Ford 2000 coil wire burnt in two

[Andy Moore]

What would cause the wire from the coil to the distributor to burn up? This tractor was missing badly, cutting out when you speeded the engine up from idle.

thanks

 

[MarkB_MI]

You must mean the primary (small) wire, since I can't imagine any way for the secondary wire to burn up.

Most likely the coil itself failed. The distributor grounds the coil so there's nothing on the distributor that could cause the primary wire to burn up. The only things that limit the current through the primary are the primary coil winding and (if it's a 12 volt conversion) any resistor in the circuit.

I would replace the coil, points and condensor. Any current great enough to burn up the primary wire would burn up the points as well, unless the condensor was shorted. If it's a 12 volt conversion, make sure you have either a resistor in the circuit or that you use an "internal resistor" coil.

 

[old]

Theres a number of thing that could have happened to cause that. 1 is the point shorted out some place. 2 the insulator going into the cap has shorted out. Or in other words some place in that area you have a short and you need to find it or you will keep burning up the wires and or the coil, if the coil isn't already burned up
Hobby farm

 

[Andy Moore]

Thanks for the replies. It was the little wire to the distributor. I found the nut loose at the points (wire burned to there), replaced the wire, still no fire.

Will replace coil, points and condenser. What should the point gap be? Looks about .035 presently.

What do you think of electronic ignition modules for these tractors?

 

[MarkB_MI]

I have to admit that I don't know the correct point gap. I always gap mine by eye to around .020".

Personally, I consider the electronic ignition conversions to be a solution looking for a problem. But I know many folks like them.