1550 takes forever to crank - what's the deal?

[ratter]

1550 takes forever to crank - what\'s the deal?

Anybody care to help me diagnose this issue, as I can't get the repair guy out for at least a few days...

My old 1550....had been running just fine, brand new battery, now won't start. Or rather I should say, it starts *sometimes*, only after holding the key down in the start position for, literally, minutes.

Does this symptom point to a particular problem(?) Anything I can do or check while I wait for the repair guy?

Thanks very much in advance!
Mike

 

[ratter]

Re: 1550 takes forever to crank - what\'s the deal?

Sorry, wasn't very specific....

When turning the key, the dash lights light up as they should. I hear a solenoid (I think) clicking when I turn the key all the way to the cranking position. But then, nothing. No noise, no activity, nothing. Dash lights remain lit. BUT, if I sit there and hold the key in that position for 2, 3, 4 minutes....then out of the blue, *sometimes*, it will start cranking and the engine will start.

 

[beenthere]

Re: 1550 takes forever to crank - what\'s the deal?

Any smoke showing up (from heated wires or starter) during that 2-3 minutes you are holding the key to "start"?

 

[blackmajicwoman]

Re: 1550 takes forever to crank - what\'s the deal?

I know this may seem silly, but check your electrical connections on your battery, alternator, starter, and solenoid to make sure they are tight. I had a pick up truck that did the same exact thing. Even when I tried jumping it, same thing. Come to find out, the + terminal lug on the battery was loose due to the notorious vibration from a straight 6!

 

[KennyV]

Re: 1550 takes forever to crank - what\'s the deal?

If your starter and starter solenoid are ok, I am sure that if you were to measure the voltage at the starter, (small wire), you will find it is not 12 volts at the times you do not get the starter to activate. … you are loosing some voltage along the way, bad connection/s, anyplace along that line… could be at the key switch or any of the safety lockout switches. A little time with a digital volt meter should find the problem. Happy hunting /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif, KennyV.

 

[ratter]

Re: 1550 takes forever to crank - what\'s the deal?

Thanks very much for the replies.

Smoke? No smoke, at least that I could tell, but I'll keep an eye out again today.

Bad connection? Very possible. Previous owner left behind a fair amount of electrical tape, if you know what I mean. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I will investigate that angle further.

Does the fact that it *does* start up from time to time rule out a problem with the starter itself? Or is that assuming too much?

I'll break out the meter and poke around...

Thanks!

 

[guyrj33]

Re: 1550 takes forever to crank - what\'s the deal?

The symptoms are typical of a loose connection.
Check the battery cables by snugging up the nuts. Also check to make sure the bolts holding the starter to the block are tight. The starter grounds thru the mounting bolts.

 

[BGL990]

Re: 1550 takes forever to crank - what\'s the deal?

Although perhaps less likely than the other suggestions, it could be the starter, even though it sometimes appears to work OK. At least twice in the past I've seen car starters where the brushes were worn down to the point where they were no longer being pushed against the starter armature. They would sometimes touch and the starter would spin, other times you'd get nothing. Tapping the starter body with something would sometimes jar the brushes into touching and the starter would work again - maybe just once, maybe for a few starts.

Measure the voltage at the starter (preferrably right at the actual motor connection if possible, although that might be "hidden" inside or behind a solonoid). If you get 12V while the key is at 'start' but the starter isn't turning, it could be the brushes.

If it does turn out to be the starter brushes, you might be able to get some made, or cut down from larger or generic ones at an electric motor rebuilding shop. My dad did that for some motor that would otherwise have cost several tens of dollars to order the proper brushes. The motor rebuilding shop made him a set for less than $5.

ps. Obviously you should use alligator clips or something to connect the voltmeter and turn the key from the drivers seat. Don't run over yourself by turning the key while standing beside the machine.

 

[ratter]

Re: 1550 takes forever to crank - what\'s the deal?

Ok, I'm getting 12v at the starter terminals, but no cranking. No sound, no motion, no nuthin' - so that pretty much means the starter is gone, no?

Only...when I go to tractorsmart.com and look up the starter for a B1550, their drawing looks nothing like my starter (or at least, what I believe to be my starter!) Can anybody out there verify for me that I'm actually looking at the starter? The part I'm referring to, when you're standing on the left side of the tractor (your left hand, as you sit in the driver's seat), looking at the engine compartment, it's to the right and down from the alternator. One smaller cylinder sitting on top of a larger cylinder, and the smaller cylinder has the two electrical terminals on it.

Man - we are broke and of course it looks like the most expensive electrical part of the tractor happens to be the one that died! Yay! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[hwp]

Re: 1550 takes forever to crank - what\'s the deal?

I don't know about your specific situation but it sounds like you are not getting power from the ignition switch to the solenoid, the small cylinder on top of the starter motor. Check the wire coming from the ignition switch to the solenoid - has it got good continuity and good contact at both the switch end and the solenoid end? Also check the other wire connections on the solenoid. Somewhere you have a poor connection. Another possibility is that the brushes in the starter motor are worn out and not making contact with the armature. The length of time the ignition switch is in the start position has no effect on whether or not the starting system works, other than what else might be happening during that time such as wires being moved and eventaully making contact. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif