First time start

[Clownfish]

I am about ready to start my cub for the first time. The engine was completely rebuilt. The picture below shows the current condition except the generator and the ignition system wires are connected including the kill switch. I have not decided on whether to convert to 12 volts and so have not bought a wiring harness yet. I am hoping to get it running and then make the decision. I will be using a pony tank for fuel. I have a few questions.

1. Can I start it without the generator being wired into the system? The owners manual has a warning about not operating the generator until the battery charging circuit is complete but it also says that if it is necessary to operate the generator without a battery, "disconnect the generator field to switch cable."

2. Can I use a 12 volt battery for a short time for the initial start? This should give me more cranking power.

3. If it is necessary to tow it, where is the best place to connect the tow cable? 50 years ago we always connect to the front axle but I seem to recall seeing a forum post advising against this.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Glenn

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[Barnyard]

Glenn, you don't need the generator or voltage regulator for what you want to do. Since you are using a magneto you don't need any electric wiring other than plug wires and a kill nswitch. You could use a hand crank.

But since you want to use a battery, just hook the positive to any ground spot and put the negative on your starter post. A 12v battery wont hurt a thing at this point.

[staninlowerAL]

Glenn, congrats!! It looks great, you've done wonders with that engine. Barnyard has you covered on the starting basics. StaninlowerAL

[Clownfish]

Barnyard,
Since I have the generator installed is it ok to leave it on or do I need to remove it?

Looking forward to "The Bash."

[Barnyard]

Glenn, I se no problem, just leave the wires off the generator.

Looking forward to see you again.

[DieselDennis]

What does one have to do in a situation like this about the magneto switch? I presume that one would have to be wired in to either turn the magneto or be able to turn the engine off.

Better lay that generator belt out of the way when you crank it.

[Eugene]

What does one have to do in a situation like this about the magneto switch? I presume that one would have to be wired in to either turn the magneto or be able to turn the engine off.

You can kill the running engine by shorting from the wire terminal on the side of the magneto to the magneto case with an insulated screwdriver.

Best to have the magneto skill switch installed, just in case you need to promptly shut down the engine.

[Clownfish]

The kill switch is installed.

If I have to tow it to get it started is it ok to connect the tow cable to the front axle? That is what we did on this cub 50 years ago but I thought that I saw a post that said this was not a good idea.

Glenn

[staninlowerAL]

Glenn, I would rather eleminate any potential stress to the front of the tractor by attaching a tow strap looped around the bell housing and entending along the bottom of the engine and between the front wheels. That way you know that nothing that happens is going to jerk the front end of the tractor. (A strap has a slight stretch, whereas a chain has none.) BTDT, I had a neighbor to tow mine and he jerked accidentally when his foot slipped from the clutch pedal. JMHO.

[Tractorboy3]

Glenn, I se no problem, just leave the wires off the generator.

Looking forward to see you again.

If the ( F ) field wire to the generator is hooked up..and the (A) armature terminal is not hooked up to a load..ie battery..it could burn up the generator....as Barnyard says..just unhook both wires and you will be able to leave belt on with no damage...

[Clownfish]

The Cub actually started fairly easily! images/icons/smile/mrgreen.gif First I used a 6 Volt battery and it would barely turn over. Then I used a 12 volt battery and it started within a couple of seconds. I was so surprised that I didn't know what to do next. I let it run about 5 minutes and shut it down. It required a lot of choke to keep it going but with the choke on it ran fairly well. Now that I have it running I have to figure out how to make it run right. Issues right now are :
1. Starter--Is my starter bad or is there another reason it would not turn it over.
2. Prior to starting there was gas leaking out of the carb but after running it appears to have stopped. Maybe the float was just stuck. The carb was rebuilt at DSCF this year so it is in good shape.
3. For the first minute of running oil was leaking from the rear of the engine but then it stopped. I assume it was from the rear seal and maybe it is now seated properly.

Thanks to everyone that has helped me get this far along. I am a long way from being finished and will have lots more questions but at least it now runs.

Glenn

[Barnyard]

Glenn, did you make sure you had oil pressure?

What size wire did you use for battery cables. Six volts take heavier wire than twelve volts. If the wire is too small you could have start problems that make you think there is a starter problem. Also all that new pant may be causing a ground problem. Make sure there is bare metal between the starter and the engine where it mounts as well as anywhere a ground cable attaches.

[Clownfish]

I had good oil pressure less than 10 sec after start. I used jumper cables for starting and they were connected to the copper "Lugs" on the starter switch and at the base of the starter. The location of the lugs is shown in the picture below. I don't know the wire size in the cables but they were heavy duty cables. I'll try hooking up the permanent battery wires to these lugs which might give a better connection than jumper cables. It would be nice find out it was a wiring problem.

Glenn

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[Barnyard]

Glen, most of today's jumper cables are made for 12v jumping so they are light weight. Try it again with #1 AWG or heavier battery cables and see what happens.

[Clownfish]

I'll try to test it tomorrow.
Glenn