Starter

[b:e7eed4fb0f]Hey Guys,

My 1948 8N started right up when I took her out of the shed this Spring. I was able to plow and disk the garden but now she won't start. I think the problem may be the starter but I don't know how to tell if it is. What is the best way to test the starter?[/b:e7eed4fb0f]

Is the battery fully charged?

scolley.........describe "won't start". I flunked mind reading, just ask my ex-wife of 38-yrs. Yer starter motor is rather robust but there's lots of other things which can cause a "non-start" situation ........respectfully, Dell

Does it turn over?
if not check the battery and the connections at the battery, starter, solenoid and grounds.
It also helps the older rigs if you run an extra ground cable between the battery and a starter bolt/nut.

If it turns over slowly:
* battery may be low, shorted or sulfated
* a large electric draw, the starter/Bendix could be dragging
* a large electric draw, a short
* engine could be dragging
Check by pulling starter and hook to battery with jumper cables.
and If starter turns over correctly:
* engine could be dragging


If engine turns over correctly it may be a lot of little things but we would need more information to go on.

Luck to ya

Okay, for starters, hee-hee, we need a bit more info to help you diagnose problem. First, don't 'assume' anything. The correct method of problem solving anything is a methodical, logical, system of checks and balances in order to eliminate causes and get to the root cause. So tell us if it is a 6-volt/positive ground original setup or a 12 volt convert. A weak battery will certainly cause a non-start issue so start there too. How old is the battery? If in doubt, you can take it to your trusty local starter/alternator shop guy and he can bench test it under load to determine if it is good or bad. Report back with findings but I recommend not just tossing a whole bunch of new parts into the mix before going through step by step.

[i:654c4848f0][b:654c4848f0]<font size="4">Tim *PloughNman* Daley(MI)</font>[/b:654c4848f0][/i:654c4848f0]<table width="100" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#000000"><tr><td height="25" colspan="2" bgcolor="#CC0000"></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td></td></tr></table>

Thanks everyone.

It's a 12 Volt conversion. It's probably the wiring. It's been a mess since I got it. JMOR and others have helped me with the diagrams and I'm going to tackle that as soon as school is out for the Summer. My neighbor thinks it may be the starter and I just thought that there may be some easy way to test the starter to see if it is still good.

I shall report back my findings.

" there may be some easy way to test the starter"

There is. See tip # 43.

But your starter isn't the most likely source of the problem.

1. A weak battery (charge it & check it per tip # 49. Or get it load tested.)*

2. Dirty grounds/connections (remove the cables & clean the connections)

3. Bad cables or incorrect sized cables (replace them - see tip # 41)**

4. Bad ground between the starter & the block. (pull the starter away from the block & clean the mating area - see tip # 36)


And finally, rewiring the tractor would be a great idea! (tip # 42)

* No matter what else you do, the battery must be fully charged. A float charger is helpful; not a trickle charger, but a float charger. (I use Battery Tenders on all my tractors) If you need to jump it, see tip # 43. No, it doesn’t need to be 12v. Plenty of N’s start just fine on 6v in below 0* temps. Your battery loses 33 percent of its power when the temperature dips below freezing, and over 50 percent of its power when the temperature falls below zero. A fully charged battery will not freeze until -76°F; however, a fully discharged battery can start to freeze at 32°F. So……keep the battery fully charged!

** You can't see corrosion under the insulation.
75 Tips