1964 35 - Battery / Electrical problem

Hi

I have a 1964 F 35 gas powered tractor that I use to keep my half-km driveway clear. For the past few weeks I haven't been able to start it without boosting it with my car. I'm hoping someone here can give me some advice before I pull my wallet out

Here are the particulars:

Will not start without boost - sometimes I get a click from the starter but usually not. The gas gauge is working and when I try to start it without a boost the gauge drops down to empty.

Tractor will run well once I start it - but will cut out at (seemingly) random times. This isn't a normal stall - it just dies. Sometimes after an hour of work, sometimes after 5 minutes. With a boost it starts right back up.

If I disconnect the battery while the tractor is running it dies.

When the tractor is running all electrical componants work well - lights are fully bright.

I have very little mechanical knowledge but I'm a quick study and I'm learning quickly. I have a few neighbours who have been giving advice but none seem to have a solid idea about what to do. We've just had a major snow here in Nova Scotia so I have to do something today.

Hoping someone here might be able to point me in the right direction.

Thanks

Well before you get into the charging system take the battery to a shop and have them charge it and do a load test on it.

Hi,
From your description and as Jeff has said it has the classic signs of a faulty battery. Testing with a heavy discharge tester is the first step to see how the battery performs under load. If the battery is OK check for any bad connections on the battery cables and loose wires on the HT side.
DavidP

Thanks for your reply! This was my initial assumption - however one of my "mechanically inclined" neighbours felt it wouldn't be the battery as the engine stalled out when the battery was disconnected. I'll get the battery checked today!

If you can bring the battery inside for a few days and then charge it. Have it load tested warm. A cold battery will not fully charge and the load test will not be true.

Besides what the ther posters have said, make sure that the battery terminals are clean and bright, both on the battery and on the cable connectors. Examine the cable for signs of internal corrosion at the connections. Look for cracks at the connectors that cause them to get loose.

Another clue is how old is the battery? If it's more than 5 years old, it's on borrowed time anyway.

All batteries have a date of manufacture code either stamped on the case or on a sticker. It is a number followed by a letter. The number indicates the last digit of the year and the letter is the month. For example, code 4A means January, 2004. 5H is August, 2005.

This is not to be confused with the date of installation that may be indicated by holes punched in a little date card.

Hi Folks

Thank you all for your help with my problem. I wanted to let you know that I went out yesterday and bought a new battery. The one that was in the tractor was 8 years old so I figured, based on your responses, that this was something I would have to do anyway. So far everything is working really well. The tractor starts without a problem and is running smoothly. I have noticed a spark coming from the vicinity of the start button when I start the tractor. There may be a loose wire or bad connection there that I have to fix.

While I have your attention here I'm going to impose on your good will and ask one more question... I hope I'm not pushing things too much.

The tractor has a high and low gear range. When I have it in low gear it works really well., When I put it in high gear it sputters and threatens to stall and I have to play with the clutch to get it moving. Once it's up to speed it runs fine. Any ideas of what needs to be adjusted or replaced to fix this problem?

Thanks again for your help.

Bill