My IH 544 won't run now.

Eric Kaltenbach · Oct 9, 2009

I have a International 544 that I had to have the motor bored and sleeved. When put back together couldn"t get it to pick up RPMs but it would run. The timing and valves all seem fine enough to where the tractor should run. I just cleaned and rebuilt the carburetor because it acted like it was flooding it self out. Then I found out that it really wasn"t firing right. It would only fire when I held the starter button in and never fire enough to run more than a half a second. Seemed like good spark in 1 and 2 plugs no spark in 3 (which was the cylinder that needed bored out cause it was cracked)and #4 plug was fouling out. So I replaced all wires, plugs, distributer cap, roter and the coil. Now it won"t even fire, just rolls over. I don"t know what seems to be wrong. Everything is mechanical sound. Now what, new points and condenser, reconsider a timing problem? What could be some other things I could check or consider to be causing problems?

John G. Hasler · Oct 9, 2009

> What could be some other things I could check or
> consider to be causing problems?

Ignition primary wiring. The resistor (if any), for one thing. A simple test is to run a temporary jumper wire directly from the battery positive to the coil positive and try to start. Make sure you can get that wire off easily so that you can stop again.

El Toro · Oct 9, 2009

Are you using a ballast resistor between the ignition switch and the coil? It could the culprit if you are. Hal

mkirsch · Oct 9, 2009

Unless I am mistaken, the coil wiring on these tractors is pretty complicated. There are actually two feeds to the coil:

1. A feed from the main relay, through a ballast resistor, to the coil. This provides a 6V supply to the coil for normal running.

2. A "booster" feed that comes off the starter solenoid and runs straight to the coil. This provides a 12V supply to the coil for an extra-hot spark when starting.

The fact that the tractor would only fire when you held down the starter button tells me that only connection #2 was working. Now it seems like neither one is working.

You need to get out the old voltmeter and start probing. See if you have power to the coil with the switch turned on. No voltage = wiring problem.

If you have 6V, pull the coil wire out of the distributor and lay it against the block. See if you have spark there. No spark = probably bad coil.

Why anybody doesn't do a complete ignition overhaul is beyond me. It's actually more expensive to buy all the ignition parts separately than it is to buy a tuneup kit.

Janicholson · Oct 9, 2009

Clean and set the points. Make sure there is ignition voltage going to the coil with the ignition on (not the start position) There may be a bypass that allows the ignition to get voltage when cranking (from the starter relay, that little can on the starter). It is connected to an "I" terminal, on the relay (if there are only three terminals on the relay, ignore this possibility), and to the coil side of the ballast resistor on the coil end. This will provide that "starts when cranking then quits when turned to run" symptom. A bad ignition switch or ignition wire will cause the actual problem. JimN

blg101 · Nov 14, 2020

mkirsch, Thanks for that post from 2009, it was just what I needed! My 544 stopped in the field and I have been working on it for days, changed spark plugs, wires, coil, checked the distributor, cleaned the carb, checked for water in the gas. Tested, re-tested, and checked again.

I could not figure it out and then I saw your post. Ran the wire and it started right up!!! I was able to drive it into the shop and get out of the wind.

Thanks for that advice, it was spot on!

used red MN · Nov 14, 2020

(quoted from post at 08:53:00 11/15/20) mkirsch, Thanks for that post from 2009, it was just what I needed! My 544 stopped in the field and I have been working on it for days, changed spark plugs, wires, coil, checked the distributor, cleaned the carb, checked for water in the gas. Tested, re-tested, and checked again.

I could not figure it out and then I saw your post. Ran the wire and it started right up!!! I was able to drive it into the shop and get out of the wind.

Thanks for that advice, it was spot on!

blg101 welcome to YT! I will speak for the general forum population by saying ..you are very welcome!.. It looks to me that you may actually be speaking about John G. Haslers recommendation of adding a temporary wire to feed the coil direct from the battery. Unfortunately John has not posted here under that name since July 2009, nor has mkirsch since April 2014. mkirsch was a large contributor here with nearly 12,000 posts especially in the IH area. I remember seeing some of his post on here when I first joined in 2013, and of course still see some when I go into the Archives. I did not know either poster personally. Thanks again for jumping in with your appreciation!

ben brown · Nov 15, 2020

over the years of working on tractor and such. you go out to a guys place first thing we do is check the points timing most time we well loosen the disturber move it back forth most the time it ends up the same spot we crank the engine it fires right up.. well few yeas back i was working on my gas power welder and i set the timing it fire then quit i was just to the point of burning it up lol.. when for some unknown reason i just thought maybe it was a bad ground. so i run a new wire from the disturber housing to the engine giving it a good solid ground it fired right up and to this day run as it should so i would suggest that on the older equipment to run a new ground wire from the disturber housing to the engine i do believe it well help ant old engine fire and run better

My IH 544 won't run now.

Eric Kaltenbach

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John G. Hasler

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El Toro

Well-known Member

mkirsch

Well-known Member

Janicholson

Well-known Member

blg101

New User

used red MN

Well-known Member

ben brown

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