Model b wont start need help

I'll check to see if I'm 180 off when I get home, I'll clean the carb and check the float adjustment to see if that's my problem and go from there

Chalmersbob wrote: Did you check timing by pulling #1 spark plug and sticking your finger in the hole as you crank? You can have the timing 180 degrees off. When you feel air coming out of plug hole 1, turn the crank until the screw on the crankshaft pulley is facing up. the look at where the rotor is pointing in the mag. It should point the the upper left wire terminal and to a raised post that is used to time the mag.  You can also squirt gas into the plug holes, the try to start it. LOL Bob

Unrelated information and could be helpful to newbies.  When working on an engine of any amount of cylinders and you are unsure of the firing order you can remove valve cover or covers. Find TDC to number one with both rocker arms up. Mark above the plug hole #1 . Turn the engine over by hand very slowly and watch for the next rockers on a cylinder to both be up and mark #2 above the plug hole. Continue until you are back to number #1 and you have the firing order.

I know you said you "went down the line" and the sparks looked ok.
Look at Dick's picture. The #1 plug wire is at 10 o'clock on the distributor cap. The rotor turns clockwise, so next plug wire, at 2 o'clock is for cylinder #2. A guy I know wired his up with the 8 o'clock position going to #2 cylinder, wrong! All the tractor did was huff and puff and wheeze, sort of like you describe.

When using ether to start by hand cranking, BE CAREFUL. You're trying to start an unfamiliar engine and with perhaps a timing issue and they have a history of kicking back like a Missouri mule. This tractor should start as easy with a 1/4 turn of the crank as they will with a battery. I would try to start it with single pull on the crank instead of trying to spin it by hand. The impulse spins the mag plenty fast to start it. On an engine that is obviously badly flooded, I would pull one plug at a time, stand to the side out of the line of fire and touch a propane torch to the plug hole. I've had them blow a pretty good fire out of the plug hole , but she ain't flooded no more. And I would do one at a time, so you could be sure to be standing out of the way. I'm serious about this hand cranking thing. Do a quarter turn starting at the 9-10 o'clock position with thumb tucked into your palm. I like to pull the engine up until feeling compression. then give a quick snapping pull. Not near as much danger of a kick back.

Hamblin28 wrote: Anyone have factory float setting on hand? There was some fuel coming out of the tiny hole in the bottom of the carb. Too much fuel? It smelled rich while we were pulling it. If the rain holds off tomorrow i should have the ole girl running again!

To set the float, just turn the carb upside down and make sure the float is level with the gasket surface. There is a cintered plug in the bottom of the carb to let excess gas out when it is flooded. Is the air cleaner plugged up? That will make it flood real easy. Disconnect the air cleaner and try it if you have it connected and aren't sure the air cleaner is "open".
 I have flooded my WC when I was tinkering with carb, mag and it wouldn't start again till I pulled the plugs and burned them off with fire and wire wheel. I think today's gas has something to do with varnishing up a plug that gets flooded.

I've seen some kick backs trust me I would never get in the way of that haha. We were pull starting it with the truck. I'll pull the valve cover and make sure I'm in time as well as double check the timing on the marks. I'll clean the carb and check the float to make sure that's all good. Not too sure what else to do at this point if all that checks out. I think it's a carb issue or something cause the plugs were soaked after we pulled it 100 or so feet. Seems like it's over fueling. Is there a way to set the jets and all that like run it all the way in then so many turns out to start with? Sorry again for noob questions this is all new to me

it's just a B thing, they are all like that. Have had mine for 25 years, rebuilt and overhauled last year, grand expectations of a non problematic hand cranking tractor when done, nope still the same tractor but with no leaks or smoke!

Mine don't like to start when remotely flooded. I don't set the mag off of top dead center. Find the fire mark on the flywheel, take the mag off, the mag engaugnent should be horizontal, if it's not, your cam is off, pull cover, check marks, they are real easy to see. If the engagement for the mag is horizontal, then put a plug in the mag in number one. Spin mag, see number one spark. Then put Mag back in tractor,you are set. Just got to learn the tractor, each have its quirks.

Find a club, a B guy will help you, also find a mag guy have him give your mag a tune up!

CTuckerNWIL wrote: Hamblin28 wrote: Mine are the same as his. Anyway to tell if I'm 180 degrees out on timing? Maybe I'm on the wrong stroke? Make it simple, Take the plug out of #1 cylinder and turn the engine by hand till you feel compression in the plug hole with your thumb or finger blocking the hole. Bring it to the TDC mark or feel for the piston with a wire, It will stop moving at TDC for a bit. Then, take the cap off the the mag to see where the rotor is pointing. That is the number one wire no matter where in rotation it is, follow clockwise around using firing order to place the rest of the wires. If you want the wires to stay the way they are and it is out, you have to remove the mag and turn it till the rotor points to the wire you want to use for #1 cylinder.  An often missed and totally simple thing is, the drive slot for the mag, on the back of the governor housing HAS to be horizontal when at TDC. You won't have enough twisting available in the mag slot to get it in time if that slot is not horizontal at TDC.

I agree with Dick, it would seem like the dang thing is in time. But, and here's a BIG BUT for me. The last time I timed a mag. was in 1958 and there seems to be some blanks in my memory. I do recall that I had to back the impulse up or something of that order to get it to start. Now if this so, it looks like it could be 180 off. I'm not disagreeing with Dick because he's made his living working on these things whereas I tended to gravitate toward big trks. I sure don't know it all and forgotten most of what I know. It's hexx to get old!.

Well I worked on it for a few minutes today in between rain storms, I followed the number on piston to tdc with a wire both valves closed and the mag sparked #1 plug at the center mark. Its dead center in the inspection hole. So I shot a little ether in it and cranked it. It backfired out of the intake with a little fire ball. The air cleaner is off. So now I'm confused am I firing to early or what? I didn't think to look at what cylinder fired to cause the back fire. I retarded the timing just a hair and now if popped and shot a fire ball out the exhaust. It's flooded and I'm leaning to carb issues because fuel leaks out of the carb after maybe 10 cranks. Guess I'll pull the carb take it apart clean it and make sure it's set right to see if it will fire then fine tune it. Not sure how to post photos but I'm sure it would help you guys help me if I can figure it out

Hamblin, you need to leave the gas turned off once the carb. is filled. You can start and kill it a dozen times on just the carb. gas alone. And since you had these back fires, you have a timing issue somehow, someway. Did you switch the wires yet? There's no need to pull the head at this point. Pull the front cover if you think you need to. In fact it may be a good idea to take a look to satisfy your mind if nothing else. One thing for sure, stop pouring the gas to it. A little gas is good. A whole lot is bad. We'll keep the light on for'ya.

Man you are working in the dark,er rain! Yes, when you pull the front off the tractor you'll see the timing marks and I wonder if that isn't where the problem is. By taking off the front cover you're going to start at at the beginning and one step at a time should get you to where you want. If my memory serves me right Dick put some pics. on here showing the timing marks. Go back and look when you get it apart and make a comparison. With my new printer I can't send crap, but I'll get my daughter to send what the IT has in it. While not great it will give you an idea of what you're looking for. And it's no problem for us to do. Hope, Hope. Maybe I'll learn how to run the dang thing. My old one was no problem, had it down pat. We'll see.