Ford/NH 1700 Tractor Starter/Ignition Conundrum

[crosspike77]

Hi folks. Ya'll have been helpful in the past, so, here I am.
Ok, lets start with what I did and see how bad I messed up.
Had a bad battery, so replaced the battery. Had a bad ignition switch, replaced. New voltage regulator. Was still having starting issues. Just took a few tries and would eventually kick over until one day it wouldn't. I looked at the starter solenoid and wanted to clean up connections there. Got off the positive lugs, then the negative lug was giving me a little trouble and then started wiggling, so the stud was completely loose. I got that off, then ordered a new solenoid. When the new solenoid arrived I went to put it on and was rushing and my wife wanted to tell me something, so I mistakenly put the alternator (yellow) lead onto the solenoid neg stud and the battery on the positive stud. I then discovered a wire came off the ignition switch and put it where I thought it came off of. Turned the key and smelled burning electrical and saw smoke coming out the starter. I promptly stopped cranking and undid the ignition wire and found my mistake with the alternator wire. After that I placed the alternator wire on the pos stud and then the switch wire in the correct spot. After that I got nothing when I turned the key. At that point I figured I fried the solenoid and the starter due to the smoke. I ordered a new one.

It arrived yesterday and I got the old starter off and placed the new one on. Same result as before. Nothing when I turn the key. I'm guessing I fried the new ignition switch, so I have a new one on order. I can confirm voltage from solenoid to #30 on the switch, but nothing when turn key. Dash light illuminates the speedo, but I might have popped a fuse at the headlights, which is next after work today.

My question is, what else am I missing or could have fried ? Am I on the right track with new ignition switch? Could I have fried the new voltage reg and is affecting start? Do I need to investigate something else and report back?

Any insight would be much appreciated! Also could I have messed something up worse with the alternator wire on the negative stud for that short term?

UPDATE: I switched out with the original Ignition Switch and still the same result. Nothing when I turn the key. I must have blown something else. Is there a fuse inline with the #50 wire or the #30 wire I should look for? Also, I noticed a small silver cube with a wiring harness on the right side mounted on the same bar as the voltage regulator. There is a wire coming off it with a round connector, I may have placed that loose wire on the ignition switch when I was fixing the glow plug loose wire. What is this and where does that wire actually belong? Could I have fried that and that is cause of no ignition?

 

[chim]

Not sure if it's any help, but my Ford 1210 gave me problems a while back. It acted like a dead spot on the starter. Sometimes a good whack to the starter made it turn over.

The problem was a wire that burned off INSIDE the insulation near the starter.

 

[crosspike77]

The starter is new out of the box. I'm not getting response to key turn. I'm leaning toward a bad ignition wire as I check through things. I just discovered a wiring diagram that shows a possible fuse inline with the White #50 wire. Gotta find that next. If that popped. I hope that's it.

 

[John_Mc]

Have you tried bypassing your ignition switch or running a heavy wire, such as a jumper cable direct from your battery to the positive terminal on your starter? That would at least tell you if the starter is working.

 

[crosspike77]

Yes, I bypassed the ignition switch last night with a jumper wire from starter + to the switch lead. Fired right up. Traced the switch wire (white #50) to a relay on the dash bar. Assuming I might have popped the relay, so I have a new one ordered. My query is still, what is the random black wire coming from the relay and where should it be connected, my guess is a ground to the body, but I'm not doing anything till I'm sure.

 

[crosspike77]

I've installed a new relay and got all of the fuse block wires in the correct places. The new relay is plastic compared to a metal one. I was hoping for it to fire right up when I turned the key, but still nothing. Can the voltage regulator affect ignition? Also, the starter is brand new, but the placement for the #50 wire is different (which comes from switch to relay, then relay to solenoid). I've emailed the folks I bought the starter from if it's possible there is another place I hook that wire too on the solenoid I am missing.

 

[crosspike77]

Next steps taken: I went to the auto parts store with the recently purchased battery. Whatever I did fried the battery, so new battery and cable acquired. Ran a new wire from solenoid to relay and from relay to switch. Still nothing when I turn the key except for the Oil and Battery lights. With the new battery and starter she fires right up when I jump the positive on the solenoid to the #50 wire spot. Solenoid clicks and she fires up. Still wondering if I connect that wire on the relay thats loose to something correct or I fried something else. I am at a loss for what to replace next or what to I need to do.