Why won't it fire?

[Moray]

Managed to spend a bit time again tonight, but never had anybody about to try towing it.

Stripped the starter motor, and the bushes are worn, allowing the armature to rub on the pole magnets, which explains the grinding noise. I'll need to try and find a source for new bushes.

Curious to find out why the carb was dripping, I dismantled it, and found the idle jet fibre washer had stretched, allowing fuel to drip out.
While it was off, I stuck all the bits in the ultrasonic cleaner, then gave it all a good blow out. It's going to need a new float, as somebody has cut the tab off it, so it drop low. Also after refitting the carb, and giving it a crank, the float stuck down, and the carb needed a gentle tap with a screwdriver handle to stop the fuel running out. It's not ideal, but hopefully being vibrated by the engine/bounced around it won't stick open too much, and at least let the thing run, to see if it's going to run...

I'll try and find somebody to give it a tow tomorrow night, to see if it can be coaxed into life.

[ricky racer]

If you've got spark and fuel, it should fire. If not, I'd suspect timing or lack of compression.

[Eugene]

Stripped the starter motor, and the bushes are worn, allowing the armature to rub on the pole magnets, which explains the grinding noise. I'll need to try and find a source for new bushes.

Just purchased an original manufacturere's brush set for a 6 volt Delco starter off the internet. You need the part number for the brushes for your particular starter.

My cost was $9.99 US including shipping/postage. That was for internal USA postage.

Armature rubbing on the pole magnets/fields - - you also need the bushings or a bushing and bearing for the starter.

[Gary Dotson]

Eugene, when he mentioned bushes I think he meant bushings. I had to re-read it.

[Eugene]

Eugene, when he mentioned bushes I think he meant bushings. I had to re-read it.

Reread, agree.

https://brillman.com/product/ihcfarmall ... epair-kit/

Moray, try the auto parts stores in Scotland.

[Moray]

After over a year, I've finally managed to get it to run, albeit on an aerosol can of brake cleaner.

After the last post, we tried tow starting it, but it just wouldn't kick.
It got pushed back into the shed, and the neighbour dropped of the starting handle. Even with the starting handle, it kicked a couple times, but just wouldn't fire. Didn't matter if I tried LPG or petrol, it just wouldn't kick.
It then got pushed in to another shed, and ignored while I sourced the required bits to rebuild the starter.

A few months ago, I finally managed to source the correct starter motor rebuild kit, so that got rebuilt and put back on.
It still wouldn't fire, on either petrol or LPG, and it again got ignored as due to relaxations after a certain global event, my spare time was taken up working at events.

Getting a bit frustrated, I bought a tin of brake cleaner (and a tin of Easy Start for if the brake cleaner wasn't enough!), and tonight I finally found the sweet combination of throttle and brake cleaner to get it running. Kept it running for a good minute, to let it warm up a bit. Oil pressure built up nicely, with oil flowing around all the cam followers (I still had the valve cover off from checking valve timing/clearances).

I suspect it was simply flooding when trying petrol, and the LPG roofing torch I tried, which slotted nicely into the intake, just didn't deliver enough LPG for it to run.

Now it just needs the carburettor fixed. The only suppliers of new floats don't ship to the UK, so I'm probably going to try soldering a new tab on to the existing float to stop it jamming low. Then see if I can get it running on petrol, without it flooding and petrol running out the intake due to the float jamming.

[Crimson Tim]

[ShawnAgne]

When I put my 184 motor in my Cub it was hell getting it to fire the first time. Then there was last Feb when it didn't fire. But that was because my 8 year old nephew had unplugged the plug wires at the distributor and then "plugged" them back in not in the proper order.....

[Bob McCarty]

You might PM Donegal Cub who is in Ireland and see if he might have a UK source for a new float. I think you'll find that trying to solder will be an exercise in frustration.

[Waif]

It's alive! Congrats on the efforts results.

?????
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09746BTS9? ... th=1&psc=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0975SCL79? ... th=1&psc=1

[Moray]

It's alive! Congrats on the efforts results.

?????
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09746BTS9? ... th=1&psc=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0975SCL79? ... th=1&psc=1

Thanks for that.
Last time I searched I couldn't find anything within the UK, but I was possibly only searching for the float part number.
A search for the complete carb, led me to a good few eBay listings, so I've just ordered one.

[Bob McCarty]

The above links are for the Chinese reproductions. Make sure you check the float height and drop when you get it, those are often not set correctly. If your old carb has the steel needle, be sure and save it. The newer viton tipped needles sometimes stick or leak and you could swap out with the steel needle if you have that problem (I haven't checked the threads, but think they are the same for the cage).

[Moray]

Do you ever wish you said no to certain jobs?

With the new carb on, the tractor started but wouldn't run without the choke. Any reduction in the choke, resulted in it stopping within a couple of seconds.

Tonight, I found a bit clear hose, and bodged it into the drain plug.
Turning the fuel on, resulted in the fuel level initially stopping about 1/2" from the bottom of the carb, which would have explained it running extremely lean, but then after a couple seconds, it started rising again and didn't stop, even with the pipe an inch or so above the top of the carb.
Removed the hose, and pushing the float up resulted in the fuel stopping, so I split the carb to have a look.

Anybody want to play spot the difference?

It looks like the vent hole simply hasn't been drilled, which will be causing the fuel level in the float chamber to not rise to close the valve, and tank gravity pressure is simply forcing fuel out the drain plug.
I'll drill the hole out over the weekend, and see if I can get this tractor to actually run for more than a few seconds without manual interference.

[indy61]

I'm not fully understanding but the drain plug has nothing to with the float. It will drain the tank when removed.

[Nelson 634]

Thanks for the information. This is helpful to everyone. I have used these "Chinese carburetors" several times with no problems. But this verifies what others have said you have to check them over thoroughly. Quality control seems to be a problem.