Help Troubleshooting Electrical Issue

I have a '52 8N that is still wired 6v that was my grandfather's and I recently acquired. In my haste to get it running, I hooked up a 12v jump starter directly to the 6v battery. No issues seemed to occur
with the battery (thankfully), but the lights have now stopped working and I'm not getting any power to the distributor. Did I fry the entire electrical system? What is the best place to start?
I will say in advance, that I know what a boneheaded move this was, so let's just get that out of the way.

(quoted from post at 17:02:57 01/27/20) I have a '52 8N that is still wired 6v that was my grandfather's and I recently acquired. In my haste to get it running, I hooked up a 12v jump starter directly to the 6v battery. No issues seemed to occur
with the battery (thankfully), but the lights have now stopped working and I'm not getting any power to the distributor. Did I fry the entire electrical system? What is the best place to start?
I will say in advance, that I know what a boneheaded move this was, so let's just get that out of the way.

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hat is your battery post to post voltage now? What is voltage at battery cable ends?

Since jumping the old battery, I now have a new 6V battery that I am using. I have not checked the voltage on the new battery.

To clarify, I have a new 6V battery installed now. I can get the starter to work. I'm just not getting any power to the distributor or to any of the lights.

12 volts will kill 6 volt bulbs. were the lights turned on when u had the jump starter connected?

Next time you need to jump it...?? see tip # 43.

As JMOR said, follow the volts.

Fully charged, the battery should read 6.35 volts.

Turn the key on.

Remove the distributor cap. With the points open, check the voltage across the open points. Then, work your way back up the circuit until you find 6.35 volts.
75 Tips

Listen to Bruce(VA) and JMOR -they are the electrical experts here. Your 6V headlamps failed because the moment you connected a 12V source, they were fried as mentioned. FACT: 99.98% of all non-starting issues are caused by incorrect wiring regardless if whether they are 6V/POS GRN or 12V NEG/GRN. Just because you have a 6V battery (pertains to 12V as well) does not mean you have the electrical system wired correctly. You need to get the Essential Manuals and start a true root cause problem solving method -leave power OFF -use your VOM set to continuity and the correct wiring diagrams to trace wiring. Disconnect lights for now to take them out of the equation. Besides, they are burnt out now and will need to be replaced with the industry standard 6V Sealed Beam #4019. N-Series Lighting Kits were never factory installed anyway; they were always a dealer accessory. The roundcan angle (side) mount distributor is pretty robust so it's possible you didn't burn up the points. A rebuild/testing method will be in your diagnosis first before buying and parts. That is where your manuals come in. Do you know how to rebuild the distributor and set the timing? If you have to rebuild it, it will need to be timed with a timing light, but get wiring correct first before you power up. Your late 8N OEM 6V/PS GRN system uses a 20-AMP, 3-Wire/2-Brush B-Circuit Generator; a 3-terminal Voltage Regulator (BAT/ARM/FLD); AMMETER; Ignition Switch; a starter motor with a 3-wire solenoid; a good, fully charged 6V battery and cables; and all wired correctly. There is NO Ballast Resistor nor external resistor in-line just to be clear. Start with the manuals -best investment you can make -and copies of "75 Tips For N-Owners" by Bruce(VA) and
'WIRING PICTOGRAMS' by JMOR. *NOTE -all diagrams shown using OEM Color Coded wiring. Do not use colors to trace wires -yours may be different.

FORD 8N ELECTRICAL SCHEMATIC AFTER S/N 8N-263844:

*SEE NOTE ABOVE


~PICTOGRAM courtesy of JMOR~




FORD 8N TRACTOR ESSENTIAL OWNER/OPERATOR/PARTS/SERVICE MANUALS:

Tim Daley(MI)

Thank you very much for the detailed reply. I've ordered the manuals you have listed and will start trouble shooting with the voltage meter in the mean time.

(quoted from post at 07:43:46 01/28/20) FACT: 99.98% of all non-starting issues are caused by incorrect wiring regardless if whether they are 6V/POS GRN or 12V NEG/GRN.

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Tim,
Where did you get that fact?
My experience has been the majority of no start situation is no continuity through the points.

he didn't get it anywhere, because it's not a fact. and typing it as FACT instead of fact doesn't change a thing.

also, it's pretty comical to see the same person preach about true root cause analysis and yet go about poisoning the well with the 99.98% BS at the same time.

Following up on previous issue. I used a continuity tester to make sure I've got a complete circuit all the way to the coil and distributor. Using a voltage meter, I measured 6.2 v at the coil. This is the same reading at the wire coming to the coil, wire coming off the coil and to the distributor, and at the secondary wire (large wire) coming of the top of the coil and going to the top of the distributor.
Is this correct?
If I were to connect a spark plug to the secondary wire coming off the top of the coil, should I get a spark? (I tried but I don't seem to get anything from that)

First, at 6.2 volts, you have a weak battery. Charge it . A fully charged battery will read 6.35 volts.

Next, do you have battery voltage across the points when they are open? (with the points open, put one probe on one side of the points & the other probe on the opposite side of the points) Verify the gap on the points at .025. Then, dress the points by running a piece of card stock or brown paper bag through them. New points sometimes have an anti-corrosive dielectric coating on them & old points can corrode or pick up grease from a dirty feeler gauge or excessive cam lubricant. (I always spray my feeler gauge blade off w/ contact cleaner.) Make sure you have voltage across the points, as in past the insulator on the side of the distributor. That is a very common failure point on sidemounts, along w/ the attached copper strip. It's hard to find a short there because it is usually an intermittent . So 'wiggle' the insulator & the copper strip a bit when you are doing your checking. If you find the short there, the Master Parts catalog lists everything you need on page 154. You can make the strip and you could also make the insulators as well. But, somethings are just easier & in the long run cheaper to buy. Get the strip, 12209, screw 350032-S, 12233 bushing & 12234 insulator & just replace it all.



If you just replaced the rotor & lost spark, put the old one back in. Insure that the rotor fits firmly on the shaft & that the little clip is there. Make sure the distributor cap is not cracked, doesn?t have gouges in it from the rotor or brass shavings & doesn't have carbon tracks. Check continuity on the secondary coil wire. Make sure it is firmly seated in both the cap & the coil. Next, remove the secondary coil wire from the center of the distributor cap, turn the key on & crank the engine while holding the end of the wire 1/4" from a rust & paint free spot on the engine. You should see & hear a nice blue/white spark. If not, you have a bad coil or condenser. Just put the old condenser back in to eliminate that as a possibility.
75 Tips

(quoted from post at 16:11:53 01/30/20)
he didn't get it anywhere, because it's not a fact. and typing it as FACT instead of fact doesn't change a thing.

also, it's pretty comical to see the same person preach about true root cause analysis and yet go about poisoning the well with the 99.98% BS at the same time.

Click to expand...

Well I have to stick up for Tim here except that I could swear that back in automotive class in 1966 that they taught us that it was 99.79%.

(quoted from post at 23:15:01 02/17/20)

(quoted from post at 16:11:53 01/30/20)
he didn't get it anywhere, because it's not a fact. and typing it as FACT instead of fact doesn't change a thing.

also, it's pretty comical to see the same person preach about true root cause analysis and yet go about poisoning the well with the 99.98% BS at the same time.

Click to expand...

Well I have to stick up for Tim here except that I could swear that back in automotive class in 1966 that they taught us that it was 99.79%.

Click to expand...

use the Ivor soap number of 99 & 44/100