D17 issue

Have a series 1 D17 and it has a random issue that's giving me fits. Be going along running fine and then it will start sputtering. Sometimes pulling the choke will help and it will immediately start to run fine with it on. Other times the choke won't help. Some times just turning off tractor and restarting will fix it. Thought maybe dirt issue so last couple times it happened, I pulled the plug and drained the carb. Each time I tried the above remedies the tractor would run fine afterwards, usually for a day or two. Then issues back. Today none of the above worked. Just to eliminate blocked air flow took pre cleaner off and put hand over air intake to point of almost killing engine. All of a sudden started running fine. Don't know what to think now. I did check and have good flow of fuel all the way to the carb, and sediment screen is clean so where do I look next? I'd like to get this solved so I don't have to worry about it happening and then not get it running when I'm in the middle of a field. Plus it's nice to use this one for cutting and raking and not have to keep taking the " big" tractor off the round baler.

Sounds similar to the time in my youth that I was on the other end of the field and thought myself to be fairly enlightened.  I drained fuel over and over again until Dad got tired of my failing efforts and came across the field to repair a break in a coil wire.  It apparently would make contact and the engine would run fine enough of the time to fool me into thinking it was a fuel issue.

Sometimes there is a screen part of the carburetor inlet elbow that gets filled with varnish. Sometimes there is debris like bees wings from corn in the gas tank plugging the inlet screen. Sometimes the gas tank cap is supposed to be venting the tank and isn't because its plugged or the wrong cap. When its running bad loosen that gas cap and see if it runs better and listen for air going into the tank replacing the vacuum.

Is there any correlation between fuel levels in the tank and times to running bad?

Gerald J.

I lean towards a floater, but it sure can be the other things mentioned.

jeickman01 wrote: Sounds similar to the time in my youth that I was on the other end of the field and thought myself to be fairly enlightened.  I drained fuel over and over again until Dad got tired of my failing efforts and came across the field to repair a break in a coil wire.  It apparently would make contact and the engine would run fine enough of the time to fool me into thinking it was a fuel issue.

X2 on that coil issue. Or condenser. Get hot and start losing their spark

I agree with Charlie , I would start with a good cleaning of carb and  sediment bowl and screen and check inside tank. Feel like it has to be fuel related by choke helping most of the time.

Blocking air intake caused the engine to sputter and add extra vacuum to the carb and you probably freed up something in the carb (i.e. varnish, particle in needle seat or ????)

Thanks for all the replies. Did some more fiddling around with it and noticed that the little screen that's supposed to be in the fuel line going into the carb is missing. That might explain why there's an inline fuel filter on it. (Bought the tractor that way). It still has the screen in this sediment bowl. Should I order a replacement carb screen and lose the inline filter. Also see someone suggested sea foam in the gas to help clean carb. How much do I add to the gas?
Again, thanks for all the help.
Tony

tony wrote: Thanks for all the replies. Did some more fiddling around with it and noticed that the little screen that's supposed to be in the fuel line going into the carb is missing. That might explain why there's an inline fuel filter on it. (Bought the tractor that way). It still has the screen in this sediment bowl. Should I order a replacement carb screen and lose the inline filter. Also see someone suggested sea foam in the gas to help clean carb. How much do I add to the gas? Again, thanks for all the help. Tony

There is no such thing as a carb screen.  Just the screen that goes in the sediment bowl assembly.  As mentioned above, lose the inline filter as well.  With a clean tank, and clean and fresh gas an inline filter is not needed.  The original sediment bowls have worked well for many decades and with occasional maintenance they will continue to work well.

1st off thanks for all the advice on why my 17 would occasionally act up. Here's what I found so far. Just for fun I decided to check cap and rotor and points just to make sure my issue wasn't spark related. Lo and behold when I pulled the cap I noticed that the tab that's on top of the rotor was rusty and the center contact pin on the cap was all roughed up! I'm actually surprised that it even ran like that! Put a new cap and rotor on so we'll see if that clears the problems up. My question is do you think that may have been the problem all along? Or do you think I still have some carb issues to work thru? Also 1 other question- in case I have to adjust the carb, what screws on it do what? On the bottom of the bowl there's a little L shaped screw. On top of carb by where it bolts to intake it looks like there's another adjusting screw. I know on the main screw you start 1-1/2 turns out and adjust from there but I need to know which one's the main screw and also where do set the throttle when adjusting. Thanks,Tony.

The bottom L shaped adjuster is the main fuel jet and should be adjusted wide open with a load on it. The upper adjusting screw is idle mixture. and should be adjusted at idle. The idle speed should be that keeps the throttle shaft from closing all the way. Adjust that for proper idle speed.