My 444 won't stay running except on starter fluid.

Posted by scprotz on July 25, 2013 at 07:37:01 from (74.131.215.36):

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

I have an International Harvester 444 (gas) that I inherited with my farm. It ran great last year, but towards the end of the season, as the tractor warmed up, it would sometimes act starved for gas.

This spring I rebuilt the carburetor (a TSX 896 model) with a rebuild kit. It never really got over the symptoms and still acted the same way. I've been told a number of things: It is electrical, so I changed the points, coil, cap, condensor, wires - still same problem.

I was told it may have weak gas flow, so I drained gas and checked flow through the electric pump to the carburetor, and have a solid stream (ran a couple gallons to make sure).

I had a crack in the exhaust manifold (on these older ones, the exhaust/intake are 1 piece) so I replaced the manifold.

I finally took it to the shop and had them look at it. They were backlogged 3 weeks, so for a simple checkup and ultimately them fiddling with the single adjustment screw and using some carb cleaner on the carb, it cost me $200 :(

When I got it back, the tractor ran for about 2 hours and then same symptoms came back, but worse. Now it won't start without starting fluid. I drained the gas to make sure no water/condesation was in it. I can squirt gas or starter fluid into the carb and the tractor will run as long as I fuel it. The new manifold seems tight and sucks up gas well. The carb float appears to be working as I can open the drain plug and a constant stream will run out. I did clean out all the holes in it (again) to make sure no debris clogged anything inside the carb.

I've literally pulled the carb apart about 5 times looking for anything I may have missed. I've went through every hole in it with pipe cleaners (some are at 90 degree elbows so my pipe cleaner won't seem to go through all of them).

It just appears this thing won't suck gas up from the main jet on the carb, and I must say, marvel schebler carbs are dirt simple, so I just don't know what to do with it short of buying a new carb.

Any ideas on what could be causing this problem?

Thanks (I just want my 444 back to the way it was last year)

Replies:

• Re: My 444 won't stay running except on starter fluid. gene bender 14:17:28 07/25/13 (0)
• Re: My 444 won't stay running except on starter fluid. El Toro 11:44:58 07/25/13 (0)
• Re: My 444 won't stay running except on starter fluid. teddy52food 10:00:42 07/25/13 (0)
• Re: My 444 won't stay running except on starter fluid. rustred 08:47:02 07/25/13 (0)
• Re: My 444 won't stay running except on starter fluid. aleuicius 08:01:30 07/25/13 (1)
  • Re: My 444 won't stay running except on starter fluid. Rex Simpkins 16:01:54 07/25/13 (0)

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