TO-30 Starter

[TimothyF]

Hi, my battery is new and showing 6.5v. I tried starting my tractor and nothing happened. Jumped the starter switch and still no movement from the starter or noise. Is the starter bad? Are there simple replacement parts I can replace on it that is probably the problem, or do I need to buy a rebuilt one or send it in for repair? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[West T]

I had the same problem on both a TO20 and 30 here in the last couple of years. I checked everything I could and finally gave up and took the starters in to get rebuilt. Once I hooked them back up they cranked right up. My advice would be just to get it rebuilt and you should be back in business.

 

[John(UK)]

Make sure that the Safety Switch on top of the Clutch housing is actually working. The contacts can get burned and the Starter wont work. To test it, attach a lamp to the opposite terminal to the one from the battery and the other wire from the lamp to ground, now press the starter and the lamp should light, if it doesn't then the switch is faulty. (You can slide the switch forward slightly to see if that helps it make contact)If it does light then the Starter is at fault. Check the Brushes for sticking or are they burnt and need cleaning. Check the Commutator too for being burnt as well. This would need carefully cleaning up..John(UK)[email protected]

 

[phil(va)]

Get known good battery, 12 volt is best for this test. Get good set of jumper cables. Put tractor OUT of gear. Hook jumpers to good battery pos. and neg. and hook one side of other end of one jumper to top post of starter. Then touch other side of other jumper to good ground, like bolt holding starter to bell housing. If starter turns over, it is working. If not, problem is in starter. For this test, polarity of jumper cables to battery is not important. Battery you use can be the one on the tractor, one on your car, or any battery you have that you know is good. 12 volts will spin it faster, but 6 volts should work too. If you suspect starter and ring gear are binding, put tractor in high gear and push backward a few inches (roll rear wheel slightly) and try again. This may free it.

 

[KRK]

I also had the same problem. The top terminal on the starter does not have a nut on the inside. It is easy to try and tighten the cable and break the wire connection on the inside. I learned this the hard way. Had the starter rebuilt. The commutator was turned and new brushes and bushings installed along with a new stud on the top of the starter. Grind down the sides of a 9/16 wrench to make it thinner and you can hold the nut tight while reinstalling and tightening the 1/2 inch nut on the top of the cable. Now my TO 30 fires right up.