Ford 3000 glow plug

wch

New User
I'm trying to restore my Dad's old tractor to working condition. Some time ago he had the tractor engine rebuilt and had it re-painted. The original key switch dad been replaced and a low amp push button switch was wired to the intake glow plug. This setup was wrong and the switch shorted out after only a few uses. My question is can I install a solinoid switch between the power source and the glow plug and use a another cheap push button to activate the solinoid? I don't mind pulling it off to start it, but, the Wife never seems available for this kind of chore when I need her. Thanks.
 
Yes a solenoid would work. That is how they did it on the 58-64 diesels.
I need to get my thermostart working one of these days too.
I was just going to buy a high amp push button with the rubber cover to run mine.
Big push button would probably be cheaper than a new start switch or a relay/solenoid.
Yours probably failed because it was too light of a switch.
Judging by the 10 ga wire that goes to that glow plug it is a pretty high amp draw.
 
I don't remember how the original key switch was wired but I remember it was spring loaded when turned to the left to pre-heat before cranking. If it was direct to the pre-heater it had to be heavy duty. This push button switch that was added was wired direct and would heat up quickly burning your thumb. I found two replacement switches for a 3000, one for with cold cranking and one without cold cranking. Which do I need? A new ignition switch might be the cheapest way to fix my problem.
 
10 ga speaks of 30 amps. That heater gets red in just a few seconds. Even at 10 amps x 12v, that's only 120 watts. Think about the typical electric soldering gun that it rated at 100w. You push the button and it takes awhile for it to start smoking, much less do any glowing.

I like the solenoid idea as the energizing current can be handled easily with most any spst momentary on, aka push button switch and 14 or 16 ga wire.

The solenoid could be placed at a convenient place and the large wire run would be shorter which is better.

I've had numerous so I get confused. I think my 2000D 4 cyl has a push button and you can hear the solenoid close but it uses a couple of glow plugs in the intake manifold....can see them from the side of the tractor below the hood.

I think my '65 3000 has a button also. Although my TS works, I don't recall tracing out the electrical ckt.

I think I had a 4100D 3 cyl once, and a '66 3 cyl D that had it in the key switch. You would turn the key to on and both warning lights would come on, turn it a tad more and they would go out.....when they went out the TS was being powered. Hold it there for about 30 seconds and roll the switch on over to start whereupon the power is still going to the TS but also to the starter. I would imagine that they have a solenoid/relay (same thing, just the term solenoid usually refers to a high current relay) too as you really don't want any high current going through the contacts of the switch......it wouldn't last any time at all.

Mark
 
I would imagine that they have a solenoid/relay (same thing, just the term solenoid usually refers to a high current relay)

Actually, the term solenoid comes from the science of physics and refers to a coil of wire that can produce a magnetic field. In engineering it generally refers to a coil of wire used as an electromagnet to control the linear movement of something. A relay is a specific kind of solenoid that uses a small electric current in the electromagnet coil to move the contacts for a switch that can then control a much larger amount of current. The term solenoid is also used in hydraulics and pneumatics to refer to electromagnetically controlled hydraulic and pneumatic control valves.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solenoid
 
Part of the reason I was going to use a push button (or solenoid) is because I have two brand new ignition switches here - with thermostart -that I bought on Ebay a couple of years ago.
But the bloody things are not right. The neck that goes through the cowel is too small of a diameter so the whole darned switch turns when you turn the key. Grrr

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As I recall my MF 35 turned left, not my Fords. I have the manuals in the shop, I can go and look it up.

Mark
 
My owner's manual (Reprint of Ford original) for the '65-'75 2000/3000/4000 series tractors shows the key switch for diesels with the thermostart option as having the "Off" position in the middle and the regular "On" and "Start" positions to the right of "Off", and a "Heat" position just to the left of "Off", and the "Heat-Start" position one more click to the left from "Heat".
 

Actually the switch size is correct and you have a tractor with an enlarged hole in the sheet metal. This is a real pain. You can washer it back and tighten the crapola out of it to keep it from turning on you. Even better is to tack the washers in place with a wire welder. The aftermarket switches are cheap but usually do okay for 5 or 10 years. Not the same quality as oem, but for 15 bucks, what do you expect. These aftermarket switches usually have the glow plug activated on a right turn and past "on", but just before "crank".

What's even more interesting is on the gas models, they do not support "ignition" during "crank", so you must have a correctly wired bypass jumper from the selenoid to the coil or it will not fire during a crank cycle, but then fire only when you release the switch back to "run".
 

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