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H mag no spark

Z

Zachary Hoyt

Well-known Member
I haven't even gotten into the wiring and alternator problem yet, and now this afternoon as I was driving the H along a woods road it suddenly shut down just like I had pushed the kill switch. I've been trying to bring out firewood for our neighbor to the south which is a homeless shelter. I only got one load out this afternoon and now the tractor is sitting in one of their roads in a muddy spot about a mile from here. I had a spare condenser and set of points for it in the barn so I put them in, but no change. I have good gas flow out of the carb drain but was not able to see any spark at all when I held the plug wire near the plug top. The magnets on the sides of the coil seemed pretty weak when I held a screwdriver by them, but that doesn't seem like something that would make it die all at once like that. Is there a way to test the coil or should I replace it? What else should I look at in there? The old points didn't look too bad but I replaced them anyway. I'm sorry this is so long. Thanks very much for any help.
Zach
 
Thanks for the thought. I already have disconnected it from the mag, but I forgot to say so in my question.
Zach
 
Those magnets are what create's your spark from a mag when they pass by the coil. If they don't have much magnetism that may be your no start problem. You can convert your mag to a distributor to get the tractor home. You would need to install an auto type coil. Then install an ignition switch & run battery voltage to the switch and then to the coil and connect the wire to the + terminal on the coil if your battery is - negative grounded. Run another wire to your points from the coil. Disconnect the old coil wire on the mag at the points. Then see if you engine will start. Some owner's leave it that way or you can have the mag rebuilt and they will remagnetize your old magnets. Hal
 
Here's a pic showing a mag that's been converted. Hal
2z3zbpv.jpg
 
It is either the coil or one of the internal wires has broken or shorted. I have not ever seen a weak magnet on an H4 mag, nor have I seen a weak magnet just quit working.

To get it home, I like El Toro's idea to temporarily convert it. You can figure it out after you get it home.
 
Thanks, I may have to do that. I'm hoping that if I can't fix it on the spot I can find someone to steer it while I pull it home with the other tractor, but it's nice to have plan B. I didn't know you could convert them so easily.
Zach
 
Thanks, I'll get a coil and also take a look at the wires. The coil
wire and the points wire both looked okay, but I am not sure. I
walked over about dusk and spun it over a few times with a gapped
out spark plug and there was still no spark, so I am pretty sure that
it is an ignition problem.
Zach
 
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