Very Sick Farmall 706 Gas Need Help

First off...I've already got more money in this thing than it's worth!! BUT I like it. Took it to a friends place for an annual plow day and was darn near embarrassed!! Had to pull a 4X14 in LOW 2nd gear and it didn't like that when I got to the Gumbo (black dirt). So far from what I can tell from recent posts it should pull 4X16's in Low 4th or High 1st. Also when you shut the engine off it sounds like it's trying to suck you through the exhaust pipe. Some one there mentioned maybe a bad or burnt valve. Now I run only 93 octane in it and have since I've owned it but have no idea what the previous owner ran. I'm not looking to make a HOT ROD or convert it to a 291 or 301 I would just like the old girl to run like she should and not drop another 2 grand in it. Any sugguestions? Thanks Matt

run a compression check on engine

First thing I'd do is check the ignition timing. Also the verify the centrifugal advance is working. (Timing at idle can be right on, but if the centrifugal is stuck timing can be off by 30 deg or more at governed RPM. This will rob a LOT of power.)

Next check the carb power mixture. If the carb has a high speed mixture screws turn it OUT 1/2 turn at a time and see if this helps. Or if the carb has a fixed high speed mixture, try gradually pulling the choke while under load. If you get a bit more power with the choke slightly closed, the carb needs attention.

Finally check/adjust the valve lash with the engine warm.

If none the above gives no improvement there's a more serious problem going on (low compression, etc).

So you are suppose to have a C263 and you are running the 93 , OK lets start off with pulling the valve cover and adjusting the valves BY THE BOOK , engine warm and any thing over 70 degrees will be fine . Look at the rocker arms closely and you will see that THEY DO NOT set dead on over top of the valve stem . The tip of the rocker arm wares and when your adjusting the valves you want the feeler gauge under the waer point to get the best reading or feel . Set the valves to .027 with a light drag , now each of us has a different feel as to light drag. You may have to go over them a couple times to get the tickers quieted down. Next what plugs ya running in it ??, my choises are a C86 A/C or a 3116 Autolite . Next a solid copper core plug wire Packard 440 wire Next check the timing and on a C263 it should be 23 degrees advance AT FULL throttle . I clean up the ft. pully so i can see the marks and then i use a WHITE PAINT STICK to mark the 23 degree mark for easier reading with a timing light. Also if yo are not up on how to check the dist. fro proper advance curve function then find and old timer that has a dist. machine and have the dist checked for proper curve. and repair as needed. Next make sure that you have good fuel flow from the fuel tank to the carb and that you do have the screen in the sed. bowl no other fuel filter is needed. an last run a compression check on a running temp engine and see what you have for compression . Since i can not do the checking myself it is going to be up to you . Only once in my liffe did i ever have to use low second to pull 4x16's and that was on a farm that had not been plowed in over 35-40 years and had over a hundred head of beef cows run on it year round and before that the only thing that had ever plowe that ground was a team of horses and a 2 N ford with 12 inch plows . Now i am not sayen that the ground was hard BUT when i dropped the plows into that ground the first thing that happened was that the fire went out right now and i tried 3rd low with the same results and when i dropped down into second low i sheared off the four bolts that held the fast hitch to the belly . The 700 lbs i had on the nose was not enough and the 1000 that i put on was still not enough and the extra two wheel weights that i hug on with a chain still did not hold the ft. on the ground going up the hills . The ground did not roll off the moldboards it came up in huge chunks and was a bear to disc the first year. I also had to pin the trips so they would not trip with grade two bolts just incase i did find a rock. If you want to talk with me on the phone then let me know an i will give you my E/Mail addy and then send you my Ph. #.

The carb on 706's does not have a main fuel screw once you turn the key on you are full fuel due to the solenoid on the carb UNLESS someone removed it and did in fact install a adjusting screw because they were to cheap to put a new solenoid back on.

Your right i it certainly has no screw, and the solenoid valve is unhooked (just a dead end wire from it). Engine is shut off by cutting power to coil....I believe. I'm not up to par on knowing how to check the timing advance on the dist. but my neighbor who helped me fix brakes, hyds,and pto and put all the $$$$$ in this to begin with was a mechanic at an IH dealer for better than 30 years so maybe he can help me with this. After I check the things you all have mentioned I may wanna call you Tractor Vet, but I'll check these things first. I'll try to get these things checked as soon as I can and give yall an update and THANK Yall for the help....Matt

Well then first off get a new solenoid for the carb. also check and make sure that you have the correct carb on it. The solenoid is for shut down to shut off the gas so the engine will not diesel , this should be working .

I recently went to a plow day in indiana for ih only my gas 706 with 263 dyno 70 hp the day before, I could not go higher than low 2 high ta with a nice set 4 16 trailer plow, plowing 8 to 10 in deep so i went back to 3 16 plow and went to low 3 high ta we had over 100 tractors there and if you plowed deep all the 263 engins were at that speed dyno your tractor any where around 70 hp is ok on a 263

Tom I was pulling a 4X14" trailer plow 10"s in sandier ground but had to come up to about 6 in the GUMBO. I would love to dyno the tractor but haven't the slightest idea who has one anywhere around me (Union County KY). But I'm sure these other things need to be checked just the same as I haven't done anything with to the engine because it's always started right up no matter how cold. Tractor Vet, the plugs are champion, don't remember what number but I'll check, and change because I noticed you didn't mention them meaning that you probably wouldn't use them either....Matt

(quoted from post at 12:46:28 10/28/12) Tom I was pulling a 4X14" trailer plow 10"s in sandier ground but had to come up to about 6 in the GUMBO. I would love to dyno the tractor but haven't the slightest idea who has one anywhere around me (Union County KY). But I'm sure these other things need to be checked just the same as I haven't done anything with to the engine because it's always started right up no matter how cold. Tractor Vet, the plugs are champion, don't remember what number but I'll check, and change because I noticed you didn't mention them meaning that you probably wouldn't use them either....Matt

Click to expand...

