"No Name" model started and ran, now won't fire.

[Andy G 7]

So I just brought home a '73 (I believe) Wheel Horse 8hp 4sp... checked the oil, put in gas (which I now think was bad), installed a new battery, and it fired right up!!! Let it run for a few minutes, then hopped on and started driving. Right away it bogged down and started coughing/struggling. Eventually stalled out. A little bit of black smoke (none when idling). 

 

Like a kid on his first date, I got all excited trying to start it again and almost drained the battery.

 

Drained the old gas and put brand new gas in. As I type this I realize I did not change the filter... maybe it's clogged.

 

Anyhow, now it turns over but doesn't fire. Gonna go check the filter and see if that's the problem. My uncle always taught me the KISS principle and I'm hoping that's the situation!

 

OR...Is there something else I should be looking for/at?

 

Thanks! Excited to be here (this is my first post!).

Edited July 10, 2021 by Andy G

[rjg854 12,181]

yes, I too hope it's something simple.

[oliver2-44 10,711]

Welcome

 

It needs 

Fuel

Air in

Air out

Spark

 

Charge the battery overnight

Then check if you have spark. 
If you have spark squirt a little gas in the plug hole and see if it will fire. 

 

[8ntruck 7,833]

 to the forum from a fellow Michigander.  Lots of good folks here will chime in with troubleshooting ideas.

 

The black smoke out of the exhaust sighs that it was running ritch.  Any chance you forgot to open the choke as the engine warmed up?  My '73 14-8 needs about 1/2 choke to start on a warm day.  I can open the choke after about 20 seconds after it starts.

 

Good luck and have fun.

[daveoman1966 3,839]

It is not a tuff thing to do to rebuild the carburetor.  What you've described is exactly what my C-160 (Kohler) did after I swapped out an old gas tank (holes).  Knowing that your tractor is 50+, it'd be a good $20 investment to get an overhaul kit for the carb.  You'll get new gaskets and a new Needle & Seat Valve.  Get yourself a can of carb cleaner and go to work. Also...replace the spark plug...it is probably fouled.  

[Crazyredhorse 296]

 like they said check spark if it has it tear into carb.If it's been sitting carb might be gummed up.

[953 nut 59,917]

Your fuel system could probably benefit from a bit of attention. Replace the fuel hose and fuel filter and use real gas, not the junk that has ethanol in it. https://www.pure-gas.org/. Check the flow of fuel coming from your fuel pump and as others have suggested, give the carburetor a good cleaning and replace the spark plug. 

[squonk 43,794]

Fuel bowl full of rotten gas.

[Andy G 7]

First off, THANK YOU to everyone for the welcome and the suggestions!

 

Cleaned out the float bowl, did a cursory cleaning of the carb, installed new filter, put in fresh gas, threw on a new plug and WHAM BAM THANK YOU MA’AM she fired right up!!!

 

…until I put the air filter on and tightened it down. Choked the heck out of her until she died. Easy fix - getting a new filter tomorrow. Runs like a CHAMP without it.

 

Absolutely LOVING this tractor! Thanks again everyone!

[WheelHorse520H 708]

On 7/10/2021 at 6:13 PM, Andy G said:

…until I put the air filter on and tightened it down. Choked the heck out of her until she died. Easy fix - getting a new filter tomorrow. Runs like a CHAMP without it.

I was tuning an atv without the air filter then I’d take it for a spin with the filter on it and it would die. Weeks of tuning and testing, then I stumbled across a video that said Polaris actually recommends tuning it with the air filter on because of the difference it makes. As soon as I tuned it, it ran like it never had an issue. It still amazes me how the little 4” x 4” foam filter makes such a difference.