Adding key start to my ferguson

Fatjay

Member
Had a push button to connect starter to battery, and lead from battery to the ignition, then positive ground to the frame.

I used a key start and solenoid from a craftsman lawn tractor. Starts and runs like a champ!

The issue is it's a positive ground, and I'm not sure how to hook up the generator. if I touch the wire that goes from the generator to the voltage regulator to the amp meter, to the negative post it sparks with the engine not running, implying it's closing the circuit from the postive ground to the negative terminal. I don't think that should be happening, but I'm not sure.

Red - negative battery terminal into key switch.
White - hot to activate the solenoid which activates the starter
Blue - hot which goes from red(battery) to the distributor to provide spark

With the engine running, the lead from the amp meter to the connected to the red makes the amp meter jump to +12 or so, but drains the battery when it's not.

When connected to the blue wire, the amp meter jumps to +12 or so, doesn't drain the battery with it off, but makes the tractor run indefinitely when the key is off.

I feel like there needs to be a 3rd lead from the key that will be connected to red and blue with the key on, but disconnected from red and blue when the key is off, that way no battery drain, and no running forever, but when I tested with my multimeter there were no other connections on the key when it was live.

Here's what I got so far, far from finished but at least I'm off to a good start. I'd love some advice if anyone's done this before.

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I bought a new starter switch for my Ferguson TO-20, replaced it in about 5 minutes. The cost was about $20.00. So much easier to leave things as they came from the factory, for me anyway. I like the safety feature Ferguson built into starting the tractor.....Good luck, sorry I can't help.
 
My machine has undergone more than a few electrical reiterations in it's time, unfortunately, and is far from original. The key problem is I have no idea what "factory' is with this machine.
 
I thought there was one. There's 7 slots on the back, but when i connect red, it doesn't connect to anything other than blue when it's in the on position.

My question is, does the amp meter need to connect to the negative(power) or positive(ground)?
 
You may want to see what others say but as far as I know the ground (positive or negative) would only go to ground everything else would go to power side.
 
All done and buttoned up.

Had to use the headlight function on the key for the charging system, but it works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAJfM932SPU

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If you want, just think as negative as power. If your meter is wired backwards, it won't
hurt a thing, it will just show charge when you are discharging. Test by turning on
lights. If meter shows charge instead of discharge, just reverse wires.

Doesn't ferguson have a safety device to prevent you from starting tractor while it's in
gear? My farmall C doesn't have that feature. One time I pulled the starter rod, it was
in first gear and it took off while I was standing behind tractor. Good thing it wasn't
in reverse. Last time I ever started a tractor without my foot on clutch.
 
The original starter for it was to move the shift lever to the Start position, it was started using the shifter. However at some point that was either broke or replaced, and it's undergone several other changes over the years since I bought it a few months ago.

I have no idea what original is supposed to look like, I was just tired of having to disconnect the battery every time I shut down to prevent battery drain, or press the push start without relay, that got red hot after 5 seconds of cranking.

Just so happened that I got a parts craftsman tractor and thought it'd be nice to add the key system. I may at some point try to figure out how the shift start works.
 

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