Can of worms, I know it

[als]

Been awhile but I’m back.
Hope someone is on.

Last night I was so excited to fire up the 185 after a 3 1/2 year process of rebuilding, repairing, painting her. Now it’s ready to go. Right?
No such luck. I got something wrong because it ran fine other than smoking and low compression before I started.
Now—— I’m pretty sure I have weak/ at times no spark. New plugs run black. First I found I had got three and four switched. Fixed that. All happy again easy fix. nope. Sounds the same. Hit and miss, will run long enough for me to try to get timing close. Then dies.
With timing light on it, definitely intermittent spark.
New plugs gapped
As well as points,condenser. Had to return cap tang was to big to go into notch. Aftermarket parts are so unreliable but what other choice.
Now the distributor is out again to put the old set back in. All of it.
I had my bolens start acting the same this year. Bad condenser took out coil. Bought new.$$$. Ran but wouldn’t keep it up and was rough like I have now. New condense bad also! Quality control in China isn’t the best. Put in known good one back to blowing snow.
Long story made short. I’m putting back a know good ignition.
May very well be a fuel problem along with it.
Madding. any thoughts.


Also can the distributor be turned at all by taking it of the housing it sits on. Real pita getting at the cap clamps. Number 1 is at 3 o’clock looking from the back. Facing you when sitting along side. 12 or 1 o’clock would be a lot better.

Thanks for your input.

[als]

Update. Points are blued. Sign of bad condenser/ capacitor! Another bad new one?

[Larry B]

I can give you some things to try.
1. Just leave the condenser out to test. All it does is stop material transferring from one contact to the other on the points. It will run fine without it. Be sure to reinstall when done troubleshooting. Or points will not last long.
2. If you have an ohm meter check the points resistance. Should be less than half an ohm.
3. Check voltage at battery side of coil with key on. Should be within .5 volt of battery voltage.
4. Check spark bypassing the cap and rotor. Remove dist cap and rotor. Use a spark tester or hold coil wire 1/4" from ground. Other end in coil. Crank engine and check spark. Should get a blue/white spark across gap. If not you have power, points or coil problem. If spark is good reinstall cap, rotor and wires and check spark at ends of plug wires. If spark weak or intermittent then cap, rotor, wires issue.
5. I would pull the distributor, set engine to TDC of #1 cylinder on compression stroke and install dist with rotor button pointing to the 1:00 position. Then static time dist at TDC and reinstall rotor, cap and wires being sure to note which direction distributor turns. Pretty sure clockwise. Tractor will start and run with timing at TDC.

[Larry B]

When you say blue are you meaning they got so hot they turned blue?

[als]

Blueing yes hot. Only small area but definitely there and shouldn’t be with the limited running. Correct? Have never seen them blue the contacts. Burnt pitted yes. Not smooth and blue spot.
I’ll go through all the steps you listed and hope it shows itself.
Except leaving out the capacitor, pita to put it back in. Lol. If problem persists I’ll go back to that.
Haha on the onan I just cut the wire and installed it on the outside. Not a option here though.
Be back with results in awhile. Good results with a answer.

[Larry B]

You can just disconnect the condenser wire from the points. You don't have to remove it. If bbn you have an ohmmeter check the resistance across the 2 screw terminals of the coil with the wires disconnected. Should be 3 ohms.

[als]

Points res. .1
Volts to coil 12.85
Points @.02
Coil across terminals is 3 ohms

Just to see if any difference I checked resistance of caps. One has none case to wire, the other is infinite/ open. Which is right?

[als]

lol. Lots of spark from coil to ground. Not white, more blue/orange red? Felt like a million volts when it went from one hand to the other. Hate that! Never intended but seems to happen anyway.

[als]

Ok. Back together. Will only run now with fuel put into air cleaner. But does run more like it should. I had a hunch I had fuel trouble also.
Thanks for getting me through the electrical. I hope.
I’ll be back.
Al

[als]

Got it!!!!.

We can all have a good laugh now. More so you than me.

HELPS TO HAVE GAS IN THE TANK.

LMAO. 65 years you would think I know better. Wasted a gallon just getting past the spark and timing. Be rest assured there was real trouble there. Only thing I saw was condenser may have been grounding near connection in distributer. So I have a new set of points and condenser if anyone needs them. Old set works fine. So much for the tune up. Haha

I’m happy now. Continue too get her put together and out of my garage.
Hope I made you smile.
Thanks again
Al

[Larry B]

Glad to hear you got it. The condenser should have infinite ohms between wire and case.
Always fun getting lit up by a coil

[als]

This topic could be closed now or not I’m just not sure how to go about it.

[als]

Ha. I’m back here. Guess stopping the thread isn’t needed.
Still more worms in the can.
Purrs like a kitten
Coolant all over the floor. Top hose loose I hope. Wrenched on it and hoping it’s hot the radiator connection.
Unfair is the gas coming out of the carb. Hope it’s float height only. Although I didn’t do it until today? Fuel shut off until I get the patience again to take stuff off again.

I do have a question though. The fender braces ( which I have only the left side ) do they bolt on through or with the frame to housing bolt? There is a hole directly in front of the bolt but on the left side the brace bolt hits the case bolt? Wish I could explain better got me lost reading this.
The one I have is bent from being forced to somewhere so knowing for sure which place it goes is difficult.

Also I have a drip coming from the bolt on the bottom of the creeper where the poppet ball and spring are. Should there be a ( copper or fiber ) washer there? Or just seal the threads.
Thanks
Al

[Larry B]

My 184 had the upper hose leak when the clamp at the radiator rusted in half. Replaced upper and lower hoses and clamps. I got tired of turning the gas on and off at the sediment bowl. I replaced the fuel line with rubber and installed a shutoff valve near the carb. If you don't shut off the gas soon er or later you will come out to an empty tank. Don't depend on the inlet needle to not leak when parked.
Need pics of the brace. I don't has a creeper. Hopefully someone with one can help you.

[als]

Leaks fixed other than the oil coming from creeper poppet bolt.
Float set to high, upper radiator hose clamp not doing its job.
This is what I’m looking at for the braces. Top photo showing the possible mounting places numbered 1-3. 4 I believe is where long end of brace goes.

Brace and mounting