Farmall B magneto update

First off, thanks everyone for the previous ideas and pointers. This is my first mag. tractor so it is a bit of a steep learning curve compared to the battery ignition.

I still am having no luck. I re-gapped the points to .013, no spark. Put the old points back in, no spark.

My confusion really builds when I started doing some contenuity testing.

I get connection between the grounding bolt on the side of the mag. and the frame of the motor. I disconnected the switch from the grounding wire to eliminate the posibility of a faulty switch during this test. Is this normal? I would think not but if the mag. is producing a direction of flow and the windings in the mag are back feeding then it would be, right?

I also get contenuity between the spring side of the points and the solid side of the points. I even removed the spring side completely from the distributor and left it only hanging by the wire. Still got contenuity; that can't be right, can it?

As I stated before in the previous post I did NOTHING to the mag. itself. I just changed the points and cleaned the rotor drive gears (which I got back into the right time).

I have been having my dad hold the wire that comes from the top of the mag. next to a spark plug while I crank and there is no spark. Even if it was out of time (the rotor and such) I should be getting a spark.

Could it be the million to one chance that when I changed the points something inside the mag decided to call it quits? If it did I should have bought a loto ticket that night.

Thanks for all of your contributions. Hopefully I will be able to get the tractor going by Sat. morning to get it to my old hometown's German festival.

check the wire inside and the stud that goes to the outside of the mag.,which make what is known as the kill button. pay particular attention to the insulating washers that that keep the stud insulated from ground,,, i have found them disintigrated and cracked allowing the the spark to jump to ground,,thus being hidden from your view. ya sure your coil wire didn t poop its diaper ?? good luck

"I get connection between the grounding bolt on the side of the mag. and the frame of the motor. I disconnected the switch from the grounding wire to eliminate the possibility of a faulty switch during this test. Is this normal?"

YES.

The primary winding of the coil has relatively low resistance and is "across" the points, so the "kill stud" will show continuity to ground even WITH the points "open".

With an Ohmmeter that's ACCURATE at low Ohms, you will read the primary coil resistance values between the "kill terminal" and ground.

UNFORTUNATELY, I can't tell you, offhand, what the coil's primary resistance should be.

Another item to check is the coil cover. Make sure it is clean and that the tab inside the cover makes good contact with the terminal on the top of the coil. This seldom gives trouble but there can be some oxidation on the surfaces.

Have you checked the rotor does it line up with the tower when it trips. Unless it isnt lined up with the tower it cannot fire anywhere. Remove the cap and turn the engine over till the rotor stops then see it it is lined up with the tower. Make a mark on the body where the cap seats use a magic marker and mark where the tower is then when removing the cap and turningengine ove you will see where it trips. If it doesent line up youare nver going to get spark to the plug. The rotor must be lined up on the money if you want it to start.