D15 a challenge to keep running

New member here, so bear with me .
I have a D15 that my grandpa bought new that has become a challenge to keep running .
A few weeks ago I started to have to use the choke more often to start and keep going.   Last week on the grain auger after running a while it would up and die.    It would also die if I tried to adjust the choke at all .
I took the carb off and gave it thorough cleaning.   It ran ok but then would do the same up and die ing after a few minutes . Adjusting the high idle does not help or change any thing .   There is good fuel flow out the carb drain and the line between the tank and carb
To eliminate the electrical system, ive replaced the points , condenser, rotor , distributor cap, and coil, as I felt like I was just chasing things
This morning it started right up in the shop and ran perfect . Throttle up … perfect .
As an experiment I rehooked the old coil . It started but then went to sputtering again , and died upon throttling up
I put the new coil back on , and wouldn’t start.    … leading me back to the carb

And help and and advice is appreciated.   Engines are not my specialty, but I can find my way around

Edited by west illini - 25 Jan 2022 at 7:28am

I’ve been looking at the hose, I think I’ll do it next

Also check the bottom of the tank for anything that could possibly be partially moving around near the outlet blocking flow intermittently. My old Case had a metal washer that mysteriously was sliding around a bit creating "carb problems". Wasn't until I drained the tank that I found it. Good luck.

It sputters like fuel , not like the key shut off
The fuel line is called “ fuel “ hose , but will replace it.   
I’ll check the tank better for anything in bottom

I’d switch the coil out with one from something else that’s running. I’ve had coils that acted weird like that?

I haven’t cleaned the bowl out yet, as Dad in the past, and I sometimes have a hard time getting that gasket to seal again. I just checked again and there is full fuel flow out of the new fuel line I just put on , from the bowl.

I did have it running this evening, for about a minute, till it died
I took about a half minute video of it kind of hoping it would catch it dying, and it did.   After that, it would run with the starter.   Let off the button it dies.   Press button again it runs while starter is engaged, until finally no fire.

After this is when I checked fuel flow and the carb drain plug to Mayr sure there’s gas, and there was

You changed all the ignition parts, but did you replace the spark plugs? Sometimes an old set of plugs will make the engine run like crap, and you pull your hair out and think its something else. Install a new set of plugs like NGK's or Autolites and see how it runs. If you replaced the plugs already and its still doing the same thing, you might have water in the fuel. Toss a half a bottle of Isopropyl dry gas in the tank with some fresh fuel and see how it runs...  HTH

I’ll do a longer time fuel check
Plugs were replaced
I just checked again now, and no spark off the coil wire
After supper go over things again

Had a similar issue. turned out the key switch had burned up inside. I had volts at the coil, but not enough amperage to do squat. 

I agree with your synopsis.   The thing that threw me was, each time I checked the coil, it was 12.7v. Till this last time. There was nothing, which caused me to trace back that wire, finding my problem

Glad you got it figured out. A few different things could have caused that same issue. Electrical issues can drive a man nuts. In the telecommunications industry that I’m in you had what is referred to as a high open. Making contact, but not enough contact to complete the circuit at all times. If my customers say sometimes the line is nice and quite and other times it’s full of static and no dial tone then I know what I’m looking for. Thankfully good meters help me find those issues but it can be difficult to find sometimes. Old wiring on these 50 plus year old tractors can be a challenge. Upgrading to a new wiring harness would be in our best interest when they get frail.

I always say I can see a fluid leak , but cannot see an electrical leak . Drives me crazy

Edited by west illini - 26 Jan 2022 at 7:07pm