lawn tractor wiring help

[powerstroke6ltr]

hello. I was wondering if anybody could help me on the wiring of a 1980-ish coast to coast tractor. It has been restored, but I am at a loss when it comes to wiring. It is pretty simple, wiht a 3 pole solenoid and a 3 position key start. The engine is an 11-hp birggs. Any help is greatly appreciated. thanks

 

[WhiteRock]

Hmmm.... Can you be more specific about what you need help with?
Is there a wiring harness that is missing and you need to make one?
Or, the solenoid not engaging?
Do you have a meter to measure voltage?
When you turn the key to start, does your battery voltage change on the small post?

Maybe these questions will help get things moving toward a solution for you.

 

[powerstroke6ltr]

I have no harness. I tried to make one by scratch, but, no luck. I am totally stumped on this one. When you turn the key it either obe, blows a fuse, or does nothing. thanks

 

[Soundguy]

First let me say.. From the limited info you have provided so far, i don't know a thing specifically about the unit in question... but lets start with some basic electronics and troubleshooting and diagnostics. First.. lets explore and solve one problem at a time. lets figure out the 3 terminal relay. Hook power to the big input stud, and then the ?starter tot he output stud. Now determine if it needs power to the 3rd terminal, or ground to the third terminal by using a jumper wire from the battery.. or a jumper wire from dround. Ensure the clutch is in / tranny is out of gear so you don't run yourself over. Once you determine what activates the starter ( my gues is power from the spring loaded contact lug onthe key switch ), then you can figure out ignition.

If it is a bettery ignition, it will need power to the key switch, and then from the key, there will be that start lug.. and then probably a 'run' lug that is also hot when the start is hot. that run lug will have a wire going to the battery ignition unit. If it's a magneto or impulse type system for the ignition, it may have no battery requirements, and may even have a kill position on the switch to ground out the points. Also.. You will have to give us some info on the charge system... could be dynamo or starter generator. If so.. that greeatly affects how the wireing will be run.

Try to give us some specific info on what you see and know.

Soundguy

 

[WhiteRock]

Can you tell us what you would like to accomplish from this effort?

 

[powerstroke6ltr]

From all this effort, I would like to have a plow tractor in the winter. That is all it will be used for, until I decide on a deere. The power system is 12v, and the recharge is generator type. I have a diagram drawn in paint from the person who gave me the tractor...just dunno how to post pics. thanks

 

[JD3130]

You can look up your B&S engine at their web site they may have the wiring diagram you need! If the model tag is still on the engine, if not just look at a couple of the 11Hp ones. Most are about the same.
JD Briggs & Stratton

 

[BB_TX]

You should be able to build your harness from that diagram. The solenoid is basically a heavy duty relay. It will have one terminal to operate the solenoid. The other two terminals will be internally connected to the contact that closes to supply power to the starter. I am guessing it has two large terminals and one smaller terminal. The smaller terminal would be the one to operate it and would be the one wired to the key switch. You could easily test that. Before you wire anything else, touch a wire to the battery positive and touch the other end to the small terminal on the solenoid. (The battery must be in the tractor and the ground wire attached) You should hear it click. If so you have solved that problem. On the other two terminals, using an ohm meter (with no wires connected) check each one for any continuity to any other terminal or to ground just to make sure they are isolated. If so, then it should not matter which one you wire to the battery and which one you wire to the starter.
As far as the switch, does it have the terminal markings shown on your diagram? If so, then that problem is already solved. If not, then you will need to do a continuity check of it also. If it is not marked, let us know and either I or Soundguy or someone else can steer you thru checking that.

 

[powerstroke6ltr]

let me go out to the shop and check on the wiring...I looked over the written diagram and it seems I forgot to wire a few things into the tractor...The small wires coming from the stator are not wired to anything...that might be why...Thanks for the insight
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[powerstroke6ltr]

haven't had time for the tractor yet...finding time tonite... now i have antoher question: does anyone know if there is a tachometer filter I could buy so my tach on my 2 cyl. tractor reads the signal right? it is made for a 4 cyl enigne, so i need a filter to cut the rpms read in half. Says it tops out at 6k rpms...lol It's a 2.5 yr old suntach
thanks