VAC Case Pull Start Only Update

Glenn F.

Member
Well my starter tests out fine. I cleaned some questionable battery connections. Still spark at the points when I open them with a screwdriver, but no spark when turning over with starter. Put a set of jumper cables on to assist existing battery cables. I would say it turns over even better, but still no spark to the points. I did not attempt pull starting today.

What do you think the problem is?


Thank you,
Glenn F.
 
It looks good to me. Every once in a while it will have spark at the points. I quickly put the cap & rotor on & it will often pop. Then nothing. Look at the points again & no spark. The slightest spark at the points and it tries to start. How can spark come & go, (but mostly go)?

Glenn
 
Stationary part of the points may not be grounded well. Apply a test light to the movable point, your light should be lit when the points are open, the light should go off when the points close, all the time not just once in a while. Perhaps the points are not making a positive contact with each other. Once again, a test light is very helpful
 
This sounds to me like it is somehow losing power to the points while cranking. Something like a bad ignition switch? A shorting starter switch? I night suggest that you try running a jumper wire from the battery to the hot side of the coil and try it then. If you have negative ground, run the wire from the battery positive to the coil positive. If positive ground, from the negative battery terminal to the coil negative terminal.
Some things that come to mind:
1) If the ignition switch is the same switch as the starter switch, like on a car, the switch could be breaking contact to the ignition system while cranking.
2) If there is a bypass for the coil resistor, it might be an open circuit - as in having a break in the wire someplace.
3) If it has an automotive type solenoid on the starter, and has TWO small wires going to it, one is the start trigger wire and the other is to bypass the coil resistor. Could be a bad solenoid.

Not a terribly complicated system. Limited number of things that even can go wrong.
 
This is just a wild thought, but I once had an intermittent problem where the wire from the distributor to the points was broken inside the insulation. It was a bugger to find, in fact I didn't until it failed completely. Maybe that is your problem where cranking speed has no advance but running speed advances the distributor and flexes the wire to where it makes contact. I really doubt this it the problem, but.....
 
Hot wire it. Run a wire from the battery ignition side to the ignition side of the coil and try to start it. If it starts and has good spark your problem is in the switch or wires from the coil back to the battery
 
Gene, you are right. Take a voltmeter and measure voltage. If something is suppose to be hot, it should have 12 volts or close to it. If it doesn't, you need to find out why.
 
The distributor does not turn, the advance is internal centrifugal, and not electrical. Not a flame, your idea could be important if it did! Jim
 
Your distributor may need to be re-bushed. If the rotor shaft has too much play, your cam can move in and out and this can cause your points gap to randomly change with rpm/load/etc. You can usually get a tractor with this problem to run if you set the points gap somewhat wider (or possibly narrower, depending on how you set the points) that the manual says. This mitigates the wear problem, but you get less dwell and weaker spark.
 
I've had an 1800 with an aluminum housing distributor do something like that. Spark when you move the points and nothing cranking.

The aluminum housing had lost it's ground. I took the clamps off and scraped the metal and had spark. It's done it more than once.

RT ( my two cents)
 
I had an 8n once that the insulated bushing in the side of the dist. where the stud passes through to the points was cracked and grounding occasionally. It took some searching and had to take the stud etc out to find it. I'd try a different coil first, though.
 
No one has suggested a bad coil. Why do you say that? I have little skill with a multi meter but my testing suggests it's bad.

Glenn
 
I've had this happen with plug wires. On several occasions I've bought tractors that the only way they would start is by pulling. The two most common causes were 12v coils on a 6v tractor and resistor spark plug wires where they should be copper.

Every time the tractor was a bargain because it would not start right, and was fixed for less than $20.
 
Another way! Use a second battery to run the coil and ignition (leave the switch off, or disconnect ignition from key at the coil) Attach a second battery to power the coil. A lawnmower battery or Motor cycle battery will do. If it starts, you know that the voltage is dropping out when cranking. The use of the jumper cables was also telling in that they improved speed of cranking. That fact tells me the cables need to be 0gauge and soldered. Jim
 
I don't have another 6 volt battery. Will a 6 volt charger putting out 6 amps work?

It must be noted the tractor started and ran fine eight years ago just as it's set up now. All wires, cables, points, cap, rotor, etc. remain unchanged. Thus the non starting problem developed with no explanation.

Glenn F.
 
It might, but chargers make voltage that is rectified AC. It will not hurt anything. A 12v battery and a ballast resistor from a 1960s Chevrolet will be better. Jim
 

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