Ford 8n new distributor help

[HayseedAcres]

Ok I am lost at this point and anout to simply spend the $500 for a new 12v conversion kit.
I purchased a 8n and it stopped running, the previous owner had converted to to 12 volt and I feel they may have not do it right.
So far I have replaced the starter, solenoid, battery, most of the wiring, the 12v automotive ignition coil, purchased a new 12v distributor and the coil that clips onto the top.
Where my problem is, is that if so not know how to connect the new coil (clip on) to the automotive coil. There is not a plug on the ignition coil for the high tension coil wire to go to. What am I missing?

Please help!!! Thank you in advance!

 

[wore out]

Sounds like your tractor is of the serial number range that is equipped with the infamous ''front-mount'' distributor and when the ''12 Volt conversion'' was done they gutted out the original ''square-can'' ''top mount coil'' and internally attached a high-tension lead that went out to the 12 Volt ''round can'' coil they also installed.

Since you decided to shoot the ''parts cannon'' at it rather than do some basic troubleshooting and repair only what was needed you now have a new ''square-can'' coil that you didn't need that doesn't have the coil wire ''mod'' and a distributor not set up with a wire from the points out to the ''round-can'' coil.

Sound correct?

 

[Tim PloughNman Daley RIP]

Sounds like you have a later 8N with the ANGLE (SIDE) MOUNT DISTRIBUTOR by mention of the clip. Be sure you have a late 8N. There is NO 12-VOLT distributor. You can
get a 12V Coil though. Replaced all those parts eh, and still no-go. Test any first? Typical newbie (and some oldies) thoughts and mistakes. Do you have copies of the
Essential Manuals? FACT: 99.98% of all non-running tractors are due to incorrect wiring. 12V setups done wrong are a big culprit. Only 2, maybe 3 correct ways to wire
a 12V and a hundred incorrect ways. You can keep changing parts willy nilly til the cows come home and maybe come upon the true root cause and/or until yo go broke and
still not fix the problem. Get your manuals and read. Stop swapping out parts. If you don't know how to wire the 6V/POS GRN system, stop and get help. Why did you swap
out the starter motor and Relay? Test them first? What the heck is an automotive coil? Means nothing. Don't guess. If tractor won't run on 6V what makes you think it
will on 12V? I say your wiring is all mucked up. Don't assume because you have a 12V battery the system is wired correctly for 12V. You can tell us exactly how your
setup is wired and I'll bet we can pinpoint your problem. Get a copy of WIRING PICTOGRAMS by JMOR for both 6V and 12V 8N. Remove battery and take battery to get
tested at a shop. With no power and light circuit disconnected, go thru entire wiring. Don't use color codes on wiring harness - probably not right anyway. Set your
VOM to CONTINUITY and forget an idiot test light for this test. Distributor must be rebuilt/tuned up per manual. Timing is set via flywheel markings with a timing
light. Firing order is 1,2,4,3 CCW. For a 12V conversion and using the 6-VOLT coil, you will need to add a 1-OHM external resistor in the coil circuit as shown. Swap
6V coil out to a 12V coil and the extra resistor is not used.


8N WIRING PICTOGRAMS by JMOR, BOTH ORIGINAL FRONT MOUNT AND SIDE MOUNT DISTRIBUTORS, w/ 6V & 12V SETUPS SHOWN:

8N WIRING, 50-52, 6V/POS GRN:

FORD 8N DISTRIBUTOR, ANGLE MOUNT, 50-52:

FORD 8N TRACTOR ESSENTIAL MANUALS:

Tim Daley (MI)

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 00:16:36 06/13/23) Ok I am lost at this point and anout to simply spend the $500 for a new 12v conversion kit.
I purchased a 8n and it stopped running, the previous owner had converted to to 12 volt and I feel they may have not do it right.
So far I have replaced the starter, solenoid, battery, most of the wiring, the 12v automotive ignition coil, purchased a new 12v distributor and the coil that clips onto the top.
Where my problem is, is that if so not know how to connect the new coil (clip on) to the automotive coil. There is not a plug on the ignition coil for the high tension coil wire to go to. What am I missing?

Please help!!! Thank you in advance!

rimary & HV secondary connections are shown here. No "automotive" coil involved.

 

[Lynn Patrick]

(quoted from post at 01:16:36 06/13/23) Ok I am lost at this point and anout to simply spend the $500 for a new 12v conversion kit.

If you're convinced to spend $500 for the conversion kit, please buy it from me! Then I'll order the one from this site for $169 & have some extra spending $$$s!
All that aside, just because you bought new parts does NOT mean you have GOOD parts! Stop buying & take your time to find where the problem is!

 

[Mad Farmer]

(quoted from post at 21:16:36 06/12/23)

When I bought my 9N it had been serviced by a Ford dealer with genuine Ford parts. It ran near 20 years, yes 20 without me having to go into the 6V distributor. Reason being the coil went bad. Then I put in blue streak parts.

The Ford points could have been filed and reused. I saved them as a novelty as had Ford logo on them.

Nothing wrong with a good 6V system, except get good lighting or not being able to run 12V electricals.

This site has one of the best tutorials on N distributors

https://myfordtractors.com/index.shtml

 

[Mad Farmer]

double post

This post was edited by Mad Farmer on 06/13/2023 at 08:44 am.

 

[R Geiger]

I go along with what worn out is saying. A few photos would help but you have to have few post before this site will allow you to post photos.

 

[Jim L WA]

(reply to post at 21:16:36 06/12/23)

Hi Hayseed, welcome to the forum and the world of N tractors.
My advice would be to eliminate the round can coil, and wire the tractor following the first diagram that Tmi the plowman Daily sent you. Like one of the others said, stop throwing parts at it. Why would you replace the starter and solenoid because it stopped running? If it stopped running it obviously started.

 

[Eman85]

Take a deep breath.
Do you know the year or serial # of your tractor, no points for guessing. Is the distributor in the front of the engine or on the side?
It sounds like you purchased a running tractor with a 12v conversion. What happened to make it a non running tractor? What made you replace all of those parts? Did you do any diagnosing at all or is it all based on guessing?
Answer the questions that have been asked and everyone will help you understand your tractor and diagnose the problem. 12v or 6v it doesn't matter they both work fine.

 

[PopsH]

Hayseed - As has been alluded to below, it sounds like your tractor was previously modified to use a 12 volt electronic ignition system. Your new distributor and clip on coil have not been modified
(basically gutted) for an electronic ignition, and thus there's no way to connect the new automotive-type coil to the new clip-on coil. I would put the old distributor and clip-on coil back on your
engine, adjusted properly and with the spark plug wires properly connected, hook up whichever automotive-type coil you'd like, and troubleshoot starting from the spark plugs. Replace one defective part
at a time. Your problem may be as simple as a faulty ignition switch, or you may even have a fuel related problem. First test for a good spark at each plug; if yes, check for adequate fuel flow. If
no spark, work backwards through the ignition system until you find where the spark (or current) drops off. If inadequate fuel flow, work backwards through the fuel line until you find the stoppage.
Above all, don't get frustrated or lose your sense of humor; life's too short, and these old machines are supposed to be fun!

Pops

 

[HayseedAcres]

Thank you all for the input. As for the
parts cannon. The original issue was that
it quit starting, because the starter didnt
turn over. Since then everything done was
out of necessity.

The current situation has been fixed and
the tractor starts and runs again
I had never dealt with the square can coil
and had not been anle to locate the proper
way to wire it. Thanks to Daly it is fixed.

Thank you all for your input, some more
than others.