Urrgh....off topic...mechanical problem

[Simple_serf]

Ok, so I finally Got my McCormick M back together today. It's all nice, painted and mechanically all together, pretty good considering it came to me in 5 gallon buckets. Single cylinder, open mechanicals (except for crank, timing gears, and piston- It's an Early enclosed engine). Engine has a hot head. This engine has a gas only carb and head. Most were equipped with a Kero carb, twin bowl, water feed. The blocks are the same between both engines. Ther is a passage from the water hopper to the head for water feed on the kero models when burning kero. Now, my head is leaking a little from this area, but the water doesn't seem to be getting into the cylinder, So I am not too concerned about a little bit of water leaking from the head gasket area (good compession, no bubbles in the water on compression). Compession is good, timing is good, spark is very good (NOS Wico EK mag). I rebuilt the carb (which is really just a mixer), the only parts that are orginal besides the upper and lower bodies is the fill and drain plugs (along with the compensating valve spring )

Anyways THE DAMN THING STILL WONT START!!

I can get it to pop, i can get it to fire is sucession 7 or 8 times if I help it past compression, but it just won't run on it's own. First pop is great, full power, but it always misses or half fires on the second cycle. This engine IS throttle governed (unlike most of what I have). I was worn out after about an hour of cranking. I'm going to double check the timing again tomorrow. Then I'm going to try warm water (I've had good luck with warm water before with my fairbanks Z).


!!!!!!!!

It's supossed to go with me to my local club show this weekend...I'd like it to be running!

 

[RobbieD]

Sleep on it, dude and it'll probably go better when you're fresh. Sounds like a bad whammer jammer, though. How old is that thing?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Is that one of this old hit-n-miss power units? Could you run a crossed flat belt to another power source (another hit and miss or a old tractor) Just let it run that way for awhile then turn on the "M". A tractor would probably be simpler to turn off and on while you tinker with the one you are trying to get going. We did that with an old F-20, pretty much checked the oil pressure and got it warmed up before we threw the switch to start it, it worked pretty good and beat the heck out of hand starting it. Also make sure it is getting enough gas and like you are planning check the timing. Sometimes those mags do funny things too.

Most of my stuff runs great until I get ready to take it to the show, last June my Allis Chalmers C got some trash stuck in the float and overflowed the carb all over the side of my nicely painted engine. The show was the next weekend, so it didn't get to go.

 

[snake]

Hmmm... does it have a big enough flywheel to keep it going? That's about all I can think of off the top of my head.

 

[smokey]

the M should be a 4 cylinder engine. they were produced from 39-52. We have 3 of there tractors. Are you sure it is a M not a 10-20

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

the M should be a 4 cylinder engine. they were produced from 39-52. We have 3 of there tractors. Are you sure it is a M not a 10-20

I think it is a little single cylinder power unit, not a tractor.

 

[smokey]

Yep it is a power unit.
I Just saw the "m" and thought tractors.
I'm not of much help on those old engines

 

[Simple_serf]

It's a mid 20's unit. Throttle governed. There is over 100 lbs of flywheel there. I got it to fire 4 times in sucession today. I am conviced it is carb related. It will always fire on carb cleaner (although today I didn't give it any carb cleaner, and it popped on the first crank). I only had a few minutes to mess with it though. Lifting a pallet's worth of water softener pellets before I left work pretty much killed any engine cranking in me today.

My Fairbanks wouldn't be too happy trying to start this (timing is very retarded to get it to run slow), and my 4 HP Novo S likes to run away (800 Lbs of Cast iron bouncing 2 feet in the air isn't cool).

I get out of work early tomorrw (because I go in early), So I think tomorrow afternoon is going to be spent on this.

 

[Simple_serf]

Well, I took the carb apart and made a few adjustments, and It Fired up today....For a little while...until it sucked an intake gasket in. Fixed that, now I'm just waiting for the gasket compund to cure. So we will see what happens tomorrow.