(Old) 8430 start interlock

[notjustair]

I spend most of my time on other boards - it seems the Deere stuff just keeps on going!

My old 8430 quit starting. I have been moving it around the last couple of days by arking the Bendix on the starter. The cab solenoid is working. There is power to everything. I hadn?t used it since spring tillage and went in the shed and there she sat. I picked up a new solenoid for the firewall but in case that isn?t it (I have help coming today to lift that big hood) where is the neutral start switch? I looked in the console every which way with a flashlight and there isn?t a wire to be found. I?m thinking that the power probably goes through it and then to the solenoid, so if I don?t have power at the old solenoid I need to backtrack to that switch.

 

[4520BW]

I believe it is on the right side below the axle. I can look at mine after church. It will have 2 wires that just slide over the switch. You can unplug it and use jumper wire to test it. Be careful! The safety police will be all over doing this!

 

[notjustair]

If it?s that I know exactly where it is. It is recessed into the rear end above and slightly behind the shift arms. I assumed that was a temp switch.

 

[JD Seller]

No that is the neutral starter switch. Common to get unplugged whit tall weeds and such. Corn stalks in the fall do it too.

 

[tim s]

There is a strong chance that the shift quadrant is not hitting the safety switch button good enough,,loosen the shift arm (the upper one) pull out on the arm and tap it with a hammer as you pull out on it,, I know this sounds wrong but it will draw the shaft out through the shift lever a bit, this will let the quadrant inside meet the safety switch button better,, this works on most Deere safety switches and should be done "Before" you change the switch out. Also be gentle when you re-tighten the shift arm,, you can over tighten them and break the arm,,when this happens the operation was a success but the patient died...

 

[4520BW]

I forgot to tell you I have a tech manual for that tractor if you need any info.

 

[notjustair]

It turns out it was in the wiring. I had trouble last year because the exciter wire to the alternator mysteriously lost power from the cab and then later in the year I lost all rear facing field lights. Now the wire to the solenoid lost power between the switch and the other side of the firewall. No doubt the 40 year old wiring junction at the firewall is failing. I ended up cutting the wire just past the switch and running a replacement wire to the solenoid on the firewall. It starts like a champ and still passes through the neutral safety switch. Since it doesn?t have much wiring to begin with and I have rerun three different lines in the last year I should be at least half way to wiring freedom! I?m back in business until another gremlin pops up. One of these days the thing is just going to completely die (and I will have a lot of scrap to haul off) but until then it?s good cheap horsepower. It?s just shy of 12,000 hours and was brought to this farm brand spankin new with a matching 8630. The 8630 was sold during the 80?s when times got thin but the 84 is still earning its keep. It?s got a 50 series engine that has about 4000 hours on it now so it should be good for a while yet.

 

[4520BW]

Glad you got it going! I had the connector at the alternator go bad on mine a few years back,the good thing is will run with dead batteries, bad thing is no A/C or radio.