My grandfather bought this tractor new in 1953 and I inherited it when he passed away at 94 years old. He plowed the field with it the day he passed away. I took it home and broke it all the way down and restored several years ago. Anyway, about three years ago the carb started leaking fuel so I took it off and rebuilt it. When I removed the carb the tractor started easily and ran great. It has sat covered since then and the carburetor was in a box. This week I bought a new 6 volt battery and reinstalled the carburetor. I added fresh fuel and tried to start the tractor with no luck. I verified it was getting fuel but I also gave it a shot of starting fluid and still nothing. I used a spark tester and found that I have no spark. I had a new condenser and points that I had already purchased since these are the originals so I went ahead and installed them to no avail. It has the original 6 volt coil so I used a fluke and found 1.5 oms when testing it. Using a test light I am finding that I am getting voltage to the coil when the switch is turned on. I did notice that It was only about 4.5-5 volts where the battery is 6. At this point I'm sort of stuck and would appreciate any help I can get.
1953 Farmall Cub with No Spark
- Thread starter asand211
- Start date
I've been reading a ton of forums and I think I'm doing this right. I took the rotor and dust cover off and there is no spark between the points as the engine rotates. Another poster said that the wire going from the coil to the distributor should carry voltage on and off as the engine spins and there is no voltage.
staninlowerAL
501 Club
That's correct, the points must arc as they open and close with the switch on and either manually work the points or turn the engine so they open and close. You indicated that you installed new points, try cleaning the contact surfaces with a course paper or points file. Sometimes new points have a coating that must be removed for them to fire. When you get the points to fire as described, check the spark output from the center tower of the coil. Should be a crisp blue spark that will jump 1/4 inch to ground. BTW, points gap is .020 for battery ignition and .013 for magneto. Stan
staninlowerAL
501 Club
The off/on voltage at the connection to the distributor post coincides with the points opening and closing. That power source from the coil to ground at the points is what creates the inductive current that goes from the center post of the coil to the plugs via the distributor cap and rotor. Stan
I do not know what it did not have spark to start with but I found that when I installed the new condenser I had the connector pushed back in the stud and it was touching the case. I’m assuming that was grounding it out. Once I reset points gap and fixed connector the tractor started. Thanks for your help.
Hi,
It is common for the old original style coils on Cub Battery Ignition units, to partially quit, or quit.
The older style original coils have posts at both ends.
I would check the power of the spark it is making, like Stan said above, to be sure it is good.
Check the spark when the coil is cold, and when it is hot. They sometimes quit when they are hot, then work when cold.
The modern replacement coils have the posts at the same end, like automotive coils in the past.
They are a bigger diameter than the original Cub coils, so you need a different bracket too.
Below are listings from TM Tractor Parts for a new 6 volt coil and bracket, you can look at the pictures.
https://www.tmtractor.com/new/el/788fp.htm
It is common for the old original style coils on Cub Battery Ignition units, to partially quit, or quit.
The older style original coils have posts at both ends.
I would check the power of the spark it is making, like Stan said above, to be sure it is good.
Check the spark when the coil is cold, and when it is hot. They sometimes quit when they are hot, then work when cold.
The modern replacement coils have the posts at the same end, like automotive coils in the past.
They are a bigger diameter than the original Cub coils, so you need a different bracket too.
Below are listings from TM Tractor Parts for a new 6 volt coil and bracket, you can look at the pictures.
https://www.tmtractor.com/new/el/788fp.htm
Thank you. This is the original coil.Hi,
It is common for the old original style coils on Cub Battery Ignition units, to partially quit, or quit.
The older style original coils have posts at both ends.
I would check the power of the spark it is making, like Stan said above, to be sure it is good.
Check the spark when the coil is cold, and when it is hot. They sometimes quit when they are hot, then work when cold.
The modern replacement coils have the posts at the same end, like automotive coils in the past.
They are a bigger diameter than the original Cub coils, so you need a different bracket too.
