1947 Farmall Internation H tractor with scoop

Have a 1947 Farmall International H.
I am NOT a stupid person, but I am getting frustrated.
Exhaust has condensationin it like it could not be totaly removed from engine.
Air filter had green, wet,slimmy stuff all over it. (threw it out)
Removed sparkplugs and I'm getting compression, but the motor will not turn over to start the tractor. Can turn fan and it will try to start, but acts like the battery is dead and will not start. Battery is not dead. Tried the car battery on it, KNOWING it was charged and got nothing. I just got this and I really don't know much about it. It was running rough just before it quit on me. Does anyone know where I can get a repair manual, or does anyone know what this is and/or how I fix it??
I wouldn't mind even having a picture of the engine so I knew what I was looking at. I have fixed cars before - but I can't figure out whats up with this thing. Can anyone help?? Please and thank you. I really don't want it as a lawn ornament anymore.

Check all battery connection cables starter etc. You can also have a jammed starter bendex so you may need to loose n the starter to pop it free. Your starter or starter switch may also be bad. Many things can stop the starter from spinning the engine over so it will start so you need to check all connections and make sure they are clean tight and bright. If you do get it to spin over but still not start make sure your getting a good blue white spark that jumps a 1/4 inch gap or more

Binder Books sells good manuals. They are available on this site, but I hate JenSales manuals so I do not recommend them.

Threw the air filter away??? These are oil bath air filters so all you do is add new oil to the cup.

This was a " paper " filter. Would never have thrown away the good ones.

Timing advanced to far maybe, will act like a low battery when trying to start,but need better description of the problems for anyone here to give correct responses

removed started - took it in and it's good. Also checked the switch. checked all the connections and they are great. Haven't seen the blue white spark though. I will check again. Thx.

Remove plugs & try to turn the engine over. If it still won't turn over, try to roll engine by hand using the fan.
If still no results, try pulling it with tranny in 5th gear.

OK...dealing with a paper air filter makes me wonder what else may have been modified on this tractor.

Do you still have the hand crank? Have you tried to turn it with the hand crank, with the coil wire removed, to make sure the engine will turn over? If "the motor will not turn over," how do you KNOW you have compression?

And if the starter was "checked," I suppose that means it runs without an excessive amperage draw when it's off the tractor, and the starter drive is moving into the proper position as well.

How long ago was the tractor running, before it quit on you? A year? A month? A week? Yesterday?

Do you have full voltage to the coil? That is, have you taken a volt-ohm meter and checked for at least 6 volts going TO the coil?

Personally, I'd be awfully leery of turning the engine by the fan, if it will "try to start" that way; sounds to me like a good way to lose body parts if it does accidentally start.

From your description, I still DON'T know more about your problem than I DO know about it.

OK...dealing with a paper air filter makes me wonder what else may have been modified on this tractor.

Do you still have the hand crank? Have you tried to turn it with the hand crank, with the coil wire removed, to make sure the engine will turn over? If "the motor will not turn over," how do you KNOW you have compression?

And if the starter was "checked," I suppose that means it runs without an excessive amperage draw when it's off the tractor, and the starter drive is moving into the proper position as well.

How long ago was the tractor running, before it quit on you? A year? A month? A week? Yesterday?

Do you have full voltage to the coil? That is, have you taken a volt-ohm meter and checked for at least 6 volts going TO the coil?

Personally, I'd be awfully leery of turning the engine by the fan, if it will "try to start" that way; sounds to me like a good way to lose body parts if it does accidentally start.

From your description, I still DON'T know more about your problem than I DO know about it.

I think you need to attack this methodically.

1. remove all plugs. will engine turn over easily with hand crank? If not at all, pull the starter and try again. If still stuck w/ starter out, pull the valve cover and ck for a stuck valve. If all valves are free, and engine will not turn over completely, visually inspect inside cylinders for debris.. (acorns, or whatever.)

2. If engine DOES turn over by hand, but not by starter, and starter cks good, and battery is good, clean all electrical connecttions, including disassembling switch and cleaning contacts. A short length of heavy gauge wire can be used to "jump" the switch terminals to ck it...

3. Once engine is turning over, ck for spark. Do you have a magneto or distributor? If its a mag, either it works or not.. if its a dist, ck as previously said, for voltage. Clean points and ck again for spark.

4. If you have spark, and engine turns over, ck timing. Remove #1 spark plug and ck for spark as #1 comes up to tdc.

5. If all that works, check compression w/ a gauge. It should be around 100lbs or so, but should start even as low as 60 or so. (perhaps lower)

6. If you have compression, spark at the right time, its time to see if there is fuel. Does it flow from the tank? Is the carb gummed up? There are a bunch of things that can be wrong here, but until you do more diagnosis, (and probably disassembly) its tough to solve the issue on a forum.
Good luck, and don't give up. You'll find the problem, smack yourself in the forehead, and then go, "Whew.... why didn't I see that before!"

thx. A lot I can ck out. Good thing wife and kids have things to do tomorrow. When and IF this thing starts you will hear me whoop all over the country. lol Thx for the help. I'll work on all of it.

You can't trust the "test" that they do on the starter. I've never seen them get it right. All they do is apply power, and if it spins, it's "good."

You also can't trust visual inspection of the battery connections. Don't just look, do the preventative maintenance even if they "look good." Also if you've got one of those replacement ends that clamps on to the cable with two bolts and a flat strap, that's another connection that needs to be taken apart and cleaned.

Sounds like the starter is locked up on the flywheel. Just for kicks remove the starter and try again with cleaned cable ends and a fully charged battery.

(quoted from post at 18:54:09 06/21/12) Sounds like the starter is locked up on the flywheel. Just for kicks remove the starter and try again with cleaned cable ends and a fully charged battery.

Click to expand...

I'm too lazy for that, but you have a loader so will probably have to do that. Put it in fifth and rock it if you can. That will do the same thing.

Buzz---I'm all for safety also. With due respect--the engine won't start with the plugs out.

If the plugs are out, then how in the world does it "try to start" when turning it over using the fan? I'm trying to take the man at his word, that it "tries to start"...which it won't EVER do, if the plugs are removed.

So either the plugs AREN'T removed when it "tries to start"...or it doesn't actually try to start at all, and what the man said was wrong. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt that he was telling the truth.