Oliver cables get hot

[Stanley996]

My Oliver’s battery cables get hot and I’m not sure if it’s the starter or the ground wire. Is there any way to diagnose it.

 

[GermantownGreen]

My Oliver’s battery cables get hot and I’m not sure if it’s the starter or the ground wire. Is there any way to diagnose it.

Must not be big, diameter, enough cables. Poor connection too. GG

 

[Jim.ME]

My Oliver’s battery cables get hot and I’m not sure if it’s the starter or the ground wire. Is there any way to diagnose it.

More info may get closer answers or things to check.

Are you saying both cables get hot the entire length or at one or more of the cable ends?

What size cables are they?

Are the battery cable clamps at the battery soldered, crimped or the clamp on type?

Are the connections at the battery clean and bright (battery posts and cable clamps)? Are the other ends of the cable connections clean and bright?

Can you measure the resistance (ohms) from one end to the other on both cables?

What is the voltage at the battery posts when not cranking with the starter and at the solenoid terminal?

What is the voltage at the battery posts when cranking with the starter and at the solenoid terminal?

Do you have a DC clamp over ammeter you can use to see what the starter draw is?

 

[m16ty]

Years ago I pulled about 200’ of 00 size cable off an industrial machine that was going to scrap. I’ve pretty much got a lifetime supply of battery cable.
Just replaced the cables on my 1850 with it, tractor cranks better and that size won’t get hot. Only down side is it can be a little activating to work with in a tight spot.

 

[rrlund]

What model? On the Fleetline, supers and I think even the three digits, the place where they were grounded was a problem right out of the gate. They were grounded to the cowl. A few years from new, they would rust bwetween the cowl and frame and you'd loose contact. As has been said, user 00 gauge cables and make the ground cable long enough to ground right to a starter bolt. Remember, you need 3 cables. Battery to ground, battery to starter button, button to starter.

 

[Stanley996]

More info may get closer answers or things to check.

Are you saying both cables get hot the entire length or at one or more of the cable ends?

What size cables are they?

Are the battery cable clamps at the battery soldered, crimped or the clamp on type?

Are the connections at the battery clean and bright (battery posts and cable clamps)? Are the other ends of the cable connections clean and bright?

Can you measure the resistance (ohms) from one end to the other on both cables?

What is the voltage at the battery posts when not cranking with the starter and at the solenoid terminal?

What is the voltage at the battery posts when cranking with the starter and at the solenoid terminal?

Do you have a DC clamp over ammeter you can use to see what the starter draw is?

They both get hot and there the original cables that were on the tractor.

 

[Jim.ME]

They both get hot and there the original cables that were on the tractor.

The cables could be old and corroded (high resistance) internally, which can cause heat. A bad starter with a high amp draw can cause weak cables to heat.

Has the battery been load tested? How many CCA is it rated at?

Answers to all the questions I asked will help narrow the issue down. Until you do the testing and give answers everything is just guessing. A guess is that new cables and a new starter (or a rebuild) may fix it, if you just want to throw money at it.

I am assuming this is the Oliver 77 diesel you have been working on. It is best that you included that info each time you start a new thread or you will get asked at least once every time (as rrlund asked in post 5). There are many more tractors than yours at play here. Just things to help you get answers.

 

[Stanley996]

The cables could be old and corroded (high resistance) internally, which can cause heat. A bad starter with a high amp draw can cause weak cables to heat.

Has the battery been load tested? How many CCA is it rated at?

Answers to all the questions I asked will help narrow the issue down. Until you do the testing and give answers everything is just guessing. A guess is that new cables and a new starter (or a rebuild) may fix it, if you just want to throw money at it.

I am assuming this is the Oliver 77 diesel you have been working on. It is best that you included that info each time you start a new thread or you will get asked at least once every time (as rrlund asked in post 5). There are many more tractors than yours at play here. Just things to help you get answers.

The starter is rebuilt the battery is new and I know it’s enough cca amps. I had it running 3 times and now it does this. Yes it’s the 77 diesel

 

[Jim.ME]

Testing is how you figure it out. New batteries go bad, rebuilt starters fail, even brand new ones have failed. Unfortunately many times people have said it looks good, only to have that something that looks good turn out to be the issue.

