Ford Jubilee Trouble shooting....

[akdonkey]

My tractor has set a few weeks and will not start now. I found my solenoid had cracked so I got a replacement from rural king today and installed it. Now its not hitting a lick. I pulled out a spark plug and cranked it. It appeared to have spark not a huge spark but it sparked. So I cleaned up all the plugs and connections and still nothing.
I know that some of those rural king solenoids are junk but it was my only option for today. It has the angled third prong like my last one but it was slight different in the mounting bracket was curved not flat. Could that solenoid be the culprit? If so how can I trouble shoot the solenoid. Any info tips would be great! My driveway needs a grading bad!!!
 

[Royse]

Since the engine is rolling over, your solenoid is not the problem.
If you didn't have a good hot spark (white/bluish) that is more likely your culprit.
Probably a good cleaning and re-gapping of the points would help.
You can burnish them with card stock or piece of paper bag etc to see if it helps.
Once you have good spark, if it still won't start, check for proper fuel flow.
 

[akdonkey]

[Royse]

Coils do fail, but not too often with the round can ones.
Points fail more often and cheap ones fail very quickly.
Some with just a few hours of use.
I usually buy Blue Streak brand points. (about $16-$18 a set)
Then I just clean, inspect, lube and re-gap mine once a year.
It doesn't cost anything to inspect them.
It's your money and your tractor but we haven't proven the coil bad yet.
 

[Ultradog MN]

"I'm debating getting a new coil as I fill the spark was not up to pare."

We don't reccomend troubleshooting on feelings here.
We reccomend observing, checking and verifying.
I think Royse is on the right track; check your points.
This is what a good spark should look like.
It is bluish white and should jump at least 5/16"



It does not matter what all you replaced last year. Points can fail in a few hours or a few years.
Clean and regap your points. Then recheck your spark.
If that does not do it post back.
Do you have a test light or a multimeter?
We may ask you to check the voltage at the coil.
Again, we do do not troubleshoot based on anything but observation, checking and verifying.
 

[showcrop]

[old]

Just because you replaced stuff a year ago does not say the stuff is still good. Things made now days are not as good as stuff made 10 years ago.
Trouble shoot. As was said if it turns over with the starter button that is not the problem unless the starter is dragging which can rob spark but you need to check stuff first. Your spark has to be a blue/white and also jump a 1/4 inch gap or more. If the spark does not do that it will not start. Your spark plugs also need to be clean and gaped at 0.025 as do you points. You also need a good stead flow of gas out the drain plug of the carb. If you have any other type of plug other then auto lite 437s I would replace them and see if that helps
 

[akdonkey]

If that is a good spark in that picture I for sure must do some metering. I'll probably just put new points wires cap and whole nine yards in it. With Christmas starting with my Family tomorrow It may be a few days. I do Thank all of you for the fast responce time. Maybe when I get home tomorrow I can pull it to my garage and work on it then!
 

[Royse]

"I'll probably just put new points wires cap and whole nine yards in it."
Still your money but it may not be necessary.
One other thought, when you changed the wires last time, did you use
copper wire core wires or the automotive style with carbon cores?
If you have carbon core wires, I would replace them with wire core.
Let us know what you find out, and Merry Christmas!
 

[old]

Until you are 100% sure where the problem is throwing a bunch of parts at it can/will make the problem worse not better. All those parts will run you around $100 if not more and your problem could well be a simple $10 part if not a part the needs cleaned and adjusted. Points wear and need to be readjusted from time to time but throwing parts at a problem most of the time caused as many if not more problems to figure out how to fix unless your sure what is wrong
 

[Ultradog MN]

I've always thought of it this way:
Ask a woman how she feels about a subject.
Ask a man what he thinks.
I do worry about the sissification of this culture.
 

[john in la]

If you have weak spark at the plug wire back up in the system and check the spark at the coil wire. This way we can tell if your problem is in the primary or secondary system.

Or you could just change parts till you find the right one. Your choice and your money.
 

[akdonkey]

Ok I had some time the other and planned to tow the tractor into my shop so I could work on it inside. I keep it under a carport. I thought why not tried to start it and it fired right up. Granted its been in the 50's the past few days. So now would weak spark cause this. I know some people say they are hard to start in the could but it fired right up without missing a beat? I don't know! 12 volt conversion help with cold starting?
 

[Sean in PA]

If it starts when its warm and not when its cold, then it might just be the battery can't spin it fast enough when its cold. If the battery and starter are spinning it fast enough when its cold, then maybe you have/had some water in the fuel and something in the fuel delivery system was blocked with ice.
 

[showcrop]