# 8N Stalling



## Glen640 (Jul 11, 2014)

My 8N stalls under load. I am thinking it is governor related. Would anyone be willing to answer these questions?
How can I tell if it is the governor?
If the governor is the problem, can it be related to the cable linkage between carb and governor?
What is the procedure to make any necessary adjustments to the cable, if needed?


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## thedukes (Jan 9, 2022)

The Governor is a fairly simple unit.

Theres a bunch of Youtube video's on it.

The ones that Girl from the tractor place makes are fairly strait forward and easy to understand.

Ours has No Tach but theres a plug on gov cover where one would hook up.

If you get to messing with it or Remove it.

One of the bolts is longer....If you get them switched ..BAD things will happen. ( you'll break timing cover or some important part?)

We had an oil leak and removed and cleaned it up...put new gasket on.

Thats all I recall......The test for if/how it works was described well.

Hope that helps a bit.


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

Glen640 said:


> My 8N stalls under load. I am thinking it is governor related. Would anyone be willing to answer these questions?
> How can I tell if it is the governor?
> If the governor is the problem, can it be related to the cable linkage between carb and governor?
> What is the procedure to make any necessary adjustments to the cable, if needed?


We don't allow guessing here 
First, 
Verify that you have good spark at the plugs.
You must have a bright bluish white spark that will jump at least 1/4". Short or yellowish spark will Not do.
Second, 
There is a plug on the bottom of the carburator. Remove that plug and hold a pint jar under it to catch the fuel.. It should fill the jar in about 2 minutes. 
Third,
Remove the air tube from the air cleaner to the carb.
Run the engine WOT for a minute or so to insure your air cleaner is not plugged.
Perform those 3 checks and post back with your findings.
Your problem may indeed be the governor but always, always perform those checks first.


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## Ed Williams (Jun 13, 2019)

Ultradog said:


> We don't allow guessing here
> First,
> Verify that you have good spark at the plugs.
> You must have a bright bluish white spark that will jump at least 1/4". Short or yellowish spark will Not do.
> ...


The governor system is fairly simple and very seldom gives any trouble. Do the checks UD described as basic starting point. I would also add timing to the list to make sure everything is getting to the motor at the right time. Also check the power valve on the carb. It should be about 1-1/2 turns open to supply fuel under to load. Remember. Fuel plus fire equals power. Need to check both basic ingredients before messing with other items.


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## Glen640 (Jul 11, 2014)

Ultradog said:


> We don't allow guessing here
> First,
> Verify that you have good spark at the plugs.
> You must have a bright bluish white spark that will jump at least 1/4". Short or yellowish spark will Not do.
> ...


What does WOT mean?


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

I believe he's referring to *W*ide *O*pen *T*hrottle


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Pedal to the metal, hammer down, balls to the wall...


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

pogobill said:


> I believe he's referring to *W*ide *O*pen *T*hrottle


Yep.
Full Tilt Boogie!


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## Glen640 (Jul 11, 2014)

Glen640 said:


> What does WOT mean?


1( I checked all four plug wires and all produce a white/clear spark with slight bluish tint (no yellow).
2) The pint container filled with gas in less than 2 minutes.
3) This is a problem for me. The air tube is metal and backside lays s the maniford. I can remove hose clamps at the carb but with no wiggle room in the metal pipe, I don't see how to remove the pipe to allow unfiltered air. to the carb I can remove the two bolts that hold the filter to the battery support to free up the filter but with the top of the filter at least 8" above the bottom of the engine shroud, I can't figure out how to remove the whole filter, if that is what it takes to get the air tube away from the carb. I am not going to remove the shroud to do this. So what I have done is to remove the oil cup and inspect. The oil is pretty close to clear. I have examined the wire mesh inside the canister and it looks like new, virtually no dirt and shiny metal. So this seems to me that the air is going freely to the carb. But I welcome some input on how to disconnect the air tube from the carb. 
Otherwise, can we move to the next step?


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

It has been a loong since I owned an N.
I had one for about 1 1/2 years then moved on to newer Fords
Are there not rubber connectors on both ends of the air tube?
Can you not remove the hose clamps and slide the rubber connector farther onto the metal air tube? If the rubber connector won't slide can you not take a long , thin screwdriver and push it between the rubber and steel tube to unstick/ expand the rubber so it slides? If that doesn't work can you not take a utility knife take and cut the rubber tube lengthways and peel it off? Then buy a new one?
That said, if you are entirely confident there are no restrictions in the air flow to the carb then forget about removing the tube and as Ed suggested above, go on to ignition timing.


