Deuce will not start

[PaFarmer]

I am stumped. My M35A2 will not start. First problem with it in 11 years. My lift pump runs, but does not move fuel. I took The pump out, soaked it in gas and cleaned it. I reinstalled it, but wired in an in-line pump from airtex. Replaced all three fuel filters. getting good flow at the bleed screw on the fuel filter housing.

I cleaned the fuel shut off lever. It was sticking, but moves fine now. I had another deuce that had the lever stuck shut, so that was my first step this time.

I cracked a fuel line at an injector and no fuel. I started it on ether and it would not keep running.

It last ran in late March or early April, so it has only sat a month or two.

 

[cattlerepairman]

Take the center bolt out of the HH, put a pencil or wooden dowel in and see if the plunger inside the head moves up and down when cranking. If it does not, then your center clip has fallen off.

 

[PaFarmer]

Take the center bolt out of the HH, put a pencil or wooden dowel in and see if the plunger inside the head moves up and down when cranking. If it does not, then your center clip has fallen off.

Thanks, I’ll give that a try after work.

 

[Floridianson]

Take the center bolt out of the HH, put a pencil or wooden dowel in and see if the plunger inside the head moves up and down when cranking. If it does not, then your center clip has fallen off.

I believe the problem with that is plunger will still move if the clip failed and timing button fell off. We need someone to measure how much movement there is when correct and how much when we have clip / timing button fails to stay connected. Just guessing without measuring the timing button is about 1/8'' thick. Your problem could be stuck delivery valve or the timing button if you have fuel to the head. Delivery valve easy enough to check as for timing button just take off the head.

 

[PaFarmer]

I believe the problem with that is plunger will still move if the clip failed and timing button fell off. We need someone to measure how much movement there is when correct and how much when we have clip / timing button fails to stay connected. Just guessing without measuring the timing button is about 1/8'' thick. Your problem could be stuck delivery valve or the timing button if you have fuel to the head. Delivery valve easy enough to check as for timing button just take off the head.

Thanks, I’ll look into it further.

 

[cattlerepairman]

Good point, Floridianson. I think the stroke is diminished without the button but it may still move up and down. Hard to measure the difference. I guess if the plunger is stuck - bingo. If it turns out to be moving, the next step is to remove the HH and check the button/bowtie.

 

[Floridianson]

Yea I think someone said along time ago to use a wooded dowel to tap a stuck plunger loose. I have a Head here in the office but I do not know how far to compress the spring to measure it. Would seem to do it right the head needs to be installed and IP spun over to see how much lift the cam produces on a work bench. Yea the plunger guild / bowtie looking thingy has been known to crack when the plunger get stuck in the bore and will not rotate. As you said that should always be checked when you have the head out.
PS.
Just tried to measure just compressing the spring all the way and is close to 3/8'' travel. This it not dead on but if the plunger could still move button off the minus 1/8'' for button we are looking at something like 1/4'' of travel. I should have done the correct measurement along time ago when I was working or playing with my Deuce. If I got a parts truck I just stripped them for parts including the IP's to help others. Sorry to say I have done nothing to my poor Deuce for 10 years and it is going down hill fast. I did free up the big carport at my other property and got it under cover. You Deuce lovers would kick my butt if you saw it between when I first got it and now. Yea love my 915 more than the Deuce.

 

[DavidWymore]

Just went through this on my M50. Should move about 3/16".

It may move the same amount without the button, but just not move high enough...?

 

[Floridianson]

Just went through this on my M50. Should move about 3/16".

It may move the same amount without the button, but just not move high enough...?

Yea need to measure for sure. I also corrected my post for some reason my math or proof reading was off. I said 1/2'' but changed it to 1/4''. For you kids out there 3/8's minus 1/8's is 2/8's or 1/4. Stay in school or home school and drive your parents crazy.

 

[PaFarmer]

the plunger did not move freely so I tapped it with a dowel, now it moves up and down. It pours fuel out with the center bolt removed while cranking, but does not pump fuel to the injectors. I saw a video on cleaning the HH, so that is my next step. I looked into to buying a new HH, but the vendors don’t seem to have them in stock.

 

[PaFarmer]

Just a follow up. I removed the HH and cleaned it up, all the ports and passages. The plunger had been stuck. I tapped it and freed it, but I think that caused the button to fall off the bottom. Long story short, cleaned it and installed a new retainer for the button and it started right up. The old retainer was fine, but I was not sure how much tension it was supposed to have. There was some stick black residue in the HH and filter housings that I removed with brake cleaner. Nothing plugged up, but the stick residue had the fuel shut off moving slow and held up the plunger.