C-111 Restoration

[Colby G 233]

I just got a new C-111 for the collection and it's been quite the project, the plan is to fully restore it, but I can't seem to get it to run right, I drive it for a minute and it spits and sputters and stalls and seems like it's not getting enough gas, but I cleaned the carb, put new gas lines on with a fuel shutoff and a fuel filter and put new gas in, cleaned the tank, and I've also done a bunch of other stuff to it. If anyone has any advice, it would be greatly appreciated.

Edited August 28 by Colby G

[oliver2-44 9,787]

Have you pulled and cleaned the breather and checked the valve clearance.  

On a new to me tractor i like to pull the head and decarbon. be careful with the head bolts in the exhaust area.  Tighten a little, loosen a little, repeat, repeat.

Then pull the breather and pull the valves to clean carbon off the stems. 

Then I can lap the valves and set he valve clearance. When you clean and reassemble the breather there is a good diagram that shows the correct reassembly order.

This maintenance assures you everything on the top side is in good shape.

Maybe a PO reassembled the breather wrong, that can cause sputtering.

Edited August 28 by oliver2-44

[Colby G 233]

13 minutes ago, oliver2-44 said:

Have you pulled and cleaned the breather and checked the valve clearance.  

On a new to me tractor i like to pull the head and decarbon. be careful with the head bolts in the exhaust area.  Tighten a little, loosen a little, repeat, repeat.

Then pull the breather and pull the valves to clean carbon off the stems. 

Then I can lap the valves and set he valve clearance. When you clean and reassemble the breather there is a good diagram that shows the correct reassembly order.

This maintenance assures you everything on the top side is in good shape.

Maybe a PO reassembled the breather wrong, that can cause sputtering.

What would a breather look like on a c-111? It's just an air filter right?

[Colby G 233]

Im no expert, but I don't believe that's normal...

[Skwerl58 705]

This is what Oliver2-44 was mentioning about decarboning and lapping the valves. A little cleaning and lapping and you may be good to go. My 1054 had the exhaust valve stuck and I cleaned the carbon off. I used some marvel mystery oil and persuasion for softening up the crud and it now cranks and runs fine. 

[Goldnboy 927]

Since this is a Briggs engine tractor (if that is what's in it still) then the  valve breather is a non service item and rarely needs replaced on a Briggs... your issue is fuel related and sounds like a carburetor jet or two needs cleaning. Soak that carb in cleaner..and carefully go though the venturi for any blockage. You also can easily set the ignition coil gap by putting a business card on top of the flywheel magnet and let the magnet pull the coil to the flywheel and tighten. If you haven't clean all the carbon off the head and valves (should have done while it was off already)

Edited August 28 by Goldnboy

[Colby G 233]

I have cleaned the valves and piston and head but still stalling, I will have to try setting the ignition coil

[Colby G 233]

I've adjusted the ignition coil, still sputtering, but I think it would be worth mentioning that if I turn on the lights, it completely dies and sparks come off the hood latch when closed.

Edited August 28 by Colby G

[953 nut 55,393]

4 minutes ago, Colby G said:

worth mentioning that if I turn on the lights, it completely dies and sparks come off the hood latch when closed

May want to inspect your wiring and add a fuse to the wire going to the ignition switch before you start a fire.       

[Colby G 233]

3 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

May want to inspect your wiring and add a fuse to the wire going to the ignition switch before you start a fire.       

The ignition switch doesn't work, so to test it in the meantime, I've been keeping the lights off and putting a wrench across the solenoid. Eventually I plan on doing everything proper. And I really don't know what I'm doing with electrical and wiring in the 1st place. Another thing worth mentioning is it won't go into 1st gear. 

Edited August 28 by Colby G

[oliver2-44 9,787]

5 hours ago, Colby G said:

Im no expert, but I don't believe that's normal...

The carboned and clean area on your piston is telling us something.  When you first opened it up was their oil on the clean area.

The clean area indicates there is some blowby.  But that's not an instant death sign.  My sons Kohler 312-8 looked somewhat like that 5 years ago and still mowing strong.   

I think when blowby gets to severe it can cause what look like carb problems. maybe someone else can comment on this. 

 

4 hours ago, Goldnboy said:

Since this is a Briggs engine tractor (if that is what's in it still) then the  valve breather is a non service item and rarely needs replaced on a Briggs..

Sorry I didn't realize it was a Briggs.

[Colby G 233]

2 minutes ago, oliver2-44 said:

The carboned and clean area on your piston is telling us something.  When you first opened it up was their oil on the clean area.

The clean area indicates there is some blowby.  But that's not an instant death sign.  My sons Kohler 312-8 looked somewhat like that 5 years ago and still mowing strong.   

I think when blowby gets to severe it can cause what look like carb problems. maybe someone else can comment on this. 

 

Sorry I didn't realize it was a Briggs.

The piston is the only semi clean spot there, the other valve had rock like substance caked on it.

 

Oh, sorry, didn't realize that you said the clean spot on the piston, no, that's an untouched picture.

Edited August 29 by Colby G

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,070]

Here is an engine service manual