Ignition/firing Problem Out of Nowhere

RTR

Well-known Member
I was about to start the Farmall 140 tractor and move it out of the shed and the tractor started up and ran perfect for about 15 seconds, then it shut off just like you had turned off the key. I checked the gas and it was good.....even when I tried to restart it I choked it and flooded the carburetor so I knew I was getting gas. I then turned the gas off to clear some of that out, then I checked the spark on the coil wire where it goes to the distributor… No spark. I then got a jumper wire and clipped the positive terminal on the coil, and the other end of the jumper wire to the positive battery terminal. then I turned the gas on and used a little starting fluid ....never got any fire. Then I removed the distributor cap and rotor button and turned the engine over and saw that I had spark across the points.

What causes this issue of the tractor not wanting to fire and run even though when the points have spark/juice?? Heck....even the jumper wire didn't help. I'm sitting here scratching my head.
 
Spark at the points does not equate spark at the plugs. The coil could have failed, the coil to distributor wire could be bad,
there could be moisture on or in the cap. The rotor could be broken or carbon tracked. The diagnosis should include these. Jim
 
(quoted from post at 04:35:42 11/10/17) Spark at the points does not equate spark at the plugs. The coil could have failed, the coil to distributor wire could be bad,
there could be moisture on or in the cap. The rotor could be broken or carbon tracked. The diagnosis should include these. Jim
thanks jim. I will rule out the coil wire and the moisture ideas since coil wire is brand new and the tractor was running beforehand and stored in the shed. The 12 v coil is also new, which doesn't mean anything I guess. I will check for the others.
 
(quoted from post at 04:50:05 11/10/17) Spark at the points means the condenser is bad or the points need cleaned.

Ok. That is first thing I will check. Thank you!
 
You mention 12 v, got a resistor somewhere in the system? They do go bad and when they do you have no spark. If you have a volt meter check each terminal. If you don't you could bypass just see if you have
spark.
 
RTR. If you work through my Ignition Troubleshooting Procedure it can help find the cause of no fire at the plugs. There will be a small sparky at the points as they make and break coil current BUTTTTTTTTTT if the condenser is bad it will be worse. If no condensor at all she can still spark but weaker and the points will burn prematurely...If the condenser is a bad dead short NO SPARK at all. So often the problem is points or condenser so run my procedure it may help.

John T
John Ts Ignition Troubleshooting
 
(quoted from post at 19:35:39 11/10/17) RTR. If you work through my Ignition Troubleshooting Procedure it can help find the cause of no fire at the plugs. There will be a small sparky at the points as they make and break coil current BUTTTTTTTTTT if the condenser is bad it will be worse. If no condensor at all she can still spark but weaker and the points will burn prematurely...If the condenser is a bad dead short NO SPARK at all. So often the problem is points or condenser so run my procedure it may help.

John T
John Ts Ignition Troubleshooting

Will do John. Thank you
 
If the tractor started and ran, then quit, that indicates a failure of some sort. Coil or condenser.

Your "new" components are almost certainly sourced from overseas manufacturers, as they're the only ones left making the parts anymore. Not the best quality, and prone to what those in the electronics industry used to call "infant mortality." Maybe they still do. I've been out of it for a while, so that could be too politically incorrect these days for all I know.
 

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