[Francis-Wiley Farm]

We are on a 150 year plus old family farm in west-central Ohio and I have a 1946 Farmall M my father, returning from WWII, got priority to purchase that runs like a Singer sewing machine and I have an about 1960 Ford 850 that he bought that I would have said runs equally well up until about a year ago. This Ford no longer does field work but cuts grass on farm lanes, tills garden and does other farm utility work. For some reason, after the Ford has been under load, generally with a 5' rotary mower or a 6' finishing mower for 1 and a half to 2 and 1/2 hours the engine begins to sputter/ "cut out" and I need to head back to the machine shed. If I keep using it, it may die, not restart and the M pulls it back to the house. I have discovered part of issue is that the fuel cutoff switch on top of the gas tank somehow shuts off by itself. A month ago I reset the fuel cut off switch over a dozen times to finish mowing our roadside, but the problem seems to me to be beyond the fuel cut off switch as the Ford still starts to "miss" even when the cut off switch is "on" and again at this moment the Ford now is sitting in the machine shed unable to start (turns over fast, but no start). I have had the Ford in a reputable local tractor dealership multiple times in the last year for this issue and one service manager admitted that they do not know what is going wrong. Looking back on this forum, I see perhaps a 2016 thread somewhat close to this issue but not the same. So, what is happening after an hour and a half when the motor is hot that for some reason either doesn't deliver gas or spark or whatever? I did switch the Ford over to a 12 volt system. I am a horrible mechanic and looking on advice on what to tell the local repair folks so I can keep this Ford as part of our farm.

 

[Jim in NC]

Open your fuel valve and using a jar or similar container remove carb bowl drain plug.and see if you have a steady stream of fuel for a couple of minutes. Remove the gas cap an see if that makes a difference. If so the cap vent needs to be fixed. I don't know about a Ford, but my Farmalls have a strainer in the carb at the connection of the fuel line . Also you may have a coil or condenser failing. This is where I would start.

 

[[email protected]]

Try changing the coil. They don't like to get hot. My MF would run like a champ in the spring, fall and winter but die after 30 minutes on a hot summer day. This went on for years. A new coil fixed it.

 

[Francis-Wiley Farm]

I deeply appreciate both responses and am using this info when communicating with the local major implement dealer/repair facility who again has my Ford 850:
1. The service manage yesterday suggested that they want to change out the original Ford 800 series ignition system to a newer version as they claim that they cannot get reliable quality parts, including coils, etc. for the original style. While I guess that I am open to this idea, however, I did not get an answer when I asked how does the ignition system relate to the continuing problem that the Ford starts cutting out after being underload for over an hour or the fuel cut off switch next to the fuel tank turns off by itself and I have to reset it..
2. I did not mention this in the original post, but after sixty years the brakes were not safely functioning so I had the same service department work on them a couple months ago. Now for some reason, one of the brakes on occasion locks up when parked and does not release. A month ago the service department stated that they could not find any brake problem but added a spring to hold the brake back as a solution. This week in order to load the poor Ford for repair, the right wheel brake was again locked up and the Farmall M had to drag the Ford out of the machine shed for loading..
3. Up until a few years ago I was using a very competent fellow between Covington and Versailles as my old tractor repair specialist, but he seems to have finally retired. Does anyone have suggestions for old tractor servicing in westcentral Ohio?

 

[Raising3arrows]

I had a Masse that would die and after sitting for a few hours, would restart like nothing. There was debris in the fuel tank blocking the petcock. After clearing the debris, it has run fine ever since