Model b wont start need help

My father in law rebuilt this tractor over a few years he had given up on it but I'm determined to get it running for him. I has new sleeves pistons carb everything, I just times the mag number 1 cylinder fires on the center mark. I know the firing order is 1243 that all checks out.

It is kinda hard to crank I see videos where they spin super easy so I'm guessing this is because of it all being new with good compression. When I had the number 1 plug out checking time I got a fire ball out of the manifold guessing fuel got to the exhaust and 2 set it off.

Fuel drips out of the carb from what looks like a pin hole not sure what that is or why it's leaking. Anyone know how to set up the carb to factory settings? I may need to try and pull start it once my tires are mounted.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

I have checked tdc and spark hits right the timing may not be perfect but it hits when the center mark is dead center in the inspection hole in cyl1. All 4 cyl spark when they are too dead center. He says he marked the cam and crank and put them back in the way they came out.

I think its a fuel issue but have no clue how to set the carb on these old tractors. The carb has a hole like a over flow on the bottom and it drips whenbi crank it. Any idea what that is?

I also don't think we are getting the motor to spin fast enough cause it only spins enough to fire one cyl then it stops I think it would need to spin more feely to start. I've never ran one of these tractors this is all new to me

Okay so he showed me some picture from when he was rebuilding it he says there was letters on the crank and cam gears and he lines them up is this true? Of not is there a way to check if the cam gear and crank is lined up? If I have to tear it apart how do I time them to each other? I will set the carb screw right now

Easy to check the cam timing by taking the valve cover off and at TDC when you get spark on number one both valves would be closed or rocker arms up to where you can get your feeler gage between the rocker pad and the valve stem. 

Okay well I believe it is in time. The valves are both closed when the number 1 is on tdc when it fires. I have reset the carb screw no more fuel leaking and I smell fuel on the plugs. I just don't think we are getting enough rpm to get it started. I will try some starting fluid and see what happens. If not I will wait till my tubes come in and tires mounted, then try to pull start it with the truck. I'm new to tractors so I thank you guys for all the info hopefully this old tractor will run again soon!

He bought a remain carb and it has had sitting in it for a few years I drained it all out and put fresh in. I have not disassembled the carb yet which I probably should to clean it. The tractor was left by a family member that Owens the house before. It has sat for 20 years they got it running then it sat for some years. When they went to start it the piston has rotted so the rod went through it. Now it has all new sleeves piston everything it just needs some tlc to get it back to it's former glory.

Are these timing marks on the crank and cam visible without taking the motor back apart? I was not the one who reassembled it I am just the determined one trying to get this thing back to it's former glory

Sounds like it's just flooded to me. Shut off gas. Clean or replace spark plugs. Drain carb bowl. Crank over engine with no plugs to help dry out cylinders. One other thing to check is be sure the engine has air. Too many folks have had a mouse or bird build a nest in there and the tractor will not run without air. At this point I would keep the gas off and see if it would run a few seconds on starting fluid. Then turn on the gas and see if it will run.

Get rid of the Champion plugs. They don't clean up after being coated with carbon from rich running for firing. The Champion vintage tractor plugs are junk.

The crank and cam gear timing is under the engine front cover. You have to take off the crankshaft pulley to take that timing cover off of most engines. And probably have to pull the radiator with the engine in the tractor.

All my engines with updraft carburetors need full choke to fire while cranking, but need the choke opened as soon as they have run a few seconds.

Gerald J.

Start with the easiest things first.  I would not open up the engine to check the gear marks.  You already checked that with DickL's suggestion.  Assume you are good there.  Sounds to me like the mag is not timed properly yet.  These can be tricky, but are reliable units in my opinion.  Focus on clearing the excess fuel.  Then, keeping the fuel off, I would shoot some starting fluid in the carb intake (just a shot), and get a pop.  Once she pops and you know the mag is firing in time, then work on the fuel.  I agree with others that your float is either too high or the cut-off pin is stuck open.  

Edited by Dick L - 30 May 2016 at 8:50am

It was hard to get my C running by hand cranking.  I had no one to crank for me.  If you have another belt pulley tractor you could belt it up and crank it over through the belt pulley.

I have varified timing I know it won't be perfect till I can fine tune it when it's running but I find the fire mark in the inspection cover then slowly crank. The magneto pops and fires the number 1 spark plug on the center mark. I've gone down the line and done this with all 4 cyl to make sure they spark on tdc and they do. I think I need to pull the carb and disassemble and clean it really good then find a post about the float adjustment to make sure that's all in order. He had bought that car as a rebuilt used one so who knows if it was ever adjusted to factory spec. Last night I got a pop through the exhaust with starting fluid but I don't think it's spining fast enough to get it running since the rings haven't sat yet. I will get it running one way or another haha

From what I've read the "fire" mark is when the piston is 30 degrees out then the "center" mark is too dead center and when the number 1 spark plug should fire. That's how I have it times to fire on top dead center

I have it set to fire at the center mark on the fly wheel which is too dead center from what I've read that's correct untill I get it running to fine tune the timing.

Just to make sure i have this right , fire is when the piston is 30 degrees off of top dead center. The spark plug should fire on the "center" mark which is top dead center right?