Ignition Problems

I have a friend who got a Ford 9N tractor from her Aunt. The Aunt said it was running when it was parked years ago. I volunteered to help get the tractor running again. The problem was that the tractor had no spark and no fuel. I rebuilt the carborator, replaced the fuel filter the fuel valve and bowl and replaced the coil, points (set the gap), condensor broken copper tab on the distributor, distributor cap, rotor, spark plugs and wires. All parts purchased from Yesterdays Tractor. The 12v converted tractor positive ground, started and ran like a champ. It started and ran 3-4 times in an hour. I turn the tractor off and now I have no spark and the tractor will not start. I have read your forum and have conducted the checks outlined by one of your very knowledgable contributors. From everything I have done the tractor should have spark and run. I feel it may be the condensor but it is new and I have not heard of them going bad so quickly. I am currently at a loss for what to do next. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

you need to get a test light so you can track down where the malfunction is. Is there power coming through the ignition switch? If so is it making it to the coil? If so, are the points opening and closing properly and not grounding out somehow? This has got to be something simple since it was running one moment and now it won't. Post your question on the N board below too, to get others opinions.

You said positive ground, if with an alternator, you may have shorted everything out.

Neutral safety switch?

Allan

+1 on the positive ground ...Need to hook it up negative ground or you'll let the smoke out of something....

To eliminating a lot of wondering I take a jumper wire directly from the battery to the coil. I check the power with a test light at the coil and open and close the points with a screw driver. If power at the coil and no spark at the points I remove the condenser wire and check again. It will spark and run without the condenser but points will be gone soon. If the condenser is shorted you will not get spark at the points.

How is the coil wired up? If you converted it to 12v did you use an internal resistor coil,or an inline resistor. If not the excess voltage has possibly fried the points.

(quoted from post at 10:52:28 07/12/15) Neutral safety switch?

Allan

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Hilarious

the pos or neg chassis and pos or neg alternator has been addressed.
Does the coil have a 3.5 ohm or 1.75ohm primary ? If it's a true 6V coil the points maybe burned, the ignition switch burned or the coil internally melted.

The new condensers we buy today can be bad out of the box. It's a different world today.

If you are using the typical (oddball-looking) "12 Volt" square-can coil typically sold nowadays, it MUST be used in conjunction with an OEM-style ballast resistor as was used with the original 6 Volt system or rapid coil and/or points failure will occur.

Do you have such a resistor in place?

I agree with BoB , I had the same happen to me but on a massey 135 gasser. Put you a new
set of points in because those are burned up more than likely and then install a resistor
then youll be running again like a champ....Took me over a week to figure out what the
heck was going on with mine. After i looked at it with a timming light i figured it out.

Alternators can be postive or negative ground. Most are negative. Dad has a postive Delco 10SI on his 62 4000 RC.

If you have a 6v coil you need a ballast resister to cut the voltage down from 12 to 6 at the coil. Also you could have dirty
points.

Isurrender.......YOU are the BIGGEST problem with yer 9N. Carburetors SELDOM need rebuilding and when they're done by shadetree wanna bees, guess what? They're usually incorrectly adjusted. The weird 4-nipple front mount dizzy is designed to be REMOVED from yer engine and the points (0.015") replaced on the kitchen table. Just un-snapple yer capple and remove the 2-bolts and walk. Replace or adjust he points (0.015"). Remember to "polish" the INVISIBLE corrosion from between the points. Me? I clamp the corner of $1-bill between the points and pull. Simple, eh? Installation is a reversal of the removal ...except... finger start yer 2-bolts and install yer rotor. Now rotate yer ROTOR until the OFF-SET tang fits into the OFF-SET groove in the camshaft. Now tighten yer 2-bolts and re-snapple yer capple.

So now ya gottchur tidy-whiteies inna snott 'cuz you don't like the ALUMINUM frame of the popular ID-13 alternator. Ain't NO LAW that sez you kent paint chur alternator frame enny color that pleases you. I kenn buy checked out ID-13's all day long fer $20. So instead yer gonna buy/pay $130 fer 12-volt genny conversion. Smart money, eh? .........Dell, who is a 12-volt advocate for the right reason, that said, I haffen't found the right reason fer my eazy startin' 6-volt 52-8N

Sorry I meant to say negative ground. I have read the posts on the forum and was trying to be thorough but obviously not accurate.

I will try your suggestion I have tested the power to the coil with the points open and with them closed but I have never checked them while opening the points. Thank you for the tip

I did not do the 12 volt conversion it had already been done. It has the old Square can coil with an inline resistor. The power from the ignition has a 5 amp fuse leading to the resistor and then to the top of the coil.

(quoted from post at 06:35:21 07/15/15) I did not do the 12 volt conversion it had already been done. It has the old Square can coil with an inline resistor. The power from the ignition has a 5 amp fuse leading to the resistor and then to the top of the coil.

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