Strange but true!! (Farmall h)

K

Kippster

Member

• Mar 8, 2011

• #1

I have a 48 farmall h that has been notoriously hard to start for about 5 years now. I retimed the mag today and she would puff smoke through the carb. Thought to myself, thats 180 degrees out of time, so I looked at the cap...Hmmmmm. the wires were on the cap with #1 cylinder being toards the bell housing. Perfectly backwards. Put the wires in the cap right with #1 being toards the radiator. I pulled the crank twice and she fired right off and ran like a pup. That means that the mag was 180 off and the wires were on backwards and the engine ran that way for 5 years. Tractor ran great but was always a bugger to start. Now it starts perfectly. How I managed to goof it up that bad and still have it run I will never know. Anyone ever hear of anything like it??

 

D

DeltaRed

Well-known Member

• Mar 8, 2011

• #1

Thats Funny!

 

K

KenB_Texas

Member

• Mar 8, 2011

• #1

yeah that is a good one...

Back in the 70's I rebuilt a few ford small blocks. I was easy to stab the distributor 180 out or even get the gear one tooth off.. Being a lazzy kid I'd just move the wires around. You would be surprised how many I got to work on again, especially when the owner did a tuneup and didn't mark the wires...

 

T

teddy52food

Well-known Member

• Mar 8, 2011

• #1

I don't see where it would make any differance 1&4 are running mates as are 2&3. . You had to be firing on compression or it wouldn't run. When you say you retimed it, what did you do?Retime the rotor in the mag or change the timing to the engine or what?

 

B

Bob

Well-known Member

• Mar 8, 2011

• #1

Engines simply DO NOT RUN when 180 degrees out of time.

Apparently, you had the MAG 180 off AND the wires 180 off, so all was well.

 

P

Pete76NY

Well-known Member

• Mar 9, 2011

• #1

Engines do run 180 degrees out if the wires are hooked up backward...bought a Super M that came that way.

 

J

Jim350

Member

• Mar 9, 2011

• #1

I also know a person who said he couldnt get the distriburtor in a small block Ford but when he spun it around 180 it fell in. He moved the wires and that was that.

Kippster, If you now move each wire 2 places and try to start the engine you will see what happens when they are out 180.

 

OP

OP

K

Kippster

Member

• Mar 9, 2011

• #1

I took the mag out of the engine to dry it out. It got wet and had no fire. When I poked it back in, I must have put it in 180 degrees from where I had it before and actually got it back the way it should be. Then it was a matter of changing the wires to their correct locations.

 

C

CNKS

Well-known Member

• Mar 9, 2011

• #1

When you reinstalled the mag, you set it closer to the correct timing. The 180 degree thing with the wires also in the right position for the 180 off mag should have no effect. You simply timed it better this time.

 

S

ste_fano

Member

• Mar 9, 2011

• #1

I have a B like that with a mag, but they had the firing order right. I took the cap, and all wires off, put them back on by the book, no go. I then remembered I made a diagram of the cap wires and placement, and she fired right up. Experts on here said the farmer must of went 180 degrees. Steve

 

B

Bob

Well-known Member

• Mar 9, 2011

• #1

Yeah, that's the deal. Mag 180 off and wires 180 off cancel each other out, making firing order the same as if the mag was installed as the factory did it.


Bottom line is, though, TIMING was NOT 180 off or the engine WOULD NOT run.

 

rustred

Well-known Member

• Mar 9, 2011

• #1

agree with bob. when on tdc on compression rotor points to a marked #1 on dist.this is having all tractors timed with #1 in the same spot. nothing saying that you cant just stick the mag or dist in and then install wires accordingly to firing order. you are not out of time, just have the wires repositioned differently than when it left the factory.

 

D

Dellbertt

Member

• Mar 9, 2011

• #1

CNKS nailed it.
Dell

 

OP

OP

K

Kippster

Member

• Mar 9, 2011

• #1

I'm just happy that I don't have to fight with it to get it started anymore! Five years of fighting to be able to fix it in 8 minutes. Frustrating.

 

OP

OP

K

Kippster

Member

• Mar 9, 2011

• #1

Thanks guys for explaining how that could have happened. It really had me baffled. Now it makes more sense. Also thanks for not thinking I was crazy........Hey~ I heard that..
Kippster

 

J

JT

Well-known Member

• Mar 9, 2011

• #1

I have a B that is 90degrees out. When I put it back together, it kept trying to fire in the exhaust, took front of engine back apart and checked timing marks, were all good, moved the 90 degrees, fired right up and has run purfect for about 4 years now...

 

J

Jim350

Member

• Mar 9, 2011

• #1

That's all that matters.

 

B

bobs old iron

Well-known Member

• Mar 9, 2011

• #1

know what you"re saying. had a A/C C few years ago, "ran smooth", no power though, while club members standing around, they found 2 wires were reversed. had power, then sold it, and got a red tractor. lol

 

M

Marty from MN

Member

• Mar 9, 2011

• #1

Was working on a green machine awhile back 3020 gas. Tune up stuff. The owner said it was missing bad and had since he bought it. Turned out that 2 and 3 were switched because the previous owner didn't know which way the distributor turned. I believe it spins backwards from an IH, and that was what the previous owner always ran before this Deere.