IH 606 no spark trouble shooting advice please.

[Sbird]

Howdy, I'm a novice at trouble shooting these things.
New plugs and points installed when it wouldn't start the other day. I did get a spark messing with the points with the key on.
221CI 6 cylinder is not getting spark on a grounded plug or where the coil wire enters the distributor cap. How should I proceed? Is there a way to test the coil with a digital volt meter? Or the power suppling the coil?
I do have another 606 with a seized motor that I can pull the coil and the other part attached to the coil (I've forgotten it's name) that are much newer looking. But the parts are not exactly the same. Just try to swap those parts?
I'll try to attach some photos. Thanks for any input.

 

[Sbird]

Horizontal coil is on project tractor along with the photo of the voltage regulator.

 

[bradleydavidgood]

why not swap coils on the existing motor and see if the no spark follows the bad coil.

 

[the tractior vet]

Howdy, I'm a novice at trouble shooting these things.
New plugs and points installed when it wouldn't start the other day. I did get a spark messing with the points with the key on.
221CI 6 cylinder is not getting spark on a grounded plug or where the coil wire enters the distributor cap. How should I proceed? Is there a way to test the coil with a digital volt meter? Or the power suppling the coil?
I do have another 606 with a seized motor that I can pull the coil and the other part attached to the coil (I've forgotten it's name) that are much newer looking. But the parts are not exactly the same. Just try to swap those parts?
I'll try to attach some photos. Thanks for any input.

Well you could have a bad set of points . Would not be the first set . I usually bought my points at the I H dealer and not just one set at a time . Usually 10 sets and carried them on the service truck . Went down to the local I H store and stocked up . I was headed up to this woman's place to do the spring tune up on here Farmall Cub . I went up twice a year to get it out and give it a get ready for summer go over then go back up mid Oct and get it ready for winter . I did the oil change put new plugs in it did the points removed the snow blade and up the mower on When i went to start it it would not start messed with them and still nothing , get another NEW set out of another box and same thing , put the OLD points in and it fired up . Got the third new set out and it fired off . I took those two back and told the parts guy who was also my friend and he and i worked together as in the evenings he did the painting . Couple evening later when he got to the shop he said he was going to go up to his mom's and do some brush hogging and before he did he was going to tune up his 450 . He fire up his 450 and dove it into the shop shut it off and did a quick tune up and when he went to restart NOPE nothing happened . He is cussing a swearing up and down and i am i the back of the shop and i said POINTS and i get i just took them off the shelf before i left and i say again POINTS go to the truck and grab a set . He gets a set out of the truck and the 450 fires right off . HE say i guess you were right . I asked him if he had put the ones i took back back on the shelf and said NO you saw me throw them away . According to him they had like fifteen sets returned on that one order.

 

[used red MN]

Removed, per request.

 

[used red MN]

Is there a way to test the coil with a digital volt meter? Or the power suppling the coil?

The other part attached to the right of the coil on the painted engine which I assume you are trying to make run is the ballast resistor. On you coil one terminal has a wire coming from the ballast resistor and the other should run to the distributor. The wire in the opposite side of the ballast from the one that connects to the coil should have 12 volts with the ignition on. Then depending on if the points in the distributor are closed and working correctly the terminal off the ballast resistor going to the coil should have somewhere between 7-10 volts. Forget checking the circuit in the previous sentence for now. Assuming you set the point gap correctly with the rub block on the high point of one of the dist cam lobes we can proceed. Turn the engine/distributor to where the point are closed. Connect the black meter lead to a ground on the block. And the opposite to the lead on the coil with the wire running to the distributor turn on the ignition. The meter should read no voltage, something less than one volt is okay. Then using the tip of a screwdriver touching nothing else but the moving arm of the points open the points the voltage should pop up to battery voltage. My guess is there is a film on the new points that is not allowing them to make proper contact. So your first test on the points won’t show you the zero volts. With the points closed and ignition off run a card board flap off the points box back and forth between them flipping it over so the none printed side rubs against each contact of the points. I like to use a test light on this circuit. When the you have it right the light goes out when the points are closed and will be on when open. It will also flash quickly on/off while cranking the engine. If have that and all is right you should have spark out of your coil going into the cap when you crank the engine. Do this and report back.

 

[CDB]

Great run down on how to check points with a multimeter!! Guess if you can’t throw it in a distributor machine it is just way to far below your level.

