[AT] It runs! Cub won't run update

[Greg Hass]

First, I would like to thank everyone who replied to my problem with 
many good ideas. In this case, however, it was John Halls idea of 
checking the spark at the magneto with the cover off that got me on the 
way, although I also checked everyone else's over as well. In my case, I 
never saw so many twists and turns to a problem. It all started when I 
went to start my cub, which had ran fine when parked 3 weeks earlier. 
When it won't start, I first checked the gas, which happened to be 
empty. When I put gas in it ran on my feet because the gas line, not 
steel, had split. After putting on a new hose it still wouldn't start. I 
then towed it to the shop and removed the distributor cap and wiped it 
clean and shined up the terminals, still nothing. Next I removed the mag 
to file and set the points, noticed the impulse didn't seem smooth so I 
squirted wd-40 into the impulse and it took almost a whole can before it 
stopped flushing out rust. Lightly oiled impulse and reinstalled. Tried 
to start and only got a few loud backfires. Seemed strange so started 
checking things out. Seems some sob mixed up every single plug wire. I 
can't prove it but during the 3 weeks it was parked I had a crew of 5 
putting a new roof on the building the cub was stored in. 3 of them had 
done work here before
   but 2 were new. I suppose someone else could have come in but seems 
unlikely. Corrected the wires and got it to fire once or twice on 1 
cylinder. Put in new plugs as I had never changed them in the years I 
owned it. Still nothing, so I got new points and condenser; got some 
spark at the coil but no fire at plugs. Back to town for a new 
distributor cap which didn't help. The first time I retimed the mag, I 
didn't notice the rotor hook the distributor clip and it wedged reel 
tight and I though maybe I had bent something ( the rotor on the cub mag 
is driven by a small shaft which turns gear teeth molded into the rim of 
the rotor) so I had taken the end of a mag I had gotten of a cub power 
unit and replaced mine. When I couldn't get spark with the new cap I 
started looking around and by holding the old cap to the mag I 
discovered someone must have messed with it because when the points 
fired the rotor was between plugs. Off came the mag again and I put the 
original rotor unit on. I now had some fire to the plugs but only an 
occasional pop. It was now 5:03 and I was pi$$ed. I called the dealer to 
see how long they were open and they said 5:30 so I said I'd be right 
there. I bought a 12 volt coil with internal resistor and was home by 6. 
By 8PM I had the coil on and was ready to test. I had not installed a 
switch so held the power wire to the starter terminal with vise grips. 
Pulled the starter rod and it fired up on the second cylinder and purred 
like a kitten. The next day I installed a 2 terminal switch to replace 
the kill switch. It now runs great. In the end it appears the problem 
was the mag coil but why everything else at the same time is a mystery. 
Cost to change, coil $14.50; push pull switch from case-ih $23.95. Total 
time fooling around, over 20 hours over a weeks time, 5 trips to the ih 
dealer (I,m only 3 miles away) and removing the mag 10 times; easier for 
me than working on it in the tractor, plus an unknown amount of headache 
medicine.
                Greg Hass