50s Craftsman mower?!? I've seen everything so I thought!

[Sevenhills1952]

I recently posted about getting my Dad's (rip) 50s Craftsman mower. I cleaned it up, soldered coil wire & condenser leads to it's tab. Everything together, plug wire pushed up into coil pin. Set point gap and guessed at timing position.
New plug, it's getting dark so with spark plug out against block, pulled rope and wow! Great spark.
Set choke...pulled 20 times...no start.
Tried starting fluid...nothing. With plug out, starting fluid sprayed in, plug back...still no start. I gave up.
Here's where it gets weird! I put air filter in (it's a screen, a wad of like super course steel wool, another screen and cap. I thought what the heck...one more pull. It started and runs like a top! After a minute I took it off choke, it smoothed out even better. Cuts great. Hadn't been run in 50 years.
Two questions: 1) why wouldn't it run even a little with no air filter?
2) you can occasionally see a spark fly out from under it. I didn't remove exhaust muffler...is that bits of carbon?
It runs great...curious since I thought I knew motors![emoji57]
Thanks!

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[FergusonTO35]

Some engines just will not run at all without an air filter. I'm thinking that, without the air filter in place, it can't create enough vacuum to get fuel out of the carburetor. A friend's Briggs powered tiller is like that. No air filter, pull on it all day. Put the air filter on and she starts in one pull every time.

 

[Sevenhills1952]

What's so odd is spraying in fuel, I even tried carburetor cleaner spray which is highly flammable. Now I know and at 68 still learning new things [emoji16].



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[Sevenhills1952]

I ran it again today. The carburetor has several adjustment screws. Yesterday it would cut off if I fully opened choke butterfly. Today after adjustments it runs even better. Starts on 1-2 pulls.
I haven't finished cleaning it up.
Should I paint it? Deck is original paint. I'm not sure if handle bars originally chrome or most likely silver paint.
It really runs smooth. I'm sure Dad's looking down from heaven smiling![emoji57]

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[legdelimber]

Some engines just will not run at all without an air filter. I'm thinking that, without the air filter in place, it can't create enough vacuum to get fuel out of the carburetor. A friend's Briggs powered tiller is like that. No air filter, pull on it all day. Put the air filter on and she starts in one pull every time.

Yes, the balance is that delicate with some carburetor and engine combinations.

The "fixed jet" (with no adjusting screw) Tecumseh carburetors on Sears stuff are almost always like that.
Put a finger over the carb bore and pull the rope to get one running if the filter is off and the thing still runs lean once cranked.
A common issue to see in the shop was the paper air filters would mildew over the winter and thus be overly restrictive.
Cranked like it was overly choked but then run rough and foul spark plugs.
Some customers would remove filter and try cranking again.
Pull ya danged guts out on it then with no filter.

First mowings, in the springtime, a few years ago:
Had a neighbor running a sears push mower (with a Tecumseh engine ) and I could smell the fumes (breeze was blowing my direction).
Later (beer-o-thirty) I stroll over for fence chat and mention it likely needs a new air filter.
Neighbor says he put a new one on with last falls oil change.
Knowing he has dogs, I say check the (paper element) filter for mildew~mold.
He looks a bit incredulous but goes and looks at it.
Yep. Moldy and choking off to point of running rich enough to smell it downwind.
I mooched a cold brew for my unbidden diagnosis!
But that same mower/engine wouldn't crank to save your butt, IF the filter was off.

 

[CrystalRiver1]

I recently posted about getting my Dad's (rip) 50s Craftsman mower. I cleaned it up, soldered coil wire & condenser leads to it's tab. Everything together, plug wire pushed up into coil pin. Set point gap and guessed at timing position.
New plug, it's getting dark so with spark plug out against block, pulled rope and wow! Great spark.
Set choke...pulled 20 times...no start.
Tried starting fluid...nothing. With plug out, starting fluid sprayed in, plug back...still no start. I gave up.
Here's where it gets weird! I put air filter in (it's a screen, a wad of like super course steel wool, another screen and cap. I thought what the heck...one more pull. It started and runs like a top! After a minute I took it off choke, it smoothed out even better. Cuts great. Hadn't been run in 50 years.
Two questions: 1) why wouldn't it run even a little with no air filter?
2) you can occasionally see a spark fly out from under it. I didn't remove exhaust muffler...is that bits of carbon?
It runs great...curious since I thought I knew motors![emoji57]
Thanks! View attachment 239681View attachment 239682View attachment 239683View attachment 239684View attachment 239685

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Wow...what wild looking contraption?
Great job!

 

[legdelimber]

The sparks could be carbon flecks or tiny bits of rust blowing out.
Sitting on the concrete, it will pick up random bits of grit and small rocks or concrete and throw them hard enough to make sparks.
Carbon tends to be the most orange colored spark. the girt or sand tended to be less red looking.
The blade will hit a portion of the dirt and sand it stirs up. Just think about how quickly a dirt or sand patch dulls the blade.
The grit or rust flecks being hit by the blade will make small sparks.
It also throws debris hard enough to hit the pavement and crack them and that makes sparks too.
I've seen sparks from a bits of the grit that tends to wash up in the cracks, etc, on my concrete driveway. Used to do the backwards roll of the mower to blow off the drive after mowing the grass.
As a teenager it was kind of novel to see when you mowed till after it was honestly too dark to still be mowing.

 

[Sevenhills1952]

I'll keep it in remembrance of my Dad. I'm 68 and always remember he (rip) and I using it. I even found the decals!View attachment 243632

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