Archive through April 26, 2009

[rpalmer]

Don Tanner

My love is my 104. I'd start a fleet of them if I could. It seems I go for the 72 series and earlier. And I got to have that stick between my legs. Probably shouldn't say that.. prices will sky rocket. I might have something new to me to post soon. I can't justify it. Don't need it. But I can't stop thinking about it.

Post those pics. Makes the day better and even makes smiles. - Peace -

 

[wtatge]

I have a mid 60's Hydrostatic 129 lawn mower that just doesnt seem to want to start this year. I put a new headgasket on her this last summer. I used her to mow grass the rest of the year which was about a month and it always started and ran real good. Went to start it this spring to cut grass again and it just spins over and over and over. I checked and put a new plug in it and its getting fuel it just doesnt want to start. Any ideas?? I dont want to have to get rid of the tractor but my mom has already gotten a new John Deere (I know I know not a fan either) and she just wants to sell the thing.

 

[jclazar]

God bless our mothers! they sure do try. check out Charlie's FAQ no. 84. take out the spark plug and see if it is wet with gas or not. hook back up the coil wire to the removed spark plug...maybe you can set the plug on top of the head shield or leave it hang over the carb, crank over motor and you should be able to see spark from the plug. if not,then the problem is befor the plug itself. i'am not the pro here, just the student. but thats what i would try.

 

[wtatge]

Yeah I already know that there is spark and fuel getting to the tractor thats what makes me wonder because with the two you should have fire you know.

 

[towens]

Got some work done on the 73 today.

Start

Finish (for the day)

 

[jclazar]

i had a problem with my 71 that would not start...it was that the carb was out of tune, like it didnot have the correct air-fuel mixture. for the heck of it i bought a carb kit for it. have not had a problem ever since! i got happy with my cubbie today...i found the missing rubber piece that goes on the stearing pedistool. there are 2 of them and they are for the hood to rest on. they are small,rather. but to have found that after a year of using, i was happy! i ment to ask our cubbers about those.....

 

[rbeem]

William,
A fast no-tool method I use is doing a thumbpression test. Pull the plug and seal your thumb over the spark plug hole and turn the motor over a few revolutions with the key.
If it does not try to blow your thumb into the next county....then you might have a mechanical problem. Maybe head gasket, maybe stuck valve, waybe worse...

I only do this when I'm not near the correct tools, like a compression tester, which I recommend by the way. But this might help.

 

[rlittrell]

Sounds like a stuck valve maybe. You say there is fuel and spark so there must not be compression.

But.....A bad coil will will spark if you test it but not under compression. I fought that myself and took awhile to figure out.


Randy

 

[tkeefe]

Here are the pics of the new 70 and tiller. No spark but no time to work tonight. First step Check all wiring next points.
Any thoughts on the tranny problem I mentioned in last nights post?

 

[tsmoker]

I aquired another 100 last week. With a little work I have it running. Runs great up to about half throttle. Above that it will just start speeding up and the throttle never moves. It has a replacement Walbro carb on it. I just can't see anything obvious.

 

[mgonitzke]

Tim K.-
That could be a broken tooth, or perhaps a bad bearing. My dad's Farmall B had a noise like that in the rear PTO, and he found out that ALL the bearings in the trans had about 1/4" of slop.

You won't find anything like that, but you could stand to remove the shifter and take a look in there and see what's going on. You can look for a gear tooth or ball from a bearing when you drain the rear and change the Hytran.

 

[rchristensen]

Charlie now your talking, go with the good stuff.

 

[cengelking]

Anyone know what happened to the thread for plowday at Travis' this spring? I got a couple of calls today of people who wanted to post some pics of the event. I know it was in the plowday section a couple of days ago.

 

[kide]

William T:
Getting fuel TO the carburetor and getting fuel THROUGH the carburetor are two different things. The most common problem with a small gas engine that sets for 6 or 8 months is the gas turning to varnish and plugging the main and/or the idle jets. Quick test - take a can of spray carburetor cleaner and while trying to start it, spray some cleaner in the intake (pull the air cleaner and DO THIS OUTSIDE (to avoid any issues if it backfires). If it runs on carb cleaner, (it'll run for a few seconds), take the carb off and clean the main and idle passages using the little plastic straw on the can of carb cleaner. Usually if they've only been sitting over the winter, they don't need a complete teardown and soak. BTW -tell Mom the Cub has earned a second chance - it's about 210 years old (in Dog years...)

BTW - it takes more than spark and fuel - as my Dad taught me years ago, it's "Spark, Fuel, Compression AND all happening at the RIGHT time"

 

[bnolte]

William,
I'm not sure how well you checked out the fuel system, clogged jets or a stuck float valve can prevent the tractor from running, even if gasoline is getting to the carburetor. This is particularly true if its been sitting for a while. A quick check to determine if it is indeed a fuel system problem that I sometimes use is to take a can of starting fluid, carburetor cleaner, or even some WD-40 and spray it down the carb's throat while cranking it over. If you can get it to pop a few times, then the carburetor needs cleaning.

If the previous procedures didn't get it running, I like Rick's idea of a thumbpression test. If you've got compression, then go back and make sure you got a nice fat spark. If it seems weak, pull the points cover off and take a small file (one of mom's nail files will do ) and clean any corrosion off the point contacts. While you are at it, check the point gap. Rotate the engine by hand until the points open up as wide as they will go. This gap should be .020 inches. The best way to measure the gap is with a set of feeler gauges, but in a pinch a matchbook cover will work. Adjust the gap if it is off.

 

[bbrigham]

Howard..My Original does that too, I have a bad sprirol pin. One end of the pin is wore allowing the pulley to rock forward. I'm going to replace all of them when I get back to work on it.

 

[glippert]

Ken W - She not only quit pouting, I put her to work right away and I think she was quite happy! Thanks again.

 

[bnolte]

Kendall,
You kind of stole my thunder about the quick and dirty carburetor test, I was editing my post and posted it and saw you said almost the exact same thing. Oh well!!

 

[dylschmidt]

I need some advice: my 1450 gives me some trouble starting some times. It seems that if it dosen't start right away then it begins to "kick-back". even if I set the timeing way back.
Also, at that time it seems like it cranks slower. I add a jumper bat and no difference..I rechecked the ground cables.The bat is a new 360 amp. Can a starter just get weak?
I know ACRs are pretty trouble free...anyone got an idea?

 

[wtatge]

Thanks guys. I talked to my mom again today (I am currently 800 miles away at college) and she had my uncle who works on larger tractors take a look at it. Apparently he took off the dipstick inlet and held down on some spring inside of there and was able to get it to run. So my question is what do I need to do to fix it?? I work as a service tech over the summer so I have all the tools I should need to work on it. I just dont want to see it get tossed to the curve cause its so old. It has always been a really good tractor for us.