Farmall h Magneto or distributor

[pokitisme]

I am trying to determine whether I have a Magneto or a distributor. According to the shop manual I recently posted what I have is specifically called the distributor with a 12 volt coil and a drive housing this is according to the manual. But when I do a search online for Magneto or distributor it comes up what looks to be the exact same item. So somebody with a bit more knowledge help me out on this because I think the distributor is my problem. Also if somebody can tell me exactly where which cord leading off of the distributor goes. I know you can't tell me which spark plug is 1 through 4 but there is a sensor wire on the distributor listed as the secondary cable that goes to the coil or let me be more specific which wire coming from the coil goes to where on the distributor. Because my Center wire on my distributor cap is what is going to a spark plug not the coil. And I was able to find a picture uploader so here it is
.. you will take notice that the center wire out of the distributor does not go to the coil. instead the coil wire goes to one of the four distributor wire spots which I would believe normally would go to the spark plugs.


https://ibb.co/gdxh1G

[Jim Becker]

I'm confused. Is the picture your tractor or one you found on the web? It is a distributor. It looks to me like the coil wire is going to the center of the distributor cap, where it belongs. The plug wires should be in the sequence 1-3-4-2 going clockwise around the cap, which it appears they are. The starting position for plug wire 1 is normally at about the 1 o'clock position. It doesn't look like it is in that position in your picture. Sometimes, the wires get moved to a different position if the distributor was installed with the gears not meshed properly.

Edit: Maybe the wires are in the usual position but the distributor is rotated more to the right than is usual. The gears are still probably off one tooth, won't hurt anything.

[Bob McCarty]

Here's a link to a picture of a magneto from TM Tractor: http://www.tmtractor.com/tm-tractor/gel/j4mag_001.htm The magneto has it's coil (unless it's been replaced with an external coil) in the rectangular box on the top. A distributor will have the cylindrical coil.

[pokitisme]

Well the picture is from my tractor. I'm pretty sure it's a distributor problem right now because I got intermittent spark from the spark plug wires I was able to hold the last three towards the driver seat today with no spark issue at all meaning there was no spark. I took the first one off the one closest to the fan and I held the wire and it did spark me and the tractor started up with that one taken off. So I tried to reapply it really quick while enduring the spark LOL. And it stayed running I left for about two hours came back and tried to start it again and nothing happened. The engine just cranks but there was no spark on any of the wires I held them while they were attached to the spark plug while the spark plug was seated in the block. I now firmly believe it is some kind of distributor issue. And that's what sucks is the shop
manual I bought doesn't give details on how to accurately do some of the smaller things such as where to fill the transmission fluid and stuff like that it only gives you detail Parts on disassembly like I said it's very odd and I'm going to have a new PDF up here by the end of the weekend. But yeah I went out and bought new spark plug wires today that I have to strip myself and I bought new spark plugs. I believe they are Autolite 386. More than likely I will not check the gap or anything like that because I don't have a gapper LOL but I might take a handful of paper and use that as a gap or something I did check the gap on one of the spark plugs and it seemed to go below the 20 mark actually at .20 I couldn't even fit it between the plug.


https://ibb.co/gv2mwG

[Jim Becker]

Do you have the Owner's Manual? Buy some feeler gauges.

[Eugene]

Do you have the Owner's Manual? Buy some feeler gauges.

Agree.

The coil in the photo is the shape/style original to the tractor.

Suggest complete engine tune up and replacing the coil with a known good one.

If this were my tractor, I would retime the distributor to the tractor and then set the ignition timing.

Edit. Looking at the ignition coil again, blow up. Some coils used the coil case as the ground for the internal secondary winding. Might check the coil case to ground for continuity. However, considering the age of the coil, I would replace.

[pokitisme]

yeah I've been doing some YouTube research. And in side the distributor cap each connection that goes to the spark plugs is corroded heavily. I am planning on replacing the coil as I said I am inexperienced with distributor Tech.. I did post a live stream from I believe it was Friday of my tractor running. Does anybody have the ohms rating on that possible coil. And yes I do have the shop manual which I have posted to HughesNet and I'm in the process of rebuilding a PDF with more clarity in it and getting ready to post that as well. I appreciate and I'm sure to have a lot more questions LOL. I bought myself some Autolite 386 spark plugs. And a universal spark plug wire set. I will be installing those in the next few days. The other thing is there is an awful lot of moisture and rain in the Kansas City region. And I fail to cover the tractor at most times. With a tarp. So all of the items and stuff get wet frequently. But I am pretty convinced it is the distributor or the coil again I do not know what you are item does technically or what their uses are for. I understand he distributor since spark Through the Wire to the plug to fire the piston but the internal mechanisms I am still a Noob on. I did check continuiti on the spark plug wires well 2 of them one was so dirty I could not get a clean test the other one tested fine. Again I have sprayed those with brake cleaner. But yeah I need to replace the distributor the coil and the carburetor of course. But money issues have taken a hold of me at the moment. Again thanks everybody I will try and work this out and give updates and if possible I will give video step by steps on how to do this as well