[Healeys] OT: Old Ford tractor acting spastic

[Bob Spidell]

Yes!  I'll check it out; been reluctant to mess with it as I've had a 
hard time getting a seal at the top after opening them up.

Also replaced the valve at the tank because it was leaking badly (hated 
to do it as the old one was a Bendix and the new one is no-name--i.e. 
Chinese--crap).  I'll revisit that, too.

Bob

On 6/8/2019 8:35 AM, Harold Manifold wrote:
> Does it have a glass bottom fuel filter at the engine? If the tractor has
> been sitting debris from the gas tank settles in the bottom of the engine
> filter and gets sucked up as the engine is running and the engine starves.
> Easy to clean and service as all things were in the early 50's.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Healeys [mailto:healeys-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Bob
> Spidell
> Sent: Saturday, June 08, 2019 7:51 AM
> To: healeys at autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: [Healeys] OT: Old Ford tractor acting spastic
>
> Thanks, Kees.   It does seem like a fuel starvation issue.  Plug wires are
> new and appear to be good quality.
>
> Bob
>
> On 6/8/2019 12:18 AM, Kees Oudesluijs wrote:
>> Dirty fuel causing blocked fuel filter if fitted, Fuel cap not venting
>> causing a vacuum in the tank (my best bet), bad condensor (even new
>> ones can be crap), plug leads.
>>
>> Kees Oudesluijs
>>
>>
>>
>> Op 8-6-2019 om 08:46 schreef Bob Spidell:
>>> Not Healey-related--although I've heard Healey engines described as
>>> tractor-like--question for the List wisdom.  I have an old Ford
>>> tractor, model 851 manufactured in the early '50s, with a 4-cyl
>>> engine.   Compression is good--145+/- on all four--and I've replaced
>>> points, condensor, distributor cap and plug wires and rebuilt the
>>> butt-simple Marvel Schebler carburettor (plugs were OK).  After the
>>> work, the tractor started quickly--after I fixed the 180deg-out
>>> distributor cap--and ran good for 15-20 minutes with a load from a
>>> scraper.  Then, it starts backfiring, tries to stall and struggle for
>>> a few seconds  then, if it doesn't die it seems to recover for
>>> another 15minutes and then the show starts again. The coil had some
>>> corrosion in it so I replaced it, with no change.  This tractor ran
>>> consistently but very poorly under load before my work.
>>>
>>> Only thing I can think of is the carb float sticking but it was an
>>> easy rebuild and I recently rebuilt another with no issues. Any ideas?
>>>
>>> Bob
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>