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

[charlie hill]

Greg is it possible that someone  took your mag off and replaced it with 
their old
rusty one just sticking it on quickly to hide their tracks?  It sure sounds 
like the mag
had been removed and replaced.

Glad you got it going.  I know how it is to chase those strange problems.

Charlie

-----Original Message----- 
From: Greg Hass
Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2013 4:36 PM
To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
Subject: [AT] It runs! Cub won't run update

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
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