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need help with farmall 400

J

John Seasly

Member
I need your help with this one. I have a farmall 400 gas 1956 that was 12 volt when I bought it. The lights are all 12 volt. I replaced the generator with a delco alternator with its own regulator.
Removed the old regulator that did not work, installed a new battery, and replaced the starter armature, brushes, and bushing.
This is my problem; it will start 20x without any problems but the 21st time nothing happens. No cranking not even solenoid click.
I have it neg. ground but I went to IH and they say positive ground on the 12 volt gas. Is that my problem? What would happen if I changed it to a positive ground?
I did not change the fields in the starter. I am lost at where to proceed. Thanks for any advice John
 
Dirty battery conections, bad starter switch, bad solenoid or the connections to 'em.

Polarity is not an issue.

Allan
 
All 400/450 early gas were 6v pos, last 450 gas were 12v still positive, alternators seem to be all neg ground. I dont think polarity is the cure for your problem.
 
[What would happen if I changed it to a positive ground?]-You would straight away blow the diodes in the alternator and let all the smoke out-LEAVE IT AT NEGATIVE ground

[I did not change the fields in the starter]-Not required-starter is a series wound motor and will rotate in the same direction whether + or -ve ground

I have it neg. ground but I went to IH and they say positive ground on the 12 volt gas. Is that my problem?-NO YOU-PRESUMABLY-correctly changed it to Negative ground to fit the Alternator

I would guess your problem is a bad connection, somewhere in the wiring from the +ve battery terminal to the starter solenoid operating coil connection [Sometimes marked S]-you say there is no solenoid "click" when it fails.
So, whatever you do, don't change the Polarity and post back with the results of the checking for +12 volts at the solenoid S terminal on an attempted start.
Make sure you are not going to be run over etc if it does start

Good Luck

Alont
 
(quoted from post at 06:47:11 10/31/11) I need your help with this one. I have a farmall 400 gas 1956 that was 12 volt when I bought it. The lights are all 12 volt. I replaced the generator with a delco alternator with its own regulator.
Removed the old regulator that did not work, installed a new battery, and replaced the starter armature, brushes, and bushing.
This is my problem; it will start 20x without any problems but the 21st time nothing happens. No cranking not even solenoid click.
I have it neg. ground but I went to IH and they say positive ground on the 12 volt gas. Is that my problem? What would happen if I changed it to a positive ground?
I did not change the fields in the starter. I am lost at where to proceed. Thanks for any advice John
Click to expand...

When it absolutely does nothing, what do you do then to make it start?

Just wondering if the no start symptoms might be the classic indications of a worn out starter drive (bendix)/bad teeth on the flywheel starter ring gear.
 
Some things to try when it doesn't start. If sure the battery cables and connections are okay and you have the original type starter switch on top of the starter. Test to see if power is on the small terminal when switch is turned to start. Or making sure the tractor is out of gear, jump power from the battery cable terminal to the small one. If that doesnt crank it run a jumper cable from positive or starter battery cable to starter post or strap going to the post, this would bypass the starter switch. Small terminal no power = bad ignition switch or a bad connection from or to the switches. Bypass starter switch and starter works = bad starter switch. Jumper cables from positive battery terminal to starter post and the negative to good ground = bad starter or bad battery.
If tractor has a later type starter switch with 2 small terminals the small terminal with a S will energize the switch.
 
My dads 300 does that every so often...take the started bolts loose (just so you back the starter out 1/8-1/4 inch) and rock the tractor in gear..then tighten up and see what happens.
 
My 350 will do this once in the while too, I notice it only happens when I've used the lights. If I let it sit for an hour to "cool" it starts right up like everything is fine.
 
Thank you for all your suggestions. I will let you what are the results. I checked the battery and it had 11.5 volts and this morning it cranked over no problem. Maybe I can get enough time to chase down what is going on. I ordered a new switch and will install it this weekend. John
 
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