Left the key on...

[Paul in Edmonton]

Despite knowing about Tip #38, I left the key on last night (the tractor had stopped due to fuel shut-off). I found it this morning when I needed my keys to go to work.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the points were open when it stopped. I can't check it until tonight, though.

If they weren't, I know that points and/or coil may need replacing. Thankfully, I've got spares of both right now (that I bought and then didn't need since neither was the cause of the problem I was having).

My first check will be starting the tractor. What's next if it doesn't start? Points first, and then coil if that didn't work? Or is there some other quick check I can do?

-Paul

 

[Bruce (VA)]

" I know that points and/or coil may need replacing. "

That depends.......

Front or side distributor?

Chances are very, very good if the points were closed on a frontmount, you will need to replace both the points & coil.

On a sidemount, points for sure, 50/50 on the coil.

" Points first, and then coil if that didn't work? "

Yep
75 Tips

 

[Paul in Edmonton]

Thanks Bruce.

Front mount. At least I've got the spares on hand...

How long does it take to fry the points/coil?

-Paul

 

[Bruce (VA)]

" How long does it take to fry the points/coil? "

That depends on if it's 6v or 12v.

I've never had it happen on either, but it will be twice as fast on 12v!

I'm guessing 2 or 3 minutes.

Others less fortunate than me will be able to offer firsthand experience.

 

[ZANE]

Just recently I left the switch turned on with the engine not running on a 9N I had just got through replacine all the ignition parts except the plug wirew. Didn't discover it till next morning when I tried to start it and the battery was dead. Felt of the front coil that I had just a few days earlier paid $85 for from my local parts man and had installed before I noticed the price. I turned the switch off and removed the battery cable and charged the battery.

In a couple of hours I reconnected the battery cable and turned on the switch and hit the starter and she started right up. I was pleasantly surprised???? Made me thing about putting something extra in the collection plate! :O)

Zane

 

[old]

Look close at the coil and you will almost be sure to know if it is bad because it will have black tar looking stuff on the out side if you fried it real good. The points on the other hand can take only a few minutes to fry and that to depends on how well charged the battery was and other such things

 

[souNdguy]

If the coil survived ( oil potted? )

and IF the points didn't weld,

and IF the rubbing block was not plastic and didn't melt.. ( phenolic )..

you might be ok with a clean and regap and battery charge.

post back

 

[Paul in Edmonton]

Since I had a meter sitting at hand this morning when I found my keys, I checked the battery voltage, and it was pretty much the same as it was last night. Does that mean I might be lucky and that my points were open?

-Paul

 

[old]

In theory yes you may have gotten lucky but a battery can read say 6 or 12 volts but still not have enough amps to do its job so a meter while it will read voltage will not do a load test

 

[Greg 2N (TX)]

Paul,

FYI

My idiot light on my front mount 12V conversion saves my bacon.

Cheers,

Greg

 

[souNdguy]

ditto what old said.

load test and or check points and coil.. etc.

 

[souNdguy]

ditto what old said.

load test and or check points and coil.. etc.

 

[Paul in Edmonton]

Well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed! One thing I know: if I didn't have spares on hand, I definitely would have needed them.

I don't need the extra problems right now, as I'm still working through my charging problems. The generator had a bad connection in it. I fixed that with Krazy Glue and solder. The glue was to fix one of the bushings that stop the terminals from rotating, and the solder was to fix the connection that broke when the terminal did rotate. I'm not thrilled about the Krazy Glue, but I'm not sure where to get a replacement for that bushing, on short notice and without paying to have the generator rebuilt.

Reinstalled the generator last night, but it still wasn't giving me any voltage. Tore my hair out for a while until I realized the belt wasn't on the engine shaft properly, so the generator wasn't turning. Got that fixed. Fired up the tractor (with the generator not attached to the VR), and measured voltages. Nothing Arm-Grd until I grounded the Field wire, and then 22+ volts. Success! And at that moment the tiny temporary fuel supply ran out, and it was 10:45, so off to bed I went (leaving the key turn on, unfortunately). Hopefully, tonight, I can reconnect the VR and see if I can get charging to happen. Fingers crossed I don't have to replace coil/points first.

-Paul

 

[Dean]

Most likely.

Try the lights.

Dean

 

[souNdguy]

you'd be surprised at what you can make stuff out of.

a couple layers of milk jug have made insulators for me before..

 

[Paul in Edmonton]

Well I feel sheepish...

When I got home from work, my wife and kids hadn't gotten home yet. (Probably means I should be making dinner instead of posting...) So I went to check on the tractor. I was going to plug in an inline spark tester to see if there was spark or not.

However...

When I left the tractor last night, there were wires hanging loose from the generator terminals. To ensure none of them accidentally shorted anything, I pulled the battery cables off. (I had left them loose when I put the battery back in the tractor earlier in the evening, so that was easy to do.) Therefore, even though the key was on, there was no juice flowing, regardless of whether or not the points were open.

I totally forgot I had done that. To make it even worse, at 7:00 this morning when I went to find my keys, I didn't notice the battery cables weren't attached--even though I actually put voltmeter leads on the battery terminals!

-Paul

 

[old]

So then what your saying is your blind on one eye and can not see out of the other one which in this case was sort of good since you know now you are not likely to have a problem

 

[Greg 2N (TX)]

Amen,

Get some more sleep, -

Greg

 

[souNdguy]

aren't you glad we didn't let you run out and buy parts!

glad you found it.

happens to everyone!

 

[Plane Bart]

it would be a good night to go play the Power Ball
tonight the jackpot is only 550 Milloin

 

[Anonymous-0]

SHE IS RUNN'N again. OLD Serv. van.........

APPLES, maybe coming down YOUR smoke pipe.

Maybe PAX. SHE is a good soul.

John,PA REGARDS.