Tractor wont start

[300jk]

So Ive owned my 300 Farmall for quite a few years. Went through everything. Electric, trans, rear end, ect. It has always ran good till today. Went to clean driveway and it wouldnt start. A pop here and there but wouldnt catch and run. Plugs were dry when I pulled them. Plenty of gas to carb and pulled the drain to make sure. Pulled the intake tube off the carb and tried a couple squirts of statring fluid. Still wouldnt do anything. Then the battery was down so I pulled off the distributor cap while waiting for the battery to charge. Everything looked normal. Had a good spark when I opened the points with a screwdriver. Then I put the cap back on and now no spark at the plugs ! Im really at a loss here and have no idea whats going on. Tractor turns over good, spark at the points, nothing at the plugs. Somebody please tell me what Im missing. This all happened after I took the cap off.

 

[old]

When it is cold like it has been some times they need more then a normal choking. Pull that intake tube off again and hold you hand over the intake of the carb and try to start it. Good chance it will try to start and maybe even start.

 

[300guy]

Be sure the center of the cap has the carbon button in it. I have seen it fall out when the cap was taken off and the center was broke up in the cap. Also make sure the rotor center brass terminal did not get pushed to the side as the cap was put on causing it to bent and not make a good connection any more. Check the end of the rotor so it did not get broke and pushed to the side if the cap was not put on perfectly causing the end to hit a terminal and move sideways. These are problems I have seen and found when it won't fire at the plugs.
If all that is ok, the next thing I would do is take a dollar bill and clean the points. My 300 would constantly not start after sitting for a while. I had to always clean the points to get it to run. I finally put in a Petronix ignition system and now it fires up in less than 2 revolutions always. No more cleaning!! Many times now I don't even have to choke it during the summer months. Before with points I had to choke it a lot to get it to run.

 

[Janicholson]

In addition to what has been said check the point gap, the points will spark with a screw driver, but not open. A bad coil will also spark at the points but not to the cap. Jim

 

[warren woodrow]

My 424 did exactly the same thing once. Voltage to cap but not to plugs . Cap looked fine . Replaced cap and she ran fine . Who knows .....

 

[warren woodrow]

My 424 did the same thing . I had current to cap but would not spark at plugs . Cap looked great but I tried another cap and she ran like new .

 

[used red MN]

May just for the heck of it pull the intake tube and see if the back fire valve is in place ..pic.. and make sure the cable is pulling it completely shut. Olds trick or starting fluid should have been able to over ride this issue. Checking for voltage presence at the points by moving the points or shorting them with a screwdriver to me is an out in the middle of field check to at least tell if you have power to the ignition. It is not really checking ..spark.. Checking spark is best done with a helper cranking the engine while someone holds the coil wire about a 1/4 in. from some metal part on the engine looking for a nice blue spark rhythmically snapping across the gap. Then repeat doing the same with a spark plug wire with a Phillips screwdriver stuck in the plug boot..coil wire back in center of cap.. looking for the same spark.

 

[teddy52food]

Did you forget to put the rotor back on???????

 

[300jk]

No sir.

 

[Dave41A]

Couple of years back my H stumped me good for a few days. Turned out it was stale gas. If everything was working when you put it away, chances are it is either the battery is low, or your gas went stale. If not either of those, then you could have a plugged up carb from bad fuel sitting in it too long. I got a lot of practice rebuilding M-S carbs on Ford NAA's because of that. Ensure the battery is good and charged up, the gas good & fresh, and the carb nice and clean. Good luck, Dave