B414 diesel battery

[kertel77]

Here I go again. Like a knot head I took my bad battery to advance auto parts and they gave me a 660 cca.
I could have sworn my last battery was 880 cca.
anyhow, it's just 1 big battery, positive ground. B414 diesel.
I even asked the guy if the cca was the same and he said yes. I think he just lied to make a sale.
The moral of the story is, what should the cca be on my 1962 B414 diesel tractor?

 

[Jim.ME]

From the parts book it looks like the B414 diesel used 2 each 6-volt batteries connected in series originally, and it sounds like you have one 12-volt battery. Go back to the parts store and if it is still there see what you had before. If you aren't sure, it was 880 CCA, it would seem a bit early to say he lied just to make a sale.

 

[kertel77]

well , the first one they gave me was leaking battery acid. I returned it and got another. It started ok then but didn't seem to have the typical umph. I haven't need to start it until now it's been probably a month.
I might have a different problem.
And I got it wrong, the label says 860 cca but it is not turning over barely at all. It's probably something else. Or time to sell it and move on. But dammit I love this old tractor. She's the same age as me. We've been through a lot together.

 

[Jim.ME]

While it could be a defective battery it doesn't sound like the guy gave you a wrong one. Parasitic draw, bad cables, tired starter are all possible causes of slow turning. Charge the battery up. When fully charged it should read 12.6 volts across the posts. Check the voltage at the battery cable end on the starter, ideally it will be the same. If it is much lower than at the battery, you likely have a bad cable or a connection problem. With the voltmeter hooked to the cable end at the starter and the other lead to ground, crank it over. What does the voltage drop to while cranking? Repeat the cranking test with the voltmeter connected to the battery posts and see if the voltage drop matches what you saw at the starter end. Right after cranking feel the connections at the battery starter and ground. A warm connection may be bad, a hot connection is bad. Are the battery cable ends at the battery crimped on, soldered on, or the bolt on type? with everything shut off Unhook the negative cable from the battery. Try a test light between the battery post and battery cable and see if it lights, that would be a sign of a parasitic draw. Alternator or generator on it?

Just some things to check.

 

[wwoodrow]

Here I go again. Like a knot head I took my bad battery to advance auto parts and they gave me a 660 cca.
I could have sworn my last battery was 880 cca.
anyhow, it's just 1 big battery, positive ground. B414 diesel.
I even asked the guy if the cca was the same and he said yes. I think he just lied to make a sale.
The moral of the story is, what should the cca be on my 1962 B414 diesel tractor?

Be sure the negative cable has a nice clean, tight ground. Bad grounds cause issues.

 

[kertel77]

Thank you Jim and wwoodrow. I will go through the connections again tomorrow. My last post with a problem somebody said make sure your connections are clean and bright. They were then, but it's been a brutal winter. It's been in the barn but that hasn't helped with the humidity.
I'll tune tomorrow, you guys are awesome and thank you! Bad ground gives me hope. Of course it's backwards with a positive ground.

 

[Jim.ME]

Thank you Jim and wwoodrow. I will go through the connections again tomorrow. My last post with a problem somebody said make sure your connections are clean and bright. They were then, but it's been a brutal winter. It's been in the barn but that hasn't helped with the humidity.
I'll tune tomorrow, you guys are awesome and thank you! Bad ground gives me hope. Of course it's backwards with a positive ground.

Ground can be negative or positive, it is whichever on is connected to the chassis on a given system.

 

[JimB2]

Dad had an early 1962 B414D and it had 2x6V in series +VE ground batteries as large CCA +12V batteries were not that common in the early 1960s.
Later Dad replaced the 2x6V with 1x12V high CCA battery. Trouble with B414D it had a 22:1 compression ratio engine with Glow Plugs that required a lot of power in real cold weather and by the time the glow plugs where heated there wasn't enough power left in the battery to spin the engine to start it in cold weather. today that are new fast heat glow plugs than can replace the old ones and battery technology has improved.
After you have check all the cables, I would have the starter overhauled, if it is it is the original Lucas starter it only has bronze bushing that ware and let the armature drag on the magnets. Make sure start has ground strap from front of start to starter mounting bolt.

 

[kertel77]

While it could be a defective battery it doesn't sound like the guy gave you a wrong one. Parasitic draw, bad cables, tired starter are all possible causes of slow turning. Charge the battery up. When fully charged it should read 12.6 volts across the posts. Check the voltage at the battery cable end on the starter, ideally it will be the same. If it is much lower than at the battery, you likely have a bad cable or a connection problem. With the voltmeter hooked to the cable end at the starter and the other lead to ground, crank it over. What does the voltage drop to while cranking? Repeat the cranking test with the voltmeter connected to the battery posts and see if the voltage drop matches what you saw at the starter end. Right after cranking feel the connections at the battery starter and ground. A warm connection may be bad, a hot connection is bad. Are the battery cable ends at the battery crimped on, soldered on, or the bolt on type? with everything shut off Unhook the negative cable from the battery. Try a test light between the battery post and battery cable and see if it lights, that would be a sign of a parasitic draw. Alternator or generator on it?

Just some things to check.

my internet is intermittent today. thank you! I checked the voltage on the battery and the starter. Showed good.
I cleaned the terminals anyway, put diaelectric stuff on them. It fired up like it used to, thank you!
Now i see i have fuel leaking out the gizmo that primes it if I need to. Always something, but at l'm 1 step forward. I wouldn't have noticed that on the gravel, but I did on the concrete. Thank you all for the advice !

 

[Jim.ME]

my internet is intermittent today. thank you! I checked the voltage on the battery and the starter. Showed good.
I cleaned the terminals anyway, put diaelectric stuff on them. It fired up like it used to, thank you!
Now i see i have fuel leaking out the gizmo that primes it if I need to. Always something, but at l'm 1 step forward. I wouldn't have noticed that on the gravel, but I did on the concrete. Thank you all for the advice !

thanks for reporting back

 

[kertel77]

Dad had an early 1962 B414D and it had 2x6V in series +VE ground batteries as large CCA +12V batteries were not that common in the early 1960s.
Later Dad replaced the 2x6V with 1x12V high CCA battery. Trouble with B414D it had a 22:1 compression ratio engine with Glow Plugs that required a lot of power in real cold weather and by the time the glow plugs where heated there wasn't enough power left in the battery to spin the engine to start it in cold weather. today that are new fast heat glow plugs than can replace the old ones and battery technology has improved.
After you have check all the cables, I would have the starter overhauled, if it is it is the original Lucas starter it only has bronze bushing that ware and let the armature drag on the magnets. Make sure start has ground strap from front of start to starter mounting bolt.

I dont think the glow plugs work anymore, but the radiator heater does. I'm sure it has the orignal lucas starter, I'll keep that in my memory bank, thanks!