hard starting tractor

Here is a new one. My International 300 wouldn't start the other day. So put the charger on it after I ran the battery down. Came back and tried it again. Spun over like mad and started just as I let off of the key. So now that is how I have started it. Spin it over good and let off of the key then it will start.

12 volt conversion. What do you guys think, coil, resistor? I have not taken the time to look at it yet hoping for some intel. to guide me in the right direction.

Bypass circuit.

doseyour starter relay have 2 small terminals on it one would be for enerjiseing to starter the outher becomes live for the igniton coil to get more voltage during the start cycle check and see if there is a wire from that terminal to the battery side of the coil . oldart

your starter may be ready to die. It might be sucking up all the juice in the system at start because of the drag caused by shot bearings/bushings and the small amount required to fire your coil might be diverted to the starter and is not be getting through to the ignition while you are cranking.
You may have a loose connection that is causing just enough resistance too. jump a hot wire to the coil and see if it fires up as normal. If you have a ballast resistor inline to the coil, temporarily bypass it and try that as it may be bad as well.
Could be a bum switch too. turn on the key and manually trigger the starter with a screwdriver across the solenoid terminals to see if it starts as normally it would

Sounds like the good old bad wire some place type of problem. I.E. it is some how wired to give the coil more zap u trons when the starter is spinning over so that wire has a problem some how. One way to test this theory is to hot wire it. If it starts right up check for a bad wire which most likely is on the solenoid

If that was an 80s dodge, I would say ballast resistor! Thats exactly how a dodge ballast acts.

I had that problem with an old Ford truck that did not have a ballast resistor coil. When the battery got weak and I tried to start it, the current to run the starter would pull the voltage at the coil down so low it wouldn't fire. As soon as I let off the key in the start position, the voltage at the coil would come up and the engine would start because it was still turning over.

You did mention that this was a 12 volt conversion. It sounds like when you did your conversion, you used a "ballast coil" and a ballast resister. Did you also install a circuit/starter switch that would bypass the ballast resister when you run the starter motor? If you didn't change your starter switch to that type, you could add a simple circuit with a manual push button switch to bypass the resistor and feed a full 12 volts to the coil when you run the starter motor.

If you have a ballast resistor on this tractor in the coil circuit, you probably have a problem in that circuit. The most likely failure would be the switch in your starter switch. If you have a volt meter, you could check the voltage at the coil when you start the engine. With the key in the on position, the voltage should be around 7 volts. In the start position, it should pull it up to 12 volts. If it doesn't, get check the voltage change right off the starter switch. If it doesn't boost it up there, that's your problem.

Hook a voltmeter to the input side of the coil and then read what voltage is there when cranking.

You just discovered something I have been doing for 40 years. As soon as you let off the started all the juice can go to the coil and give a little hotter spark. People that just grind away til it fires grate on my nerves.

Had this same problem on a
Farmall C that was changed to 12 volt,so I took a wire with a one way diode and hooked from starter post to hot side of coil. Fires right up every time with no feed back.

You need a new ignition switch.

Check the switch side of the coil for voltage when cranking. I have seen the wrong switch installed or the switch wire wrong so there in NO voltage on the coil during cranking. They start exactly as your tractor does when wired this way.

Kent

Works something like this.If the engine is still turning over when you release the starter switch this allows a higher voltage to the coil. This in turn would give you a hoter spark and a better chance for the engine to start.Wish I would have known this 60 years ago.

steve

Leyland let us know what you find.

wd45 has been that way ever since converted let her crank 3 times let off and she starts nearly every time, keep cranking and run the battery down. kj

Had a loose wire. Clean and tighten and we are good to go.