Farmall M won't start

joe klein · May 31, 2013

The tractor will start if I pull it and pop the clutch but won"t if I use the starter. It seems like the starter is pulling to many amps. I went to grease the Zerk that is inside the little cover and I couldn"t get my gun tip on it. Could it be a problem with my flywheel or a bearing inside the housing?

Any help would be appreciated,

Thanks

Joe
218-255-4840

Matt Tieken · May 31, 2013

Sounds like your battery is bad, your starter is pulling too many amps or a more likely scenario is that your electrical connections to the starter or battery are dirty.

I say clean up all the connections, put a good charger on the battery and see how it goes after a full charge.

JRSutton · May 31, 2013

agreed - but would add to be sure to clean up both ends of the cables, not just the battery side. Especially the ground cable, that often gets overlooked.

El Toro · May 31, 2013

If you have a distributor your battery voltage is probably dropping too low for your ignition when using the starter. If you have 6 volt ignition you should be using 00 battery cables with soldered lugs. When you pull start you're not using the starter. Hal

John B. · May 31, 2013

Do you have a magneto or a distributor ignition system?

As mentioned in all the previous posts is your cable connections. If any of them are getting hot that means there is a bad connection. My H tractor would crank slow and I found a hot/bad connection at the starter push button. It cranks just fine now after I put a new spade lug on the end of the cable.

just another old geezer · May 31, 2013

I think the starter is drawing too many amps. For years I had to get the M spinning, then leave off of the starter before he would fire. You could spin him over forever, but until you let of the starter, he would never fire.

36 Coupe · May 31, 2013

Use a hydrometer to check your battery condition.I found my battery with a full charge on 2 cells and half charge on 1 cell.Measure the voltage on the battery when the engine is cranking.In the 60s you could buy a gear reduction for the starter.I used an M for 3 years, no troubles starting.Tractors seem to get stuck with old worn out batteries.Lose the grease gun.If I remember right the M had a greasable throw out bearing but you could end up greasing the clutch.Do you have an owners manual?The Farm All manuals were very good.

rrlund · May 31, 2013

I'd give serious thought to what eltoro says about the battery cables. If you have a 6 volt battery and those small 12 volt cables,you'll be getting 6 volts out of them alright,but you're loosing 2/3s of your AMPERAGE through them. You'll be lucky if it starts one time in ten with those.

gene bender · Jun 1, 2013

If the batt is good and then iga cables and the starter is good it will start. My self i would start with the starter making sure it has good brushes and bearings then good cables assuming the batt is good. Mite need to special order 1ga cables and they do make wire for starters and ground which is much better than welding cable.

joe klein · Jun 1, 2013

I have tried with no battery just hooking straight to my pickup, positive to the starter and negative to the body. It is a 12 volt system and I have a brand new starter in it.(same outcome as the old starter) it can't be a battery, cable, magnito issue, I have bypassed all of them and get the same outcome.

Thanks

Farmall M won't start

joe klein

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Matt Tieken

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JRSutton

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El Toro

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John B.

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just another old geezer

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36 Coupe

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rrlund

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gene bender

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joe klein

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