Farm Equipment - 1961 GAS D15 ser.1 Starting issue

1961 GAS D15 ser.1 Starting issue

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Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
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URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=168175
Printed Date: 24 Aug 2025 at 5:34pm
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Topic: 1961 GAS D15 ser.1 Starting issue

Posted By: KYrod
Subject: 1961 GAS D15 ser.1 Starting issue
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 10:16am

This tractor was overhauled a few years ago and ran pretty good for a while. Then started loosing power under load. I could get it started by jumping it (always had to do this...not sure why the battery would run down while it was sitting) but it would run for a couple of minutes and then die like you turned the key off. I checked spark first...then checked gas flow and rebuilt carb. Still wouldn't start. Had generator checked, replaced V. Regulator. No good.

Next I replaced the coil. Nothing. Replaced condenser. I'm no mechanic but I was careful with the distributor but apparently not careful enough because after this, I could not even get the tractor to think about starting....it would just crank and crank with no hint that it would fire up. I know the cap went on correctly and I didn't even disconnect the wires but I'm guessing that the distributor shaft moved on me during this process.

How do I insure that the distributor shaft is oriented correctly before I put the cap back on? Is there any other obvious reason why this tractor may not start?

Replies:

Posted By: PaulB
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 11:28am

Offshore madecondensers nowadays can be bad right out of the box. One of the first things I do on a gas tractor is to install the electronic ignition in place of the points and condenser. Do you have a manual for your D15? It would answer all your questions.

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If it was fun to pull in LOW gear, I could have a John Deere.
Real pullers don't have speed limits.
If you can't make it GO... make it SHINY

Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 11:29am

Unless you have loose clamp bolts on the distributer body, the shaft cannot change "time" or position. The dist cap has a notch on it, so it only goes on one way. Do you have spark when you crank the engine ?? Pull out the coil wire at the distributer cap and hold the wire end 1/8" away from something metal on the engine. Have someone crank the engine over and see if there is a spark.

Posted By: DaveKamp
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 2:05pm

When an engine doesn't start, always do basic tests before changing ANYTHING... first, because throwing parts at it blindly is expensive, and second, doing so invites even more complications to troubleshooting.

First, pull off a plug wire, connect a spare plug to it, and ground the threaded collar of the plug to the block, then crank the engine and check for spark. Should be white hot and snappy. If not, pull the coil wire off, support it a quarter-inch above a grounded surface, and try again. If there's no spark, you have ignition problems... which could be anything from the battery, wires, keyswitch, coil, condenser, points, rotor, wires, or plugs.

If you have spark, check your firing order by pulling all plugs but one, turn the crank until the one plug's cylinder exhibits compression, then remove the rotor cap and see if the rotor is pointing toward that plug's wire. If so, proceed to next:

Take the air cleaner off, crank the engine, and spray a shot of something flammable into the carb throat. Does it try to fire? If so, you have a fuel issue.

Open the drain plug on the bottom of the carbeurator bowl, open the petcock, and let fuel flow out... catch it in a quart glass jar. It should flow clear, and fast. If it's not clear and clean, keep running it through. It should flow fast enough to half-fill that quart in oh... 20-30 seconds or so. If not, hold a screwdriver by the shank, and rap on the carb bowl with the handle. If it speeds up, either the float is stuck, the bottom of the carb bowl is plugged, or the fuel filter, fuel line, sediment bowl, or fuel tank dishcharge ports are blocked.

If you have good, clear flow, look in the bottom, see if you see a 'layer' or beads of water rolling around lazily in the bottom. If so, just drain it all out, clean it all out, and put in fresh fuel.

If none of this yields results, perform a compression test.

By the way... try it with the air cleaner removed... if it starts and runs with the air cleaner removed, the air cleaner is obstructed. If it has an oil-bath air cleaner, and the air cleaner is full of water, it will still run... but if that water is frozen, it will not.

Same goes for an obstructed exhaust.

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Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest.

Posted By: LeonR2013
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 6:04pm

Talking about obstructed air cleaner, when I was having problems with fowling plugs on my 45, I finally decided to clean the air filter and found my problem. It was absolutely full of dirt dabber nests. Pulled everything out of the canister and cleaned it up. No more problem. Incidentally someone in the past had taken the screen out of the rain cap and that let the little boogers a way to get in. Leon

Posted By: KYrod
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 10:40pm

Good to know....I was going on the word of someone more knowledgeable than me.

Posted By: KYrod
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 10:42pm

Thanks! Good advice....good checklist.