# IH 2400 Series B Industrial Sputter, Miss, Dies at Operating Temp



## Docmarc (Jul 21, 2018)

IH 2400 Series B Industrial 4cyl gas - runs like a fine watch when cold - sputters, misses sometimes dies when at operating temperature with any kind of load at PTO rpm. Done so far : rebuilt Marvel carb...emptied and cleaned fuel tanks and outlets... checked accuracy of in hose thermostat in hot oil...replaced points, plugs and condensor... replaced coil with hotter version...replaced plug wires with pre-mades...reset valve clearances... reset timing... removed magnetic inlet valve from carb and replaced with a new manual version...replaced bad bearing in governer...replaced fuel line... replaced ignition switch... repaired underhood suspicious wires...confirmed operating temperature at 180 - 190 degrees using heat register gun...noticed very slight movement/play in timing gear when working on governer...plenty of fuel in carb...new fuel pump 100 hours or so ago...

This tractor has us stumped. Starts immediately when cold. Runs perfectly with good power and no black smoke when cold > operating temp. Once it hits 180-190 temp with any load (in this case a 5' bush hog) or a bucket full (tractor has an IH 2500 loader) tractor misses, cackles, sputters and most often dies. Starts right up when allowed to cool down. We did notice that the distributor clamp changes the engine performance when clamped down hard - doesn't change when clamp is just snugged.

Electrical affected by heat? A short that grounds when something expands?


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## thepumpguysc (Jan 25, 2015)

Loosen the fuel cap & run it.. sounds silly but ya never know.. It got me ONCE..


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## Docmarc (Jul 21, 2018)

Thanks... we did install a new IH vented fuel cap. No change.


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

check the cable tail from distributor body insulation mount to the points insulation block, I have come across the copper wire internals fracturing from constant advance/retard movement, even check the continuity of the wire from coil to distributor, your problem is simple.


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## Docmarc (Jul 21, 2018)

Thanks Fred...will look at it right away and let you know...


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## thepumpguysc (Jan 25, 2015)

A "new cap" is one thing.. loosening it is another..


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## Docmarc (Jul 21, 2018)

New cap. You're right. I thought you were referring to a non-vented fuel cap. The tractor had an after market Tractor Supply type non vented cap. We considered that it was creating some kind of air-lock and to eliminate the cap as a cause I bought an IH vented fuel cap. The sputtering problem did not go away with the new cap. I'll try loosening it. Thanks!


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## RC Wells (Dec 26, 2008)

I would suspect the ignition coil or condenser as the source of the miss. Moisture in the coil is the most likely cause.


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2018)

Question: Does this stutter occur as the engine is loaded or is it continuous when loaded?


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## Docmarc (Jul 21, 2018)

The stutter/miss only occurs when the tractor reaches operating temp. From cold to 180degrees it performs perfectly. I can mow or use the loader without a problem - until it warms up. Once warmed up, almost any load like raising the bucket or engaging PTO starts the problem. It starts almost immediately when cold, idles steady and smooth, reaches full power from idle to PTO rpms without hesitation - when cold. Based on an earlier suggestion, I am replacing the wire from the coil to the points. When removing the old wire, I notice that the small insulator in the 'S' shaped clamp holding the points, condensor and coil wire looks like it's deteriorated some. Could there be some sort of short/arc that passes though the block/insulator when hot that could cause the condition? (I know that's a stretch, but I'm frustrated that we haven't found the culprit after so many attempts).

RCWells...thanks for your response. We have replaced the coil and condensor several times with out-of-the-box parts trying to eliminate those parts as a cause. Current condensor is from CASE/IH store and just a few days old.


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## Docmarc (Jul 21, 2018)

Question: Does this stutter occur as the engine is loaded or is it continuous when loaded?
I kind of wandered off your question - sorry. The stutter starts at operating temp as a slight miss. Once at full temp, activating the loader or PTO ratchets up the sputter, crackle and miss to where the tractor almost always dies.


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## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

Do a compression test,...first ,when cold,..then when hot.
You may have a cylinder leaking.


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## RC Wells (Dec 26, 2008)

Along with a compression test, remove the distributor cap when it is missing and inspect it for moisture in fine cracks. Do the same with the rotor.


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## Guest (Jul 23, 2018)

The reason I asked is that with my "original" Holley carb, when the engine was first loaded it would stutter once. It was so bad that you'd think it was going to stall. I read an article posted by a Ford tractor mechanic from the era that stated this was a common problem on the Thousand series Fords. Governor corrections to the throttle was causing wear to the aluminum body of the carb in a little as 500 hours of operation and thus the stutter. The solution was (especially on a tractor that wasn't worked hard) to reset the choke control so it was always on just a bit. This was one of the reasons I bought a new carb.


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## Docmarc (Jul 21, 2018)

Thank you for all of your help. Thought you might want an update. I wish I could say that we found a single culprit - it seems more likely that there may have been a combination of things that when repaired or replaced solved the problem. Here's the work: rebuilt the Marvel carb / replaced the fuel solenoid with a manual jet / rebuilt governor bearing / replaced ignition switch / replaced coil (three times) / checked compression / reset valve clearance / tested in-hose thermostat in hot oil / replaced points and condensor with electronic ignition / replaced distributor cap and rotor / plugs / wires / drained and flushed both fuel tanks and sediment trap / replaced fuel cap with IH vented cap /- writing this it seems like a lot, but it was a process of elimination over several weeks time. I can't point to one thing that fixed the miss/ coughing / The tractor is now running perfectly - the biggest difference occurred when we switched to electronic ignition - even though before the electronics the distributor was checked for wobble, weights and springs, greased and reinstalled with IH OEM points and condensor.


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2018)

Glad it all worked out for you in the end!


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