Farmall H not starting

It's me again, just a update. Got spark on the magneto, coil was bad. Now I have another issue, I can't get it to fire/start. I'm pretty sure the turning is right but it's acting like it's out of time. Also when we squirt gas into the cylinder heads, it will try and run on that but it don't seem to suck gas. The manifold has a hole in it but it's the exhaust. The carburetor is fine, it just seems to be above in the manifold. Would bees have something to do with it or is it just simply out of timing? Note: it did backfire multiple times and you could here it I guess chug as we pulled it.
Thanks,
Chunkman

How are the spark plugs? Have you tried a known good set?

Unless the distributor has been removed, it's doubtful that it's out of time. Timing doesn't just go out of whack by itself.

I'm not picking on you, but when I was in the boat and outboard motor business back in the 1970's, at least half of the customers bringing an outboard in for not running right would say it acted like the timing was off. Most of the time, back then, it was spark plugs. I had one guy once with a Johnson outboard with a notched belt driven distributor where he'd reset the timing himself trying to get it to run. I reset the timing marks by the book and got out a new set of plugs. The whole time I was doing this, the guy was standing there telling me there was no way it would run with the timing set like that.

After I'd installed the new plugs, I hit the starter and it fired right up, as pretty as you could want it to. The guy still didn't seem convinced, although he paid me and left.

Back to your H, you said there was a hole in the exhaust manifold. What kind of hole and where? On an H, the intake and exhaust manifolds are together in one piece.

It is just a hole due to rust and its on the exhaust part. As for the plugs, brand new autolite from this parts deeler. Would it be the gap is too big or small? And the mag was off completely and tore down by a professional. I did not mark it when I took it off the first time. When we were trying to get it tk start it seemed to "run" better when I advanced the mag out. Other than that it just doesnt seem to want to pull gas

I think that mag will go on with the timing 180 out.

Pull the #1 plug, hand crank the engine slowly while feeling for compression at the plug hole. Bring the engine to TDC by the mark. The rotor should point to the #1 cap terminal.

Then slowly turn the engine through, listening for the snap. Every other snap should happen exactly when the TDC mark passes. If not, adjust the mag housing until the mark lines up when it snaps.

If you have been putting gas directly into the plug holes, the cylinder walls may be washed down. Try putting about a teaspoon of oil in each cylinder, turn the engine through several times with the plugs out. Then try to start once you know the timing is right.

How long has it been since it ran? Could the carb be gummed from sitting? If it's been a year, might be worth draining the carb, see what you get and if there is good flow through the float valve.

Me and my uncle pulled the valve cover off to make sure it is tdc. I did not know about the marks, you have a pic of that? As for the cylinder wall, it is a 50 50 mix of gas and oil, and the valves are getting oil to them. It was last tan about 2010ish

Should be 2 notch marks on the front pulley and a pointer.

When turning the crank clockwise, the second mark is TDC. That is where it should snap.

That it has been sitting 6-7 years, the carb is likely gummed up unless it was drained before it was stored.

I forgot to mention I did remove and clean it up, it was gummed up before I cleaned it. I'll look into the timing, but is it possible that the tube above the carb is blocked by something?

"the tube above the carb is blocked by something?"

Are you asking about the intake manifold?

Possibly if the carb was off. Mud dobbers, mice possibly, but nothing that could happen naturally to block it that I have ever seen.

The hole in the exhaust is concerning though. That is a one piece casting, it is possible the exhaust could also be burned through to the intake, which would act as a vacuum leak.

You can do a simple test, remove the air filter hose, hold your hand tightly over the air inlet of the carb, and crank the engine. If it is a hand crank, have an assistant wind-mill it with the ignition off.

You should feel a strong vacuum and have gas on your hand when done.

No vacuum, there is a major vacuum leak or a stuck open intake valve.

Vacuum but no gas, the carb is not delivering fuel or the bowl is empty.

For the 100th time, the FIRST of the double marks is tdc!

Thanks, I'll check that asap.

Mag 180 degrees out

I would suspect (as I have done twice in the last year on two different tractors), that you have the magneto set 180 degrees out. I just went through this last week on my H.. Here is a link to my post in the Farmall Forum. Much help is available on this site, that's why I have been an avid 'subscriber' for almost 20 years!
Farmall H Magneto Timing

Ok thanks a lot.

You say it's not sucking gas. Is it possible that the rockers are set too tight on the intake valves so they aren't closing quite all the way?

It ran fine about 7 years ago, I havnt changed anything since other than the carb and the mag

Was this tractor running before the magneto issue? If you remove the breather pipe from the carburetor and hold your hand over the carburetor air intake, can you feel suction?

It ran before the issue, the coil in the mag went bad after the years of not running. The guy I took it too said everything was original still so it's over 50 yrs. I havnt been able to test the suction yet, hopefully I can get to that today

Ok another update, found the timing marks, my grandfather painted them white. It was 180 off, got it set right and here's the best part. I took the manifold off, a lot of rust and other junk was in there, I also have the carb off to take apart to make sure it works right. If everything goes as planned, I should have it running by Saturday