[AJD] B timing solved

[nick_solomon at infostations.com]

I do appreciate everybodys thourough responses to help, spark plugs are
brand new out of the box. plug wires are newer copper cored wires, points
test 0 every time, took my meter to the coil and set it to ohms, had one
lead on the button, one grounded to the mag case, got a solid zero, this
is likely my trouble, as it is the original paper and varnish wrapped
coil, the covering is flaking away, and it looks like somebody broke off
one of the leads and picked out some of the wire and soldered a new lead
to it, in a shabby manner no less. sigh...... and upon pulling the
inspection cover on the crank, I can see that the cam gear index is in
perfect sync with the crank shaft. Now that Im all but certain its the
coil, I suppose I don't have a choice, less anybody knows how to rebuild a
coil, my father said to take it apart and find similar wire and re do it
my self just for kicks, but Im not sure Ive got the time for that

Nick

> Nick:
>
> This is good. Let's think positive and assume your coil in the magneto is
> really good. There is a way to manually test the magneto to see if it is
> producing a hot enough spark but it may take two people to do it. I don't
> remember if this is a manual or electric start tractor but try to find out
> how far the spark will jump external to the sparkplug first.
>
> But first make sure the plug wires are connected right. If the magneto is
> timed and installed properly the top wire on the cap should go to #1 or
> the
> left cylinder and the bottom one to #2 or the right cylinder. If the
> magneto
> is installed 180 degrees out then the wires will have to be reversed.
>
> Hold the end of the sparkplug wire close to a bare part of the metal frame
> of the tractor. Maybe a 1/4 of an inch or so while the engine is being
> turned over. The spark should jump across this gap with a bright blue
> spark
> and make a snapping sound. If you have trouble getting the spark to jump
> or
> the color isn't blue but yellow then the spark is weak and further work
> needs to be done at the magneto. If you are getting a good spark this way
> then remove the plugs, attach the plug wires to each plug, ground the base
> of the plug to some bare metal on the tractor and test to see if you are
> getting a strong spark at the gap in the plugs. Not getting a good spark
> at
> the plug gap? Then the plugs need to be cleaned or replaced. If it is good
> then there is a g
> ood chance the ignition is working properly. However, there
> still is a possibility that the plugs aren't firing under compression.
> Replacing the plugs is the only way to verify this as a problem.
>
> Now if you are not getting a good spark from the magneto through the wires
> then one of several other problems may exist. Wires can be bad?  If they
> are
> carbon based wires throw them away and get copper core wire versions
> immediately. Once the wires are proven to be good then moving back up the
> serial chain back to the magneto cap check to see if you are getting a
> good
> strong spark out of the cap. This can be accomplished by partially pulling
> the wires out of the cap and turning the motor over to see if you can see
> and hear the spark jump from the cap to the wire. If not the cap may be
> bad
> and the copper conductors inspected, cleaned and rechecked. Maybe even a
> cap
> replacement may be necessary. But before that remove the cap, check to see
> that the rotor is clean and in good repair with all the contacts clean and
> in good condition.  Then check to see if there is a spark being developed
> when the points open after being closed. This can be done manually or
> watching them while the engine is being turned over. No spark, then check
> to
> see if the point contacts are clean and closing properly. An ohm meter
> would
> be really handy here to check to see if the there truly is  ohms across
> the
> points when they are closed. If not clean and adjust the points until they
> truly reduce the resistance to 0. There is also a remote chance the
> condenser may have shorted out or is leaking badly. To test that just
> disconnect the condenser temporarily. The tractor will run with it
> disconnected but shouldn't be left disconnected.
>
> Now if none of these steps solve the problem there is a good chance the
> coil
> has gone bad assuming you are getting a good impulse from the spring
> mechanism on the coil. You can hear if that is working or not. You heard
> that sound when you manually timed the magneto.
>
> The bottom line is just work your way back from the spark plugs until you
> isolate the problem.  Good luck.  Hope this helps.
>
>
>
> Dean A. Van Peursem
> Snohomish, WA 98290
>
> I'm a walking storeroom of facts..... I've just lost the key to the
> storeroom door
>
>
> www.deerelegacy.com
>
> http://members.cox.net/classicweb/email.htm
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: antique-johndeere-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
> [mailto:antique-johndeere-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of
> nick_solomon at infostations.com
> Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2005 11:15 AM
> To: Antique John Deere mailing list
> Subject: [AJD] B timing solved
>
> I think Ive got it just about as close to in time as humanly possible
> after 6 tries I got the slot flat, for some reason It didn't want to mesh
> the first 5 tries, and it still pops a little bit,but won't start.  I tore
> into my magneto and tested everything which in the past had been ok, and
> my coil seems to be shorted out. is it still possible to get a bit of a
> spark with a bad coil? has anybody every tried to rebuild their own coil?
> tips? Im low on funds right now and need to just get it going to move it
> so I don't kill myself pushing it( the day it stopped running I had it
> parked smack in the middle of my drive blocking my garage where my truck
> is parked... which normally Id use to pull it to where it needed to
> be)love how luck works huh?
>
> Nick
>
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