Below are listings from TM Tractor Parts for a new 6 volt coil and bracket, you can look at the pictures.
https://www.tmtractor.com/new/el/788fp.htm
staninlowerAL
501 Club
Possibly so, at any rate it was grounded in some way. Glad to hear that it's running. Just think of it in this way: Ignition on, follow electrical flow path to the point that it ceases. In this case it was at the points, by disconnecting the wire on the side post of the distributor you can determine if the problem is before the connection or inside the distributor. If you have power on the disconnected wire at the distributor then the ground is internal to the distributor since the electrical power flow is to the point of least resistance. If everything in the distributor is correct you can test the points arc with a clip on test light at the distributor post connection. If all is correct the test light will blink every time the points open and close because the points ground the circuit when closed/no light. Points open/test light is on because it's grounded through the test light. JMHO Stan
I would appreciate any recommendations on what I can do better with it and where I messed up. I have never restored a tractor before and I did this one about 15 years ago. I rebuilt the hydraulic block and pump twice but have done something wrong because I can't build pressure. It worked before I took it apart but barely. The filter was collapsed and broken and the piston o-ring was half gone. I may not have cleaned it out well enough. I am going to try again.
Attachments
Are you sure you inserted the pin seal in the pump? It's black, shaped like a pencil eraser but smaller. If left out, the pump doesn't work correctly. Also, if the figure 8 spring is inserted upside down the pump won't function.
I can’t say for sure. I had a manual that I went by but I was pretty ignorant to how it worked. I could have missed it. I ran across a video from Steiner Tractor and his daughter does it step by step. I am going to order another kit and give it a shot.
The hydraulic pump may simply need priming. Try it first. With the reservoir topped off, the fill plug removed, and the engine at low idle, slowly cycle the control lever through its full range a dozen or so times.
Ok thank you. I’ll give that a shot and report back.
The steps for filling the Touch Control, and removing the air from it are in the Cub operator's manuals.
Below is a page from the 1955 Cub operator's manual with the info. Removing the air is at paragraph 4.
Be sure to check or fill the system with the arms in the rear or down position. The fluid level rises as the arms go to the rear position. If you fill it with the arms ahead, it will have too much fluid in it.
Also, if you check the fluid with the arms ahead, it will look like it is low, even if it has enough.
https://farmallcub.club/rudi/farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/Cub Owner's Manuals/McCormick Farmall Cub Tractor Operator's Manual 1-5-55/Page-67.jpg
The Touch Control uses Case IH Hy-Tran fluid, it is sold at Case IH dealers. It is thin fluid.
There are other brands, be sure it works in IH hydraulic systems before buying it.
Not all the Touch Control pumps have the pin seal in them.
The instructions in the Case IH pump seal kit that TM Tractor Parts sells tells which pumps use it.
They use the last 2 numbers of the pump makers numbers to identify which pumps use the pin seal. The number is stamped in the pump. There should also be the IH number.
The 3rd and 4th pages have the pin seal info. The 4th page tells at 7.
Below is a page from the 1955 Cub operator's manual with the info. Removing the air is at paragraph 4.
Be sure to check or fill the system with the arms in the rear or down position. The fluid level rises as the arms go to the rear position. If you fill it with the arms ahead, it will have too much fluid in it.
Also, if you check the fluid with the arms ahead, it will look like it is low, even if it has enough.
https://farmallcub.club/rudi/farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/Cub Owner's Manuals/McCormick Farmall Cub Tractor Operator's Manual 1-5-55/Page-67.jpg
The Touch Control uses Case IH Hy-Tran fluid, it is sold at Case IH dealers. It is thin fluid.
There are other brands, be sure it works in IH hydraulic systems before buying it.
Not all the Touch Control pumps have the pin seal in them.
The instructions in the Case IH pump seal kit that TM Tractor Parts sells tells which pumps use it.
They use the last 2 numbers of the pump makers numbers to identify which pumps use the pin seal. The number is stamped in the pump. There should also be the IH number.
The 3rd and 4th pages have the pin seal info. The 4th page tells at 7.
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I actually have the original manual that came with it. I bought a reproduction but I can't find it. The original I have is not in great shape. Thanks for the help on this. I will go through this process tomorrow and report back.
One other thing. I had a local tractor repair shop tell me that Napa made a hydraulic fluid that was a match for the Hy-Tran fluid when I restored it the first time. I still have 3/4 of the 5 gallon bucket I purchased.
staninlowerAL
501 Club
That source is not too well recognized for accuracy by some members on this forum so take that for "what it's worth" JMHO Stan
Sorry to keep replying but when I clicked on the TM Tractor Parts link and it opened I immediately recognized it. I bought hundreds of dollars in parts from them doing the restoration. I also took the original IH radiator and had it recored and had the IH clutch rebuilt when I split the tractor. It wasn't slipping but I figured with it all apart that was the time to do it.
Oh ok, good information. Thank you. I just want to do it correctly.