TO30 Died

[Mike Schnell]

Hey guys, I have a 1951 TO-30 that has been starting a bit sluggishly lately. I replaced the battery thinking that was the problem, but after that it still was slow to start. When I would turn the key and push the stick to the start position instead of the tractor turning over quickly the (starter?) would sluggishly turn the engine. This morning I was discing the vineyard and stopped briefly to check on something and turned the tractor off. When I went to restart it and shoved the stick to the start position, nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not even the sluggishness. Just dead as a doornail. Any ideas? Could it be the starter or coil? I'm a kind of a novice at this stuff...

 

[senoj]

It's the point of contact. At the bottom of your gear shift, which is located in the gear case. Either the wiring is bad or where it makes contact is bad or most likely worn and no longer touches the other point. Remove the cover that holds the gear shift lever. This was my problem.
ggp.

 

[Jerry/MT]

Since you replaced the battery, I presume you cleanned the cable connectors. The cables themselves can corrode internally and cause high resistance which reduce the current available to the starter.
To check, connect some jumpers from the battery to the starter switch directly and then try to actuate the starter. If it starts, the cable is the problem. If it doesn"t, then touch the same lead to the starter lug. If it starts, the switch is the problem. if it doesn"t turn over when directly connected, the starter is the problem or the starter ground coud be bad.

If the starter switch appears to be bad,try adjusting your starter switch before you replace it. Slide it forward and try a start. If that doesn"t work, slide it backward and see if it works. If it doesn"t replace the switch(~$15). slide it back and forth antr

 

[phil(va)]

Not coil or any other ignition part. It isn't getting that far. Problem is battery or starter, or something in between, namely the cables and connections and the switch under the bell housing. If it doesn't turn over, the problem is in that area. First thing I always do is rotate the battery connections on top of th battery. If you get it to chug a bit, that tells you where to concentrate. Look at connection on top of starter too, but hold the bottom of that bolt when you tighten it, as it will come loose inside the starter if you rotate the bolt. Look especially at the ground cable connection onto the tractor. Best to connect the ground to a bolt on the bellhousing rather than dash. As Jerry says, hook a cable from known good battery to top post on starter and touch other cable to ground on tractor and it should turn over. Make sure it is out of gear. If it turns over, the starter is ok. Hope some of this helps.

 

[Mike Schnell]

OK, so I connected the starter cable directly to the battery positive (with a good ground) and the starter didn"t run at all. Not to state the obvious... but that tells me the starter is shot. Is that correct?

 

[trac]

If it's 6volt the positive is ground.If you still can't get starter to turn take it off and bench test it. Once it's off it does't matter +or- ground connect jumper cable to bolt hole than other to post on starter it should spin.Make sure it's clean wear bellhousing and starter meet

 

[phil(va)]

Yes, if you connected a cable from known good battery to starter post, and also connected the other side of that known good battery to a good ground on the tractor (just touch it), the starter should turn. Polarity in that situation doesn't matter. Make sure you get a good connection. Also make sure tractor is out of gear. It's helpful if the known good battery is 12 volts in this situation. (Don't connect 12 volt battery to your 6 volt battery, however.) Another thing to try: Put tractor in high gear and pushing on a rear tire, rock the tractor backward a foot or so. This sometimes unlocks the starter form a dead spot.