Points next?

[Chris623]

(quoted from post at 17:07:14 08/18/23)
Thanks lastcowboy32. Very thorough and helpful. I should be able to get there now. Anxious to find my problem.

Spark tester arrived yesterday while I was at work. Rolled up my sleeves and started in on testing the coil today. Coil is too high and close to the gas tank to remove the center wire and there was no way in the world I was going to get that rusted screw undone to take it out of the holder. My tester has a spring clamp on one end so I took the wire out of the center of the distributor and clamped the tester to the contact on the wire. Then I jury-rigged the other end of the tester to the front axel with a metal clamp. Set the gap at 1/4" and there was no spark when I cranked the engine. Guess that means the coil is faulty, huh? This tractor has been converted to 12 volt. [u:1f1bef3357]What kind of coil do I need to buy for it?[/u:1f1bef3357] It's coated in oily dirt, so I can't read anything on it. Not sure how I'm going to get the durned thing out of the tractor so I can replace it. Does that indicate it might be an [u:1f1bef3357]oil filled[/u:1f1bef3357] coil?

This post was edited by Chris623 on 08/20/2023 at 09:54 am.

 

[Eman85]

OK so you say you've go good ground for your spark tester(very important) and you get no spark. Is this spark tester adjustable? If so try adjusting it down to 1/8" or so and see if you get anything. Keep in mind a coil can only make high voltage if it has low voltage to start with. You need to have voltage from the ignition switch to the coil. It flows through the primary side of the coil to the points. The points are just an electrical switch that makes and breaks the circuit which when opened collapses the field and creates the high voltage, think back to science class. I use a test light to check with, if you don't have one it's time to buy another essential old tractor tool.

 

[Chris623]

I checked the test light to make sure it was working. Then clamped the test light to the end of the wire that went into the distributor and touched the other end to the engine. No light. Turned on the ignition and no light. Pushed the starter and no light. Don't see how setting the tester to 1/8" will show me anything if I'm not getting enough juice to light the light bulb.

 

[HFJ]

(quoted from post at 13:53:20 08/20/23) My tester has a spring clamp on one end so I took the wire out of the center of the distributor and clamped the tester to the contact on the wire. Then I jury-rigged the other end of the tester to the front axel with a metal clamp.

it sounds like you're using the tester backwards. the spring clip attaches to an engine/frame ground spot, and the wire you're checking for output simply slides onto the other end. you don't need to provide your own clamp.

if you still have no spark, the next step is to check voltage at the top of the coil from the ignition. this should vary between battery voltage and about half that as the points open and close. if so, then yes, your coil is suspect, but there are still other possibilities too. a problem inside the distributor could also cause this.

 

[Chris623]

The adjustable spark tester is just a single conductive screw that separates in the middle. It has a spring clamp on one end and what looks like a headphone jack on the other. I can't see how it makes any difference which end is used where. Juice is still going to go into one end of the screw and hopefully "jump" the gap between the two to seek ground on the other.

This post was edited by Chris623 on 08/20/2023 at 11:35 am.

 

[HFJ]

i didn't mean to imply it would affect the test. i have faith u clamped it well. it's just unnecessary to use an additional clamp if u turn it around, unless there's something about the coil wire on an 8N that i don't know about

 

[Chris623]

(quoted from post at 14:43:39 08/20/23) i didn't mean to imply it would affect the test. i have faith u clamped it well. it's just unnecessary to use an additional clamp if u turn it around, unless there's something about the coil wire on an 8N that i don't know about

I'm sure I'm just not making myself clear. I don't know the first thing about motors or tractors and often don't have the proper terminology. I just meant the spark tester will connect the Hot side to the Ground side no matter the direction of the tester.

 

[HFJ]

(quoted from post at 16:47:44 08/20/23)

(quoted from post at 14:43:39 08/20/23) i didn't mean to imply it would affect the test. i have faith u clamped it well. it's just unnecessary to use an additional clamp if u turn it around, unless there's something about the coil wire on an 8N that i don't know about

I'm sure I'm just not making myself clear. I don't know the first thing about motors or tractors and often don't have the proper terminology. I just meant the spark tester will connect the Hot side to the Ground side no matter the direction of the tester.

correc. it will work either way. i am just suggesting you use the spring clip of the tester to attach to ground. the coil wire should slide right on to the end that looks like a headphone jack, that's why it's shaped like that. have a look at the top of a spark plug.

in any case, u need to check voltage to your coil at this point.