Can you please stop the derogatory statements? I have been mostly browsing here for 25 years....and am tired of the snarky comments that you continually post. I will probably get revoked...but, that is OK...since most of the others have left because of people like you anyway.

You provide great information, but it is overshadowed by you being an A-hole!

 

[used red MN]

Can you please stop the derogatory statements? I have been mostly browsing here for 25 years....and am tired of the snarky comments that you continually post. I will probably get revoked...but, that is OK...since most of the others have left because of people like you anyway.

You provide great information, but it is overshadowed by you being an A-hole!

Okay sorry, but tell him not to blow wind, basically bottom line is all he said was “you could have a bad set of points. Everything else he said is unnecessary fluff that belongs on Tractor Tales. I don’t know how you could argue that statement.
Edit to add: A good tech would check the points with test equipment and then know what was wrong with them, just a test light will provide this information. Not just go grab another set to throw at it because you just know in your heart that is the fix.

 

[Sbird]

It's running again all though not as smooth as I'd like. The points I installed were open to far and I pulled some emery cloth through them, switched the ratty plug wires with the nicer ones off the donner tractor and installed a used distributor cap that I cleaned up the contacts on. Those steps got it trying to run so I messed with timing until it stayed running and would start easy. I'll pick up a new cap and extra points and put it back to work. Thanks for the input gents.

 

[the tractior vet]

Can you please stop the derogatory statements? I have been mostly browsing here for 25 years....and am tired of the snarky comments that you continually post. I will probably get revoked...but, that is OK...since most of the others have left because of people like you anyway.

You provide great information, but it is overshadowed by you being an A-hole!

What he does is come u with LINKS most of the time and i think he Wishes he knew 1/4 of what i know . Yea i like to talk so big deal . I can tell you what tools ya need to do the job on the row crop tractors from just working on them over the years and many miles traveled doing so . Ihave the special tools to make my jobs go better and yep i have a dist strobe and have had one since 1964 and know how to use it and reprofile a Dist for what every your wanting out of and engine . I have build a bunch of engines for special people that took them down the strip or down the 300 feet and out the gate . I do believe this bothers him and i am now starting to enjoy poking the bear just to wind his CO CO CLOCK . I ran a business and made a living on it and i can say i NEVER HAD A COME BACK . I bought and sold I H tractors and probably the only nut case who sold them with a WARRANTY . I got into the buy sell from doing work for two bothers one ran a monthly auction and his younger brother moved stuff he bought around to other sales where it sold well . He was the one that got me started as he took me to a DEALER only auction and introduced me as a NEW BUYER and was placed on PROBATION buying and i had a strick limit on how much i could spend and during my probation i got kicked around a lot and was not able to buy much as they wanted to see if i was serious , took me three months and six sales before i made my fist big buy and the auctioneers got to know me . I covered a lot of ground going to sales from eastern Pa down into N.C . out as far as the big creek . I have worked many jobs before starting in heavy construction while in high school till i got drafted come home only to find out that i no longer had a job due to a union split and i missed the transfer of my book buy two months as at that time frame i was getting SHOT AT in the middle of the 1968 Tet offensive across a line on a map where they said no U S forces were . Neat thing to come home to No girl friend as she sent one of the letters while i was in Nam and to no job . Was asked to come to work for a Chrysler Plymouth dealership then and offer from a local ford dealer to come take over the drag race program and stayed in the automotive world till i had enough of people and went to hauling coal to a owner operator till 83 when trucking hit rock bottom and once again out of a job and into the world of fixen tractors . Like fixen tractors far better then working on cars and truck . It put two kid thru collage kept a decent ride under the War Dept's rear end and with work dependable trucks under me . Then yaa come on here and on that i came on here WAY back and the first person i helped was a GUY FROM FRANCE on doing a T/A on what a 706 got him in contact with HY Cap for his parts he needed by part numbers and contact info and Hy Cap told me that was the FIRST T/A they had 3ever shipped out of country. I have been on here a lot longer the out FRIED has even thiugh when i left for awhile and came back OUT OF BOARDOM and the 6typo in my handle i hit the I by mistake . So it should read the tractor _ vet . As it states on my OLD TRACTOR TALERS HAT and yes we have gone to the Talers get togethers out at SLOMO's Of Friend never went .

 

[used red MN]

i think he Wishes he knew 1/4 of what i know

You tell us how much you know and how much experience you have, so why didn’t you tell him how to check his ignition system with a mulit-meter like he asked for?

