8n wont start

[kool cat]

hey all
new to the site and new to 8n's.
I picked up a 1950 to 52 8n, it hasn't ran in two years. when i bought it the guy told me the it didnt have a spark. so i clean thing up so i can see everything and fixed some wires with bad connectors. then i couldnt get the starter to work so i got a new starter solenoid. and still didnt work.
I called my father in-law cause he has a 46 8n we found that the battery was no good boosted it and it rolled over. so we still had no spark at the plugs. it was supost to have a new coil and point and condensor, then i got new plugs. And still nothing.
So we had one more person come over and look everything over. so I bought a new coil and condensor cause we didnt know if it was rebuilt right and didnt know if the parts were any good. we rebuilt the distributor and still no spark.
so its a 1950 to 52 ford 8n with a side distributor.

Anyone have any ideas? :confused3:

 

[Varmint1]

Did you check your on/ off switch, check voltage to the switch and check voltage out of switch, if you have voltage coming out of the switch then check that you have voltage going to the coil, if your gettin voltage to the coil check and see if your getting it to the points

 

[tmajor]

The voltage at the points, should drop to (0) volts (ground), when the points close.

 

[kool cat]

yup getting power to the coil and the distributor and that is where we are losing it.

 

[tmajor]

I'm not understanding "losing it". If the wire is hooked up and you are measuring voltage. "it's there". If you have the wire off and have voltage and don't after hooking it up, there is a short inside or the points are closed.

 

[kool cat]

that is what we are thinking. somethings not right.
how can you have the power at the distributor then nothing. how can that be?

 

[tmajor]

The points are the last element in the low voltage circuit of the ignition. One portion of the points is tied to ground, the other portion is tied to the low voltage wire from the coil. When the points close, the low voltage wire from the coil is grounded through the closed points.

 

[kool cat]

is there a way check for the power in side the distributor?

 

[tmajor]

Remove the low voltage wire going to the distributor. replace it with a wire you can touch to ground. Each time you touch it to ground, you should get fire from the high tension wire on the coil .. to ground. Do you have the battery in the correct way? I believe the original wiring was with a (+) positive ground.

 

[tmajor]

There should be power on the one segment of the points .. if they are open.

 

[kool cat]

ok i'll have to look at that tomorrow,

Thanks

 

[kool cat]

just to let all know i got the tractor running. the wire from the distributor to the coil was too heavy.

 

[Soundguy]

to heavy? that makes no sense? it may have had a bad connection and when you changed it to a lighter wire it cleane dthe connection and worked.

you could have a peiec of 1/0 wire connecting them up.. or a solid ingot of copepr conencting them and it would work fine.

too heavy wasn't the issue.

too bad of a conenction was...

ps.. if that other ford was a 46.. it was a 2n.. or at least the egine was from a 2n...

 

[kool cat]

with the thicker wire i got 0.04 volts at the distributor, with the thinner wire I got 6.12 volts. I dont know what to say?

 

[LD1]

I dont know what to say?

Bad connection:thumbsup:

Soundguy is right. Wire size dont matter on that.

Anyway...glad you got it running. The 8n's are pretty easy and a good tractor to learn to work on:thumbsup:

How about posting some pics when you get a chance?

 

[kool cat]

ya your right doesnt matter about the wire, its runnng after two years sitting in a field. i'll see if i can get the pics to upload

 

[LD1]

Looks like a nice project.

Keep an eye on that front axle with that loader. The 8n didnt have a super strong front end, and has lots of things that can wear out.

Do you know if it has the sherman transmission? (It would have a dog-leg shaped lever on the transmission case just forward of the clutch pedal.)

 

[Soundguy]

with the thicker wire i got 0.04 volts at the distributor, with the thinner wire I got 6.12 volts. I dont know what to say?

simple physics.

heaver conductive wire is LESS of a voltage drop than thinner wire of same conductor type.

unless you have magic powers to change those laws.. the reasonable answer was you had a bad conenction and the very ACT of changing out the wire, corrected the bad connection.

remember. sometimes a cigar is just a cigar....

not every part ever changed in history was a bad part. that's why diagnostic techniques usually yeild cheaper repair bils in the long run due to not repalcing good parts..

glad you got er up.

 

[kool cat]

like this

 

[Soundguy]

wrong spot.. that's simple the clutch linkage

look up...