New Member With Questions...

If it is a '39 D8 the serial number will be on a tag near the left front of the engine below the water pump. It should start with 1H. It sounds like your pony has a restricted fuel supply. If it kicks the timing must not be quite right. Mine never kicks and starts very easily.

Welcome to the board.

Tom

1939CAT

Sorry to hear about your wrist. I would first take the carb off the pony completely disassemble and clean - these old carbs should not need any new parts, other than a gasket, but make sure that all the passages are clean and free of dirt/rust/other crap.

While you are doing this, try and find the service manual and parts manual for this tractor. I think Jensales has reproduction manuals for this unit.

I believe that the pony timing is set advanced. Don't remember which way it has to be turned to retard, but your books will tell. Second cranking a pony. If you broke your wrist, you may be cranking the pony incorrectly. That mag fires twice in a row and then skips twice. You need to get the pony on a compression stroke, where the mag is going to fire, position the crank so it is pointing up, grab the crank with just your curved four fingers(do not put thumb around crank), pull the pony through one mag firing. If it does not start, reposition for another pull. THis way, if it does backfire, the crank will pop out of your fingers, and with the motion of the pull, your hand will be out of the way when the crank comes around.
always.

Best of luck
Dan

1939 Cat, if you or a friend has a digital camera, please take a picture and post so we can see what you have. Also, let us know the serial number. GWH

Thanks for the info. I did take the carb off and tank to clean but my grandpa was always good about running it empty. I'm taking it back off because it drained the gas tank in about an hour so something is wrong there. On the cranking, I did that but when it tried to fire, the crank rod got hung up on pony and didn't disengage. Of course my hand wasn't out of the way because I wasn't expecting it to fire after all these years and it caught my wrist. I am having an idea of taking that cog off the pony motor and putting a small pulley on it, taking a 12v starter putting a pulley on it, connecting them with a belt and seeing if I can start it that way. I'll take a picture of it. It's not pretty but it's there. I have about 3 more rolls of cable along with the dump scoop for it.
Thanks for all the help.
Happy Thanksgiving

[quote="1939Cat"]Thanks for the info. I am having an idea of taking that cog off the pony motor and putting a small pulley on it, taking a 12v starter putting a pulley on it, connecting them with a belt and seeing if I can start it that way. I'll take a picture of it. It's not pretty but it's there. I have about 3 more rolls of cable along with the dump scoop for it.
Thanks for all the help.
Happy Thanksgiving[/quote]

As rustrunner said, if you crank it correctly there will be no problem with it kicking. i think the electric starter will be a detraction and for no good reason.

Just make sure the timing is correct then follow rustrunner's advice. might add "make it a quick snap over center".

I've cranked a 3cyl hundreds of times and not once have had a problem. Although your's is not the same Cat the starting engine works the same way.

I went up to the dozer today and it is a D7 with the serial number 9G5785W. What year is this?
Thanks

1938
here you go
http://www.chriscomachinery.com/ModelRD7.htm

My old Cat performance handbook shows 9G5465-7074 as 1939 models.
I don't see any models listed for 1939 on that picture roster???????