle!!! I couldn't bend the float enough to make it touch, either. Somehow, over the years, I got the wrong needle in there out of my carburetor spare parts box and it was way too short.

To fix this problem, I took the float body off, made a mark where the needle was suppose to make contact with it, got out the soldering gun and made a little solder "tit" right there, put the float back on the carb, flipped it over and, NOW it touches. I adjusted the float level, made sure it was shutting the gas off, and reassembled the carb.

Now, the thing works better than it ever did!!! Finally, I did something right for a change. Tractor starts and runs like it ought to. I never thought I'd ever get my fuel problems fixed.

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John *.?-!.* cub owner
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Joined: Sun Feb 02, 2003 2:09 pm
Zip Code: 63664
Tractors Owned: 47, 48, 49 cub plus Wagner loader & other attachments. 41 Farmall H.
Location: Mo, Potosi

Re: 300 Utility Fuel trouble

Postby John *.?-!.* cub owner » Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:07 pm

Where there is a will there is a way. One note, over time the soft solder will wear down, but the movement is so small and the pressure so light it will take quite a while.
If you are not part of the solution,
you are part of the problem!!!

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artc
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Tractors Owned: Restored: 1950 Cub, 1950 Cub Demo, 1948 super AI, 1935 Silver King, 1946 Oliver 60 RC, John Deere M, 1950 C demo.

In working clothes:
1950 cub, 1948 cub, 1941 A, 1948 H, 1963 B414, 1958 240U, 1947 Oliver 60 industrial, Oliver 70 industrial. IH 450, 1963, another 1948 cub, 1946 I6 with Trogan front blade.
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Re: 300 Utility Fuel trouble

Postby artc » Thu Feb 12, 2009 3:49 pm

i'm still laughing about pressurizing the tank via mouth to tank pressure. :lol: yes it works great, but you have to remember to turn your head, hold your breath, and close your eyes when you release the pressure built in the tank. :lol: :lol:

the Zagray farm has a 350 utility that has tank troubles, but to remove the tank you need to either remove the engine, or the steering column and dash. but since it's jamming the starter in the ring gear occasionally, i'm going to pull the motor and change or turn the ring gear, then i can get the tank out and fix it.

but either my B414, or the BN from the farm has to get finished first to make room in the shop.
'If they're tappin', they're not burnin'
http://www.ZagrayFarmMuseum.org

JoeKansas
10+ Years
10+ Years
Posts: 49
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 2:37 pm
Zip Code: 67357
Tractors Owned: I.H. 300 Utility
Location: UK

Re: 300 Utility Fuel trouble

Postby JoeKansas » Thu Feb 12, 2009 8:31 pm

The BIGGEST problem WAS getting the tank out. I fiddled around for a couple of days trying to do that. Looks like the way they'd have you do it is remove the steering wheel and column to allow removal of the shroud. The shroud is captive on the column. I know there had to be an easy way to remove the tank, and going to all that trouble wasn't going to cut it with me.

I wiggled and twisted and jerked on that tank, finally got mad, gave up, and grabbed the wiring loom (including the line from the oil pressure sending unit) running along side of it and tore all that out to relieve my frustration- then walked out and slammed the door behind me and let it set for a few days until my blood pressure went down. Didn't do the tractor any good, but it made me feel better. I did mention my short temper in the original post. That's one of my short comings. I fly off the handle easy, and inanimate objects suffer for it.

So, when I came back to the scene of the crime, I got out the plasma cutter and cut a narrow 1-1/2" wide slice out of the shroud above the steering column, slid the shroud back towards the seat, thus revealing a wide gap to allow the tank to lift right up and out!!

After the tank went back in, I formed a piece of sheet metal to cover the plasma cut gap in the shroud and it is held in place by the gauge panel when it is bolted down.

I rewired the whole electrical system and put in a new oil pressure line. Now, if the pack rats and field mice don't ruin my new wiring I will be all right.

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John *.?-!.* cub owner
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Tractors Owned: 47, 48, 49 cub plus Wagner loader & other attachments. 41 Farmall H.
Location: Mo, Potosi

Re: 300 Utility Fuel trouble

Postby John *.?-!.* cub owner » Thu Feb 12, 2009 10:29 pm

artc wrote:i'm still laughing about pressurizing the tank via mouth to tank pressure. .
Got an old truck home one day when fuel pump went out. blow in tank to fill carb, drive half mile or so, do it again. Good thing I used to play a baritone horn. :lol:
If you are not part of the solution,
you are part of the problem!!!

knucklebuster
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Zip Code: 71968
Location: Hot Springs, AR