Is there a way to test the coil with a digital volt meter? Or the power suppling the coil?

I did!

 

[wwoodrow]

Kep posting, Vet. I enjoy your posts.

 

[Mrfred54]

What he does is come u with LINKS most of the time and i think he Wishes he knew 1/4 of what i know . Yea i like to talk so big deal . I can tell you what tools ya need to do the job on the row crop tractors from just working on them over the years and many miles traveled doing so . Ihave the special tools to make my jobs go better and yep i have a dist strobe and have had one since 1964 and know how to use it and reprofile a Dist for what every your wanting out of and engine . I have build a bunch of engines for special people that took them down the strip or down the 300 feet and out the gate . I do believe this bothers him and i am now starting to enjoy poking the bear just to wind his CO CO CLOCK . I ran a business and made a living on it and i can say i NEVER HAD A COME BACK . I bought and sold I H tractors and probably the only nut case who sold them with a WARRANTY . I got into the buy sell from doing work for two bothers one ran a monthly auction and his younger brother moved stuff he bought around to other sales where it sold well . He was the one that got me started as he took me to a DEALER only auction and introduced me as a NEW BUYER and was placed on PROBATION buying and i had a strick limit on how much i could spend and during my probation i got kicked around a lot and was not able to buy much as they wanted to see if i was serious , took me three months and six sales before i made my fist big buy and the auctioneers got to know me . I covered a lot of ground going to sales from eastern Pa down into N.C . out as far as the big creek . I have worked many jobs before starting in heavy construction while in high school till i got drafted come home only to find out that i no longer had a job due to a union split and i missed the transfer of my book buy two months as at that time frame i was getting SHOT AT in the middle of the 1968 Tet offensive across a line on a map where they said no U S forces were . Neat thing to come home to No girl friend as she sent one of the letters while i was in Nam and to no job . Was asked to come to work for a Chrysler Plymouth dealership then and offer from a local ford dealer to come take over the drag race program and stayed in the automotive world till i had enough of people and went to hauling coal to a owner operator till 83 when trucking hit rock bottom and once again out of a job and into the world of fixen tractors . Like fixen tractors far better then working on cars and truck . It put two kid thru collage kept a decent ride under the War Dept's rear end and with work dependable trucks under me . Then yaa come on here and on that i came on here WAY back and the first person i helped was a GUY FROM FRANCE on doing a T/A on what a 706 got him in contact with HY Cap for his parts he needed by part numbers and contact info and Hy Cap told me that was the FIRST T/A they had 3ever shipped out of country. I have been on here a lot longer the out FRIED has even thiugh when i left for awhile and came back OUT OF BOARDOM and the 6typo in my handle i hit the I by mistake . So it should read the tractor _ vet . As it states on my OLD TRACTOR TALERS HAT and yes we have gone to the Talers get togethers out at SLOMO's Of Friend never went .

And thank you for your service, SIR.

 

[miangus]

I would take a clean business card and after adjusting the points, use it to clean the points. I would avoid emery paper. With the points in the closed position open by hand insert card and let the points close on it and pull it through. The coating on the points you buy today is pretty thin, and emery paper will remove it. It seems like every time I leave my H set for a while I need to clean the points to get it started and now, I need to clean the points on the cut out to get that 6-volt generator to charge correctly. Those IH sixes run so smooth when all is well, my 656 sounds so pretty.

 

[used red MN]

I would take a clean business card and after adjusting the points, use it to clean the points. I would avoid emery paper. With the points in the closed position open by hand insert card and let the points close on it and pull it through. The coating on the points you buy today is pretty thin, and emery paper will remove it. It seems like every time I leave my H set for a while I need to clean the points to get it started and now, I need to clean the points on the cut out to get that 6-volt generator to charge correctly. Those IH sixes run so smooth when all is well, my 656 sounds so pretty.

Dudes that only read the opening post really floor me. Per the OPs reply 9

It's running again all though not as smooth as I'd like.

I know the TV left a lot of foo foo in here, I’m trying to get him to see why it is counterproductive, Tractor Tales is open if you want to tell a story.
Beyond that I already covered your concern in my reply 6.

My guess is there is a film on the new points that is not allowing them to make proper contact. So your first test on the points won’t show you the zero volts. With the points closed and ignition off run a card board flap off the points box back and forth between them flipping it over so the none printed side rubs against each contact of the points.

 

[miangus]

My apologies for wasting your time. What caught my eye was the use of emery cloth.