The reason I parked this over a year ago was it lost the spark and I was tired of messing with it. To lay the foundation, it is a 1948 8N with a front mount distributor. serial # is in the 108000 range.
I converted it to a 12 volt system with a kit I purchased from this site after I bought it in 2011 and it ran good, for a while...

Today I replaced the coil, points, rotor and adjusted the timing. After installing that this evening, still no fire. Any thoughts from you pro's would be appreciated.
 
Do you have battery voltage to the top of the coil with the points
open? Does that voltage drop to about half when the points close?
Have you tried jumping the key switch or running a hotwire to
the top of the coil temporarily to see if it will run?
 
Royse, Thanks for your response, I have not tried anything yet and was looking for ideas. I appreciate your suggestions! Dan
 
Dan........I flunked mind reading, just ask my ex-wife of 32-yrs. Which Y-T kit?

You do know the weird 4-nipple front mount dizzy is designed to have the points (0.015") adjusted on the kitchen table, don't you?

Just un-snapple the capple and letter dangle. Remove the 2-bolts and walk (don't run) to the kitchen. Adjust/replace the points (0.015") Timing is 1/4-in (see picture in FO-4 manual, $20, cheap) Installation is a reversal of the removal ...except... finger start the 2-bolts, then install the rotor and rotate the rotor until the OFF-SET tang drops into the OFF-SET slot in the camshaft. Now tighten the 2-bolts and re-snapple yer capple. Simple, eh? The OFF-SET scheme means you can NEVER install outta time without breakin' sumptin'.

While the squarecan coil isn't bulletproof like the roundcan coils, they really seldom need replacing. What really needs replacing is the POINTS (0.015") Condensers seldom go bad but they are always sold with a points kit. So replace it. Bad condensers will run fer about 3-5 mins.

I done told you how to replace the points (0.015") on the kitchen table, same with the condenser.

Remember to "polish" the INVISIBLE CORROSION from between the points (0.015") after installation. Me? I clamp a $1-bill between the points and pull. Iff'n yer really cheap, tear a strip from a HEAVY brown grocery sack and use that. .......HTH, Dell, yer self-appointed sparkie-meister
 
Ford 8N, 9N, 2N Tractor 12 Volt Conversion

Pretty sure this is the kit I bought.

Ford 12 Volt Conversion Kit, Front Mount Distributor - 8N, 9N, 2N - Updates older 6-volt tractors to 12-volt charging system. For early 8N, 9N, 2N 1948-1951 with front mount distributor (distributor is right behind radiator), to SN# 263843. Kit includes rebuilt unicharge alternator with pulley and self exciting regulator, 12 Volt coil, wiring harness, top alternator bracket, alternator base bracket, alternator adjusting arm, belt, and instructions. Will not work if you have a magneto. (Part No: 8NE10300ALT-C)

I had the distributor off on the bench and set the points to .015. Set the timing according to the article on Smith web site. I have the service manual and also referred to that. I am fairly certain I have the Distributor correct. Before removing the rotor I noted the position it was in and reinstalled it in the same direction. The distributor bolted on properly. Pretty sure it's all coming off tomorrow after re-check and doing some voltage tests that Royse suggested.
 
Assuming that the bushings & advance weights are ok (*see below), & that you have correct voltage to the coil (battery voltage with the points open and about half that with the points closed), the most common electrical failure (no spark, weak spark) points on the front mount are:

1. The insulator under the brass concave head screw & where the copper strip attaches. (it’s fiber & will wear out; poke & prod w/ your meter leads to make sure it still works) If you need to replace the insulator, use a .250 x 3/8 nylon square nylon anchor nut available at most big box home stores

2. The pigtail at the bottom of the coil not making contact w/ the concave head brass screw inside the distributor. (With the coil on, the pigtail must firmly contact the brass screw. No contact = no spark

3. The copper strip is broken or grounded to the plate. (look very carefully for cracks & breaks).

4. The condenser wire grounding to the plate or side of the distributor.

5. The tab on the bottom of the coil not making contact w/ the brass button on the cap. (With the cap on, the tab must firmly contact the brass button. No contact = no spark.)

6. Incorrect positioning of the spring clip on the plate causing the pigtail to ground. (the open part of the clip goes between 7 & 9 o’clock on the plate. That puts the straight part of the clip opposite of the timing screw at 3 o’clock)

7. Incorrect seating of the coil on the distributor due to a loose bail or no gasket.(the coil must not move at all; if it does, replace the gasket or bail. Or stick some cardboard under the bail).

8. Water/moisture inside the cap due to gasket failure or the absence of a gasket. (the cap AND coil have gaskets)

9. Dirty/corroded/burned/incorrectly gapped or misaligned points. I use only Wells, Blue Streak or Echlin brand points (* *see below).

10. Burned rotor, cracked/carbon tracked cap.

After you find the problem & re-check the point gap, do a continuity check before you put the distributor back on the tractor.

Before you start, make sure your meter/light works.

With the distributor still off the tractor, follow these steps:

1. Coil off, cap off, points open. One probe on the brass screw & the other on both sides of the open points. On the side closest to the cam, you should have continuity. Not on the other side! If you do, you will also have continuity everywhere because the points are grounded.

2. Coil off, cap off, points open. One probe on the brass screw & the other anywhere on the body of the distributor. You should have no continuity! Now, rotate the tang on the distributor....as the points open & close, you have continuity (closed) and lose it when they open.

3. Put the coil on the distributor, cap off, points open. One probe on the lead on the top of the coil, the other on the cam side of the open points. You should have continuity!

4. Coil on, cap off, points open. One probe on the lead on the top of the coil, the other anywhere on the body of the distributor. You should have no continuity!

At this point, I just put the distributor, coil & cap all back on the tractor as a unit. The reason I do this is because it is real easy to get the cap or coil misaligned trying to put it back together, one piece at a time. The result is something gets broken or you get a ‘no spark’ problem.

It's possible to put it back on wrong & break it. Look at the slot on the end of the cam shaft. Whatever angle it happens to be, turn the distributor tang to match it. Make sure you can tell the wide side from the narrow side on both the cam & distributor! (close counts). Place the distributor on the front of the engine, gently push it in place & slowly turn the distributor body until you feel the tang slip into the slot. Rotate the distributor body until the bolt holes line up. Hand tighten the two bolts until the distributor body is flush with the timing gear cover.


* Unscrew the plate hold down screw & remove the C clip to get the plate out. Remove the shaft & weights. The weights should freely move.


* *NAPA part numbers:

• Points: FD-6769X
• Condenser: FD-71
• Rotor: FD-104
• Cap: FD-126
75 Tips
 
Bruce and Royse, I would buy you both a cold beverage of your choosing if I could. After tearing back into it this morning I discovered two issues.

#1 was no voltage to the coil which was traced back to a faulty ignition switch.

#2 when I was messing around with the distributor on the bench I had a heck of a time getting the new points in and the spring part of the points was making contact with the base plate retainer spring which was slightly out of alignment.

Both issues have been repaired, tested and spark has been re-established.

Thanks again for your help! Dan
 

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