[AT] Never Heard Such a Bang!

Thu Feb 28 18:03:00 PST 2013

Look for either moisture and/or cracks inside the distributer cap on the 
magneto.  JP

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "charlie hill" <charliehill at embarqmail.com>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2013 7:45 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] Never Heard Such a Bang!

> Ben,  from my experience a problem that develops quickly and is severe is 
> a
> small thing.
> Look for loose wires, bad grounds, etc.
>
> I once had a mag on an old Fairbanks Morse stationary engine
> that was dead.  The previous owner had bypassed the coil in the mag and
> wired an automotive coil external
> to it.   I have to assume they tried to find the problem before they cut a
> hole in the Bakelite mag cap and ran
> that wire in it.  When I tore into it I eventually found that the mag and
> the old coil were fine.  The kill wire
> that goes to the kill lug on the side of the mag had rubbed on the mag 
> case
> and was going direct to ground.
> I don't remember if I replaced the wire or just taped it up but the last
> time I started that engine a year or two ago
> it was still working.
>
> Look for the simple stuff and as Farmer would tell you....Check the 
> grounds!
>
> Charlie
>
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Ben Wagner
> Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2013 10:13 AM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group ; Farmall/IHC mailing list
> Subject: Re: [AT] Never Heard Such a Bang!
>
> Thanks to everyone for their replies. I forgot to mention I was working
> with an H4 mag.   It has fire at the plug at TDC.  But I've got a loose
> H4 I'll try to drop in and see if that helps, just to rule out an issue.
>
> I'm nearly 100% certain that the problem is either timing/valves or
> spark.  After checking the valves, it's almost has to be the spark.  The
> problem is that the H4 hasn't had 50 hours on it since it was
> restored/rebuilt with a new coil, condenser, points, rotor, distributor
> cap, coil cover, and wires.
>
> Any other ideas, feel free to holler!  I'm planning to spend some time
> on it today. I'll keep everyone in the loop as to what happens.
>
> Ben W.
>
> www.oldpathsequipment.com
> Mt. Solon, Virginia
> Antique Machinery Repair and Restoration
>
> On 2/27/2013 9:38 PM, Spencer Yost wrote:
>> The advance in your mag/distributor is misbehaving my guess. That would
>> explain the bang during hand starting and fouled plugs.
>>
>> Just a theory,
>>
>> Spencer
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Feb 27, 2013, at 21:19, Ben Wagner <supera1948 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> It's been awhile since I've had to ask a question on here. Incidentally,
>>> the question is on the tractor I was always bothering everyone about a
>>> few years ago, my 1948 Farmall Super A.  Since that restoration, I have
>>> completed restoring/rebuilding everything from Gravely walk behinds, to
>>> Clinton equipped lawn mowers, to Ford tractors, and now even John Deere
>>> two cylinders.
>>>
>>> All of that to say is even after all of that antique repair work, I am
>>> stumped on my Super A once again.  It's a long story: bear with me and
>>> maybe I'll give the right information that will help someone diagnose
>>> the problem.
>>>
>>> About a week ago, the Super A had been running for about 20 minutes.  I
>>> had it pushing in a John Deere M that I was rebuilding. I stopped to
>>> kick the block from under the Deere, while the Super A was running about
>>> 3/4 throttle, with a snow blade, so there was load on the Touch
>>> Control.  I got back on the A, and gave it a little throttle to push the
>>> Deere.  From the three seconds I had gotten off and back on the Farmall,
>>> it suddenly had no power.  As in nearly stalling while moving in first
>>> gear down a slope.  I cut it off and replaced the D21 plugs with fresh.
>>> It ran much better, well enough to push in the Deere (which was quite a
>>> load) and even scurry down the road in high gear.  It was still
>>> sputtering slightly, but it had power.
>>>
>>> I pulled the Farmall out a day ago to (once again) move a tractor. It
>>> started immediately, I am hand cranking, but it had no power, once
>>> again.  It died while I was trying to ease it into an area where I could
>>> work on it.   It wouldn't start back up.
>>>
>>> I tried to start it today, cold, and all I got after four hand cranks
>>> (choke at 1/2 like always) was one loud bang in the muffler/manifold.
>>> Enough to loosen the muffler from the exhaust pipe!  No backfire, but
>>> just one loud bang.  The engine didn't even try to start.
>>>
>>> I have checked timing.  Everything is in tip top shape.  All the valves
>>> are free and adjusted properly.  The carburetor is spotless: good fuel
>>> flow, no junk in the lines, clean jets.  It is a Zenith with no high
>>> speed adjustments.
>>>
>>> So the question is, what does the problem seem to be?  I have worked on
>>> quite a few engines (but not as many as the folks on this list) but I've
>>> never heard such a bang without a hot engine and too much choke!
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance for your help!
>>>
>>> Ben Wagner
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> www.oldpathsequipment.com
>>> Mt. Solon, Virginia
>>> Antique Machinery Repair and Restoration
>>>
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