farmall a cranks won't fire

Matt Wech · Apr 20, 2009

I started working on a 1946 cultivision A that was left outside for nearly a year. The previous owner drained all of the fluids and left it sit. Someone pulled it into a barn at the start of the winter so that helped some. This is my first tractor after 3 antique cars. (Time to try something new). I put all new fluids in, battery, etc. to see what would happen. It cranks fine, but there was no spark, the tractor was converted to 12 volt at some point. I replaced the coil and still nothing. The plug wires look fairly old, they might be broken inside. What can I test next?

mkirsch · Apr 20, 2009

The tractor operates on the exact same principles as antique cars.

Make sure the coil is getting power.

Put a tune up kit in the distributor.

Kendog · Apr 20, 2009

Check for fuel to the carb -OR- that the mag is not being killed.. If a dist ignition, be sure the switch is 'on'.

ScottyHOMeY · Apr 20, 2009

Not to be rude and insult you (you obviously know someting about motors) but, where this is the first tractor, have you pulled up on the ignition button back by the seat? It controls the voltage to the coil.

Matt Wech · Apr 20, 2009

Where exactly is the button? I did not know something like this would be there.

ScottyHOMeY · Apr 20, 2009

If it's the original, it will be a mushroom shaped button on top of a fairly cylindrical switch housing, mounted to a bracket on the side of the throttle lever on the steering support post. Should be two terminals on the bottom of it, one bringing in current, and the second running up to the coil. Button-up is the run position sending current to the coil. Button-down breaks the circuit to stop the motor.

If it's not the original, it could be anything for a single pole, single throw switch. Follow the wire back from the coil and see if you run into a switch of any sort somewhere.

Dave H (MI) · Apr 20, 2009

Yes...definitely follow the wires...ours has the mushroom shaped, cheapo, piece of...replica on/off switch for the sake of authenticity, and then it has a quality modern switch that actually works.

Matt Wech · Apr 25, 2009

Still no luck. I"m now thinking the magneto is bad. Possibly it is rusted and dirty?

ih560 · Apr 25, 2009

Do you have a magneto or distributor?

I would check the points if you are not getting fire, they may look fine but could still not be functioning properly.

Also if it is a magneto just unhook the small wire (probably 18 ga or smaller) from the side of the mag that goes to the condensor and leave it off to take the switch out of the equation. If it is a distributor just run a hot wire straight from the battery to the positive side of the coil to make sure that is getting power and again to take the switch and old cracked wiring out of the equaion. If you are still not getting spark after that then I would purchase a new cap, rotor, wires and plugs, which you will probably need to purchase sooner or later anyway.

farmall a cranks won't fire

Matt Wech

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mkirsch

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Kendog

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ScottyHOMeY

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Matt Wech

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ScottyHOMeY

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Dave H (MI)

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Matt Wech

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ih560

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