2N engine dying

A few days ago, about 20 minutes into another lane-grading session, the engine suddenly started to sputter & die. My Dad was able to keep it running long enough to drive it home by holding the choke closed, but it ran really bad. I haven't been out to the farm yet to look at it, but I'm trying to figure out what I've got to look forward to.

Besides the stuff I've already replaced, is there anything on this engine that could be dying as it gets hot? I haven't touched the distributor, but the cap looks pretty old. All the electrical wires on the engine look to be pretty new & in fine shape.

Such a sudden downturn doesn't sound like a carb adjustment or rebuild issue, unless perhaps some new crud made its way into the fuel system and plugged things up again.

Any ideas?

BTW, to remove the distributor cap on a 2N, do I have to remove the entire hood and radiator first? Looks that way, but I may be missing something.

There are 4 common runtime related frontmount engine stop issues.
1) runs for about 1 minute and quits, bad condenser, not your stated problem.
2) runs for about 5 minutes and quits, clogged fuel filters, not your stated problem.
3) runs for about 60 minutes and quits, BAD ignition coil, not your stated problem. 4) runs for about 15 minutes and quits, GUNKED-UP ignition switch. Sound like your problem?

Bad ignition switch contacts will lower yer coil volts and subsequently yer sparkies don't sparkle much. By pullin' the choke, the weak sparkies are able to sparkle an enriched mixture and yer dad was able to limp back to the barn.

While we can't rule out bad ignition points or slipped points gapp, or really melted frontmount ignition coil insulative tar (all cause weak sparkies) Points are best serviced on the kitchen table by a 15 minute un-bolting job, 2-bolts that hold the distributor onto the off-set tang driven drive. Points gap is 0.015"..... ...Dell

Here are the three fuel filters..I would replace the coil and check the resister..

These guys on here are great!! Many more years experience than I have. But, I had exactly the same problem with this Ford I got , before I got it. One day up at my brothers place, it did the same thing. I was able to keep it running, like you did, hold the choke closed some. The guy he got it from just happen to show up and said he had the same problem and had rebuilt the carb.

Ok, Long story, but here is what we did. Took the carb off the tractor and onto tailgate of pick up. Pulled it apart. Everything looked ok, nice and clean , good fuel flow from gas line, float not sticking. What we found was, on the butter fly inside the carb was a smaller spring loaded butterfly flap ON the main flap. The chock flap. Confused? Wish I had a pic of it. Anyway, we discovered that the little flap was spring loaded and the spring was bad, it was pulling the little flap closed and causing the problem. After we removed that little flap and bad spring, and put the rest of the carb back together, it ran fine. ( I also removed the choke cable, just because).

Tractor runs fine, never a problem since.

Just what I did, am sure your fix will be pretty easy, once you look at it.

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