Ferguson 35

Hello Old tractor enthusiasts!
I've replaced the solenoid, internal resistor, starter, key switch ( aftermarket, not key with with push button), installed a one wire alternator and a volt meter replaced the original ammeter. Changed spark plugs and wires, will replace cap and rotor soon and install an electronic ignition if i can get Ole Red running again.
Wiring is new...2gauge for positive and negative batt terminals, 12 g for resistor, 12 g from IGN on key switch to solenoid terminal, the other wires are 10g.14g or 16 g for volt meter.
We jumped the starter today, it engaged, tractor tried to turn over, which rules out a stuck flywheel. Yeah!!
Current symptoms: The solenoid is clicking when i turn the key switch all the way to the right to start the tractor. All metal on the block has been sanded for proper grounding... what on earth am i doing wrong??
Wiring:
1. alternator wire and pos battery cable to top of solenoid.
2. neg batt cable to chassis
3. key switch: battery wire 10 g from pos battery term to B. Voltmeter to ACC( not sure if this is right but its reading voltage ), internal resistor wired to IGN with small brown wire), other small wire on resistor to distributer.
unmarked center post on key switch wired to smaller 3rd post on solenoid.
Volt meter grounded to chassis.
Battery is also new and fully charged.
entire system is 12 volt, negative ground.

If anyone has any suggestions of what i might try next that would be much appreciated!
Im not a mechanic but want to fix this great tractor! it was running great a few months ago!!
Thank you!!
Shawn and Ole Red of Sebastopol CA

Hello Shawn and Ole Red welcome to YT! Well luckily
you must not have had a kitchen sink around or you
would have had that bolted on your tractor as well. ; >
) That is all the picking on the new guy that I will do.
Okay your volt meter is reading between 12.3 and 12.7
with the key on? If so I agree it APPEARS you have a
fully charged battery. There is a possibility that your
new solenoid is bad. Try this. Disconnect the negative
battery terminal from the battery. Then bolt the
positive battery cable and the starter cable both on to
one side of the solenoid does not matter which side.
Next unbolt the negative battery cable from the
tractor; not that familiar with a 35 but hopefully it bolts
somewhere easily accessible. Place a nice shiny
washer under the bolt and tighten it in place without
the cable. Now connect the negative cable back onto
the battery making sure the other end does not touch
the tractor. Now make SURE the tractor is in NEUTRAL.
Now firmly touch the terminal lug end of the negative
cable to the washer and yes there may be some arcing
but the tractor engine should turn over if the starter is
good. So if you got a positive result there put
everything back as it was before. The next step will
require a testing volt meter. You will need to test the
voltage on the solenoid terminal to the starter when
you turn to start and hear the click, report back.
Couple things you could clarify, some people mean
different things by what they say. When you say when
jumped ..the tractor tried to turn over.. does ..tried turn
over.. mean the starter turned the engine but it did not
run on its own power? Turn over to me is only the act
of the starter cranking the engine. Lastly you say
..other small wire on resistor to distributer.. did you
just word that incorrectly? The wire should go to the
positive terminal of the ignition coil. That item has no
affect on if the start system works properly it was just
something I noticed that is not correct in your
description.

What I understand is the solenoid clicks in, but the starter does
nothing?

Do you have a volt meter?

Try this, connect the negative lead to the starter case, be sure it is on
clean, unpainted metal so you get a good reading, then connect the
positive lead to the actual input stud where the solenoid connects to the
starter.

Have an assistant try the starter. If no voltage, start systemically
moving one lead at a time until you find where you are losing voltage.
What this does is check the electrical system under load, the only way to
get a true test.

A common failure with those is where the negative strap connects to the
sheet metal. Be sure that connection is tight and clean or move the cable
to somewhere on the engine.

Just be careful. the engine could begin to crank any time during the
tests. Be sure it is in neutral!

Thank you for your reply and help!!! I will try what you've suggested my next day off!
Shawn and Ole Red

Thank you Tractor Guru!! I'll test the solenoid soon! You're help is much appreciated!
Shawn

Good morning Tractor Guru,

I will be testing the solenoid shortly.

When you refer to the negative strap connecting to the sheet metal... I don't believe we have such a strap.

We have the 2 gauge cable from the negative battery post to the engine. I will make such we have a solid connection. Do we need a strap also and if so from where to where?

Thanks for the help.

Shawn and Ole Red

This post was edited by spelman35 on 11/14/2022 at 08:03 am.

No, originally the tractor had a braided strap for a
negative cable, see picture. Connecting direct to the
engine as you are is really better.

(quoted from post at 11:10:09 11/14/22) No, originally the tractor had a braided strap for a
negative cable, see picture. Connecting direct to the
engine as you are is really better.

<img src=https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto140596.png>

Click to expand...

OK gotcha. Glad what we have is an improvement.
So... we tested the solenoid with the volt meter, just as before 12.4 volts from batt to top of solenoid, when key is turned to the on position and the button is pushed solenoid continues to click and the voltage does not travel to the starter.
My husband states this clicking issue is an issue we've intermittently had with Ole Red over the years.
Could we have the wrong solenoid? It's a new 12 volt i purchased when i recently bought the parts for the alt conversion.
I swapped out the key switch and wired up the push button thinking perhaps that might make a difference. It did not.
What to try next?)) Thank you Steve!!
Shawn and Ole Red

Okay, so you did not like my method. It would have told
us if your battery, starter and the cables you are using
would crank your engine. But that is fine we can
continue your way going through all the this and thats.
Hold your meter leads onto the terminals on the
battery that clamp around the post. Now engage the
key switch to the start position. Does the voltage hold
above 11 V or more? If so you possibly have a bad
solenoid or a bad connection at this point we do not
know which. If the voltage drops way down then your
battery is not fully charged or it is bad. Since you
jumped the tractor and the starter turned the engine I
will rule out the possibility of the starter being
grounded out internally. This would also cause the
voltage to drop way low but this does not seem to be
your problem. If the voltage stays above 11V you could
also try continuing to hold the negative test lead on
the negative battery terminal and then hold the
positive test lead to the terminal on the solenoid that
goes to the starter. Turn the key to start position and
report the voltage you see on that terminal.

Thanks Steve,
I'll continue to try this and that tomorrow.
BTW I forgot to mention we had tried it your way.
As mentioned there wan't any voltage getting to the starter when the key was on, button pushed. Just a clicking solenoid.
We'll sort this out.
Thanks again for helping us solve this mystery.