pull starting an M

old red m · Sep 1, 2011

Hey guys maybe you can help me.
I have an M that has been setting for yrs and I have put in a new battery, rebuilt the carb, new points(set propperly)new coil and new voltage regulator. Could not get it to fire with the starter and have pulled it it tries to fire but seems to backfire through the carb as much as it tries to fire ant help or suggestions ????
Thanks Dwayne

Mike Bock · Sep 1, 2011

are your valves stuck from sitting ?

Anonymous-0 · Sep 1, 2011

Also what gear is it in? Usually 4th is the best for pull start, spins the engine over faster

snoop-nc · Sep 1, 2011

When doing dist. work, any chance you...or previous owner... got a couple wires to plugs crossed?

JRSutton · Sep 1, 2011

Backfiring through the carb generally means an intake valve is open when a cylinder fires, or the carb is running too lean.

Too help rule out the lean possibility, keep it choked... which I'm assuming you're doing anyways trying to start it cold.

That leaves an intake valve open when a cylinder fires.

You're timing could be WAY off (or wires connected incorrectly), and it fires before the intake valve closes - or, more likely, you've got an intake valve stuck, or not adjusted properly

Either way, setting your valve lash should either fix the problem, or make the stuck valve obvious.

S2710 · Sep 1, 2011

If you have a pully on it and another tractor with a pully you can use a belt to start it. that way you can hear and see more things then pulling it.

Bob

Janicholson · Sep 1, 2011

Pulling in 4th does not spin the tractor faster (except if you were pulling it in 5th!)
#rd is nice, just do not go faster than 3rd gear would go! Nice and easy.
3 MPH is great.
Plug wires (from front of engine) 1342
Wired in the distributor looking from the back to the front of the tractor.
2-1
4-3 It spins CW inside.
Stuck valves can be looked for with the valve cover off. Ususally pushrods are off of the rockers and the valve is open. Using PB blaster, and tapping the tip of the valve with a plastic hammer will free them (keep tapping!!)
Let us know what happens. Jim

El Toro · Sep 2, 2011

Bring No1 piston near the radiator to TDC on the compression stroke. Then remove the distributor cap and see where your rotor is pointing. It should be at the No1 plug tower. Hal
2-1
4-3 The rotor rotates CW.

sflem849 · Sep 2, 2011

I disagree, my MD/SMTA seem to pull start better in fourth than fifth gear.

andy stockmaster · Sep 2, 2011

make sure your plug wires are in the right order clockwise or counter clockwise in the right firing order had that problem with my 656

Tom Fleming · Sep 2, 2011

Sounds like stuck vavles to me. and on the debate on which gear, it goes like this.

The relationship between the RPM of the wheels and the RPM of the engine is maintained. 1rst gear, low wheel rpm, high engine rpm. 5th gear will be high wheel rpm, low engine rpm. The rest are proportionate combinations there of......................

So, lower the gear selected, the higher the engine will be spun over when pulling the tractor.

Haas · Sep 2, 2011

If it has a magneto and it backfires though the carb, you may have it 180 degrees out of time. Make sure you get No. 1 cylinder at TDC of the compression stroke and that the rotor is pointing at No. 1 cylinder plug wire. It can be 180 out because the breaker point cam only has two lobes and there is 2 to 1 gears between the cam and the rotot. It that is your problem, you can fix either by changing the plug wires or by taking the magneto off and rotating the drive 1/2 turn and putting it back on.

Haas · Sep 2, 2011

I see after rereading your post, you have battery ignition. However, if it is using a magneto converted with an external coil to battery ignition, the same thing can happen and it can get 180 out of time.

pull starting an M

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