 

[Chris623]

I assumed that was the way to connect it, but when I pulled the wire off the center of the distributor it looked nothing like it would connect to the end of the tester that resembled the top of a sparkplug..........which is why I reversed things and used the alligator clamp on the other end to clamp on the brass clip on the end of the wire that goes into the distributor cap. I then touched the pointed end to the ground. (or in this case the front axle)

 

[HFJ]

(quoted from post at 16:58:00 08/20/23)
I assumed that was the way to connect it, but when I pulled the wire off the center of the distributor it looked nothing like it would connect to the end of the tester that resembled the top of a sparkplug..........which is why I reversed things and used the alligator clamp on the other end to clamp on the brass clip on the end of the wire that goes into the distributor cap. I then touched the pointed end to the ground. (or in this case the front axle)

ah, my bad. i guess there IS something about the coil wire i don't know about

 

[HFJ]

now i'm confused too. i can't pull the coil wire on my 2N, since it has none, per se, but i just pulled the one on my WD and saw what i was expecting to see - what looks the same as an end of a plug wire, which slides right onto the tester. the end of your coil wire is somehow different from the ends of the plug wires?

 

[Chris623]

Here is the end of the wire that goes from the coil into the distributor..........with the boot pulled back.

https://chris623.zenfolio.com/img/s/v-10/p2383615106-3.jpg

There's no way to plug the "sparkplug" end of the tester into that.

 

[JMOR]

The brass end (left) is designed to plug into any one of the sparkplug wires. Stick that end into the plug wire in place of the sparkplug.

 

[Chris623]

My tester looks different but basically the same concept. I'm sure the tester would plug into the [i:6dfc92c461]sparkplug[/i:6dfc92c461] wires but to start off I'm testing the coil, so I had to find some way to attach to the wire coming off the coil..........so I reversed it and used the alligator clip on the brass on the end of the coil wire. I'm too hot (110 at my place today) to mess with it further. Friend of mine who used to build rail dragsters from the ground up is coming over on Wednesday and said he'd check the coil for me.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions. And thanks for being so tolerant of my ignorance. We know what we know and definitely don't know what we don't!

I tried to put the tester in the sparkplug wire and the clamp on the wire doesn't grip it. My tool is too small. Not sure what good this is afterall.

This post was edited by Chris623 on 08/20/2023 at 02:45 pm.

 

[HFJ]

(quoted from post at 18:09:50 08/20/23)
My tester looks different but basically the same concept. I'm sure the tester would plug into the [i:6fa78475c8]sparkplug[/i:6fa78475c8] wires but to start off I'm testing the coil, so I had to find some way to attach to the wire coming off the coil..........so I reversed it and used the alligator clip on the brass on the end of the coil wire. I'm too hot (110 at my place today) to mess with it further. Friend of mine who used to build rail dragsters from the ground up is coming over on Wednesday and said he'd check the coil for me.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions. And thanks for being so tolerant of my ignorance. We know what we know and definitely don't know what we don't!

i don't know if it's your issue, but that coil wire is messed up. i'd personally replace it. that end has been poorly replaced.

i understand why u had the tester backwards now



This post was edited by HFJ on 08/20/2023 at 02:31 pm.

 

[Chris623]

"Poorly replaced"????? The end I showed goes into the distributor cap............I don't know what other kind of end would go into the cap.

What a fiasco this has turned out to be. My tool won't even fit into a sparkplug wire. Going to send it back.

 

[Abbby]

Spark tester is intended to check spark at the plug wires. Hook everything back up and unplug one of your plug wires and attach to spark tester.

 

[HFJ]

yes, poorly replaced. that's a piece of a broken end, poorly crimped back on.

 

[Chris623]

Here's what I posted in the previous post:

"What a fiasco this has turned out to be. My tool won't even fit into a sparkplug wire. Going to send it back."

 

[HFJ]

(quoted from post at 18:54:22 08/20/23)
Here's what I posted in the previous post:

"What a fiasco this has turned out to be. My tool won't even fit into a sparkplug wire. Going to send it back."

i missed where you tried it on a plug wire. maybe look at your plug wires first. or not.