ballast resistor?

[Cardigan99]

51 8N side mount. No spark. looking for my ballast resistor but it doesn't look like I have one. Should be right under my ammeter on the firewall I'm told but all I have there is a small terminal block with two posts maybe an inch and a half wide by 3/4 tall. Ignition to both sides, ammeter to both sides etc.

 

[JMOR]

After SN 263843 there is no ballast resistor. Unless your tractor has been modified to 12volt system & then all bets are off.

 

[Dell (WA)]

Cardigan.........the 6-volt 5-nipple sidemount distributor with roundcan coil has NO ballast resistor. Yes, it has a 2-terminal junction block under ampmeter.

Usually the lack of spark in sidemount is invisible corrosion between points. Pull a clean strip of brown paper bag or dollar bill to polish points. Simple, eh?.........Dell

 

[Cardigan99]

Yikes!. New coil. new points and condenser and still no spark. Dell, wires are bright and tight. I did break the copper strip between the coil and points but replaced with the strip from the old points. Dbl checked the timing .. rotor pointing to head bolt at #1 TDC. Before replacing points etc. it was very hard starting. cranking for several mins on and off before finally catching.

 

[Dell (WA)]

Cardigan..........what else did you do that you ain't told us about. I flunked mind reading, just ask my ex-wife.

Most roundcan ignition coils are "bulletproof" and don't need replacing just 'cuz you ain't gott no sparkies.

You write........."I did break the copper strip between the coil and points but replaced with the strip from the old points"........based upon yer hamhandedness, I'd guess yer thru the side of the distributor insulator is shorting out. INSPECT carefully.

You write........."Before replacing points etc. it was very hard starting. cranking for several mins on and off before finally catching"........usually the cause of excessive cranking before catching is FLOODED SPARKIES. recommend replacing sparkies with NEW DRY AutoLite 437 sparkies gapped 0.025'.........Dell, yer self-appointed sparkie-meister

 

[souNdguy]

Put a test lapm inline between your ignition switch and coil... it should blink when you turn her over. If it stays lit, you have a short.. probably at the distrib, as dell mentioned.. or if it never lights.. either points are dirty, aren't closing, or the copper strip yuo replaced isn't making contact.. or you have a wire problem upstream.

post back with more details.

soundguy

 

[Cardigan99]

Ok, quick history. starts (started) like a champ until the weather got cold. I don't think the engine completed 1 full cycle before firing under full choke. Cold weather comes and she doesn't want to start (same procedure, turn the key, pull the choke.. no start. push the choke in.. no start. Ether, no start. Did a bunch of this the last few weeks and eventually she'd start. So.. pretty much killed the battery last week when it would not start. Now, new plugs, rotor, condenser (form new holland dealer. says 12v but was assured it can be used for 6v application.. The guy I bought the tractor from had a 12v in there at the time), points and battery. Double checked the copper strip from the coil to the points. no problem there. (insulated from the distributor body by a thin piece of tubing. Double checked the timing. Timing marks on the flywheel actually do confirm compression stroke on #1 (I can see them. they start @ 20 and go to 0 by fives. # 1 plug resting on head bolt (old plug gapped to about 3-16. scuffed the head bolt with a file to get a good ground). double checked point gap several times. cranking with key on.. no spark. 9 degrees out. snowing to beat the band.

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 14:43:11 12/16/07) Ok, quick history. starts (started) like a champ until the weather got cold. I don't think the engine completed 1 full cycle before firing under full choke. Cold weather comes and she doesn't want to start (same procedure, turn the key, pull the choke.. no start. push the choke in.. no start. Ether, no start. Did a bunch of this the last few weeks and eventually she'd start. So.. pretty much killed the battery last week when it would not start. Now, new plugs, rotor, condenser (form new holland dealer. says 12v but was assured it can be used for 6v application.. The guy I bought the tractor from had a 12v in there at the time), points and battery. Double checked the copper strip from the coil to the points. no problem there. (insulated from the distributor body by a thin piece of tubing. Double checked the timing. Timing marks on the flywheel actually do confirm compression stroke on #1 (I can see them. they start @ 20 and go to 0 by fives. # 1 plug resting on head bolt (old plug gapped to about 3-16. scuffed the head bolt with a file to get a good ground). double checked point gap several times. cranking with key on.. no spark. 9 degrees out. snowing to beat the band.

On a side mount? "Double checked the copper strip from the coil to the points."

 

[Cardigan99]

JMOR, more specifically, inside the distibutor housing there is a copper strip that attaches to the points at the same logation as the condenser. the other end of this is a post that goes through the dist housing and connects to the coil.

 

[JMOR]

Got it!

 

[Cardigan99]

Is it possible I've got a bad starter button or key assembly?