60 ignition resistor?

[fixerupper]

Should a 60 have a 6v coil with a resistor in line or a 12 volt coil with no resistor? I have a hunch it should have a 12 volt coil but I thought I would ask you guys first. I have a customer 60 in the shop with a new 6V coil and burned points. I cannot find evidence of a resistor behind the dash like the 20 and 30 series two cyl Deeres with a 6V coil have. Our 51 A with factory distributor has a 12 volt coil but I didn't know if that carried on into the 60's or not. I couldn't find evidence of a resistor on a confusing Deere parts search. Thanks

 

[buickanddeere]

Not unless the 60 is an LP , then a six volt coil and ballast is used .

 

[buickanddeere]

Shows up here on the LP parts list .

 

[James Howell]

[b:654c4848f0][i:654c4848f0]Should a 60 have a 6v coil with a resistor in line or a 12 volt coil with no resistor?[/i:654c4848f0][/b:654c4848f0]

Take a look at the diagram below.

Take a look at the photo below.

Note the instructions that this 12V coil is to be used with an external resistor.

Hope this helps.

 

[fixerupper]

Two different stories. Is there a serial number break?

 

[John T]

I have a complete set of those John Deere Service Manual SM 2029 wiring diagrams, including clear ones I used when I gave
Ignition Seminars and Workshops at Two Cylinder Expos and Gathering of the Green, and discovered this:

WHEN THEY COMBINED THE TWO DIGIT (60 70 etc) AND THREE DIGIT (620 720 etc) DIAGRAMS, THERE WERE ERRORS such as the use or
non use of a ballast resistor. Some older 12 Volt Deeres used a 12 Volt coil and DID NOT use the 6 Volt coil and ballast
like the later three digit 620 720 did....

What this means is JUST BECAUSE THE DIAGRAM POSTED ABOVE (for 60 or 620) SHOWS THE 6 VOLT COIL AND BALLAST DOES NOT
NECESSARILY MEAN YOUR 60 IS SO EQUIPPED

Its been too long since I gave Seminars and owned several 60's but I seem to recall (NO Warranty) what the good Buick Man
said IE ONLY the 60 LP used the ballast..........while the other 60's used a 12 volt coil (NO ballast required)

REGARDLESS on a 12 volt tractor you can use EITHER

Full true 12 volt rated coil NO Ballast required orrrrrrrrr
A 6 Volt coil PLUS external series voltage dropping (12 to 6) ballast resistor

If you use a 6 volt coil unballasted coil on a 12 volt tractor the points will burn up quickly and/or the coil overheat
DONT DO IT !!!!!!!!!!!!

The diagram posted may be wrong it may be right FOR A 60 ???????? It may NOT use a ballast and requires a full true 12 volt
coil

One method for a clue ONLY to see if it used the 6 volt coil and ballast is look at the starter switch...IF it has the
extra small side terminal that was used to deliver full unballasted voltage to the 6 volt coil when cranking, but if a 12
volt coil that wasnt used...

Hope this helps, shame on Mother Deere for those combined diagrams

John T God Bless America

 

[fixerupper]

Well I went out to the shop and snooped around this tractor. There is no bypass wire coming up from inside the flywheel housing and no resistor under the coil and no extra wires by the coil. This tractor has no power steering so I get a hint it is a first year model as the first year the 60 did not have power steering available. In my neck of the woods I have never seen a two banger that does not have the power steering option when it was available. The serial number plate is wrinkled like a prune and unreadable.

 

[John T]

I suspect it wasn't only a 60 series break, but moreso the difference in a Gas versus an LP Tractor (but sure SN will show
that) per Buicks post, but NO warranty its been too long lol

HOWEVER see my post above regarding a possible inaccuracy in the John Deere SM 2029 (posted below) wiring diagram

John T

 

[John T]

Thanks for the update There is no bypass wire coming up from inside the flywheel housing and no resistor under the coil and
no extra wires by the coil

Sounds like the diagram may be wrong, Buick may be right, and your 60 used: A 12 volt coil,,,,,,,,,, NO Ballast,,,,,,,,,,NO
Ballast by pass wire up from the switch,,,,,,,,,,,NO extra coil wires (for ballast by pass),,,,,,,,,,,,

Good troubleshooting and detective work

John T

 

[fixerupper]

On a side note, I can see why Deere changed to a 6V coil in the three digit models. Better starting. This 51 A I have that I know the distributor is factory because it has been on the farm since new, does not want to pop when the battery is low. It has a 12v coil. The 630 with the 6V coil and resistor will start when the battery is down to barely rolling it over. The old 62 Rambler car I am resurrecting is the same way. 12 volt coil, won't pop off and start if the temp is below zero. Rambler had it both ways in 1962. 6v with resistor and bypass or 12V. I don't know why they had both types of ignition but that's the way Rambler was with a lot of things. My sis drove this Rambler in college. The 12V coil went bad so someone at a gas station replaced it with a 6v. This was in about 1971. The points were burning and a mechanic who knew his Ramblers enlightened me about the two different ignition systems in Ramblers.

 

[John T]

On a side note, I can see why Deere changed to a 6V coil in the three digit models. Better starting.

EXACTLY and as you describe, it wasn't ONLY Deere that did that, it helped with cold weather starting......

John T

 

[Bob Harvey]

Don't know what it is 'supposed to be', but my '53 - 60 is a 12v coil, no resistor and negative grnd. Been that way since I got it in 1971. Works fine.