Ignition/Battery Problems....I hope!

OK....so I replaced the starter and solenoid on my 51 8N (12v side dist.) It worked well all day long, then a week later when I go to start it, it won"t start. I (like an idiot) accidentally hit the starter again and it broke the bendix gear and smoke came from underneath, starter area. I had replaced starter gear and still nothing, and won"t even turn over at this point. I figured I had fried the starter and solenoid again, so I replaced the starter, solenoid, and still dead, so I replace battery. Still nothing except for loud click. I can feel the click while sitting on the tractor and battery cables are getting very hot! My first thought is that maybe a piece of the starter gear was wedged and flywheel wouldn"t turn. I yet again remove starter (I"m getting good at this as now I can do it without starter coming apart) and flywheel turns in either direction very easily as I am relieved. By this time my battery is dead, so I take it home to charge. I charge the battery, just sitting it is reading 12.5v. I buy new heavy duty battery cable to run directly to solenoid. When I connect everything and positive battery cable is last thing to be connected, large contact spark on battery every time I touch it. Sounds like a short, or something obviously is just not right. Any ideas, or clues? Thanks in advance.

You've got the solenoid wired backwards or you have the wrong solenoid.

Put the old one back on....because it's probably fine.
75 Tips

I tossed it after the new one worked in the beginning. I installed just as the old one was with side connector towards the motor.

(quoted from post at 14:08:17 07/09/14) I tossed it after the new one worked in the beginning. I installed just as the old one was with side connector towards the motor.

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" By this time my battery is dead, so I take it home to charge."
If this was over a short day or two time period, it is not a very good battery that discharges so easily.

More on topic: Disconnect the batt to solenoid cable. Disconnect the solenoid to starter connecting strip.
Put nut back on starter post (to be used to contact cable later & save the stud from arc damage).
BE SURE TRANSMISSION IS IN NEUTRAL!
Connect cable to battery, while protecting lose end from touching anything.
Briefly touch lose end of cable to nut on starter stud.
Did it crank over the engine?
It should, but with some spark as you are connecting ~300 amperes or more at instant of contact.
If that all works, we start putting things back one at a time until your large spark at connect occurs.
1) Batt cable to solenoid, while connector strip to starter still removed. Did it spark?
2) If not reconnect strip to starter.
TBD