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Doodad

WASHING PROVED DEADLY

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Doodad
Posted (edited)

Well, I guess I've gone too far this time. I've got what I believe to be a 1974 Wheel Horse C-120 (12 HP Kohler serial7326629) that has performed nicely so far but looked a bit dirty so I had the great idea of cleanin' her up a little. Washed the tractor but the engine was dirty and I thought it would be nice to clean that up too so I sprayed some orange citrus cleaner on it and hosed it off and boy it cleaned right up and looks great...the only problem is, now it won't start...just grinds when I key the switch. I'm getting ready to take the hood off and check for spark but I'm suspicioning it's probably sucked water into the carb when I tried to pull it into the shop after washing. Anyway, that's my starting point but, before I go to far, I wanted to see what the Wizards of Wrenches have to say about what's wrong. I did get it to backfire and consider that an improvement but, no-starty, me no smarty. From the Doodad

Edited by Doodad
added engine serial number
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87 416-8 horse

Does the engine spin over at all?

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Doodad

Oh yes...the battery must be a Sears Die Hard because I've ground it for 10 minutes and it grinds fine, just won't start.

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87 416-8 horse

If you have a spark tester then test the spark. If you don’t have spark then take an air blower and use it to help dry the coil out. 

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87 416-8 horse

By the way.

 :text-welcomeconfetti:to:rs:

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Doodad

Okay, should I take the spark plug cap off the coil? I was going to remove the spark plug and lay it on the side of the engine to test the spark. That will work won't it?

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Doodad

And, by the way, thanks for the welcome...I needed that right now. 
From the Doodad

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87 416-8 horse
Posted (edited)
4 minutes ago, Doodad said:

Okay, should I take the spark plug cap off the coil? 

Yes. You don’t need to use a lot of pressure. Just a nice flow of air all around the coil to dry it out.

 

4 minutes ago, Doodad said:

I was going to remove the spark plug and lay it on the side of the engine to test the spark. That will work won't it?

Yes, that should work!

Edited by 87 416-8 horse
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Doodad

Okay, I'm heading out to the shop to try that. I'll get back to this in a few minutes. From the Doodad

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Doodad

Nope, no work for this jerk...I took the spark plug cap off the coil and turned a leaf blower down onto it and left it for a few minutes and then tried it and it just cranked and with choke closed, smells like flooded. The spark plug did spark but not very well so I'm going to head to town to pick up a new spark plug. If you've got any other suggestions, I'm open. One thing, when I took the breather cover off and removed the air filter, the outer foam filter was wet but the inside of the paper filter didn't seem wet...still, I think it might have sucked water into the carb but, overnight (all this happened last night) it should have dried out. I hate like the dickens to take the carb off because I'm not in any way a good carb man but all it can be is either spark, fuel, or air and if its getting spark to the piston (which it seems to be) then that means either fuel or air and there's plenty of air with the breather cover off so doesn't it have to be fuel? From the Doodad

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Doodad

Timing...I left out timing, but washing the engine shouldn't have hurt timing. From the Doodad

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squonk

You got water in the points. Take off the points cover and dry them out. Same thing happened to me.

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87 416-8 horse

Washing it shouldn’t affect timing. A fresh spark plug could make a difference. I’ve had them fail before. Also check the points like @squonk said.

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Pullstart

:text-welcomeconfetti:

 

Grinding, like bad sounds?  Or cranking, like the engine spins but won’t start?

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Doodad

Just got back from town with new plug. I wondered about the points. I'll take off the points shroud and dry them out, put in the new plug and hope the battery holds out. No, not a bad noise grinding...just regular cranking. I'll let you know how this remedy does. From the Doodad

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Doodad

It was the points. Dried 'em out and ran a 220 grit sandpaper between them and it started right up. BIG THANKS TO ALL from the Doodad!

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pfrederi
Posted (edited)

That is why my horses rarely get wet!!!  Excessive dust rarely causes issues.  I blow mine off with compressed air sometimes...  Dry the points and the spark plug wire

Edited by pfrederi
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oliver2-44

:text-welcomeconfetti:

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953 nut

:WRS:

Glad you got it running.   One other component that is susceptible to water intrusion is the condenser, it should be mounter with the wire pointing downward.

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moe1965

Take the points cover back off and put a index card or paper between the points and close them with the paper between the two points and gently pull the paper. It will clean and crud between them.   Just a follow up after you ran the sandpaper through.  Glad to hear your up and running.   

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lynnmor
54 minutes ago, moe1965 said:

Take the points cover back off and put a index card or paper between the points and close them with the paper between the two points and gently pull the paper. It will clean and crud between them.   Just a follow up after you ran the sandpaper through.  Glad to hear your up and running.   

 

:text-yeahthat: Sandpaper can leave stones embedded in the points faces and prevent contact.   A fine points file is better, but if you use an abrasive, cleaning with a card is important.  Also, electrical contact cleaner is also a good thing.  If you have a rubbing block on the points, be sure to lubricate where it rides with the proper grease, a tube of this will last you several lifetimes:

 

smp-sl2_lr_xl.jpg.4cfa0fd71479fdc2a074ebc0f8d66cbb.jpg

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Doodad

Thanks for all the comments. There for a while, I thought I was up the creek without a paddle but you fellows came through. I did this once before about 20 years ago with a tractor of a different color which I will not name in polite company and - at that time - just ditched it, but I was working back then and didn't have time to try to fix the problem. Now, retired, and almost 75 I've got the time but unfortunately don't have the body for it but this was something I could fix and did. I've been into tractors for some time now and have restored a few. Thanks again "podners," You've been a good help to an old man...made my day (but, anymore, a good bowel movement is something to celebrate). From the Doodad

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Pullstart
6 hours ago, Doodad said:

Thanks for all the comments. There for a while, I thought I was up the creek without a paddle but you fellows came through. I did this once before about 20 years ago with a tractor of a different color which I will not name in polite company and - at that time - just ditched it, but I was working back then and didn't have time to try to fix the problem. Now, retired, and almost 75 I've got the time but unfortunately don't have the body for it but this was something I could fix and did. I've been into tractors for some time now and have restored a few. Thanks again "podners," You've been a good help to an old man...made my day (but, anymore, a good bowel movement is something to celebrate). From the Doodad


We are here to help, everything but bathroom duty we leave that up to @SylvanLakeWH :lol:

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953 nut
8 hours ago, Doodad said:

unfortunately don't have the body for it but this was something I could fix and did.

I've got a few years on you, trust me when I tell you it doesn't get any better with age.  Enjoy what you have while you have it.

1732671346_gettingold.jpg.6b47826d919a18a3191df83f1ee40db7.jpg

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SylvanLakeWH
3 hours ago, Pullstart said:


We are here to help, everything but bathroom duty we leave that up to @SylvanLakeWH :lol:

 

:scared-eek:

 

Ya know, my Dad always said "No job is finished until the paperwork is done "... :handgestures-thumbupright:

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