[AT] Points

[Stephen Offiler]

Here's an old tractor subject to chat about.  I've got a JD 440IC, where IC
is "Industrial Crawler".  But it has farm tractor roots, tracing back to
the JD 420, further back to the 40, and before that the model M.  It's a
vertical twin gas engine.

I only get a chance to run it a few times a year, and each time I do, I
have to give the points a pretty good cleaning.  Knowing this, it's the
first place I go (after fresh fuel) before I even attempt to fire it.  And
yet, somehow, it seems that I end up getting after those points three or
four times before I get consistent spark.

Sitting, it seems, allows the points to corrode (it is stored indoors, but
in a building well-vented to outdoors) and I guess I'm initially reluctant
to take off too much material, hence, the need to go back in several times
until I get enough.

Anybody else have this sort of trouble with points?  Right now, I am
conducting an experiment.  After the last run (only a few weeks ago) I took
a piece of jute and soaked it with WD-40 then stuck it between the points
before I buttoned the cap back on and walked away.  At the moment I don't
know if this actually works;  a proper test probably entails letting it sit
4-6 months.  Ideas?

SO