Ford 4000 turns over won't start

Strawberryfarmer · Mar 16, 2023

Hi , I'm new on here and new at farming.

Recently I bought a;1973 Ford 4000 with a three cylinder gas engine.
The person I bought it from claimed there was nothing wrong and worked perfectly .. all I knew is that when he started it popped right off and ran smooth . I also bought a brush hog with it , which I put to use the first day after he delivered it to me.. Using the brush hog I only used the first couple of the eight gears so I didn't find out until a few days later the the clutch slipped in any gear above third gear..
It was then that I realized that the clutch was shot and trailered it off to the local case dealer for a new clutch..

Now the problem : Afterni paid (4000+) went out to the yard to start and drive my Ford 4000 home I found that my great starting tractor had to crank much longer and was very hard to start .. but it did start and purred just fine all the way home .. the next day it started again very hard and since then it will not start .
Yesterday they sent two mechanics to trouble shoot and really couldn't come up with why it would only start with starting fluid ..
When they left he told me maybe it had vapor locked (?) and he maybe fixed it , said to leave it till morning (today) and see if it starts (or didn't) or else maybe my great starting tractor developed a head gasket leak right after they put in back together and on my seven my drive home . Unlikely in my mind .. at 133 dollars an hour it's getting expensive if they have to keep trouble shooting with no results ...
So... Any ideas ??

Steve in IL · Mar 16, 2023

Just to be clear After being tough to get going, once its
running, it runs good (sound and power)? Is it the same
for cold or hot? Instead of starting fluid, try this
Remove rubber hose going to carburetor inlet Is the
choke working correctly (butterfly valve gets nearly
closed when choke knob is pulled)? And opens up
correctly? If yes, then try using an old spray bottle with
some gas in it to spray a little gas into carburetor, and
quickly try to start. What happens then?

Bob N.Y. · Mar 16, 2023

It sounds like a fuel delivery problem. Are there any filters between the gas tank and carburetor? Changing them would be a good place to start.

BarnyardEngineering · Mar 16, 2023

You have to realize that the tractor was built decades before most of the people working at the dealership were born. They, like you, do not know the basics of gasoline engines. They are trained on the modern computerized diesel engine that when it doesn't start, you plug in the computer and it tells you what part has failed. The dealership hardly ever sees a gasoline engine tractor so it is not in their interest to pay to have their techs trained on how to work on them.

You can pay $133 an hour for them to scratch their heads or you can build your own knowledge.

Starting fluid is fuel. If it will start with starting fluid, that means it is not getting fuel the regular way. Does it have gas in the tank? Is the valve on the gas tank turned on? What does the gas tank look like on the inside? What does the glass sediment bowl look like on the inside? If you disconnect the fuel line from the carburetor does fuel flow? How well does it flow?

Strawberryfarmer · Mar 16, 2023

..
Yes, once it would get going it would run great hot or cold ..
So.. The tractor just left on a trailer headed back to the shop.
The guy who they sent out had to start it .. he checked out the choke hook cable and said it wasn't hooked up right (?)
Said ; These guys in the shop , they are all trained on working nthe big and complex stuff and can't figure out simple ". Geez .. $133 bucks an hour , maybe I should have found a garage mechanic for $25 bucks an hour ..
Any how, thanks for your reply and with a lil prayer that it proves as simple as the choke adjustment .. Im sure I'll know in a day or so !!
Thanks .. I'll post when I hear .

Ultradog MN · Mar 16, 2023

I always check the soark First.
Only then go on to fuel.
Was it $4000 for just a clutch job or did
they do other work to it too?
A 3 cylinder Ford is the easiest tractor I
have ever worked on to split for a clutch.

sandcastle1 · Mar 16, 2023

I like heat on even gas motors if it is cold. fuel, air and spark are the three things that you need for a gas motor to start. what condition are the spark plugs
in?

Strawberryfarmer · Mar 16, 2023

(quoted from post at 10:08:51 03/16/23) I always check the soark First.
Only then go on to fuel.
Was it $4000 for just a clutch job or did
they do other work to it too?
A 3 cylinder Ford is the easiest tractor I
have ever worked on to split for a clutch.

The actual price was 4,500. Something ..
But yes , they actually did do a lil more than the clutch.
When the tractor was apart they did replace a bearing or two on the pto.. I had one three point lift arm that I was replacing and could not remove the pin that held it in place by the tractor axle . (That cost me $375. for them to install the part that I supplied ...
And.. thanks much for both your insight and advice .. it is well taken .

