Charlie (KS)
Member
OK--I'm working on my dad's Ford 3000 with a backhoe/loader on it.
It was running well this spring but when I went to start it this weekend it was clear I didn't have any fire--checked the distributor and saw the wire between the coil and the points had deteriorated, which did not surprise me. Dad's had it probably 10 years and it as never seen the inside of a building.
So, I put on a new coil wire, and points and condenser for good measure since they were the worst I ever saw--condenser case completely covered with rust. Reused the old coil since it was fine in the spring. I gapped the points and ohmed them to make sure I wasn't shorted to the distributor case on the coil wire side, and it all looked good. Put the caps and wires on (no picnic on this tractor), and attempted to start it up. Within seconds I had smoke as the coil wire insulation burnt up!
So--I usually work on one of the two 8Ns he also owns and have changed points and coil wires before. I know it is not uncommon for a points to slip closed after being gapped but I have not see this to be a cause of a coil wire burning up. Maybe that is what happened to the old one.
What do you all think? I know there is a dead short somewhere. Maybe I caused it when I was fumbling with the cap but I don't know, the screws were tight. Feel pretty dumb about this.
It was running well this spring but when I went to start it this weekend it was clear I didn't have any fire--checked the distributor and saw the wire between the coil and the points had deteriorated, which did not surprise me. Dad's had it probably 10 years and it as never seen the inside of a building.
So, I put on a new coil wire, and points and condenser for good measure since they were the worst I ever saw--condenser case completely covered with rust. Reused the old coil since it was fine in the spring. I gapped the points and ohmed them to make sure I wasn't shorted to the distributor case on the coil wire side, and it all looked good. Put the caps and wires on (no picnic on this tractor), and attempted to start it up. Within seconds I had smoke as the coil wire insulation burnt up!
So--I usually work on one of the two 8Ns he also owns and have changed points and coil wires before. I know it is not uncommon for a points to slip closed after being gapped but I have not see this to be a cause of a coil wire burning up. Maybe that is what happened to the old one.
What do you all think? I know there is a dead short somewhere. Maybe I caused it when I was fumbling with the cap but I don't know, the screws were tight. Feel pretty dumb about this.