Owatonna Swather no spark, no start condition.

Ok, to start I saved a vert early Owatonna swather last fall from the scrap heap. Engine locked up, but complete. It has a Wisconsin 4 cylinder with all of the engine controls on the engine. I wanted to move the controls to the operating station, rather than on the engine. It seemed like a bad spot just in case something were to happen and you had to shut down the unit. So, I made a small 10? x 10? dash with a start button, choke cable, ammeter and on/off button. Last year, I was able to get the engine freed up and it ran great. Left it outside this winter, but I covered the engine with plastic and a tarp, fogged the engine and let it be. I went to start it in the old control configuration and no spark. Nothing. Nothing at the coil, plugs or points. So I figured now (2 days ago) would be a good time to install my new dash and controls. The new configuration requires a starter solenoid so I don?t have to run heavy cables 8 feet. I added the solenoid, wired it as I have on my Allis Chalmers D14 and Oliver 550, nothing. No click, no nothing. Moved it to a spot with a better ground, nope. Checked continuity to ground, good. Checked for 12volts at the battery post to the solenoid metal case, good. 12volts to the starter button, 12 volts to the S terminal when pushed. Nothing. Tried another new solenoid, same thing. What the hell? I can?t even go back and check for spark unless I can get this thing to crank. If I jumper the battery post of the solenoid to the stater post, it will crank. The whole purpose of the exercise was to eliminate long, large cables and to be able to start this thing from the safety of the seat. What am I missing?

Here is the diagram I am using

What is the make/part # of the solenoids you've tried?

Not all solenoids that look the same outside are wired the same internally.

I you have an Ohmmeter, with the battery disconnected, read the Ohms between the "S" and "I" terminals and the "S" terminal and both large terminals and post back, please.

Will do

14.6 ohms s to I terminal on one solenoid
OL/no reading on the other solenoid

No reading s terminal to either large terminal on both solenoids

that I ternial may be a neg on some soleniods did you tryn grounding it. should try a volt drop test putnyour meter postive on battery postive and neg on starter terminal should read battery volts then hit starter switch and see what it reads. If stays the same soleniod didn,t close.

(quoted from post at 18:26:47 04/02/20) 14.6 ohms s to I terminal on one solenoid
OL/no reading on the other solenoid

Click to expand...

Do as "DNW in MI" says with the solenoid that reads "14.6 ohms s to I terminal".

Asking again, make and part number of the solenoids (I would have assumed they'd be the same)?

One solenoid is generic, the other is an older 1970's Jeep solenoid NOS.

I'm not sure when your unit was made, but those early models, like my 1955 M-H swather had a 6V positive ground system. I assume yours has a VE4 or VF4 engine. If it has an Auto-Lite starter, it's probably 6V. If it's a Presto-Lite, then more then likely 12V (not sure what ground polarity Prestolite used.)