agricat 254 starter problem

[troyd1000]

I have an agricat 254. My starter takes 5-10 tries to engage. If I take it out and lub it, it will work pretty well for a while. Any suggestions? Also, can someone tell what part number that starter is? I do not have a book. My tractor is a late 90's model.

 

[greg_g]

I have an agricat 254. My starter takes 5-10 tries to engage. If I take it out and lub it, it will work pretty well for a while. Any suggestions? Also, can someone tell what part number that starter is? I do not have a book. My tractor is a late 90's model.

The Chinese starter is a QD100C3. The two most common problems found are dirt and low voltage. When you say "lube", you should be more specific. Just any old grease won't do in a starter, and in some cases can just make the problem worse. You need a dielectric grease that does not thicken as the temperature drops. I got my QD100C3 cleaned/lubed and rebuilt in an auto-electric shop for only $65.

Usually coincident with dirty starters and solenoids however, is low voltage coming from the keyswitch. These solenoids need a good 10 volts to effectively throw the pinion gear into the ring gear teeth. I'll wager you have something between 7 and 9 volts down there. A simple fix for this is to add an inexpensive Ford type relay between the keyswitch and the starter solenoid.

Both topics have been discussed hundreds of times here, so finding amplifying info should not be difficult. If it turns out you need a new starter, I can help you out there too.

//greg//

 

[troyd1000]

Thanks for the info. I have tried spraying it with crc and wd40 in the summer. I do think it is a lube/dirt problem because it get worse the colder it gets and that would make sense. I doubt if it is voltage as it seems strong, but I will check that also. Do you have a specific brand/product that you could recommend for the lube?

 

[greg_g]

Ah, so you've never actually disassembled the starter and solenoid for cleaning. What's happening is that the factory grease - and whatever you used - are mixing with the dirt. A lot of them arrive on these shores already dirty. Working the tractors just adds to it. Regardless of the source, dirt reduces the lubricating properties, and then cold temps keep the goop too stiff to slide properly. Take starter/solenoid off the tractor and to an auto electric shop. If you've never stripped one of these down before, the auto-electric shop will be money well spent.

Your use of the word "strong" suggests you're not interpreting correctly the low voltage issue I described. This can only be confirmed or denied with a voltmeter. I'm not talking problem between battery and starter, rather a known problem between the keyswitch and the solenoid. I suspect low voltage on the light gauge wire that attaches to the small post on the Chinese starter solenoid.

//greg//

 

[Diamondpilot]

I agree with Greg. Take it off and have it fully serviced. If that does not fix it you need to start checking voltages. I had the same issue as you. Fixing the starter did it for me. I had plenty of voltage at the small wire.

Chris

 

[troyd1000]

Thanks for all the followup. I am going to get it serviced. I did further research on the voltage issue and now understand the problem. I am going to test that also. Again, thanks for all the advice.