Thought it needed a battery, replaced battery would crank but no spark. I had the tractor for 17 years it came with the property and always ran. Replaced condenser and points, still no spark. Saw a video that if you put a test light on the wire coming out the side of the distributor and crank it the light should flash when the points open & close, mine doesn't flash it stays lit. I should mention that it is still a positive ground 6 volt system.
- Thread starter GenXer
- Start date
Janicholson
Well-known Member
The points have a slight corrosion on them. Clean with fine emery paper, or a nail file, then clean with a folded dollar bill (no lint), I do not know the gap setting,
but it should fire. Jim
but it should fire. Jim
Unfortunatly new ignition parts are mostly junk,go find the old points and condenser and save them until your tractor is running again.
Turn key on,put test light from post THAT DOES NOT GO TO DISTRUBITOR to engine block. Did it light up? When we have that answer,we can take another step. A volt/multi-meter work's better than a light,do you have one?
Turn key on,put test light from post THAT DOES NOT GO TO DISTRUBITOR to engine block. Did it light up? When we have that answer,we can take another step. A volt/multi-meter work's better than a light,do you have one?
Steve@Advance
Well-known Member
If you have the test light connected from the distributor side of the coil to engine/body ground, and it stays on steady, no flashing, then the points are not making contact or there is a bad connection from the coil to the points.
Other possibilities, the points base plate not grounded to the distributor housing or the distributor housing is not grounded to the engine. Keep probing with the test light until you find the problem, you are on the right track.
Other possibilities, the points base plate not grounded to the distributor housing or the distributor housing is not grounded to the engine. Keep probing with the test light until you find the problem, you are on the right track.
leroy in ne
Well-known Member
- Location
- Sterling, Nebraska
Did you set the point gap when on high point of distributor cam? I have seen that mistake made in the past.
If a test lamp on the coils output (to distributors points) never flashes off with ignition on and engine cranked slowly, that means that point closure is NOT providing a good low resistance ground path...??.. Causes may be points are not fully tightly closing or burned or corroded or oxide coated (try to clean or replace) or the wirers open from coil to points. If only oxide coated a light not overly abrasive clean/buff/polish might cure the problem. Sometime passing a dollar bill through them might work or use of a points file (don't use sandpaper) if lightly burned or pitted, but if bad they need replaced. For more detailed info look at my Ignition Troubleshooting Procedure.
NOTE even with new points they sometimes have a protective coating that needs cleaned off TRY THAT. Also insure they are gapped correctly and close fully when off high cam and insure good wiring continuity from coil to distributor to points terminal...?.
John T
John Ts Ignition Troubleshooting
NOTE even with new points they sometimes have a protective coating that needs cleaned off TRY THAT. Also insure they are gapped correctly and close fully when off high cam and insure good wiring continuity from coil to distributor to points terminal...?.
John T
John Ts Ignition Troubleshooting
John, Thanks. I reviewed your Ignition Troubleshooting, won't be able to try anything for a few days, getting dark too early and my run-in shed doesn't have power. If everyone who commented can see this, I had a tune up kit for several years and if it isn't broke don't fix it. Well now it is broke, so I replaced the condenser, points & rotor, the new cap doesn't quite fit right so I used the old one. Although I grew up on electronic ignitions my dad is old school. When he was down at Thanksgiving we verified that the points were gapped correctly and set on the high point of the cam. I had a new coil but I believe I burned it out because it had a + and - side, my old one just had Batt on it. Forgetting it was a + ground system I put the + side to the key side which I believe was wrong and probably burned it out however I put the old coil back on and still have no spark. Can anyone verify that? Thanks for all your comments. Troubleshooting is a lost art, so I am here to learn as much as I can.
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