Farmall 200 will not start

I have had a Farmall 200 for about 15 years and it has always ben dependable. A couple months ago it would occasionally just quit. It would typically start again right away, but somtimes i would have to pull it in the winter because the battery has never cranked it very well even when fully charged. It sure seemed like a switch problem because it would just cut out like you turned it off. I replaced the switch but it did not help.

Anyway I lived with the occasional stall for a couple months figuring if it got worse I would have to look at it. Well it got worse. It will not start, or even fire. I suspected a ground issue so I replaced the battery cables with bigger ones. I also replaced the old cracked an brittle ignition wires. I tested voltage at the coil and it is good. The points were a little worn so I replaced them along with the condenser, the rotor and the cap while I was at it. Also the plugs. All these things while probably not totally necessary, were probably due anyway.

I have spark at the plugs and the timing seems right ( I have repeatedly checked with multiple helpers...)

It will not fire at all even with starting fluid. I thought maybe I messed up the wires on the distributer cap, but have checked it repeatedly and they seem right.

I checked compresssion and it is about 90 in all 4 cyl.

I still think it is something with a ground issue or weak spark ( i tried a new coil too) but I am at a loss for what else to try. Any ideas would be a big help.

Thanks

Your plug wires need to be in this firing order on the cap:

2-1
4-3 As the rotor rotates CW.

Did you remove the distributor? Hal

You probably need to remove No1 sparkplug near the fan and bring that piston to tdc on the compression stroke. Hold your thumb over the plug hole while a helper slowly hand cranks the engine until you feel pressure against your thumb. Then drop a long plastic straw on top of the piston and you watch the straw rise while the helper keeps slowly cranking. When the straw quits rising your No1 piston should be at TDC on the compression stroke. Remove the distributor cap and see where your rotor is pointing. It should be at the No1 plug tower. Both valves should be closed too.

If you didn't pull the distributor and the rotor is off, something may have jumped timing either the gear on the distributor of the cam gear. Hal

El Toro,

I did not pull the distributor, but I did replace the cap. The engine has the firing order on it as 1-4-3-2. It did the trick with the compression stroke on cyl 1, and the rotor seems to be in line with where the post on the dist. cap would be.

I took off the valve cover, and all valves seem to be free and seating ok, as the gap between the lifter and valve stem is the same across the board when they are closed.

There is s little play on the rotor shaft. My neighbor said that is normal? Should I try to advance or delay the timing? If there is no backfire, would that point toward it firing late?

I think that's the same engine used in the Super C's and the firing order is 1-3-4-2. Has this tractor run lately? When you had No1 piston at TDC on the compression stroke your rotor should be pointing to the No1 plug tower that's around 2 o'clock. The rotor should turn CW. Swap 3 & 4 wires and see if the engine fires. Hal

2-1
4-3

I double checked the wires. 1-3-4-2 is what is stamped on the block and what I have it at.

The tractor ran in July when i did some mowing. But I did not try to run it until a couple weeks ago when I was going to put on the snow blade for winter. But I have not been able to get it running. It is stored inside my garage not outside.
Is there a guideline for how much spark is enough?
All the plugs spark but i am not sure if it could be to week.

Is

If you hold a plug wire away from the sparkplug the spark should jump 1/4" and if it doesn't you have weak fire. Rub those points with some 320 wet or dry until they're shiny. If they're pitted replace them. Install a new condenser to see if that's the problem. With your points open and your ignition switch on you should have battery voltage on both small terminals on your coil. If the fire looks weak I try another coil.

When you did the compression check test on No1 piston at TDC was the rotor pointing to your No1 plug wire whch is about 2 o'clock? If you don't remember redo that by bringing your No1 piston near the fan to TDC on the compression stroke. If it isn't at No1 plug wire something may have cause your distributor to jump time. Even with weak fire your engine should fire when squirting ether into the air intake or carburetor. It doesn't take much fire for that to ignite. Hal

The rotor does point to the #1 on tdc. I replaced the points condenser plugs coil rotor and cap. The plugs spark but it will not fire even with ether.