Strawberryfarmer · Mar 16, 2023

(quoted from post at 10:08:51 03/16/23) I always check the soark First.
Only then go on to fuel.
Was it $4000 for just a clutch job or did
they do other work to it too?
A 3 cylinder Ford is the easiest tractor I
have ever worked on to split for a clutch.

The actual price was 4,500. Something ..
But yes , they actually did do a lil more than the clutch.
When the tractor was apart they did replace a bearing or two on the pto.. I had one three point lift arm that I was replacing and could not remove the pin that held it in place by the tractor axle . (That cost me $375. for them to install the part that I supplied ...
And.. thanks much for both your insight and advice .. it is well taken .

Geo-TH,In · Mar 16, 2023

Take the battery to town and have an auto store test the
battery.
A weak battery means less cranking voltage, which means a weak
spark, and it won't start.
Once running the alternator voltage makes over 12v, stronger
spark and tractor runs fine.

Destroked 450 · Mar 16, 2023

I m in shock
I just split my 69 model 4000 diesel to replace the clutch assembly and bearings along with the pto input shaft and seals
Local clutch builder charged me $350 for the clutch assembly, I m sure a dealer would have charged $7-800, but still yet I had the tractor apart and back together in two afternoons working by myself

But I shouldn t be surprised as I helped a neighbor repair the transmission in his 5525 John Deere, even with pulling the cab and doing a thriller split with my labor we fixed it for under $5000
The dealer wanted $16000

r.w.b. · Mar 17, 2023

didnt some of those 3 cylinder engines have an electric fuel shut off
solonoid? or a murphys switch that wont let it start due to lack of
oil pressure that could be going bad?

Destroked 450 · Mar 17, 2023

Some of the 30 series in the 90 s had electric fuel shutoff, possibly some of the late 10 series but my 90 model doesn t

Ultradog MN · Mar 17, 2023

And Strawberry farmer's tractor is a
gasser.
They never had an electric fuel shut off.

Leroy · Mar 17, 2023

Over 30 years ago had a 68 Ford 5000 gas running problems,
sent it to local Ford tractor dealer. Said nothing wrong,
still would not run. I took carb off myself and took to an
independant shop that at one time was a Ford dealer. He
took carm apart and the fuel pump was stuck so tight in
bore that he could not get it out so he had to send it out
to a different shop. They got it out and repaired and it
ran just fine as long as I owned it. Ther mechanicks at the
Ford dealer did not know it had a fuel pump in carb lile
cars and if they would just have looked at a parts book
they would have found the problem but would not have known
how to fix it. Find an old mechanick that worked on cars
before fuel injection and he will get it working. The new
kids only know diesel and nothing about gas burners. Your
shop was not very onest or they would have told you we
don't have any body that knows gas engines. Never go back
there again.

Strawberryfarmer · Mar 18, 2023

(quoted from post at 14:38:17 03/17/23) Over 30 years ago had a 68 Ford 5000 gas running problems,
sent it to local Ford tractor dealer. Said nothing wrong,
still would not run. I took carb off myself and took to an
independant shop that at one time was a Ford dealer. He
took carm apart and the fuel pump was stuck so tight in
bore that he could not get it out so he had to send it out
to a different shop. They got it out and repaired and it
ran just fine as long as I owned it. Ther mechanicks at the
Ford dealer did not know it had a fuel pump in carb lile
cars and if they would just have looked at a parts book
they would have found the problem but would not have known
how to fix it. Find an old mechanick that worked on cars
before fuel injection and he will get it working. The new
kids only know diesel and nothing about gas burners. Your
shop was not very onest or they would have told you we
don't have any body that knows gas engines. Never go back
there again.

Strawberryfarmer · Mar 18, 2023

I should maybe get the 4000 back after the weekend .. if it starts up after sitting out all weekend then apparently she is healed ..

And yep, it will never go back to the implement dealer .. it never would have gone there but we only have two businesses that deal in fixing the old stuff and they both are so booked ..

Living and learning !!
Thanks for the advice !

ErnieD · Mar 19, 2023

I am betting on old gas and colder air temperatures. Try new gas.

Ford 4000 turns over won't start

Strawberryfarmer

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Steve in IL

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Bob N.Y.

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BarnyardEngineering

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Strawberryfarmer

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Ultradog MN

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sandcastle1

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Strawberryfarmer

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Strawberryfarmer

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Geo-TH,In

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Destroked 450

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r.w.b.

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Destroked 450

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Ultradog MN

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Leroy

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Strawberryfarmer

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Strawberryfarmer

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ErnieD

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