Welcome! Please use the navigational links to explore our website.
PartsASAP LogoCompany Logo Auction Link (800) 853-2651

Shop Now

   Allis Chalmers Case Farmall IH Ford 8N,9N,2N Ford
   Ferguson John Deere Massey Ferguson Minn. Moline Oliver

Farmall & IHC Tractors Discussion Forum
:

Farmall M Just won't Start!

Welcome Guest, Log in or Register
Author 
Keith M

11-30-2005 14:46:45




Report to Moderator

Hi, I have an old Farmall M that I got after my father passed away. The tractor has been in a shed for the past 3 years. My uncle told me that it ran fine before it sat. I have put in new plugs & cables, distribior cap, points, and cleaned out the carb, put new gaskets on the carb, checked the fuel line, drained out and replaced the gas. I get fuel to the carb. I also get a spark at the plugs. I have a manual and adjusted the carb according to that. I checked the butterfly throttle, that too works. The fuel isn't getting to the spark plugs. The plugs are always dry. I'm stumped and out of ideas... Does anybody have any suggestions? I so badly want to fix my dads tractor myself! PLEASE ADVISE! THANKS!

[Log in to Reply]   [No Email]
Pappy

12-01-2005 17:47:17




Report to Moderator
 Re: Farmall M Just won't Start! in reply to Keith M, 11-30-2005 14:46:45  
Did you for sure get the throttle rod re-inserted into the carburetor properly? Thats the rod that opens and closes the carburetor butterfly from the governor. It is not hard to miss this.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Nebraska Cowman

12-01-2005 05:45:58




Report to Moderator
 Re: Farmall M Just won't Start! in reply to Keith M, 11-30-2005 14:46:45  
Well, if the plugs are staying dry you are NOT getting fuel. Try spraying starting fluid in and see if it will run on that and you can eliminalte any spark issues. Work on the fuel problem first.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Cityboy-McCoy

12-01-2005 04:59:39




Report to Moderator
 Re: Farmall M Just won't Start! in reply to Keith M, 11-30-2005 14:46:45  
I had the same situation with a 140 that had sat for a long time - no gas to the plugs. Choked it until gas flowed out on the floor.
Finally took out the plugs and used an old syringe to shoot a little gas in each cylinder. It fired right up and quit; but then the choke was effective and she fired right back up. Been running fine ever since.
mike



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
El Toro

12-01-2005 04:08:40




Report to Moderator
 Re: Farmall M Just won't Start! in reply to Keith M, 11-30-2005 14:46:45  
After squirting oil into those cylinders run a compression check on the engine & compare the readings. Should be close to one another. Hal



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Dale Hinthorn

11-30-2005 19:56:00




Report to Moderator
 Re: Farmall M Just won't Start! in reply to Keith M, 11-30-2005 14:46:45  
all the items that are listed looks to be good suggestions but if you'll put a little oil in the cylinders to bring up the compression that may be all you need . I had a jd 1010 that had sat for several years and trying to get it started was a big deal.I had changed ever thing to no avail until I realized no compression I put transmittion oil in the cylinders and pull started it the first time and it has not failed to start sence

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Mel in OR

11-30-2005 18:51:21




Report to Moderator
 Re: Farmall M Just won't Start! in reply to Keith M, 11-30-2005 14:46:45  
Keith,
I have had your same situation with an M my Dad gave me which sat in my garage for years. I'm guessing you don't have plug wires or distributor components put back correctly effecting timing. Study that. One time I put the point cap on 180 degrees off. Hate to admit those things. M's are very forgiving if they have gas and spark but timing has to be correct.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Will Sick

11-30-2005 18:33:10




Report to Moderator
 Re: Farmall M Just won't Start! in reply to Keith M, 11-30-2005 14:46:45  
I had this happen to me on A super that I bought .It too had been sitting. I tuned out that ther was dirt in the bottom of the carburetor and gas couldn't get thru to th run jet.It is apparant that if the plugs remain dry that gas isn't getting thru.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Dixieland

11-30-2005 17:35:02




Report to Moderator
 Re: Farmall M Just won't Start! in reply to Keith M, 11-30-2005 14:46:45  
I"ll bet you a dollar against a hole in a doughnut that you have the firing order wrong. The firing order is 1-3-4-2 from front to rear. Check it out and let us know.
Good luck,
Rex



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
old

11-30-2005 16:41:30




Report to Moderator
 Re: Farmall M Just won't Start! in reply to Keith M, 11-30-2005 14:46:45  
If it sat that long fill the cylinders with tranny fluid and let it sit a day or 2. Be sure to put the plugs back in so dirt etc don't get in to the cylinders. Then after it has set a day or so the pull all the plugs and crank the engine over to clear the cylinders. Put the plugs back in and see if it will start. You probably have stuck rings and that causes low compression and that cause lack of vacuum on the intake.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Rich Griffin

11-30-2005 16:28:19




Report to Moderator
 Re: Farmall M Just won't Start! in reply to Keith M, 11-30-2005 14:46:45  
Pull all Spark plugs out,put motor oil in squirt can,squirt 4 times into each cyl,crank over quite often,install plugs. This is my remedy. It builds up compression and vacume so to suck gas and fire.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Dave in CT

11-30-2005 16:00:35




Report to Moderator
 Re: Farmall M Just won't Start! in reply to Keith M, 11-30-2005 14:46:45  
This is a confession. I had a no-start condition with a more recently run H. The tank had run dry so I filled it and still got no start after enough cranking to get the carb primed - even put my hand over the intake of the carb to administer the fullest choke - ouch. _Had_ to get it going in a hurry as, like most of us, many other tasks were waiting. Shot a little of my brother's Pyroil starting fluid in the intake and at least got it to run a short while. After a couple of repetitions of that it ran continuously and restarted fine. This is the first time I've used any starter fluid. Usually I want to get down to why it's not acting normal. In short, I'm encouraging you to CHEAT. Maybe that'll get enough firing going on you can figure out what's wrong. I'm still guessing on my problem.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
arod

11-30-2005 15:44:47




Report to Moderator
 Re: Farmall M Just won't Start! in reply to Keith M, 11-30-2005 14:46:45  
fuel problem... well perhaps the carb has a stuck float, or you installed the needle valve upside down.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Janicholson

11-30-2005 15:21:14




Report to Moderator
 Re: Farmall M Just won't Start! in reply to Keith M, 11-30-2005 14:46:45  
Fixing everything at once is problematic, if one of the fixes is incorrect there are now two issues ETC! However! I would pull out the sparkplugs and (using a squirt oilcan filled with 2stroke mix gasoline I would use one squirt in each cylinder then put in that plug finger tight. Then tighten all the plugs. Crank the tractor (neutral etc.) to see if it starts.
If it starts and dies, you have a fuel delivery problem. if not I suspect either compression (stuck valves) or spark timing/firing order. 1342 from front. Looking from rear toward front at the dist. If clockwise rotation of dist.
2 1
4 3
if CCW
3 1
4 2
good hunting, JimN

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
[Options]  [Printer Friendly]  [Posting Help]  [Return to Forum]   [Log in to Reply]

Hop to:


TRACTOR PARTS TRACTOR MANUALS
We sell tractor parts!  We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]

Home  |  Forums


Copyright © 1997-2023 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters

Website Accessibility Policy