420 Distributer Foaming at the Mouth

[9elf]

Problem: Machine will not start after several months non use
Machine: 420 Crawler ©, gas engine
Machine has been in family since new. I learned my basic driving skills on it at age 10. Presently machine sees little use.

Discussion: Engine has always (last 25 years) been hard to start after sitting idle for several months as in over the winter. The engine turns over. Good quantities of either do not help. The remedy has always been to clean the points and spark plugs with emery paper. (In fact emery paper is in a vitamin bottle with tight fitting cap in the machines little tool box.) One squirt of either and it starts right up.

Today the remedy worked but immediately after shut down the machine would not restart. There was no spark at the plugs; there was no spark at the points. The suspect malfunction was a bad condenser. This was checked in the following manner: 1) Check for spark at points. 2) If no spark, disconnect condenser wire and check for spark again. 3) If there is spark, the condenser is bad. 4) If there is no spark, then suspect points, wires, coil (or you forgot to turn on ignition!), etc.

The condenser was replaced with a new one from auto supply store. This one tested bad. (In hindsight I think it was OK.) Traded it for a replacement. Still no spark. Went to JD and got new points and condenser. Now several days passed until I was able to install the new JD electric parts. Upon removing distributor cap and dust shield the inside seemed to be damp or wet. There also an orange fill on the breaker plate. I sprayed WD40 and wiped everything clean and dry. Removed condenser and wiped it of. Removed points and wiped them off and filed them. Reinstalled all old parts and set point gap and cleaned plugs. The plugs looked almost new. A squirt of either and machine started right up.

I ran the machine about 10 minutes; driving back and forth to try and loosen up the frozen left, track steering clutch. I shut the machine down. But then I realized that it was warm enough to change the oil. I started it back up to move the blade up. No go; cranks over but will not start. A quick check of the distributer revealed the below photo. Any ideas? In 40 years of wrenching on many different things, this is a first. I suspected heavy, wet vapor from the crank case foaming up from oil pump. But this would most likely deposit some orange scum on the oil filler cap. The cap had usual black oil on it. Another suspect is coolant leak into crank case. Coolant level seems OK and it blows no white smoke from exhaust. Runs fine with no miss although the idle oscillates up and down.

Sorry, no picture. That is most important part.[/img]

[whiteclipse16]

Since there's no picture I won't be much help in diagnosing your foaming issue.
The idle and starting issue sounds like it could be improper carb. and valve adjustment.

[Lavoy]

Do plugs, points, dist cap, wires, and coil, and eliminate all of the potential ignition problems.
Crankcase vapor will not realistically get up the dist shaft, so that is not the issue.
Lavoy

[DukeofDeere]

The distributor has water in it. Remove
Rebuild or flush to remove the water.
If your distributor has a small plug on the side remove it and see what runs out. My guess water.
The oil fill cap often has foam and black from the oil in it from condensation in the engine.

Duke

[Gil]

When you cleaned inside the distributor, did you remove the plate the points are on? [I assume it is like a JD440.] Moisture will be under the plate. I would suggest you use an electrical contact spray as opposed to WD-40.

You did not mention if the points were not firing when it fails to start after running for a while. I would go easy on the starting fluid - it is not a carb problem. Gil