[AT] Easier to Start?

Thu Jul 19 12:50:26 PDT 2012

Hi Ben and all,
On the farmals with electric start, how can you crank them? Do they
come with a crank?
Do you have to have some kind of switch on that tells the tractor that
it'll be hand cranked?
I know that on the late model T cars, they had both electric start and
a crank, and you had to have a switch on either magneto or electric.
Just wondering.
Take care,
Tyler

On 7/19/12, Ben Wagner <supera1948 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Well Charlie, I don't think it was flattery this time!
>
> I used Charlie V.'s suggestion about switching carburetors, and the
> Super A started right up.  I am assuming then the problem was in the
> Super A's carb, so I blew it out, cleaned the lines, and it started on
> the third crank.  It has never done that before with my hand crank, so
> there is some improvement.  I'm interested to see how well it performs
> this week at the Bridgewater Lawn Party tractor show.
>
> I told you that you were always right on; you better believe me next time!
>
> Ben W.
>
>
> On 7/16/2012 9:29 PM, charlie hill wrote:
>> Well you flatter me by saying I'm always right on.  I'm wish it were
>> true.
>> Anyway that has been my experience with Zenith and M-S carbs.  I hope I'm
>> right.
>> If not it won't be much lost but a little bit of your time.
>>
>> Charlie
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Ben Wagner
>> Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 6:52 PM
>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
>> Subject: Re: [AT] Easier to Start?
>>
>> Charlie, I'll try your suggestion, since you have always been right on.
>> Either way, it won't hurt anything, and my arm will thank me!
>>
>> Ben Wagner
>>
>>
>> On 7/16/2012 4:57 PM, charlie hill wrote:
>>> Ben,  If you're having to run with half choke you're either getting air
>>> from
>>> somewhere you shouldn't or not getting the fuel you need.
>>> The reason I told you to clean it again after you were sure it was clean
>>> is
>>> because I've been down that same road before.   It only takes an itty
>>> bitty
>>> little piece of whatever down in the passages of the carb to cause what
>>> you
>>> are experiencing.  The first time it happened to me a mechanic friend
>>> heard
>>> my tractor run and said "you've got trash in your carb"  I told him I
>>> had
>>> just cleaned it carefully.  He said " YOU'VE GOT TRASH IN YOUR CARB!"  I
>>> took his word for it and tore it back down.  I cleaned it again even
>>> more
>>> carefully and ran wire again into all the little passages.  I never saw
>>> a
>>> thing come out of it.  I put it back together and the tractor cranked
>>> and
>>> ran like a top.
>>>
>>> Check for vacuum leaks in the intake too.
>>>
>>> Charlie
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Ben Wagner
>>> Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 8:50 AM
>>> To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
>>> Subject: Re: [AT] Easier to Start?
>>>
>>> Hi Charlie,
>>>
>>> Thank you for your very detailed breakdown on cleaning my carb.  I
>>> actually hesitate to tear back into it, since I have taken it apart
>>> three times since the restoration in hopes of finding the elusive
>>> problem.  I have eliminated most recently:
>>>
>>> ~fuel flow
>>> ~clogged/constricted main jet
>>> ~trash around the float needle/seat
>>> ~trash in the passages
>>>
>>> If my carb is indeed clean, and assuming my air filter is working
>>> properly, what other problems might I have to cause the engine to only
>>> run on half choke?
>>>
>>> On another note, on my 1945 A, I have a "needle valve main jet
>>> adjustment" screw that allows me to adjust the mixture.  It screws into
>>> the main jet.  In the Super A parts book, the screw is listed, but it is
>>> listed as only available on kerosine/distillate engines. I'm assuming,
>>> then, that it is not needed for a gasoline engine, correct?
>>>
>>> Thanks to everyone for their help so far!
>>>
>>> Ben Wagner
>>>
>>>
>>> On 7/15/2012 11:55 PM, charlie hill wrote:
>>>> Oh and while you are at it take the fuel line off and blow carb cleaner
>>>> through it (assuming it still has the factor metal fuel lines on it)
>>>> and
>>>> blow compressed air through it and repeat until you're sure there is no
>>>> trash, rust, scale or gunk in it.  Check your sediment bowl strainer
>>>> and
>>>> make sure it is right and clean.  If someone has put an inline fuel
>>>> filter
>>>> on it take it off that might well be part or all of your problem.  Most
>>>> of
>>>> the inline fuel filters you see are designed for a pressurized system
>>>> and
>>>> don't gravity flow enough fuel to feed the carb on an updraft system.
>>>>
>>>> Charlie
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Ben Wagner
>>>> Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2012 9:03 PM
>>>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group ; Farmall/IHC mailing list
>>>> Subject: [AT] Easier to Start?
>>>>
>>>> Good Evening,
>>>>
>>>> It's been awhile since I have had to bring you an issue on my Farmall
>>>> Super A.  It has always been hard to start, taking a long time of
>>>> cranking (normally two periods of three seconds each) before it will
>>>> begin to fire.  Lately, the electrical system has acted up, and I am
>>>> trying to start it with a hand crank.  It's great exercise, but not the
>>>> greatest use of my time.  It took a good 20 some turns with the hand
>>>> crank to get it to start firing tonight.  I'm surprised my arm can
>>>> still
>>>> type!
>>>>
>>>> Is there any sort of "trick" some of you know of to convince a tractor
>>>> to start easier with a hand crank?
>>>>
>>>> In case it is important, the Super A has a good magneto, D21 spark
>>>> plugs, and a Zenith carb.  It also only runs well on half choke, and
>>>> there are no adjustments on the Zenith beyond the idle mixture.  I know
>>>> the impulse coupling works, unless I am mistaken.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for your help.  I'm sure all of you have had the tractor that
>>>> won't start well with a hand crank!
>>>>
>>>> Ben Wagner
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