tmac196
Silver Member
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2010
- Messages
- 163
- Location
- Temperance, MI
- Tractor
- 1951 Ford 8N, 1965 Ford 2000, Grasshopper 325D, JD 5065M
1965 Ford 3 cyl gasser. Problem began a few weeks ago. Runs well with load on drawbar (soil conditioner), but with any load on the PTO (hay rake, hay tedder, bush hog (60 inch), I lose power and the engine begins to burble and run very rough. RPMs drop and if I don't depress the clutch to disengage the PTO the engine appears to be on it's way of shutting down. I can improve the problem minimally and briefly with a tad more choke and a tad more throttle, but rather quickly, in spite of these changes, the problem will recur.
To attempt to solve the problem, I emptied the fuel tank and examined it. Found a long ago metal spout from an old gas can and a broken fuel stopcock filter lying in the bottom of the tank (since removed), but a clean tank. The fuel stopcock was replaced with a new unit and now the tank has a functioning filter. Next, I pulled the cover off the fuel pump and found it completely plugged with debris. The pump filter and gasket were removed and replaced and the pump was cleaned out with suction and cranking the engine a few turns. At the time the fuel pump filter was replaced, the fuel was flowing freely and was clear (no debris) out of the top of the pump with cranking. The sediment bowl was examined and the fuel filter there was washed in clean gasoline and was not plugged with debris. Fuel ran freely from/ through it. As this was the next filter in line and was clean and free of debris, I did not attempt to assess the filter at the carburetor, access to which appears to be a major PIA based on the steel fuel line running between the block and the carb, access to whose fittings would be a big undertaking. Fuel flows freely from the carburetor bowl drain plug.
The engine was given a tune-up. New plugs (correct gap set), points (gap 0.025), rotor and condenser-all from a kit supplied by the local dealer. The distributor cap, a Motorcraft part, was only two years old, in excellent shape and was retained. Finally, I replaced the coil and wire between the coil and the center of the distributor cap as I broke the electrodes off the old wire as I was removing it from the distributor cap. Coil wires to the battery and distributor housing were in excellent shape.
After the tune up, the tractor fired right up and ran smoothly. Good throttle response and power range. I groomed about two acres of horse riding arenas with a soil conditioner and it ran well. As soon as I hooked up the bush hog and engaged the PTO to test the power, the problem recurred.
I am looking for suggestions as to how to solve this problem and where to look next.
To attempt to solve the problem, I emptied the fuel tank and examined it. Found a long ago metal spout from an old gas can and a broken fuel stopcock filter lying in the bottom of the tank (since removed), but a clean tank. The fuel stopcock was replaced with a new unit and now the tank has a functioning filter. Next, I pulled the cover off the fuel pump and found it completely plugged with debris. The pump filter and gasket were removed and replaced and the pump was cleaned out with suction and cranking the engine a few turns. At the time the fuel pump filter was replaced, the fuel was flowing freely and was clear (no debris) out of the top of the pump with cranking. The sediment bowl was examined and the fuel filter there was washed in clean gasoline and was not plugged with debris. Fuel ran freely from/ through it. As this was the next filter in line and was clean and free of debris, I did not attempt to assess the filter at the carburetor, access to which appears to be a major PIA based on the steel fuel line running between the block and the carb, access to whose fittings would be a big undertaking. Fuel flows freely from the carburetor bowl drain plug.
The engine was given a tune-up. New plugs (correct gap set), points (gap 0.025), rotor and condenser-all from a kit supplied by the local dealer. The distributor cap, a Motorcraft part, was only two years old, in excellent shape and was retained. Finally, I replaced the coil and wire between the coil and the center of the distributor cap as I broke the electrodes off the old wire as I was removing it from the distributor cap. Coil wires to the battery and distributor housing were in excellent shape.
After the tune up, the tractor fired right up and ran smoothly. Good throttle response and power range. I groomed about two acres of horse riding arenas with a soil conditioner and it ran well. As soon as I hooked up the bush hog and engaged the PTO to test the power, the problem recurred.
I am looking for suggestions as to how to solve this problem and where to look next.