In thinking about this one...is it possible that one or both of the plugs you removed 
might have been broken internally? In that case, you might not get any spark at low
speed, like hand cranking, but at idle speed or better the spark jumps an internal 
gap.

I have seen plugs that would test as open circuits for DC (put your ohmmeter 
across the terminal and the center electrode) but that would still fire 'most of the
time'. It is possible to break the top of a spark plug if your wrench slips - I've done
it more than once.

Good, fresh, non-resistor plugs should test as a dead short between the top terminal
and the center electrode. I wouldn't even think of putting resistor plugs into a magneto
engine unless they were the only thing I had, and I had to get running. [I don't think it
will hurt anything, but it's something they weren't designed for]

Mark J
Wichita, KS 
'40 H

Eric Walter wrote:

> John,
> Yes it's the 18mm plugs as it is a 44 Styled. I realize the Hotter plug 
> doesnt create a hotter spark. My hope is that it will remain easy to start 
> on down the road. The previous plugs could be cleaned and start easy once or 
> twice and then it could take 30-40 minutes to get it started again. Up til 2 
> weeks ago it just kept getting worse and worse. We actually had a couple 
> days that we couldn't get it started. Pulled the plugs and they barely look 
> discolored but clean them anyway, put them back in and she fires right up.
> This morning it was 3 turns and away she goes.
> Last month it stalled right as we were getting ready to line up for a parade 
> and I didn't think we were going to get it started again. This weekend is a 
> longer parade and I dont want that to be in that position again.
> 
> The D16's are not resistor plugs and we are running copper core wires.
> 
> Thanks for the input.
> 
> Eric
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "John" <jmn50@msn.com>
> To: "Antique John Deere mailing list" 
> <antique-johndeere@lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2010 6:58 AM
> Subject: Re: [AJD] Hard starting - Update
> 
> 
> > If the tractor uses the 18 mm plugs (NOT the 7/8 like many Unstyled used)
> > and since it has a Magneto Ignition Id give Autolite 3116 plugs a try as
> > they are NON Resistor but if you use resistor plugs the Autolite 388 is
> > hotter then the 386. HOWEVER until they are starting to foul, I dont see 
> > one
> > plug or the other making any huge difference in how easy they hand start.
> > The "hotter" plug doesnt produce any more spark energy (NOT a hotter 
> > spark)
> > it simply runs physically hotter. Regardless of plug brand, she needs her
> > start/impulse timing set right at TDC as if too late shes harder to start
> > but if too fast she can kick back. My hand start tractor (usualy starts
> > first or second pull over) likes the throttle set just above idle and also
> > use wire core plug wires (NOT carbon core resistive/supressor) with that 
> > mag
> > ignition can help.
> >
> > John T in Indiana
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Eric Walter" <eric@facspro.com>
> > To: "Antique John Deere mailing list"
> > <antique-johndeere@lists.antique-tractor.com>
> > Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2010 12:08 AM
> > Subject: Re: [AJD] Hard starting - Update
> >
> >
> >> Made some headway today with the hard starting problem (I hope). I've 
> >> been
> >> studying Duane Larson's GOG presentation on spark plugs and had my local
> >> NAPA guy help me come up with a hotter plug We started with a Champ C7 as
> >> listed in Duanes presentation and through a few crosses came back to a
> >> Champ
> >> D16 which according to him is 2 heat ranges hotter than the Autolite 45's
> >> that were in it to begin with. We put the plugs in and I gave the 
> >> flywheel
> >> 2
> >> slow turns brought it back around to the impulse mark -- rocked it back
> >> and
> >> forth twice and when I hit the top of the turn the flywheel just about
> >> ripped my arms off. The last thing I was expecting was for it to fire 
> >> with
> >> no effort. Unfortunately we have the parts for the torn down 37 blocking
> >> the
> >> garage door so we couldnt take it out and run it around. We let it run 
> >> for
> >> about 10 minutes to warm up a little bit. Shut it down and went back to
> >> work
> >> on the 37 for about 20 minutes. Came back to it and only rocked the
> >> flywheel
> >> twice and it took off. While it was running this time I went ahead and
> >> adjusted the idle up a littlebit. The IT manual says to start at 1 to 1
> >> 1/4
> >> turn and 3/4 to 1 turn on the load adjustment. I have the idle at 1 3/4
> >> turns right now and the load is still at 3/4 I'll probably turn it up a
> >> little once we get it back out of the barn. I'm going out first thing in
> >> the
> >> morning to put another coat of paint on some parts for the 37 so I will
> >> see
> >> if she fires up again without doing anything special.
> >>
> >> One other note about this tractor--- when Jacob bought it we were given a
> >> serial number and told it was a 1943. In conversations with some old
> >> timers
> >> they kind of looked at us sideways when we said it was a 43 and 
> >> questioned
> >> if we were sure it was a 43. Well I finally broke out the acetone and
> >> worked
> >> through the several layers of paint on the serial number tag and found
> >> that
> >> the serial number we were given was actually 8 numbers off which puts it
> >> as
> >> the 6th one off the line in 44. I've changed our site to reflect the new
> >> date. Oh well it's still a cool tractor! As Jacob puts it "It's 
> >> Beastly"!
> >>
> >>
> >> Eric ??(44) A
> >> Jacob 37B
> >> 44B
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >>
> >
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> 
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