What did I do? Case SC won't turn over...

Brought my first tractor home last Saturday. It's a Case SC. It started right up when we picked it up and we drove it onto the trailer with no problem. When we were going to unload, the battery died and wouldn't turn the starter. went to jump the tractor - my dad hooked the black(what I always use as ground) to the + battery terminal without telling me and I hooked my red to the + on my truck and then I saw smoke coming from the tractor terminals and pulled it off as fast as I could.

Now, the starter will turn over but the engine won't fire. We also tried towing it and popping it into gear but the engine still won't fire. It's as if there's no spark/combustion in the chamber? Did I do this when I screwed the cables up or could this be something else? any ideas?
-Jameson

Jamo58,Your lucky that your dad still has his eyesight.Jumping a 6 volt battery with 12 volts will cause a 6 volt battery to explode in your face!Let alone jumping it up positive to negative, that will even cause 2 volt batteries to explode,Hydrogen Gas.If your going to jump start a 6 volt system hook the positive jumper cable to the starter post and to the positive post of the good battery.Hook the negative jumper cable to the good battery,be sure the tractor is in neutral/brakes locked.Then touch ground jumper cable to a good ground on the tractor frame,clutch housing bolt ect.

Now we need some more info about the tractor.Does it still have a magneto or is it a distributor with a external coil?

Jamo,
There are many things on your post, that are disturbing.
1. When towing a tractor you use the clutch on the tractor to engage the motor to turn. You do NOT pop it in gear. If the clutch was engaged prior to poping it in gear, It could start an ram the vehicle ahead.
2.Before attaching cables, check the batery + and/or - as many old tractors came with + ground. A case SC was + ground. If it hasn't been changed, the red jumper cable would be hooked to the + terminal on your truck battery and to the chassis of the SC, or on the battery + to + and negative to negative. THERE IS NO SAFETY STARTER SWITCH ON THE SC AND THERFORE IT ABSOLUTE NECESSARY THAT YOU SHAKE THE GEAR SHIFT< TO MAKE SURE IT IS IN NEUTRAL AND THE CLUTCH IS MANUALLY DISENGAGED (PULLED TO REAR) !!!! A man was killed yesterday, by pushing the starter button, while standing in front of the tire. The motor started and ran over him.
If the SC still has a magneto, it is independent of the batery-starter- generator. The on/off switch is a "Kill switch", meaning it shorts out the magento. The original switch is pushed down, for run position and pulled up to stop motor. If the tractor is still magneto equiped, you probably didn't cause any damage to it. Not starting is probably a separate issue like moisture in the magneto cap.
If the magneto has been modified to a coil setup in the place of the magneto, allthe above could be different. The safety issue still applies.
Charles Krammin SW MI

Just throwing this out - I thought the Rock Island tractors are the only positive ground or am I still asleep?

John, you are correct. The Racine tractors were negative ground. Allan.

Hardly any tractor of that age has a completely original electrical system. It may have been a Magneto - 6v neg ground when it left Racine but what is it now?

Info would make remote diagnosis easier.

it's been converted to a 12 volt system. and that's an alternator on the front of the tractor in the first picture...right? Before I do anything else stupid I figured I'd ask questions.

What are my (2) toggle switches (one on the left and one on the right) on the dash doing since it's been converted?

What else would help you guys help me.


PS yes I know it's a bad paint job...I wish the guy would've just left it as it was but he didn't...maybe once I understand how to get this thing running correctly I can work on making it look nice.

Thanks
-Jameson

From the pictures it looks as though your tractor has been converted to a distributor. This means you ignition switch should be pulled out to run and pushed in for off (opposite that for a magneto). The other toggle switch on the dash should be for lights.

Without knowing your background, I can't stress these words enough: BE CAREFUL. There is a lot that can go wrong, especially on a tractors that has been 'improved' such as yours.

Good luck.

Jamo,Ok now that we know it has a alternator and its a 98% probability that your tractor is now a negative ground system.Also after hooking up the jumper cables backwards you smoked the alternator.First charge your battery with charger cables /red to + black to - .If the battery won't hold a charge ,replace it.Next with a 12 volt test light or meter,ground the light to a good ground block bolts ect.Turn ignition switch on (should be the one on the left side)like Mathias said. Then check for power at the rear post of the resister mounted just in front of the distributor you should have power from the switch.Next check for power at the front post (wire that goes to coil)should have power.Next remove distributor and check the points be sure the contacts are clean.Run a piece of heavy clean paper or a dollar bill and polish them.Check the gap when on the cam lobe should be .025 I think.Check inside the cap and the rotor for carbon tracks.Replace rotor and cap,With a helper remove the coil wire from the cap, hold it 1/8"to 1/4" from the block or head.Be sure its in neutral switch on then crank engine over and check for spark.Let us know.

Sorry,missed CAP
Next remove distributor CAP! and check the points be sure the contacts are clean.

Kind of wondering too---.My 41 SC is negative ground but if my memory serves me our 51 DC was positive ground.Both 6 volt systems.

Den and everyone else, thanks for the replies. Provided I don't have to work again this weekend, I will be able to get back to the farm to check everything out. In the mean-time, I'm waiting on a new resistor to come in from the Auto-Parts store as a quick look last week revealed the cloth cylinder part of the resistor was cracked.