[AT] Step one: Stop being an idiot

[charlie hill]

It happens to all of us some times Dean.  Glad you figured it out!
I cranked my chainsaw until I was exhausted one day, sat down and thought 
about how it ALWAYS started right up and how it must need a tune up then 
cranked on it some more before I realized I hadn't turned the switch on even 
though it was less than 2 inches from my hand.

Charlie
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dean Vinson" <dean at vinsonfarm.net>
To: "'Antique tractor email discussion group'" 
<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>; "'Farmall/IHC mailing list'" 
<farmall at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 30, 2006 9:11 AM
Subject: [AT] Step one: Stop being an idiot


> Oh for Pete's sake.
>
> I've been struggling with this Farmall M, trying to get it to start.  It's
> had assorted woes since I bought it a month or so ago but had always 
> started
> easily.
>
> Last weekend I went to warm it up and change the oil, having previously
> gotten all the wiring with the generator, regulator, lights, and switch
> sorted out (thanks to many of you for help).  It wouldn't start, not so 
> much
> as a pop.  Posted some questions to the list, got some help from you 
> folks,
> tried again on Wednesday, and by then it started up.  Had some coughing 
> and
> clouds of smoke, but it started up and smoothed out so I figured it had 
> been
> flooded and didn't worry more about it.  Warmed it up, shut it down, 
> changed
> the oil.  Tried to start it back up to put the tractor away, and once 
> again,
> nothing.  Wouldn't start.  So that set off this last couple of days' worth
> of questions and suggestions.
>
> (All of which has been very helpful, and by now the carburetor and air
> cleaner are *way* cleaner than before, and the points look clean and the 
> gap
> is good, and I know what the cylinder compression is and it looks okay, 
> and
> assorted other good things).
>
> But I'd left out part of the story.  When I was warming the tractor up on
> Wednesday, I'd been happy to see the ammeter, lights, generator, and
> regulator all working.  But just as I was about to park the tractor to
> change the oil, the ammeter jumped to full discharge and stayed there even
> after I shut the engine off.  The generator itself was very warm to the
> touch, so I thought "uh oh, must have shorted internally" and I 
> disconnected
> both the BAT and L terminals on the regulator.  That stopped the drain on
> the battery, and I forgot about it while I went ahead and changed the oil.
> Figured I'd get that done while the oil was still warm, then look into 
> what
> was causing the short.
>
> So I still need to fix that short, but have spent all these hours cranking
> and checking and cleaning and poking on that tractor, and never thought to
> connect the wires from the BAT and L terminal back together.  The 
> regulator
> doesn't need to be connected for the ignition system to work--but those
> wires need to be connected.  BAT and L are common inside the regulator.
> Ignition circuit flows from the battery though the ammeter to the BAT
> terminal... then back through the L terminal to the light switch and the
> ignition switch.  Disconnecting those wires isolated whatever the short 
> is,
> but also left the ignition switch with no juice whatsoever.
>
> So this morning I put the 6V battery back in and, as several of you have
> suggested, checked the ignition circuit starting at the beginning.  About 
> 30
> seconds into it, got to the nice shiny new (disconnected) wires at the
> regulator.  Hooked them to each other, pressed the starter, and the 
> tractor
> fired right up and runs like a top.
>
> So, time to go look into that short, and see if it's really something with
> the generator.  I'll try hard to rule out the stupidity factor before
> posting any more questions...
>
> Dean Vinson
> Dayton, Ohio
> www.vinsonfarm.net
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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