Farmall Super M has No Power

Hello, I have a 1953 Farmall Super M that is short on power. It has been like this for a while now, but I decided to look into the issue when the tractor couldn't make it up a hill in our yard in 4th gear. My Farmall M does it no problem. And in 5th gear is where it is really obvious that there is a problem. The tractor dies most of the time when I try to put it in 5th gear. So after these experiences, I started looking for a problem. I checked the plugs thinking it was a bad wire, because the tractor doesn't sound quite like a Farmall. It sounds like a John Deere, as if its running on two cylinders. but the wire wasn't the problem, the plugs had a strong spark. I removed the carb next, I thought something could be plugged. That wasn't the case. the carb was clean and not gummed up. But when the plugs were off I noticed oil on a couple of them and thought maybe the rings were bad on a couple of the pistons. I had it compression tested and all four cylinders were at 107 psi, which is about 20 psi less than my Farmall M, about 130 psi. 107 is lower, but is consistent with the other cylinders that I think it might not be the rings. So, at this point I have no clue. I am wondering if someone has a suggestion on where to start next.
Thanks.

Open the load screw a full 5 turns off it's seat. even an extra half turn wont hurt. Gas starvation/lean mixture can cause
low power.Does it gasp/choke/cough/die when you yank open the throttle?If so,it's too lean.Check timing also.Slow timing can
cause low power.

hows the ignition timing

If it sounds like it's running on 2 there's
a good chance plug wires 2 and 3 are
swapped.

Check for corrosion on the inside of the magneto/distributor cap.

If the ignition checks out ok, remove the valve cover and check for a stuck exhaust valve.

Good luck.

You said it sounded like it possibly wasn't firing on all cylinders. Did you try pulling one plug wire at a time to see if it was firing on all cylinders?

That would be the first place to start, get all the cylinders firing. Could be cross wired, bad distributor cap, points improperly gaped, vacuum leak. Did you replace the oil fouled plugs?

Also, if battery ignition, check the centrifugal advance in the distributor. It should turn a few degrees the same as the rotation, then spring fully back when released. It it is stiff or frozen it will need to be disassembled, cleaned, and lubricated. And check the distributor shaft bushing, it needs to have very little side play in order for the points to stay set.

The compression is a little low, but being consistent is a good sign it isn't serious. If the rings were bad, it would have poor idle, but still run fairly well under power, also there would be smoke and oil blowing out the crankcase breather. Have you set the valve lash lately? It could have tight valve lash accounting for the low compression.

How is the air cleaner? There is a mesh filter element that needs to be removed and washed, commonly overlooked.

You don't say if you have good fuel flow to the carb? Tank clean?

Open the main jet adjustment screw on the carburetor. Hal

Paint it green, it wants to be a John Deere. Ron Mn

Oil fouled plugs would point to valve stem seals or worn guides. Two cylinders misfiring would indicate a possible carbon track on the distributor cap. Bad wires on those two cylinders would be another possibility.

Rule out the things that would affect ALL cylinders - like points or distributor shaft wear. Valve adjustment would affect compression. Since your compression is consistent, I would rule out valve adjustment.

Also check the air cleaner. Make sure that none of the tubes or the filter material is plugged. Basic check is to pull the tube off of the carburetor while it is running and see if the engine runs better. Some of those oil bath cleaners could plug up in unusual places.

Sounds like a timing issue, or problems in the distributer.

Gene

107 is plenty of compression for the tractor to run well and have decent power. The only place you would notice it is if you were trying to pull a plow, if then.

First thing I would check is FIRING ORDER. #1 is the front cylinder. Firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Thanks for all your help guys' help, I have narrowed down the problem. After reading your suggestions, I started with the easiest solutions first. I started to remove plug wires as it was running. When I
removed the cylinder one plug wire, the tractor killed. When I removed the remaining three, the tractor ran the same. I removed the 2,3, and 4 wires at the same time and it still ran the same. So it is only
running on one cylinder. But as I was putting the plug wires back on, when the boots of the wires got close to the plugs, the spark arched and the cylinders started firing. So I hung the 2,3 and 4 wires on
the end of the spark plugs and the tractor ran on all four cylinders. So my new problem is, why doesn't the tractor run when the 2,3 and 4 wires are properly connected?

Try a BRAND NEW set of spark plugs.

D18 Champions, or NGK equal Or Autolite Equal will help ! Jim

It needs a new set of plugs. The plugs are partially fouled either by oil, running too rich, weak spark, or the wrong heat range.

Be sure to go with the correct heat range when you replace them. If there are signs of blue smoke, that is a sign of oil burning. Might want to step up one heat range higher on the plugs, especially if the tractor sees light duty.

How does the temperature run? Is the thermostat bringing the engine up to temperature? A cold engine is more prone to fouling plugs.

Double check the ignition system, point gap, and all ignition components.

When you get the new plugs in, watch for any signs of black smoke. Check the air filter element (not just the oil cup), main jet setting, watch for signs of carb flooding, dripping gas, be sure the choke fully opens.

What is happening, when you pull the plug wires back from the plugs, the coil has to build more voltage in order to jump the higher resistance gap. That gives just enough extra voltage to fire the partially fouled plugs.

Only saw one other reply about the air cleaner. Run briefly with the clean air tube disconnected from the carb. I have seen the air cleaner inlet tube where it goes down into the oil bath choked down as small as a quarter. It also possible for the mesh to be clogged with dirt and goo over time. Only fix there is to drill out the spot welds and clean or replace the mesh.