Hard Starting Farmall MD

Agtech4020 · Aug 16, 2009

I recently aquired a 1947 Farmall MD. I have always found the gas to deisel switch over engines facinating. I managed to get my MD to start and drive on the trailer after sitting for some 20 plus years. The tractor seems to be dificult to start. I have made sure to switch the tractor back to gas prior to shutting it off but it still starts hard. It always has one cylinder they fires every time while cranking and if I"m lucky it will catch on the other three before my battery goes dead. I put new NGK spark plugs and copper cored plug wires on it. I have cleaned the distributor and everything looks good. Once it starts it runs extreamly smooth on gas. Is there some kind of valve adjustment that I should be checking? I"m not overyly familiar with the engine as of yet. Im" fairly certian that it is not low on compression as it has little blow by and runs great on diesel. What should I be looking for that may hinder starting effectivly?

Thanks,
Chad F.

Will Herring · Aug 16, 2009

I have no experience with the tractor in hand, but on the idea of hard starting tractors... My AC WD was always a hard start when it was on a 6 volt... Perhaps you could do a rewire and upgrade and have a 12 volt to crank it? Unless it already is, then nevermind.

Athol Carr · Aug 17, 2009

IH Diesels were always 12 volt even when all the gasoline, distillate and kerosene tractors were 6 volt. Usually done with two 6 volt batteries in series.

n9lhm · Aug 17, 2009

Normally they are very easy starting tractors, mine fires right off in pretty much any weather. Sounds like you want to take a look at the plugs since one hits right away and the others don"t. They should be Champion D-89Ds gapped to .022". These tractors also don"t like much choke in warm weather, I pull my choke out all the way, hit the starter, and as soon as the engine rolls over once I push the choke back in to about 1/2 and it takes right off. E-mail me if you want more info.

Cummins 1955 · Aug 17, 2009

There are buterflies in the manifolds that are controlled by linkages. Our UD-370 sets over the winter it always needs coaxed to get them closed. The easiest way to discribe it is under the intake manifold. IT looks like a tuning fork over a pin. This fork is spring loaded will not close completly. You can push it easily up by hand. Oil it helps make it work better. Clear as mud?

Hard Starting Farmall MD

Agtech4020

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Will Herring

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Athol Carr

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n9lhm

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Cummins 1955

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