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## Glen640 (Jul 11, 2014)

Ultradog said:


> It has been a loong since I owned an N.
> I had one for about 1 1/2 years then moved on to newer Fords
> Are there not rubber connectors on both ends of the air tube?
> Can you not remove the hose clamps and slide the rubber connector farther onto the metal air tube? If the rubber connector won't slide can you not take a long , thin screwdriver and push it between the rubber and steel tube to unstick/ expand the rubber so it slides? If that doesn't work can you not take a utility knife take and cut the rubber tube lengthways and peel it off? Then buy a new one?
> That said, if you are entirely confident there are no restrictions in the air flow to the carb then forget about removing the tube and as Ed suggested above, go on to ignition timing.


The air pipe at the carb comes in at a 90* angle so there is little room for the rubber hose to go. It is a straighter shot at the air canister but apparently the last person to deal with this had the engine shroud off because the screw heads for the clamps are next to the shroud, not facing the battery. But I will keep at it.

The question arises in my mind, before I keep at it. What will I be looking for, or to what do I compare the unrestricted air WOT test to, in order to determine whether there is blockage in the air flow with the air filter as is?

As to my confidence level regarding the current filter status, it was intended as less of a confidence statement and more thrown out to get feedback as to its acceptablility as a 'standard' for good air flow.


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

Remember the old explanation about the three things it takes to make a fire? Any fire?
They always represent it as a triangle.
One side of the triangle is fuel. Another side is air. The third side is a spark. This triangle holds true for your gas range in the kitchen, a campfire and your tractor engine.
We suggested you check for the 3 sides of the triangle . Those are the basics. 
It sounds like your spark is okay. It sounds like you have fuel. You sound like you are confident the air is not restricted.
You also need a couple of other things for an engine to run. You need adequate compression.
You also need the spark to occur at the right moment.
So check your timing!
As to the rubber ends on the air tube, I am a little surprised you would let a small detail like a hose clamp stop you like it has.
If the prior mechanic put the clamps on a tractor such that the tightening screws were inaccessible I would simply take a pair of tin snips, heavy wire cutters or an angle grinder and CUT them.
Or as the best boss I ever had in my life would have told me:
"Jerry, you gotta be smarter than a God Damned Hose Clamp!"


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## Glen640 (Jul 11, 2014)

1. Thank you for the information on making a fire.
2. I said I would keep at it.
3. You didn't answer my question.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Can you post a picture of the issue? If the hose clamps on the rubber air filter pipe connection to the carb are the original style with the long bolt and nut, perhaps you can use a pair of vise grips to grab the end of the bolt and turn it enough to loosen the clamp so it can be rotated on the hose to allow you to get at it with a screw driver.


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## Glen640 (Jul 11, 2014)

pogobill said:


> Can you post a picture of the issue? If the hose clamps on the rubber air filter pipe connection to the carb are the original style with the long bolt and nut, perhaps you can use a pair of vise grips to grab the end of the bolt and turn it enough to loosen the clamp so it can be rotated on the hose to allow you to get at it with a screw driver.
> 
> View attachment 78616


No need, Bill. There was never a clamp problem at the carb, just at the air canister. As I said, I would keep at it, Was able to get clamps near canister turned back around, in case this comes up again some day. Also got the rubber hose at carb off of carb. 

But before I do this WOT test, I still need to know what it is that I compare results to in order to determine if air filter is a problem.


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

Glen640 said:


> 3. You didn't answer my question.


But I did answer your question.
I explained how you need all 3 sides of the triangle.
I suggested you do some simple checks to eliminate possible problems.
I suggested you verify the spark quality - first side of the triangle.
You did that.
I suggested you verify the fuel flow - second side of the triangle.
You did that.
I suggested you verify the air flow - third side of the triangle.
Normally it is a simple, 2 minute job to pull the air tube and check to see if removing it makes a difference in engine performance.
You ran into problems there.
To begin with I implied that we should not go on guesses, hunches or feelings.
I suggested 3 easy things to Verify the fundamentals. Those are the first things you Always check on a non running or poorly performing gas engine.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Back to the governor,,,, did you make sure the governor linkage is free to move as it should? Also,has the tractor been parked for a bit? I'd check to see if you have a restriction or a blockage in the muffler / exhaust pipe. I had a mouse move into my tail pipe.... 
You've said that you have checked the spark, and it is good, but is it firing at the exact time it should?