Quite a few of us just don't have much faith in Champion spark plugs anymore.

If she's not being cold natured and if she
spins real fast when starting warm and if
she loses power under load you most
likely have low compression. Back in the
day (we ran 656 and 706 gassers) rings
and valves about every three years. The
loss of power by percentage is near
linear to the percentage of low
compression. If that ain't right it will
never lug properly. Like vet said adjust
the valves, time it, major tune up (plugs,
points, condenser, cap) before you tear it
down.

If it's not a cold natured beast until it
warms to operating temp then it is not
tuned properly or your compression is
weak or both.

I have a 706 gas with a new majored ovh 301+.040 bore have over $3,000 in repairs has not even ran 1 hour and I am sick of it! Would trade it for a good 560. I don't think they made a good 706!

Sounds like me and you need to combine tractors my 706 has plenty of power with the 263 I just can't keep the trans. together haha. Hope you get it figured out.

They're just like an old Ford 390 run like anything but fixed or repaired daily

I have a compression gauge you can use if you need one.

gramps

Have you checked out the heat riser valve in the exhaust manifold?

Then you must not know how to work on either as the 390 was one of my favorts amd have built many of them also and found them vary reliable IF you built them right .

Someone's pulling your leg telling you that you can run in hi 1st with 4-16's. Maybe if you're only running 4" deep in mellow ground.

When Dad first started out he had a STRONG 756 gas with 4-14s. 3rd lo was about all it'd do on our rock farm unless conditions were perfect.

Just kidding drove a 1969 pre Windsor 351 for years first car hot rod in cougar convertible knew you liked fords too poke

I use to pull 4x16 710's with my 706 gasser in high 1st in corn ground at 8-10 inches over here in ohio , now in sod it was 4thlow and the only time i had to get into the T/A was going up a hill . Now granted not all ground plows the same and not all fields on the same farm plow the same. and only ponce did i ever have to go down into second low to break ground and it was like plowing up a road bed all 68 acres of it the first year after that it was back to running high first. Now one thing here tire size plays a huge roll here on a 706 if your running 18.4 38 then yep you don't have enough ponys under the hood as they either came with a 15.5x38 or a 16.9x34 step up to a 16.9x38 and you will loose a littel same as jumping up to a 18.4x34 ya loose a bit BUT jump to a 18.4x38 and it will kill ya then you will have to drop a whole gear. Just like mowing hay with my 806 with the 18.4x34's in third low ya crawl along but ya mow hay jump up to 4th low and it is to fast and the haybine does a lousy job , pull the T/A back in 4th low and your going faster then third low high side and you will mow just fine. My one friend has a 806 but his is setting UP on 20.8x34 rubber and he runs third low and runs faster then mine does in forth low high side. Put his on the road in high four and ya had best put a tarp strap around your hat. So ya have to look at everything when comparing one 706 to another. 263 to 291 or the guy that sutffed a combine engine into his 706 that pucked a 263 but use the carb and dist from the 263 , first off the carb willl not feed the 301 and the timing curve is nowhere even close to what the 301 needs . The dist curve on a combine engine is nowhere even close set for tractor operation . BUT THEY WILL FIT.

Yep I DID like fords till they quit maken the FE's and the 385 blocks. Even though i went MoPar when i came out of Nam due to a LITTLE misunderstanding with Ford. I had the chance to run a factory sponsored Ford drag car and at the time i wanted a 68 Cougar 427 4 SPEED with NO power steering and NO disc brakes for my car as we were offered a choice between the Mustangs Cougars , Torineo's or the Montego . engine choices were the 390's 428 S/CJ's or the 427 4bbl's but only with a slush box no 4 speed in the 427's Well i told them to stuff it and went and bought a Road Runner and sorta gave up on drag racing just a little i still worked on the cars and did some engines for friends even took a job for a Ford dealer to work on nothing but the performance cars and do there racing program and end up driving the Torineo (sp)But i did buy Ford trucks as i found them to be more comfortable to drive and ride in . Then along came the new line of goats and then Ford dropped the 460 that was the end of ford for me . Neve could understand why i went with a Goat till the other day when i saw something about the Goat head that most never notice on the ft. of a Dodge Ram . It was explained to me on Face book.

Grandpa John I'd like to use your compression gauge sometime but I'm gonna be busy till dark all week unless rain appears in the forcast. Won't have time to work on tractor at all. Hope to be finished with harvest by the weeks end but who knows.. As to the heat riser valve......"IT'S STUCK" Old IH mechanic said more than likely IF I try and free it up it will most likely break and then it's a new manifold.... Is that heat riser that imortant as to power? I know I would like to have it ALL right, but if there isn't much benefit to it should I bother?......Thanks Matt

BTW: Tractor has 16.9 X 38's