Farmall Super C won't crank

I have a Farmall Super C tractor that I generally use for brushhogging in the summer time around the edges of the fields and such. This morning I went out and it wouldn"t crank with the electric starter. On occasion I have had this problem. A volt meter shows 6.51 volts at the starter terminal. Its almost as if the switch on to of the starter isn"t making contact. Does this switch come out and can I get in there to clean up the contacts maybe? Or could it be some other problem? Is the switch replaceable?

Don Mountain

Sure, it COULD BE that switch buttttttttttttttt I would FIRST check all the battery and starter and ground cables, remove, clean and wire brush, and re attach each and every one of them ESPECIALLY at the battery.

ALSO you sure the battery is good and fully charged????

ALSO is the linkage okay allowing the start switch to get fully hard depressed???

Those saddle mount mechanical push to start switches arent rocket science to remove and clean and wire brush maybe light file the contacts on them and the copper button/post thats on the starter if all else fails that is. Ive seen them badly burned and pitted and carboned up.

Put a voltmeter on the starter and see what voltage does when switch is depressed??? if it drops drastically (lights would dim bad if on) but she dont crank insure the starter isnt mechanically jammed stuck into the flywheel??? which a looesning and retightening and/or rocking the tractor in high gear etc might cure

bad cables,,,,,,bad connections,,,, bad battery,,,,,,bad switch,,,,,,,bad starter button/post,,,,,,,bad starter A VOLT TEST WHEN CRANKING CAN HELP DIAGNOSE

YES SWITCH IS REPLACEABLE AND SO ALSO IS THE STARTERS COPPER BUTTON/POST IF ITS BURNED UP

John T

John it was around 10 years ago. One of the Hs at the farm would not crank with a good battery. Replaced the battery cable from the starter switch to the starter. That was the culprit. I cut the insulation off the old cable, the wound copper wiring was rusted all the way through!

It has a new battery in it and the posts were all cleaned on both ends of the battery wires and everything is in good shape there. I have had this intermittent problem before. Its just like the switch isn't making. The lights are bright and don't dim when I try to start it. But I don't hear anything from the starter. So, how does the switch come off? I guess I better go look at it. Maybe its obvious. Do I need to take the starter off to work on the switch or does the switch come off the top of the starter?

Okay, its been a while so NO WARRANTY

Is this a saddle mount mechanical push switch with a button the rod activates down to start????????

If so, first remove a battery cable at the battery and then the big cable on the switch and arent there two screws (best I recall sorry) to remove the switch. Do that and you can see how burned or pitted the copper post on the starter (under switch) is and maybe clean and file it and look for bad burns or pits in the washer looking contact and double wedged copper contactor that pushes down between starter button/post and the switch. Make sure it gets fully depressed to mate up the starter post and switch when the push button is depressed ???

If the battery and cables and grounds and starter is okay perhaps the switch isnt getting fully depressed for mechanical reasons and/or perhaps the switch and/or starter post is burned and pitted preventing good electrical contact

Thats about allllll I know/remember about it maybe the other more IHC current gents can add to this

John T Knee deep in theory but havent owned IHC's for yearsssssssssss

Ok, thanks for the information. Heading out to the barn again after supper. Hot here in Missouri!

farmalls sometimes lose their ground. check with voltmeter, battery terminal to engine for voltage.

The two bolts holding the starter to the bell housing. Unbolt them and wiggle the starter as the bendix mite be locked up on the ring gear. I would remove the starter and check all the teeth on the ring gear as you just mite have some bad worn teeth and the bendix drive will get locked up trying to turn the flywheel over also the teeth could be worn bad enough on the bendix putting a new bendix on the starter will not cure bad teeth on the flywheel but mite help.

Why bother wasting 15-30 minutes fumbling with the starter bolts when all you need to do is put the tractor in 4th gear and rock it back and forth to see if the engine turns? One reasonably healthy guy can rock an M enough to unlock the starter. A C is half as much tractor to move.

The engine easily turns over with the crank on the front of the engine. So the starter is not engaged or stuck in the flywheel. I can start it with the crank pretty easily. But my wife wants it to start electrically.

Ok, well the switch is only held on to the starter motor with 2 screws. It's an easy thing to take off.

You can get replacement switches off the shelf at Tractor Supply if you have one locally.

Don't discount the cables... If you've got those stupid clamp-on repair ends on the battery cables, you can get a bad connection inside those too.

If it's not the switch, your starter may need to be rebuilt. I know the brushes on mine were shot, and the commutator was really rough. It's out being rebuilt right now.