TO30 firing issues

FergFan · Jul 12, 2012

Just slapped my TO30 back together after carb rebuild, new sediment bowl,fan belt, and replacing a lot of electrical, i.e., plugs,dist.cap/rotor, ignition coil,dash ignition, and just about every wire on her. Before I started this work it was a bear to start, couldn't get fire to her. I'd have to spray an accelerant into the air intake to get her to fire. Now that she is reassembled, she turns and turns and turns and there seems to be no fire again.

mcald62 · Jul 12, 2012

Sounds like it's not getting fuel. Make sure you have fuel at the carb from the fuel line.If you have fuel to the carb it can be a vacuum leak at the carb base and/or bowl gasket or a stuck shut needle valve.

FergFan · Jul 13, 2012

that sounds accurate..I haven't done much work on this tractor and not familiar with the carb settings/adjustments, so after rebuilding the carb I'm sure everything isn't up to snuff. I have an in-line filter just before the inlet on the carb and I was noticing it didn't have much gas in it. I don't know how full it should be but it almost looks like my fuel line isn't a complete downhill slope from the sediment bowl to the inlet on the carb, like my filter makes it kick slightly up hill. I can see gas coming into the in-line filter, but not much. Needle valve is tightened way down

banjodunn · Jul 13, 2012

G'day you say the needle valve is tightened all the way are you talking about the ones on the carb itself?? If so then no fuel can enter the engine, back these screws out between 1 1/2and 2 1/2 turns this will allow it to run (probably roughly) and allow you to fine tune from there screwing then in/out to make it run better, one screw will alter the idle mixture and the other larger one will alter the main mixture you are better off erring on the rich side with this one.
Best of luck let us know how you get on

Jon

kencunningham · Jul 13, 2012

You should inspect the needle valves closely for grooves caused by turing them in all the way with to much force. I they are grooved you will have a hard time getting it to run right.

Jerry/MT · Jul 13, 2012

Check for spark first. You should have a FAT, BLUISH-WHITE SPARK, the color of lightning. Hopefully you didn't mess with the so the timing is at least close. If you did you'll have to retime. The main jet setting on the carb is nominally 1-1/4 turns out and the idle air adjustment is is 3/4 turn out. To check for adequate fuel flow, hold a can under the carb and remove the bowl drain plug. Make sure the tank valve is open. The fuel should CONTINUOUSLY gush out like a cow peein' on a flat rock. If it dribbles or is intermitent,check the tank vent in the fuel cap and the filter in the tank valve and in line if you have one plus the screen in the carb fuel inlet elbow. If you don't find any problem there then you'll have to pull the carb and check the float setting and the float valve and passage for bockage.