New to tractors ford 1700 question.

[BG4985]

JC - You're taking me wrong if you think im digging on you...You are correct in the 5min it took to take off the tank.. I didnt mean in any way to imply that you are the cause of my evil, if it sounded that way. This forum has been a HUGE help to me..and im sure it will continue to be in the future. As always thanks for the advice, being my first tractor ever, it has been quite the experience so far. As far as the grease/dried up fluid goes Ill try to just get as much of it out as i can before putting the new fluid in the box.

[JC-jetro]

JC - You're taking me wrong if you think im digging on you...You are correct in the 5min it took to take off the tank.. I didnt mean in any way to imply that you are the cause of my evil, if it sounded that way. This forum has been a HUGE help to me..and im sure it will continue to be in the future. As always thanks for the advice, being my first tractor ever, it has been quite the experience so far. As far as the grease/dried up fluid goes Ill try to just get as much of it out as i can before putting the new fluid in the box.

Cool what I like about these tractors are as long as you keep the oil in the engine, dissipate the heat properly and not run the transmission dry you're good to go since many of the maintenance can be done simply without many specialized tools or hard to find parts. if you are a bit mechanical you can find different substitutes in parts from general automotive and still maintain same factory functionality in one form or another. I paid $3100 for my rig, with that price I could have maybe bought a throwaway mower that could not even do 1/10 of what my tractor is capable of. I have seen 1700 with 3000+ hrs that still operate and I know the way I take care of her she'll be there for me for a long time. Should she be struck by TSDC (Tractor Sudden Death Syndrome),then I already got money's worth and then some.

JC,

[rayikeo2]

JC, I bought my 1700 new in 1980 and now after 30 years I have 1020 hours on it so I figure to get to 3000 hours it will take till 2070. I don't think I will make that far. I would be 133. Ray I

[JC-jetro]

JC, I bought my 1700 new in 1980 and now after 30 years I have 1020 hours on it so I figure to get to 3000 hours it will take till 2070. I don't think I will make that far. I would be 133. Ray I

Me too Ray, I had mine for 5 years and put in about 100 hrs on, although I think I have used it in excess of that but hardly ever I need to run it @ 2500 rpm. I as well will be 7 foot under before my tractor sees 3000 hrs.

JC,

[BG4985]

Ok, got most of it back together today, GP is set, oil and charging lights set, original light switch high and low set (still no idea why it was bypassed), even the darn horn works, My temp gauge doesnt move however, the needle stays H the whole time with the key in the on pos, i have the one wire running directly to the sensor, and the other is coming off the other main post right to a hot lead or ground? not the little screw above it? From the wiring diagram it looked like the little screw was strictly for a cig light option? Any suggestions? everything else seems to be working except for this. I wish it was the horn that wasnt working cause id just go without it, id rather not go without this!

[rayikeo2]

Check the 4 fuses in the fuse box. Top one goes to the headlights. 1 of the other 3 should power the temp guage but I am not sure of the correct wireing process. The temp guage is always showing max hot when the power is off ( looks like your are not getting power), when the key is on it powers the temp guage and it drops to indicate actual teperature (cold until warmed up). Should drop to Cold for about 5 min and then work up to just under the center mark.
I see you tractor is cleaning up really nice fron the pictures posted.

Looking a wiring diagram for a early 1710 it looks like the second fuse down has a r/w {red/ white stripe}wire that goes to the temp guage (top right) then from temp (top left )a b/w {blue/white stripe}wire goes to the sensor. Bottom left on temp guage looks to be Black (not sure if pos or neg but that wire goes to both the cig lighter option and also to the oil pressure/charge dash light group). The diagram for 1700 doesn't show a temp guage in it. Look uo early 1710 diagram (prior to July 1985)for confirmation if needed. I can take a picture and post diagram if you need it. As for foot throttle, I have never used mine in 30 years. Hand throttle does everything needed.

[old1500]

Ray has you covered there BG. Just for the sake of simplicity to "get it in your mind"....the sender is a resistive element that varies with heat. One lead should connect right there on the end of the sending unit....then to the meter and the other side of the meter (gauge) goes to a switched hot lead.
As the coolant temperature rises, the resistance in the sender changes varying the voltage drop across the sensor and causing the gauge (meter) needle to move one-way-or-another.

GOOD looking paint job!

[JC-jetro]

Ok, got most of it back together today, GP is set, oil and charging lights set, original light switch high and low set (still no idea why it was bypassed), even the darn horn works, My temp gauge doesnt move however, the needle stays H the whole time with the key in the on pos, i have the one wire running directly to the sensor, and the other is coming off the other main post right to a hot lead or ground? not the little screw above it? From the wiring diagram it looked like the little screw was strictly for a cig light option? Any suggestions? everything else seems to be working except for this. I wish it was the horn that wasnt working cause id just go without it, id rather not go without this!

BG,

The pics below show the yellow colored wire going to your temp gage. Do a continuity test either with a test light or ohm meter to see if you have a open in the line all the way to the temp gage. At cold condition, the resistive sender has zero resistance and at full operating temperature it has about 180 ohms. Check the sender resistance against the block. As Ray indicated fuse box could be a good possibility as well. The second pic shows where the yellow (sender wire)is landed on the switch. Second post should provide power to the gage. do a test light check between that and the ground, it should light up with the key in on position.

JC,

[BG4985]

Fuses are good to go, they were part of the rewire, most were not even hooked up. However on the gauge...ive got the sensor lead on the right just like JC's pic, the small screw which is right above it is going to the tach light, (this was according to the diagram) and then the other is going to a fused hot lead. (fyi- ive tried just about every possible wire swap/test connection with this thing now) But today Now when i turn the key, the needle moves from sitting on the H to the far right (like pegged out H) Do you think that the gauge itself is just bad? Needle stuck? gremlins? Everything else seems to be working fine on it, i did the meter test to the sensor and its wires are good, power is getting to the gauge itself, its throwing about 6-7 volts to the tach light via the small screw. Im about to just go by a el cheapo gauge from advance and be done with it.

[JC-jetro]

. Im about to just go by a el cheapo gauge from advance and be done with it.

BG,

did you actually check the sending unit like I suggested? it should register 180 ohm at normal engine operating temp, needle in the middle with the engine running. If the sending unit passes the test then I'd go after the temp gage. Harbor Freight sells them for about $15.

JC,