Killed my dads 8n

Tom vertiz · Jun 23, 2013

Ok here is the story. The tractor ( a 6 volt front mount distributer 8n) was running rough so decided on new points. Installed condenser coil points and a new battery because battery was bad. Had a hard time starting after the new battery. Needed to jump start to get tractor running. Would run fine after started. My dad never understood the positive ground so he switched it to a negative ground and to my surprise it started without being jumped and ran good afterward. Ran good for a couple weeks then quit during a rain storm. Since then I have not been able to get spark. The battery is currently instaled as a positive ground but the polarity has been reversed because of being installed backwards. Have had the distributer off countless times, bench tested the distributer and set the points to.015 several times. I know I have made several mistakes on this tractor but I am trying to fix it right now and figured I would talk to some experts.

Royse · Jun 23, 2013

Tom, please see my reply to your other post.
I did forget to mention about the rain storm....
There are 4 gaskets in a front mount distributor.
If they're not in good shape they are very susceptible to water.
If they're not there at all, well........

jdv · Jun 23, 2013

My bet is the rain got the resistor (the ceramic deal with a spring thingy in the back) its usually located by the battery. Friend of mine has an 8n that that happens to almost every time he gets rain, unless he lets it dry out before he tries to start it.

Tom vertiz · Jun 23, 2013

I can only think of 3. Between the coil and distributer/cap
combo. Between the distributer and cap. And between the
block and distributer. They are all there and new but they do
not seem to fit very well. I was going to attack that problem
after I got the thing going again. Mabey I should rethink that
since every time I touch it it seems to get worse!

Royse · Jun 24, 2013

The other one goes under the dust cover.
The whole kit is only a couple bucks on YT next time you order parts.
If the gaskets don't fit well, make sure the pig tail spring and the
high voltage tab are both making good contact. Both can be
carefully bent a little bit to make better contact.

Here's the gasket set if you need one: Front Mount Gaskets

36 Coupe · Jun 24, 2013

If the rotor isnt pushed all the way on the shaft the gasket is useless.

HCooke · Jun 24, 2013

There are four. One around the periphery of the cap. The dust cover. One between the coil and the dist and one between the dist and the engine.

Killed my dads 8n

Tom vertiz

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Royse

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jdv

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Tom vertiz

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Royse

Well-known Member

36 Coupe

Well-known Member

HCooke

Well-known Member

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