Re: 300 Utility Fuel trouble

Postby knucklebuster » Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:36 pm

funny how things like that can drive you nuts!
BILL

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RedNed
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Location: Long Island,New York

Re: 300 Utility Fuel trouble

Postby RedNed » Sat Feb 14, 2009 3:44 pm

Joe
I would love to watch you wig out! First of all you did a great job. Got a little tired of that fuel problem. Oh yeah that tank is a pain to get out. Let me tell ya. When I put my 350 tank back on after I cleaned it up and painted it , I started to scratch the paint and almost had a Joekansas moment. :lol: I thought you gentleman from the middle of the country were laid back. "Patience" my Dad would tell me. Yeah right get me that "Big :censored: hammer out of that box" I tell my son.
1960 f-cub,IH Cub Cadet model 76, 125,
1957 IH350u

JoeKansas
10+ Years
10+ Years
Posts: 49
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 2:37 pm
Zip Code: 67357
Tractors Owned: I.H. 300 Utility
Location: UK

Re: 300 Utility Fuel trouble

Postby JoeKansas » Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:02 am

Well, that conipption (kuh-nip-shun) fit is just one of many caused by short temper. I've got a 1962 Dodge 1 ton dump truck that I use to haul stuff in. The door latch mechanism on these style of doors is their weak spot. They have the handle that pulls out, not a button that pushes in, to open. Over the years the latch innards get loose and sloppy and it becomes impossible to open the door with the inside or outside handle! It's worn out and there is no repair.

Well, one day I was hauling something and had to get in and out of the truck a lot, and that frickin drivers door wouldn't open, and neither would the passenger side! I finally had to roll down the window and crawl outta that SOB. Do a little yankin and tuggin and finally get the door back open to get back in the truck and haul some more.

Well, it was hot out, the carburetor runs a little rich and thus the fumes were giving me a headache, and did I mention it was hot outside?

Stopped back at my shop and tried to get out and, you know it- the door wouldn't open from the inside. I am fuming as much as the truck is. I roll down the window and crawl out, go stomping into the shop and grab a big hammer and stomp back out to the truck. I walk up and beat the door handle off that SOB until there is a hole in the door skin, throw the hammer, and yank all the loose stuff outta the door and throw it, too.

I stomp off and simmer down a bit, the walk back over to admire my work. Not really to much body damage except for where the handle was. So, I drag the plasma cutter over there and cut out the mangled metal and make a nice, big, square hole in the door skin so I can see all the door latch innards and see exactly what is going on in there.

I see how it is supposed to unlatch, that the unlatching equipment is worn out, and what it takes to get the door to open. So, these days the door remains the same- big hole cut in it- but all I have to do is reach in and move this little "star wheel" and push a lever and the door come right open. Only problem is it sometimes doesn't want to stay latched and that is a bit unnerving when you turn a right hand corner and the door flies open :{_}: .

I am glad they invented hammers, so I have something to demolish things with and to throw when the time is right........ :oops:

Yesterday, I overhauled the carburetor on that dump truck. It is a Carter 1¼" BBD 2 barrel on a 1979 Slant 6. The carburetor kit cost $30 at NAPA. For that 30 bucks, I used 4 gaskets, I accelerator pump plunger, needle and seat, and 2 little BB sized steel balls.

The original 318 V-8 had bad exhuast manifolds and weren't worth the effort to replace. A MOPAR buddy had a slant 6 engine out of a wrecked car and let me have it. At the time I told him there was no way a 1979 engine would fit onto a 1962 truck transmission. He said it sure will, and we argued back and forth a bit.

Well, those Chrysler folks are some forward thinking individuals. That 1979 slant 6 bolted right up to that old 1962 bell housing! Old starter and new starter are the same bolt pattern. 1962 2 bbl carb has the same bolt pattern as the 1979 2 bbl carb.

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Ronny Bailey
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Tractors Owned: 1938 Farmall F-20
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1953 Allis Chalmers CA
Location: TX, Bryan

Re: 300 Utility Fuel trouble

Postby Ronny Bailey » Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:36 am

Joe, your stories remind me of my Dad. I can see him doing all the things you described, including blowing into gas tanks!

The wire going from magneto to the ignition switch was missing from my Cub.
When I found that the switch was bad, I could just see him ripping that wire off and throwing it over his shoulder with some appropriate language. :)
That wire's probably still out there, somewhere.

Glad to hear you got the gas problems figured out.

The choke setup on those BBD carbs has had me throwing a few things myself. :evil:
I've had them on three different cars, and the bi-metallic strip actuator was trashed on all of them.
Ronny
“If it ain’t broke, I haven’t 'fixed' it yet”


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