My B won't turn over!

It's been a while since I'd used it but I went out to start the tractor and it makes a loud clunk noise (starter engaging) but doesn't turn over. I tried to hand crank it and I can't get it to budge. However if I take the spark plugs out, it'll turn over okay, but not as easily as it used to. No water or oil came out of plug holes.

Starter works fine when removed and I've got new battery cables.

Not sure what to do. I need to bush hog before winter.

OOPS, I missed the part about the hand crank does not work... that's not good... must be mechanical, not electrical........... pull the starter OFF and try to turn motor over by hand?

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PTO lever not engaged ? Push the clutch pedal down and block it.. does motor turn easier by hand ?

Edited by steve(ill) - 29 Sep 2016 at 6:06pm

Like them all, but love the "B"s.

Check the spring on the starter for a break or a screw loose.

With the starter out take a pry bar and gently try to turn the flywheel backwards using the teeth on the flywheel if something is jammed it should back up and then when you take the crank and turn it SLOWLY a little bit again if it comes up solid if it does then you definitely have a problem

You can wash the dirt off the body but you can’t wash the farmer out of the heart and soul

Dick L wrote:

Do you have any bolts in the holes where the cultivators bolt fast to the bell housing that the starter drive could hit.

True! When I mounted my belly sickle mower, 1 bolt was a thread or two too long and it wouldn't turn over either.

I pulled the starter and everything was intact. I removed the plugs and tried to use a pry bar to spin the flywheel in reverse but it won't budge. I tried to turn it over with the hand crank and it didn't budge either. I removed the bolt from the cultivators but it made no sifference.

I guess it's now beyond my skill level. Anyone in NC want to buy a non-running B?

The clutch is disengaged and its out of gear. Pto is also disengaged. It won't budge now when trying to hand crank even with the plugs and starter out. I might just try to sell and get another.

Starter may be jammed into flywheel try putting it in third gear and try rocking it backwards and see if that frees it up Had to do that numerous times with our B when the flywheel teeth or bendix teeth were worn. Leon

I'm near Monroe, which is about 30 minutes east of Charlotte. About 2.5 from Fayetteville.

I'll try to drag it around and pop the clutch tomorrow. I hope it'll work! Thanks for the advice.

It would turn over with the plugs out yesterday! But it wouldn't today. I think it's possessed!

Edited by Syslogv4 - 30 Sep 2016 at 7:14pm

Dragging it around and popping the clutch is a good way to bust things up permanently.

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Pull the valve cover for inspection...

Then pull the governor out for inspection.

Like them all, but love the "B"s.

A stuck valve can keep it from turning over as well. Normally if you could turn it over by hand with a stuck valve it will then stick open and keep turning over. Since you said it turned over hard I go back to the rust on the rings. It still wouldn't hurt to remove the valve cover and make each valve push down open by hand and see them come back up. Not many other things can go wrong setting other than rings and valves. If it was in the bottom end you should have heard something going on before you shut it off the last time.

If you do find a valve that takes a lot to push it down put oil on the stem and keep working up and down until it frees up. If you do have dry stiff working valves and no rust you need to find out why you are not getting ample oil to the rocker arms. If it is dry you would need to remove the rocker arm stud at the back to make sure it has the groove in the stud. One of the biggest cause of dry rocker arm/valve stems is when the stud with the groove is put in the wrong place. Just information in case, while I am thinking about it. I am not nailing your problem.

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Pushing down hard is a relative term. Should have said (pry down hard) Valve springs are hard to compress by hand by them selves.

Edited by Dick L - 01 Oct 2016 at 6:32am

I think checking the governor weights id a very good idea. They can break and fall between cam and crank. So far I wouldn't jump the gun and get rid of it. Sometimes a flywheel bolt will break and wedge between the flywheel and block locking them up. And as others have emphasized, DON'T PULL IT!

It did turn over very stiff with the plugs out but now won't turn over at all. The change was over 24 hours.

Update!

I removed the governor and inspected it, weights and teeth are good.

I sprayed penetrating lubricant in the cylinders last night and again this morning. I tried the hand crank again and after a little force, it's now turning over again and it's much easier. I guess water got in there and rusted. Now what do I do from here?

Edited by Syslogv4 - 01 Oct 2016 at 9:02am

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