Ford 860 question no start

[Greg60]

new member I hope I ask this correctly.
My 800 series 6 volt tractor has weak crank. no start. starter has been rebuilt battery checks ok. just get barely over first compression.have taken plugs out and it cranks as it should. cover spark plug holes with finger and stop cranking? am i looking for electical issue or do i need to open up motor? any suggestions. what is correct firing order when i put plugs back in? Thanks

 

[Jim.ME]

Welcome to the forums.

Some history of your tractor may help. Have you had this tractor a while and this problem just developed? Or you just got it and someone previously had the starter rebuilt?

How was it determined the battery is, ok?

What is the condition of the battery cables?

Have you cleaned both ends of both battery cables, and their connection points to bright and shiny?

Where is the ground cable connected to the tractor? The best place is one of the starter's mounting bolts.

 

[showcrop]

My personal experience as well as reading here is that this is usually caused by poor cable connections. Even the ones that have just been cleaned.

 

[Wdj]

Or non visible corrosion under the cable insulation. Happened on my 860.

 

[Lynn Patrick]

My biggest gripe about cables is the clamp-on replacement ends. They often corrode where they clamp on & should be used in an emergency only! Just my opinion, but I'm sticking to it!!

 

[Greg60]

History, Battery was tested and determined ok. 6 volt system.
Visual look at battery cables 30 years old, positive ground is 1/4 thick 1.inch wide connected to frame. negative is connected at starter terminal.
Tractor has not run for maybe 2 years. last time it started was winter it fired right up backed out of garage let it run while i closed garage door. tractor died would not go again.
battery connections have been cleaned and greased lightly and tightened back.

 

[Andy Wickiser]

As for firing order 1-2-4-3, #1 front of engine, #4 back of engine, distributor turns clockwise.

 

[Andy Wickiser]

As for firing order 1-2-4-3, #1 front of engine, #4 back of engine, distributor turns clockwise.
View attachment 159268

And this too ... once you get it turning over check for spark. If no spark there're a bunch of things to check but for tractors that sit around a long time points are a primary suspect (surface oxidation not allowing current to flow).

 

[used red MN]

what is correct firing order when i put plugs back in?

Hello Greg, welcome to YT! I was interrupted from completing my reply, during which time Andy was adding information about the firing order. I will just add that the number one plug wire should have a 1 on the distributor cap between its terminal and the center coil terminal. And as shown by his diagram due to the rotation of the distributor shaft the firing order progresses clockwise around the cap terminals.

battery connections have been cleaned and greased lightly and tightened back.

Adding to this “cleaned” in this case for proper connections to me means 80 to 90 percent of the battery post external surface and the terminals internal surface are shinny silver bare lead. A wire brush type post cleaner can be adequate but sometimes to get proper cleaning it takes scraping with something like a utility knife.

 

[Sean in PA]

History, Battery was tested and determined ok. 6 volt system.
Visual look at battery cables 30 years old, positive ground is 1/4 thick 1.inch wide connected to frame. negative is connected at starter terminal.
Tractor has not run for maybe 2 years. last time it started was winter it fired right up backed out of garage let it run while i closed garage door. tractor died would not go again.
battery connections have been cleaned and greased lightly and tightened back.

Have you cleaned the connections on the other ends of the battery cables?

 

[Jim.ME]

History, Battery was tested and determined ok. 6 volt system.
Visual look at battery cables 30 years old, positive ground is 1/4 thick 1.inch wide connected to frame. negative is connected at starter terminal.
Tractor has not run for maybe 2 years. last time it started was winter it fired right up backed out of garage let it run while i closed garage door. tractor died would not go again.
battery connections have been cleaned and greased lightly and tightened back.

What method tested the battery? Actual load test or capacitance test?

Where on the "frame" is the ground cable connected?

Do you have a VOM (multimeter) and have experience using it? I ask as we don't know what you have for tooling or experience; some testing may be needed to find the issue.

 

[Greg60]

Took battery to tractor store that sells batterys they tested it to be ok?
Ground wire Positive ground is attached to metal tap near light switch right side above battery. still same place it has been for 30 Plus years? I have volt meter but I dont have everyday experience with it

 

[Jim.ME]

Try hooking a booster cable to the battery ground post and the other end to a starter mounting bolt and see if that makes a difference. If by frame you are referring to the metal framing that supports sheet metal where such bolts together develop rust and poor connections for the electrical circuit. It is often recommended to install a longer ground cable and run it to a starter bolt or other bolt in the main cast chassis of the tractor.

Just as information just because a parts store tested the battery does not tell the type of test they used to determine condition.

 

[showcrop]

Took battery to tractor store that sells batterys they tested it to be ok?
Ground wire Positive ground is attached to metal tap near light switch right side above battery. still same place it has been for 30 Plus years? I have volt meter but I dont have everyday experience with it

I don't know what that tap neart the light switch might be. How have you been protecting it from rusting these thirty years?

 

[Eman85]

Took battery to tractor store that sells batterys they tested it to be ok?
Ground wire Positive ground is attached to metal tap near light switch right side above battery. still same place it has been for 30 Plus years? I have volt meter but I dont have everyday experience with it

Today is a great day to get acquainted with a voltmeter and all it can do. Plenty of Youtube videos showing what you can do with it. Is it a digital meter that measures voltage, amperage and Ohms? Turn it on to DC voltage and touch the battery posts and take a reading to start with and report what you find. I would then work my way down the cable to the starter while keeping the other on the post.
You say it spins OK with the plugs out but not with the plugs in. When you cranked it the first time with the plugs out did any liquid come out of any cylinders? You can't compress a liquid which would stop it from turning.