630 Ignition Issues Continued

A few days ago I posted on here about an ignition issue with a 630. First of all, thank you everyone for helping out an amateur. Anyways, I turned the ignition switch on and put my test light on the coil's high side terminal and got a light. So then I put the test light on the distributor terminal and started to crank and I got a light. So the tractor is getting juice all the way down into the distributor. I suppose the next place I look is the condenser and points? My grandpa had this tractor worked on about five years ago and I know that they replaced both of those back then.

Since I already put new spark plugs in, the only other thing I know to try is to put in fresh gas. The current gas is a couple years old and doesn"t smell like varnish and has a good color. Otherwise I don"t know where or what to turn to next?

Well first if is wired right the tractor should start even with the switch off. Of course as soon as you let up on the starter it will die. Next pull the plugs and see if they have fire. If no fire then file points and change the condenser. If you have fire time to look at the fuel. Take line off carb, press button on top of the autoshuttoff and see if you get a good stream of gas. One of these is the problem. Report back Russ

The light should pulse on the distributor terminal as the points open and close. If the light stays on, the points are not closing.

Autolite #3116 is always a great suggestion, for sparkplugs..

Sounds like your gas is OK.

You never know about a Condenser..

Verify Spark at the Plug by removing them and watching the spark..it should be a HOT blue spark.

Ron.

You say "So then I put the test light on the distributor terminal and started to crank and I got a light."

Okay, listen. If the engine is turned over slowly a test lamp on the coils output (or distributors small side terminal which wires to coils output) should flash ON (when ponts are open) and OFF (when points are closed)

1) If it always stays ON,,,,,,The points aren't fully closing,,,,,, or are badly burned,,,, or the wire or terminal is bad/open from coil to and through distributor side terminal,,,,,,,,or the distributor isn't well grounded.

2) If it is always OFF, the points are staying closed,,,,,,,or theres a short in the points or their wiring,,,,,,,,,,or a short in the distributors pass thru insulation bushing,,,,,,,or the coils LV primary is bad/open,,,,,,,,,,,or the condenser is bad a dead short.

If you work through my Ignition Trtoubleshooting Procedure linked below it will help determine the cause of non firing.

Remove the spark plugs and see if they are firing????????? See if theres fire coming out of the coils top HV tower by leaving the wire in the coil top but remove it from distributor and place it within 1/8 inch or so away from tractor steel (NOT near any open spark plug hole) and turn her on and crank her over n see if shes sparking.

Run my Troubleshooting Procedure. I have seen new condensors out of the box that are bad!!!

John T
John Ts Ignitiion Troubleshooting

Unless the factory wiring has been changed the starter button won't activate the starter with the switch off. Jim

Yep guess I was thinking of a 60.

Checked the spark plugs (they were week-old Autolite 3116's) and wasn't getting a spark. So I replaced the condenser and at least got the test light to finally pulse on and off when the engine cranked. Then I did some very minor cleaning of the points and all of the sudden it fired. I was very happy. It ran for several minutes before it finally died again. So today I am going to put new points on and then see how long it runs, and then the next battle might be the carb or fuel flow.

Quick question though--how do I tell when the distributor is at high cam? Last night when I was turning the flywheel to the current points gap I was having a hard time figuring out what was high cam (except the point finally opened up)

Thanks for all your help!

Take plugs out, put in neutral, engage clutch, turn belt pulley until lobe opens points to widest opening. Set to .015. Still sounds like a fuel problem, and I am suspect a problem with the auto shutoff.