Farmall Cub

I have a 1955 regular cub, battery ignition. I converted it to 12 volts using a Denso alternator and it has worked well with no starting issues hot, cold or wet. That was until last October during Hurricane Sandy. During the clean up I parked it, shut it down and it has never started again. I haven't done any diagnostics, but Cecil did rebuild the carb for me so we know its not that. It doesn't even sputter with a lung full of starting fluid in it. So must be electrical.

Yesterday I felt it was possible that a new cap, rotor, points and condenser couldn't hurt. So I pulled the distributer and did the install. Went quickly. Internet was down so I was doing most of this from memory. But I forgot that its best not to pull the distributer out without taking the whole unit at once ( I unfastened the one bolt with the "shoulder washer" and disconnected from there). I did markers and so on but I suspect the timing is just way out.

Can anyone point me to a section of the forum that gives me an idea of how to proceed from here? Most of the guides are for magnetos and while they give you a good idea of how to find TDC, theyre not much use from then on.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Best regards to everyone and thanks to Cecil for a beautiful restoration of my carb.

Joe

Is this what you are looking for from the owners manual?
http://www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/Cub%20Owner's%20Manuals/McCormick%20Farmall%20Cub%20Tractor%20Operator's%20Manual%201-5-55/Page-33.jpg

Navigation;
"Manuals" in the line up at the top of the page (I use the one on the right)
"Owners Manuals"
Pick the one closest to your year.

Rudi comes through again

The manuals are very helpful usually. Raise your hand if you know which way the camshaft rotates.

On page 42 and 43 of the 12-55 manual under the section dealing with re-iinstall, steps 1 and 2 seem to be on target, I think. So I would remove the entire battery ignition unit, pull out the gear, turn clockwise until I feel slight resistance, somehow making sure the rotor is pointing to firing position #1 and then I'm good to go?

jsharp1071 wrote: somehow making sure the rotor is pointing to firing position #1 and then I'm good to go?

Not quite. Engine on #1 cylinder TDC. Rotor centered on #1 spark plug tower location. Then one more step.

Static time the ignition system.

jsharp1071 wrote:The manuals are very helpful usually. Raise your hand if you know which way the camshaft rotates.

My hand is up. Look at the service manuals for timing the idler gears to the crankshaft gear. Standing at front of engine, crankshaft turns clockwise, idler gears have to turn counter clockwise, and any additional gears have to turn clockwise.

it is easiest to leave the reduction drive on the engine, remove the distributer to replace points and such. pull # 1 plug. get the #1 piston on TDC ( compression ) stroke. Install the reduction drive seporate from the distributer. Then install the distributer with the rotor pointing to # 1 on distributer cap. Next time you need to service the points Get # 1 TDC on compression stroke. Then remove the distributer to service. reinstall with rotor pointing to # 1.. You can fine tune with timing light .

You're absolutely right. However I was in a rush, internet was down and I pulled the distributer at the wrong point. My problem is fixing it now that I've bungled it. The manual isn't always that helpful for the infrequent mechanic.