Farmall H Battery

[Baulkman]

The tractor was just replaced with a rebuilt carburator. When starting it, it cranked a few times and then just stopped. When I say stopped, it acts as if there is no battery attached to it as it makes no noise or click. The connection is good. The battery is charged. When the starter is pushed there is nothing.

 

[Charlie M]

Did your starter lock up? Try turning the engine with a crank or just turning the fan. If the starter is locked up you won't be able to move it. If it is locked up, just remove it from the tractor and put it back - it will release the starter drive.

 

[Baulkman]

Fan moves just fine.

 

[tomturkey]

make sure the ground connection on the frame is clean and solid. next take a jumper wire and jump the two posts of the starter button, switch could of went bad, starter will react with the jumper. next loosen the starter bolts enough to wiggle waggle the starter motor then tighten all back up, locked up starter drive. try all mentioned and report back......gobble

 

[scootergmc]

I'd start with jumpers directly from battery to starter.

 

[used red MN]

The battery is charged. When the starter is pushed there is nothing.

Make sure the terminals on the battery posts are CLEAN and tight. CLEAN means that the inside of the terminal and the outside of the post is 90 percent shinny lead. If you have a battery terminal cleaner that is great, but if it is the wire brush type it may still not get the black residue off, scraping with a utility knife will.

 

[Rodney51Cub]

Fan moves just fine.

Is the fan belt tight enough to turn the crank when you spin the fan ?
Also my ground goes to the starter mount bolt on my H's and Super M.

 

[Baulkman]

So, is the battery hocked-up backwards?

 

[used red MN]

So, is the battery hocked-up backwards?

If it is original and has a 6 volt battery (3 caps on top) and even if it 12 volt the starter or main power cable may connect to the negative battery post, and conversely the positive battery post will connect to the ground or cable that connects to the tractor’s chassis or frame.
Edit: I should add that if it was connected as I stated above then leave it that way even if your changing the battery.

 

[Baulkman]

Lol! When I told my brother about this forum he reminded my that I had pointed this out to him 20 years ago when I got the tractor from my dad. Thank goodness that I am on Medicare and now have an excuse.

Thanks to all of you who responded in this forum. I was quite helpful, to say the least.

 

[rrlund]

I had to replace the starter button on a tractor recently. It just flat stopped making a connection on the inside. Jumping across the two posts on the back of it will tell you if that's likely the problem. Of course it might be that one the nuts is loose where the cables are hooked to the button.

 

[Russ from MN]

When the starter used to stick on our M we would just put it in high gear and push on one of the rear tires to rock it back and forth a little. It just takes the slightest movement of the flywheel to release the stater drive, as I remember.

 

[grandpa Love]

Sounds like the starter hung in the ring gear. Shift into high gear and rock the tractor back and forth. It's happens occasionally

 

[da.bees]

Look's like business as usual, op picks brains ,LOL and hop-scotched away without saying what if anything worked. Then ideas kept rolling in, some for the second and third time. Gemee some of that post count. Clean battery posts,cables amd mounting surfaces. Put tractor in high gear then rock back and forth. Have battery load tested. have starter bench tested. Use booster cables to by-pass switches.

 

[used red MN]

Fan moves just fine.

Sounds like the starter hung in the ring gear. Shift into high gear and rock the tractor back and forth. It's happens occasionally

I took the fan moving as the belt turned the engine as well. Now with a little more insight I suppose the fan turned but the belt slipped. I am now joining those who are in the camp of “the starter drive is locked in the flywheel”