Restoring a 706 American diesel, do they all start this h...

Recently I decided to take on the task of restoring my late
grandfathers 706 diesel. I believe it is a American diesel with
the pump on the right side of the motor. Anyways, this tractor
has started hard for so many years. It seems like you press
the glow plug and hold it for a while and it still doesn't like
starting the best. I replaced the glow plugs last year and it
didn't really seem to help too much. Is this pretty common on
these? It isn't a real high houred tractor either but then again I
have yet to have good luck with 2 6 volt batteries. Thank you
for reading

dont that have the 282 d engine? as far as i know never where good starters at least the 282d that is in my 560. heat the heck out of them every time they starts

It sure is the 282, seems to be a great running tractor but the
starting issue is such a pain. It hasn't been used real hard for
probably 15 years so I figured that doesn't help much at all
either.

Deeretrax If you went with 1 12v it would start harder yet. Make sore you have good cables and clean cables and post. Make sure your glowplugs wires are good. People on this forum will tell you, you donnot have to remove the glowplugs to test them but you do have to remove them. I worked on HI for almost 15 years. I have seen the time a glowplug tested good with tester, removed the plug to see the end goon.If glowplugs are good then pump or the injectors are causing the problem. They should start much better than that.

2 BIG 12V batteries in parallel... make sure the starter is good... make sure all 6 glow plugs are good... hold button for 30 to 60 seconds... if she won't start you have bigger issues... compression, pump or injectors... Diesels need good rpm on the starter and hence the engine to start well since you are compressing the charge to make it light.

I run 2 1000 cca 12 volt batteries in parallel on my 560D. Summer is no issue but Winter sure can be. Need all the current you can muster

Do I need to switch much over to be able to run 12 volt with
this tractor?

We use one 12V battery on Dad's 560 and it starts fine on that, even in winter.

However, I'm talking Central Texas winter which means bad bad cold dead of winter is like 30 degrees. Up north that's shirt sleeve weather.


It does take a full minute of glow plug though. Even when you've been working in the summer on your average run of the mill 100 degree day, if it sits more than 30 minutes then it needs glow plugs again.

I have no ideas except to check wiring to make sure no bad connection or wiring between the battery and those new glow plugs.

Should be 12 volt from IH.

Valve recession can cause a hard start

(quoted from post at 20:17:57 07/23/12) Do I need to switch much over to be able to run 12 volt with
this tractor?

Click to expand...

All you need are different battery cables.

Two 6V batteries in series = 12V.

In order to use two 12V batteries, you need to wire them in PARALLEL. Run a separate + and - cable from each battery to the starter solenoid (+) and the tractor frame (-) for parallel hookup.

The biggest reason going to two 12V in parallel will work better is because you will be using NEW battery cables. You can't convert to 12V parallel without replacing at least some of the cables.

(quoted from post at 08:14:59 07/24/12)

(quoted from post at 20:17:57 07/23/12) Do I need to switch much over to be able to run 12 volt with
this tractor?

Click to expand...

All you need are different battery cables.

Two 6V batteries in series = 12V.

In order to use two 12V batteries, you need to wire them in PARALLEL. Run a separate + and - cable from each battery to the starter solenoid (+) and the tractor frame (-) for parallel hookup.

The biggest reason going to two 12V in parallel will work better is because you will be using NEW battery cables. You can't convert to 12V parallel without replacing at least some of the cables.

Click to expand...

It is actually much more simple than that. With the batteries side by side (in the battery tray area) just hook one battery to solenoid and ground and the second battery can have short jumpers from it's terminals to the other battery. Just hook positive to positive and negative to negative for parallel.

have you replaced the glow plug switch? it needs to handle a pretty good amount of current without voltage drop. are you sure ALL the glow plugs still work?

As was stated, be sure that your cables are clean, in good condition, and that there is not huge voltage/amperage drop in the cables. It is a 12 volt system. If the batteries are new/ in good condition, and your cables are good, it will still take at least 30 seconds of glow plug to get a D282 to pop off. Does your glow plug gauge work? If you hit it, and the needle swings hard over, you have a problem. It should have a quick, yet steady rise to the right, when activated.

Best of luck.

I put all new glowplugs on it and my cables actually look very good, not that old really. When I press the button for the glow plugs it jumps to the right real fast, I always remember it moving real fast like this. So it should rise somewhat slowly but steady then? It only takes a split second to get to the top of the guage.

It should take a "one Mississpippi, two Mississippi" from the time the button is punched, until the needle hits far right. The internval is defined in the service manual. I will check once i get home tonite. If it swings hard over, there is either a wiring issue, a glowplug issue, of a meter/button issue.

The other thing to check is the starter solenoid. Old ones that have experienced low batteris usually have a considerable amount of burning/pitting on the internal contact plate. This plate transfers all the amperage to turn the engine over. A bad plate contactor will severely affect the engine cranking speed, and a D282 needs all the speed it can get. You can order just a new solenoid online, and I believe many NAPA stores stock them ($60). Or you can take it off, and apart, and see if it is salvagable. It comes apart really easy, usually.

Good luck.

It is actually much more simple than that. With the batteries side by side (in the battery tray area) just hook one battery to solenoid and ground and the second battery can have short jumpers from it's terminals to the other battery. Just hook positive to positive and negative to negative for parallel.

Click to expand...

If you connect each battery to the starter separately, and its own ground separately, you have DOUBLED the size of the wire carrying current to the starter. It will start better this way.

To hook the two batteries together you need a special cable. There isn't room for two clamps on a typical battery post.

By the time they got around to making the 706 , IH had that engine starting pretty well. Lot of changes were made. First off, it may be worn out and never start decent but we will over look that possibility for now. The glow plugs take about 20 seconds to get good and red hot, then it takes time to warm things in precup. Hold them down for one minute, KEEP HOLDING THEM DOWN WHILE YOU ARE TRYING TO START IT and keep holding them down after it starts. Cold fuel hitting them cools them off real fast. If it is running clean let them go. Have throttle open quite a ways when cranking and slow it down as soon as it fires up. If it cranks good and fast it should start right up then. To actually get a good check on the glow plugs, just pull one out, hook it back up, leave all other hooked up also. Ground that glow plug and push meter button, should get red hot in like I said 20 seconds. Meter should normally just pop over to full on, no delay. Some may be dampened but it is not in anyway going to effect performance. I see so many that do not know how to start them. More than once I have walked over to a tractor where someone had it half way started, blowing smoke all over. I just shut it off, hold the darn glow plugs and start it right. If this does not work for you then you need some repairs to engine, or pump or electrical system.

Pete you are one of the most knowlegable people on this forum. You give complete descriptive answers. I enjoy reading them...lots to learn from you..Thanks

I try, also, find it much easier to repair a tractor
from here on the keyboard than actually doing the
work. Especially these days as age is taking it's
toll.