need to rewire the KAMA TS254C

[greg_g]

Would it be possible, at least for now, to give me the recipe for a simple wiring plan to bypass anything not absolutely necessary to: 1. start the tractor, 2. provide charging to the battery.

Not until you can get an installed starter that will turn the flywheel with the screwdriver method. Overcome that obstacle, and we can move on to more specific tasks. Because right now, none of us know (1) if your starter is any good, and (2) if your battery is any good. If they are, then we're back to connections and grounds again.

//greg//

 

[Brad_Blazer]

Did you do like Larry suggested and absolutely verify the ground connections? Verify both the battery ground cable and starter ground. When 3RRL (a pretty sharp guy) couldn't start his Kama he had cleaned the ground connections but on the battery to frame connection there was still a layer of slag that had to be ground off to shiny bare metal before it would work. You may have cleaned these connections once but based on the starter working on the bench but not on the tractor it is a good idea to clean them again.

Brad

 

[lakespirit]

I ground to bare metal like Larry said. Still nothing. Interestingly, I warmed up the starter/solenoid, as Greg suggested, and when out of the tractor, it operated perfectly (so did my spare) and as soon as I installed it on the tractor I get virtually nothing.

I say virtually because this time, I had the starter engage the flywheel and it groaned and I think actually turned a hair or two. This is running directly from the truck battery. The other thing I did was make sure the engine was warm from using the block heater.

I have not been able to make it somewhere to test the loads on either battery as yet.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Lakespirt

Greg is right 100% and Brad, larry, 3RRL plus the other guys are pointing you in the right direction.

Do this for me. Put a starter on the tractor but do not connect any wires. Now get a pair of jumper cables and hook them to the battery. Put the other end of the cables on the starter, black to mounting bolt, and red to the large lug. Now with the tractor in neutral try the screwdriver method. If it starts you have a bad connection somewhere, either on one end of the ground or positive wire or just a bad wire.

If it does not start you more than likely have a bad battery. Now with it still hooked up to the starter on the tractor try hooking it up to a know good battery like the one in your truck. Try to start again. If it does, presto it points to the battery.

You are simply bypassing all the wiring by using jumper cables and a screwdriver.

Chris

 

[lakespirit]

If all else fails, follow directions! I neglected to carefully clean the Positive battery terminal. I replaced the ground cable, cleaned stuff AGAIN, and wouldn't you know it, started right up with the battery on the tractor using the screwdriver. NO other wires are connected to the starter/solenoid.

 

[Diamondpilot]

If all else fails, follow directions! I neglected to carefully clean the Positive battery terminal. I replaced the ground cable, cleaned stuff AGAIN, and wouldn't you know it, started right up with the battery on the tractor using the screwdriver. NO other wires are connected to the starter/solenoid.

There you have it. And look, you wanted to rewire the whole tractor. I am glad you got it. This is what I was trying to prove using jumper cables in place of the factory wiring to see if that was it. Greg and the others led you to that point but I was just trying to give you a quick 5 minute way of checking things over.

Congratulations.

Chris

 

[lakespirit]

Thanks everyone. So far, so good.

And now to try and find out what is causing the main fuse to blow when using glow plugs. I'll start with the removal of the buss bar and connect them one at a time and see what happens. From there who knows, maybe I'll be able to get all the wiring functioning correctly?!?!

My first priority would be to get the charging system working, please.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

It's great you found the problem - it doesn't take much to stop 12v.

Once you remove the glow plug bus you can also use a meter to verify that the circuit is isolated from ground.

 

[lakespirit]

It's great you found the problem - it doesn't take much to stop 12v.

Once you remove the glow plug bus you can also use a meter to verify that the circuit is isolated from ground.

Huh? You're talking to a very "un-electrical" guy, Brad. Can you explain how I'd do this meter/isolation thing? Thanks.

 

[greg_g]

My first priority would be to get the charging system working, please.

For reasons that escape me, the charging voltage goes through a low capacity fuse. I don't have my wiring chart handy, so you'll have to isolate which fuse yourself. All else can be working as normal as Chinese wiring can work - including the ammeter - but a blown fuse will stop the charging voltage from ever getting to the battery.

Tomorrow I'll dig out my info for the charging bypass wire. But first I need to warn you that - once installed - it bypasses the ammeter. You'll get max recharge voltage delivered to the battery, but you won't be able to detect it on the ammeter. All other ammeter functions will be normal. I haven't found it to be a problem on mine. But if you have a personal need to "see" charging voltage, say so now and we'll forget the bypass wire.

//greg//