[Farmall] Hard starting F12

[Karl Olmstead]

That's the magneto advance/retard lever, Kevin.  It will shut off the engine 
when turned fully left, if the magneto is set up correctly.  Turning it to 
the left retards the magneto.  Full left shorts out the magneto primary 
circuit.  Once the engine has started, advancing the magneto will prduce 
considerably more power.

Looking at the magneto itself, raising the lever on the points cover retards 
or shuts off the spark.  Down on the lever advances the spark.

I'm not convinced that running well once started proves that the fuel pump 
is good.  I have a hard-starting F-12, and I suspect that its problem may be 
a weak fuel pump.  It doesn't pump much when I'm hand cranking the engine, 
but provides plenty of fuel once the engine is running.

At any rate, when diagnosing a starting problem, I think that you need to be 
suspicious of every part of the system, and check things out systematically.

-Karl

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> I'm assuming the fuel pump is ok, since it runs so good, once I get it 
> started. I ordered manuals from Rice today. To show ya'll what little I 
> know about these tractors, Rice told me the lever that I turn to the left 
> to crank also shuts it off. Mine will crank with it all the way to the 
> left. Rice told me to turn it back to the right just a little, then crank 
> it. I'll be glad when my manuals get here, so maybe I won't have to ask 
> any more stupid questions. Thanks for all the help!
>
> Kevin Hood