Number one, bar none, problem with cranking (with a good battery) is poor connections.
My '68 diesel 4500 has no electrical system to speak of - one of these years, but it's not a big deal for me. I charge the battery, haul it over to the tractor, set it on the ground, connect the cables and...
...well, last time, it was no click, fiddle, no click, fiddle, go get the terminal brush, brush, reconnect, click, fiddle, click, fiddle, crank-vroom.
Disconnect battery, insulate the positive terminal just in case something works, tuck cables under hood, go put battery on charger.
When I thought the starter was dead once, one of the cables fell apart in my hands as I was unbolting it to get at the starter. New end crimped on at the welding store, starter works fine.
Now, you may actually have rat damage. But it might be worth checking the state of the battery and connections before you get too convinced....
And another thing. Find some hose that fits over the positive battery cable and slip it over there. A Classic problem with this series is for the positive battery cable to wear a hole in its insulation, short out and start arcing, not uncommonly to the fuel tank, (I think the fuel tank seam is what often wears the hole) and set the tractor and barn it's in (if any) on fire.
Which kinda sucks.
The mechanical voltage regulator is the next most likely thing to actually fiddle with, clean up, and adjust (or replace, but people claim they really don't die as much as need to be adjusted) now that I go back and see that you say it starts OK if jumped, though if you're not connecting a battery charger to it when it's parked for long enough to recharge the battery, and it's not charging, your battery won't be all that happy, either. Ah, wait - it used to, but now it does not. Got it. I'd recheck all the connections before getting too excited about the rats unless you see something obviously chewed.
Same-Day Shipping! Most of our stocked parts ship the same day you order (M-F). Expedited shipping available, just call! Most prices for parts and manuals are below our competitors. Compare our super low shipping rates! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor. We are a Company you can trust and have generous return policies! Shop Online Today or call our friendly sales staff toll free (800) 853-2651. [ More Info ]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
About this site - Yesterday's Tractors is your one-stop source for antique tractors. If you are interested in older tractors you've come to the right place! Join more than 275,000 other classic tractor enthusiasts from all over the globe. We have many resources for antique tractor enthusiasts available including photos, classified ads, more than 24 tractor discussion forums, a show guide, values, specs and much more. Bookmark this site and come back often. Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to use our feedback form to send us your comments, suggestions and ideas.
