9N Front mount no spark problem

[MNC]

Where did we leave off with this yesterday, Bruce(VA) and old? I pulled the distributor and ran a $1.00 bill through the points about 10 times. old said that it might take more than this to clean the coating off. Do I need to use something else? And Bruce(VA) told me to check voltage on my test lead, making sure it is 6.35V and then try the coil hot wire again.

I"ll do that and post back. Question -- I noticed the ammeter bracket is not on the back of my ammeter (evidently I removed it and did not replace). Does that cause some kind of a grounding issue/problem?

 

[Bruce (VA)]

The missing bracket will only be a problem if the ammeter comes loose & grounds out. Then you will at a minimum melt the wiring harness.

Replace it.

Re what to do next......

Figure out where the problem is: before the coil or after?

Leave the distributor (and points) alone until you have 6.35 volts to the top of the coil.

You can clean those points w/ a grinding wheel & it will not produce a spark at the plugs if you do not have battery voltage to the coil.

So start there.

Post back w/ what you find.
75 Tips

 

[old]

I know this can be a bit hard to do but install the distributor have the cap and rotor and dust cover off but coil on. Turn on the ignition and open and close the points by hand. Do so carefully or the spark may just find you the hard way. You should both see and hear the spark at the points when you open and close them by hand. If no spark then maybe need to use a point file. Also as Bruce said make sure you have voltage at the coil wire with the points open

 

[ZANE]

Install new points.

Even if you get thosw points to start making up they won't last long because the point contacts must be clean and smoth not clean and rough.

Use an ohm meter or a test light with the distributor off to make sure the insulator where the points copper strip mounts is not shorted to ground. That insulator there is known for shorting out with age.

IGNITION ON THE FRONT MOUNTED DISTRIBUTOR.

If you think it may be electrical you should start with the ignition switch and go all the way through the distributor and coil one thing at the time.

You can isolate the ignition switch by using a sewing pin to pierce through the two leads going to the ignition switch. Be careful not to let the pin make contact with anything metal while doing this. If this makes the trouble go away, replace the switch.

Next is the ignition resistor. Do not try to bypass the resistor. To do so may fry the coil and points etc and just make more trouble. If you find that the ignition resistor has been bypassed then you can assume that the coil is shot. If you have a volt meter connect it at the little post on the coil and turn the engine until the points are closed and take a reading. It should read somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 or 4 volts. If it only reads 2 or less you should replace the resistor. Never bypass the resistor!
If you don’t have a volt meter, you can also take the wire off the coil post where the current enters from the resistor and strike the wire on something metal on the tractor and observe the spark. It should be easily seen.

There is an insulator on the distributor plate where the condenser wire and the points spring are attached. It looks like a small piece of cardboard. This insulator is sometimes the culprit if it allows the current to go to ground because it is shorted to ground. Be especially careful to inspect this insulator for grounding.

You could have a bad set of ignition points in the distributor and the only way to find out is to remove the distributor from the engine by removing the distributor cap and the wire coming to the coil from the resistor and then removing the two mounting bolts. If the points are not correctly set to the right opening measurement this could be the trouble. Especially if they are just barely opening. Set the points to .015.

If the points are pitted or corroded at all replace them. If it has been a long time since the points have been replaced then replace them. Have a set on hand before you remove the distributor from the engine. Also replace the condenser. The condenser is not as likely as the points to be bad but now is the time to replace it.

If after testing everything and replacing the points and condenser you still have the same problem it may be that the coil is breaking down when it heats up. The only way to fix this is to replace the coil.


Zane