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When you get it back, do a compression test on it. If you don’t have a compression tester you can rent one from your local auto parts store. Also look at your plugs when you take them out, if they’re oily that will be a sign of some blow by. Hopefully it’s something simple

 

Also, it has an oil bath air cleaner on it. Have you cleaned it and replaced the oil?

 

yeah did that.

 

The only other thing I can think of is the valves may need adjusting.

 

Creed's right, I would check compression first thing. Probably should be over 100psi on each cyl if its OK. If one or more cyls is drastically different, you may have head or ring

issues. number the plugs to the cyl when you take them out. If you have low compression and a cleaner plug on one particular cyl, it's likely a head gasket.

If the low cyl/s have a lot more oil and fouling than the others, you may need rings.



Also, make sure you used solid core spark plug wires. These old machines don't seem to like the carbon/graphite stuff they sell today.

Also I have had a bad run the past few years of condensers that are bad right out of the box.

if you are getting more of an orange spark than a blue one it's likely the "new" condenser.

 

Assuming that you've already done the basics to rule out a bad motor (like check for oil consumption, checked compression, etc) and had everything come back okay, my next guess would be either a corked air filter or a vacuum leak somewhere. Or both; a plugged air filter would explain the lack of power and a vacuum leak the erratic idle.

Edit---
You don't have the #3 & #4 plug wires reversed, do you? I don't remember when they switched to the side-mount distributor, but it's an easy mistake on the side-mount and an even easier mistake on the front-mounted units

 

I didn’t think about crossed plug wires, I did that to a Farmall Cub once. It ran but was sick. Once I figured it out it was like a new one.

 

Yeah, we did it on my dad's 600 series years ago. Fortunately the cap & rotor, plugs and wires were the ONLY things we changed, so it didn't take that long to figure out what we'd done.

 

Follow up raised it

 

That is beautiful

 

Brother joe has off next couple days . Asked if could join him to mow grass since he thought he’d be about done. Well these warm temps we had all week sure made the grass grow! He taken the decks off to wash, clean and prep for paint ... we’ll see how ambitious I get.. maybe take half day Friday.

Also with all the wood splitting that needs to be done , gonna make for one heck of drunken weekend!!!

 

I'd like to urge caution here...

 

I'll second this!
I have a scar on my upper lip from drinking and a wood splitter, thank goodness December will be 9 years of sobriety for me

 

Congrats in advance on 9 years, then.

I'm content to walk beside the wagon, rather than getting onto it.


But, I do have a strict 'no booze and tools' rule. It's easy enough to lose parts & do damage when you're sober, without stacking the odds against yourself.

 

Well I can say one thing, I do more work than drinking . Careless acts are sometimes permanent and we do not like permanent memories !

 

interesting...
not my pic, grabbed it somewhere on tw

 

What the..... that’s what happens when you think you got the “best” gen!

 

Mulching leaves today. After 2 days of rain the ground is a dry as a chip already. I had all my orifices covered for it. I been thru the desert on a horse with no name....

 

Sheesh! A bit dusty I’d say.... my neighbors rake the leaves... I like to mulch them myself after the leaves that are set along the road for pick up blow back into my yard.... this happens all the time! I don’t mind as they are retired and it gives them exercise... plus they feed me beer while I piss and moan about everyone’s leaves in my yard ;-)