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## Glen640 (Jul 11, 2014)

Ultradog said:


> But I did answer your question.
> I explained how you need all 3 sides of the triangle.
> I suggested you do some simple checks to eliminate possible problems.
> I suggested you verify the spark quality - first side of the triangle.
> ...


The question from my last post. 

But before I do this WOT test, I still need to know what it is that I compare results to in order to determine if air filter is a problem.


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## Glen640 (Jul 11, 2014)

pogobill said:


> Back to the governor,,,, did you make sure the governor linkage is free to move as it should? Also,has the tractor been parked for a bit? I'd check to see if you have a restriction or a blockage in the muffler / exhaust pipe. I had a mouse move into my tail pipe....
> You've said that you have checked the spark, and it is good, but is it firing at the exact time it should?


Bill, there are two things in your recent post that I am unfamiliar with. First, I don't know what the governor linkage should move like when it is correct. Second, I don't know how to determine that it is firing when it should.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

The governor linkage should automatically increase the throttle when required, due to a load, like starting up an incline when pulling a heavy trailer, for instance. When it's correct, it will keep the tractor moving at the selected speed and prevent the engine from bogging down or stalling. Like cruise control on the highway when you hit a steep incline.

If the spark doesn't fire at the correct time, your tractor may bog down, stall and or backfire You may need to look in your manual and read up on timing the engine... if this is indeed your issue.

If you run your tractor wide open and the air intake is restricted, it will probably start smoking from running too rich and perhaps stall out.
If you have the filter disconnected from the carburetor and it still stalls, maybe loosen the gas cap and try it again. Maybe a plugged vent?!?


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

Is your 8N a front mount distributer or side mount?
There should be a write-up in the I&T FO-4 manual for setting the timing on a Front Mount. There's also a little tool that a couple of guys make and sell that makes it easy. I have never done it on a FM so can't advise there.
For a side mount you can use a regular timing light.


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

Glen640 said:


> The question from my last post.
> 
> But before I do this WOT test, I still need to know what it is that I compare results to in order to determine if air filter is a problem.


In your original post you stated your engine stalls under load. We are trying to find the cause of it stalling. The first things we do - because they are the simplest - is check the spark, fuel and air. We can check spark by pulling a plug wire and looking at the spark. We can check fuel flow by removing the plug on the bottom of the carb and catching the gas in a jar. 
But how can we check for a blockage or restriction in the air cleaner? 
Simple. Remove the air tube from the carb and see if that makes any difference in how the engine runs at higher rpms. As Pogobill said, an engine that isn't getting enough air will smoke black or gray smoke from running too rich.
If those 3 things check out okay we go on to other things - the timing may be off or less commonly, there may be an issue with the governor linkage or even the governor itself.
We are just doing some checks to verify things. From the easiest and most common to the more complicated and less common.
Some guys just start guessing and throwing new parts at the tractor. Most of us have learned - the hard way = $$ - that guessing ain't the answer.


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## wolfang (2 mo ago)

I've got the same problem and bought a newer updated aftermarket carb which did make some difference...but still stalls like starving for air or fuel... These old tractors require a lot of mechanic work for a little return, and you might as well put in a set of points each gardening season because it always will quit in the middle of the field with the damn plow buried to the beam...Guaranteed!


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## wolfang (2 mo ago)

Front mounted distributor is the early production Ford tractors probably a 9N (1939 WAS THE FIRST YEAR WITH RUBBER TIRES), but you set the timing by a screw on the side of the distributor moving it up to advance and down to retard the timing and by the way the timing is gear to gear in front of the engine...no chain...and the bottom gear has a slot to gear up the distributor... just set the point gap and slot up and bolt back the distributor and you are done on that problem...and that old fire system will eat up points in a year...so buy and extra set every time!


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## thedukes (Jan 9, 2022)

10 yrs on the points it came with used.

48 ...8n..front dist

And still 6v pos ground

leave them stock......way less issues...ymmv


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