Ferguson TO-20 No Spark

Hello first time trying to get this 1950 Ferguson TO-20 tractor
running in 6 years it?s still the original 6V positive ground. Got
new battery, new coil(was told 12V coil will work), new plug
wires, new distributor cap. I can?t seem to get any spark, I
took an electrical tester and I have power on both sides of the
coil, and from the positive terminal on the coil to the distributor
housing. Still no spark, so I tried taking a wire from the battery
to the negative end of the coil. Still no spark, taking the wire
from the coil that goes into the distributor cap and holding that
to the engine block while cranking there isn?t a spark. Taking
the cover and rotor off and seeing the points and condenser
which appears to have been replaced. I can spark between
the points by taking a screw driver and arcing between them.
But I still have no spark!!! Does anyone have a idea why this
would be, thanks in advance.

Welcome rsoyring!

Start with the coil. No, a 12v coil will not work on a 6v system.

You're old coil is probably still good. I would try it, see if it will work.

To test the points, put your volt meter from the distributor lead side of the coil to ground. With the points open, you should read near battery voltage. With the points closed, you should read 0 volts.

It is common for points to corrode from sitting. Clean them with a point file, or use a business card and contact/brake cleaner.

In order for a 6v system to work and make sufficient spark, everything must be in good order. The battery needs to be fully charged, the starter must be working as it should, the battery cables need to be size 0 or larger. Many times the original cables are replaced with standard automotive cables. They are too small and will cause hard/no start due to voltage drop.

Once you establish spark, be sure there is clean fuel in the tank and carb. There is a drain plug under the carb bowl. Pull the plug and catch the flow in a clean glass. With the fuel valve open, you should get a continuous flow, not slow to a drip or stop. Look at what was caught, be sure it is clean, not clouded with water. If it's dirty, the tank is contaminated and will need to be removed and cleaned.

A small amount of oil in each cylinder will help seal and lube the rings.

Check the engine oil and transmission oil. Crack the drain plug loose, if there is coolant or water in the oil, stop! Drain the water out now before starting and emulsifying it.

When it is ready to start, it may be easier to put in a 12v battery temporarily, just for the first start. It won't hurt anything, just don't leave the ignition on, don't run it a long time. and don't crank too long. If it doesn't start right away, something is wrong.

Let us know how it goes!

whenever I have had a "no spark" I would replace the condenser first thing. easy and cheap procedure. if that does not solve the problem go from there.

Thanks for the suggestions! The parts guy told me the 12V coil would work although I was thinking that doesn?t seem right. I?m gonna order some more parts on Monday and later this week I?ll hopefully have it running! I replaced the engine oil already was just black no white! Also have replaced the gas with fresh gas and replaced the sediment bowl. Thanks for the help again much appreciated.

NAPA coil IC7SB, < $20. Try it.

rsoyring said:You have spark between the points by using a screw driver to short the points or trip the points so they open and spark? Open the points with a popsicle stick and see if they spark. Maybe just clean the points would help.

"was told 12V coil will work"

There are 2 versions of a "12 volt coil" One should be marked "12 volts, No external resistor required" It should have about 3 ohms across the + and - primary posts. It will not work on 6 volts.

The other should be marked "12 volts, External resistor required". It should have about 1 1/2 ohms across the + and - terminals. A 6 volt coil has about 1 1/2 ohms, so this version of a 12 volt coil will work on 6 volts without using the added resistor.

Alright update #2 I went and bought the NAPA coil I was recommended, installed it and had spark if I held it to the block. Then went and got points, condenser and rotor. Went to put them on and checked spark at the plug still no spark. Went back to the coil and now it won?t spark. Recharged the battery and tried again and no spark. Took a wired from the battery to the negative end of the coil. Took my electric tester and I have power on the neg side but not on the pos side of the coil. Could the coil already gone bad? Thanks again any help is very much appreciated.

New coils are usually not very delicate and should not be the problem. Not saying it isn't possible, but imho coils usually only go bad if they get too hot. With dist cap off and everything hooked up otherwise, crank tractor and see if there is any spark at points. If not, I would first suspect a problem with points or condensor or connection at distributor. The pos. wire from the coil could be shorting. Condensors are sometimes bad out of the box. If you have spark at points, the problem most likely is with cap or rotor or wire from coil to top of cap. I'm assuming the plug wires are correct.

Finally got it to run the other day! Need all new coil, condenser, points and a new wire from the coil to distributor housing. Seems to run fine except for a little leak from the valve cover gasket, already got a new gasket ordered, thanks for your help much appreciated!