Have a 1972 Gilson B&S 12HP garden tractor. Amp gauge hasn't been working tractor did start. Checked the wires, replaced the fuse holder and fuse, replaced the solenoid, regulator is OK. It is now dead-no crank. The old solenoid had a fiber washer between the solenoid and frame did not replace the washer. Any suggestions?? Thanks Fred
 
Have you tried to jump over the solenoid coil and other wiring and go directly to the copper lug on the starter? Make sure that the battery ground cable is grounded to the frame with a clean joint, then briefly jump from the positive battery post to the copper lug on the starter. This will tell you that you might have an interlock problem or bad wiring connections. If the starter does not turn, you have either a bad starter or battery.
 
Some of those tractors had a pedal on the left that would ground the battery when depressed. Hal
 
Not familiar with the machine. Tell us more about the solenoid, number of terminals, method of starting (hand-battery) when did it just go dead....what did you do that may have caused it. Did you put the old fiber washer back or toss it?
 
There are 4 terminals, two at top and two at bottom. The old solenoid had one on the bottom. Battery start. It went dead when I replaced the old solenoid with a new one. Did not put fiber washer back. One washer for two mounting holes didn't make sense.
The top terminals are for starter and battery.
 
Fred,

The reason that your mower won't start is because the solenoid isn't grounded . You need to replace a one wire ( at the bottom ) with a one wire and a two wire with a two wire !! With a one wire system the solenoid grounds through the base ! With a two wire solenoid the second wire is the ground ! You can either replace it with a one wire or run a ground wire from the second small post to a good ground .Unless something else is wrong then the motor will turn over and hopefully start !!


Whizkid
 
One on the bottom, assume a small terminal, tells me that the energizing coil inside the solenoid is case grounded meaning the case of the solenoid had to contact the engine block or something connected to it too complete the circuit to energize the coil since the battery return terminal is connected there also.

The 4 terminal should be for 12v power and the other (#4) goes to a grounding lug somewhere on the engine block or electrically connected to it somehow. Don't know the function of the fiber gasket but who knows when it appeared on the scene. If the 4th terminal isn't grounded it won't energize.
 
I have the 1971 Wards 14hp tractor. Hal
a193682.jpg
 
That's the type that needs a ground wire connected to the small terminal on the right that is missing a nut.....for identification. This solenoid is primarily used on tractors with the transmission safety switch on Ford 100 and 1000 series tractors of some sizes. The transmission has to be in N for the switch to depress and in doing so, grounds this terminal to the case of the tranny which gets the ground back to the battery - post.

I know you knew that Hal, but I thought your picture helped explain what I posted earlier.
 
Should have mentioned; Attached a wire to the small right post and then to bolt holding the solenoid to ground it and it started. Again, thanks to all for your input. Fred
 

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