New owner E1A running/timing issue

[BIGMIKE]

Hi I've recently bought what I believe to be a 1955 major e1a, engine and id number1353265. Anyway I bought it knowing it had a running issue which is it starts up straight away but blows constant white grey black smoke depending on if it's idling or revving. I've been starting with the basics flushed tank, fresh fuel, clean air filter, set tappets and I found the timing to be 25 degrees so I set that to 26 but if anything I wondered if it sounded too far advanced and I read some later ones should be timed to 23 degrees so just wondering if this is possible with my engine number?
The guy I bought it from reckoned he had bought it with the fault and never got round to looking at it but I obviously don't know if anyone has fiddled before he bought it as looks like pump may have been looked at previously and the cold start button pushes in but doesn't stay in just springs straight back out so wondering if this could have anything to do with it?
Any help grealty appreciated as this is my first tractor
Mike

[Brian]

Your tractor is August 1955 and the timing did not change to 23 degrees until 1957 so it should be 26 degrees. Grey/black smoke all the time could indicate low compression or even a faulty head gasket but from what you say about the the fuel injection pump it could also be that someone has been messing around with it.

The pump is not something that should be attempted to be worked on without the proper equipment or premises. I think I would remove pump and injectors and take them to a diesel repair specialist for evaluation. You may even find that your local technical college has the equipment to test pumps and injectors or a local dealer may have an injector pressure tester lurking in his workshop from the dim and distant past.

[BIGMIKE]

Thanks Brian I thought I'd be clutching at straws with the timing but better to confirm. The smoke is white light grey then as you rev it, it then goes dark grey black with a bit of diesel knock. I even wondered with the cold start button not sticking in if it was somehow on cold start all the time but it seems to bad for just that.
I did fear the worse with compression but it starts really well and the diesel was old dirty with signs of water so hoping injectors or pump now. I'm going to pull injectors this weekend and get them tested next week.
I've searched on here and Google etc but can't find a way to do a compression test? Is there a special adaptor?

[Brian]

There is but the information you just added points to injectors/pump problems.

It is possible that you have problems with the cold start linkage internally, all the linkage does is allow the rack to move slightly further back, increasing the fuel to the injectors, then once started it should fly back into the lower fuel position and lock. People used to jam the cold start in to give the rack more movement and the pump output increased to give more power.

[Fordson 60]

It does look like at low rpm white smoke equals unburnt fuel. And higher rpm to much fuel gives you the black smoke.

You could take the cover of the side of the pump and check if the rack is moving freely. (dont touch the screws on the inside they are calibrated to give every cilinder the same amount of fue you cant reset it without special tools

Could you tell us what the amount of tread left is on the fuel amount screw thats on the cold start unit.
Piece of tread with a hole and a retening nut against the coldstart/stop unit.
Even beter would be to make a picture so we can see whats going on.

[BIGMIKE]

Thanks for the replies sorry I wasn't clearer explaining it originally. I decided to pull the injectors tonight and you can hardly make out the tip shape of all 4 injectors for the carbon build up and when looking down th injector holes it looks just as bad in the cylinders!
I'm taking the injectors to diesel specialist Monday and I'm thinking it's probably best to pull the head for a decoke and lap valves in etc now I've seen how bad it looks. I'm hoping it's just from age and lack of hard use rather than someone previously messing with pump causing it to soot up so badly.
I'll take a picture of the pump tomorrow
Mike

[BIGMIKE]

Hope I've done this right and they show something of use! You can see 1 bolt is already missing from the cover plate so obviously someone has had it off at some point.

[Fordson 60]

I would have suspected that the screw on the first picture would have been turn out a lot more explaining the large amount of fuel causing the black smoke and soot.
Are you sure the engine can get all the air it needs?
Clogged airfilter or imploded airhose?

You could also take a sneak peak behind the pump cover see whats going on with the rack inside the pump.
Take a picture of the inside.

Just cheked on my pump the rack should move a farely way to the closed position on the pump for the fuel button to pop out.
Its a strange problem I am thinking in towards the vacuum governer but the fuel button popping out does not.

[BIGMIKE]

Well I took the side cover off and it's not a pretty site so looks like it's definitely had water sat in it and when I removed the pump lovely brown fluid ran out. Looks like the pump will be going to the diesel specialist with the injectors on Monday. Fingers crossed it's all salvageable and won't be too expensive.

[Fordson 60]

Ouch youre in for a nice bill if its salvageable.
If the cambox isnt worn out and the cam is not in bad shape. It might be .
Another good pump maybe cheaper.
But if you get it rebuild you know for sure its a good pump.

Good luck keep my fingers crossed for you

[anthonygos]

Water in the fuel or getting into the cylinders will also give white smoke, being that you have find water in the pump I would have that serviced first, then run it again.

[BIGMIKE]

Heared back from the diesel specialist today and pump is in a bad way, injectors just want cleaning. So looks like a new reconditioned pump.
While I've been waiting I took the head off and found it had only really been running on 2 cylinders! I'm also losing compression on the 2 bad cylinders from the valve seats so this weekends job is to decoke and strip the head for a proper look. I left oil in the bores over night and the level in all 4 hardly changed so hopefully that's a good sign.
Looks like my first tractor project will be an expensive learning curve!

[Fordson 60]

You always run into suprises when taking things apart sometimes you cant even understand it worked in the conditions some parts are when you take them apart.
But its always a nice feeling when put back together and all works fine

[BIGMIKE]

Well valves and valve seats recut, head skimmed, new valve guides, reconditioned fuel pump and injectors, oil pick up cleaned out plus all the stuff I did at the start and it now runs lovely! Not the cheap fix I was hoping for but at least it should be fine for a while now.
So now to start on the rest of the tractor.