It's up to you, test or start throwing parts ($) at it. JMHO

 

[Stanley996]

Testing is how you figure it out. New batteries go bad, rebuilt starters fail, even brand new ones have failed. Unfortunately many times people have said it looks good, only to have that something that looks good turn out to be the issue.

It's up to you, test or start throwing parts ($) at it. JMHO

I have another starter but don’t know where to get the switch that sits on it. The only part I plan on replacing is the ground cable since that gave me problems in the past. I did have it running and started it 3 separate times and it sounded great.

 

[Jim.ME]

I have another starter but don’t know where to get the switch that sits on it. The only part I plan on replacing is the ground cable since that gave me problems in the past. I did have it running and started it 3 separate times and it sounded great.

I am not sure what switch your starter has however I have to believe this site sells the switch. I very much doubt it is a proprietary Oliver part, I expect it is a switch that was used in a number of applications. A NAPA or other parts store should be able to get one. Post a picture of what you have, and someone can likely help you identify the right one.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

You can check the resistance of each cable with a multimeter. One probe at each end of the cable according to the polarity. Set at low voltage. Read the meter while it's cranking. Should be very low voltage like less than one. Higher indicates more resistance in the cable.

 

[used red MN]

I did have it running and started it 3 separate times and it sounded great.

Did you ever determine if it actually has oil pressure? If it doesn’t it is not going to continue sounding great for very long. Not sure how mechanical you are but these tractors have solid valve lifters not hydraulic. Dropped oil pressure will give you no indication that there is a problem like an engine with hydraulic lifters will. A rod bearing will start knocking an at that point the damage is done. One possible is that tractors that set long periods sometimes develop sludge in the oil pan. Sure the oil or some will drain out but when you put in new oil it starts to breakdown the sludge. Often the sludge sucks into the screen on the oil pump pickup and plugs it resulting in no oil pressure.

 

[Stanley996]

Did you ever determine if it actually has oil pressure? If it doesn’t it is not going to continue sounding great for very long. Not sure how mechanical you are but these tractors have solid valve lifters not hydraulic. Dropped oil pressure will give you no indication that there is a problem like an engine with hydraulic lifters will. A rod bearing will start knocking an at that point the damage is done. One possible is that tractors that set long periods sometimes develop sludge in the oil pan. Sure the oil or some will drain out but when you put in new oil it starts to breakdown the sludge. Often the sludge sucks into the screen on the oil pump pickup and plugs it resulting in no oil pressure.

I pressure washed the oil pan when I had it off and when I looked at the oil pump everything looked cleaned.

 

[used red MN]

I pressure washed the oil pan when I had it off and when I looked at the oil pump everything looked cleaned.

Sorry didn’t realize you had the engine open, your previous thread was only about the IJP. Just trying to help you out making sure it does have confirmed oil pressure. Don’t want you to ruin your day and your project.

 

[Stanley996]

Sorry didn’t realize you had the engine open, your previous thread was only about the IJP. Just trying to help you out making sure it does have confirmed oil pressure. Don’t want you to ruin your day and your project.

 

[Stanley996]

I forgot to mention it since it’s been a while since I had the pan off. For the longest time it wouldn’t crank fast enough but it turned out to be the ground cable. I cleaned it spun over fast but now it spins slows down at one point. Im getting a knew ground in hope that fixes it.

 

[Ray,IN]

They both get hot and there the original cables that were on the tractor.

I forgot to mention it since it’s been a while since I had the pan off. For the longest time it wouldn’t crank fast enough but it turned out to be the ground cable. I cleaned it spun over fast but now it spins slows down at one point. Im getting a knew ground in hope that fixes it.

Replace both cables, they do wear out over time. The end terminals corrode inside and the wire under the coating corrodes. Both of those things create high resistance

 

[used red MN]

Sorry didn’t realize you had the engine open, your previous thread was only about the IJP. Just trying to help you out making sure it does have confirmed oil pressure. Don’t want you to ruin your day and your project.

No need to take this out of the forums into a private message.
In a PM to me you said: “So I did have oil pressure but that was running it with starting fluid but when starting it with the starter it didn’t have pressure.”
My reply to that is If the engine is “running” on its own power (which you said it did 3 times) you need to make sure it has oil pressure. Whether that means get another gauge or buy or borrow an oil pressure test kit from a parts store. If it has no oil pressure you need to stop running it until you figure out why there is none. Otherwise, the items I mentioned in reply 13 will very likely ruin your day.