help!

[jack707]

Last week I posted about the battery now today I start it put it in gear and SPARKS on the top of the hood again! shut tractor off still sparking don't know what this problem is because last time this happened I traced the wires both are on the right post I even wrapped a cut in the wire with electrical tape. I am not to happy at this moment now because I don't know what the problem is here!.

 

[bcp]

My first thought is a short somewhere on the other end of the cables.

Bruce

 

[jack707]

When I cool down I'll take a look and I have a nice burn hold on the hood I have to cover up.

 

[Fawken]

It's pretty obvious what happened.
(1) Wrong battery for the machine (too tall)
(2) No shield over the positive clamp and electrode
(3) Battery is not strapped down and can vibrate and bounce

 

[Dewbie]

Hard to tell in the picture but it looks like that battery is to tall causing it to ground out onto the metal hood.

 

[jack707]

Well took off cables from starter and found out were the red (hot) wire attaches was lose!!! so I might as well replace the starter and battery I don't think it would worth my money to have the starter rebuilt....oh Fawken I put grease on the pto!.

 

[Fawken]

Are you saying the stud for the hot wire is loose or broken? Most starters have a nut on both sides of that stud that you can just tighten it up. Unless it shorted to ground, I don't see how that would cause the damage in the picture. Glad to hear you greased the PTO shaft but you may still need to clean it up with steel wool to get a yoke onto it.

 

[oosik]

As Fawken said - battery is too tall. Negative cable is obviously grounding on underside of hood.

 

[aczlan]

As Fawken said - battery is too tall. Negative cable is obviously grounding on underside of hood.

Ummm, might re-read that one and think about it...
The negative terminal and the frame/hood should be at the same potential (unless this is a positive ground tractor).
Looks to me like the hood may be shorting between the positive and negative terminals.

Aaron Z

 

[jack707]

I'm saying the housing where the screw is on that's what lose! I'll put a pic. up later.

 

[jack707]

Ok I 2nd look at the starter I'm thinking I could get away using this one,I put my finger on the tip of the stud where the red wire goes and it wiggles alittle not much and in the other pic.the black wire goes on the starter also. Top and bottom.

 

[weathda]

Is that blue paint on the positive cable? I'm thinking it also shorted across both. Either way, that battery is about 2 inches too tall. The specs on that battery say's height is 9.5". You need something like a 7.5" tall battery. You might also rig up some battery clamp as well to keep that thing seated.

I've had good luck with this battery:

NAPA AUTO PARTS

 

[oosik]

aczlan - spot on there. I missed that - slick as a whistle. Shouldn't there be some indication of burning, melting etc on the positive terminal also or on the underside of the hood - at that location.

 

[aczlan]

aczlan - spot on there. I missed that - slick as a whistle. Shouldn't there be some indication of burning, melting etc on the positive terminal also or on the underside of the hood - at that location.

It looks like there is some where the lead of the positive terminal and the plastic insulation of the wire come together.
My guess would be a loose negative terminal (not clamped down enough?), but the mess there has me confused as well...

Aaron Z

 

[jack707]

The positive end is screwed on top of the starter - the negative is screwed on the bottom of the starter. I'll check into a smaller battery and a Velcro strap to hold it in place after I fix this then I have to make a cover for the pto out of sheet metal. This is what happens when you buy USED! buying peoples problems.

 

[Fawken]

His picture of the battery doesn't go far enough to the right. He said he burned a hole in the hood so that is probably where the positive clamp contacted the hood. The entire tractor looks like someone spray painted everything, but removed the decals, masked them off or bought new. Jack, at this point you need to replace the positive and negative battery cables (along with the correct battery), clean up all of the connections at the starter, and be sure you get a red cable for your positive.

Edit to add: When you buy used you should expect you're buying some problems and be prepared and able to deal with them. Old tractors never die. Their owners just get tired of resuscitating them.

 

[crankshaft21]

Is this a positive ground system? I didn`t know the newer tractors used positive ground. I have never seen where both battery cables went to the starter. You need to find out what system you have. Either way its not hooked up right. As far as the burnt spot , you can tell that the hood came into contact with battery cable and melted the post on the battery.

 

[jack707]

I bought a new battery it has less cca as the big one just by 100 the red is wire all hook up. Tomorrow I have to by soder for the cable ends I thought I had some if I do I cant find it. The new battery is not as tall or wide so it should not come in contact with the hood.

 

[jack707]

Its all fixed! I solder all the ends on the cables.

 

[Fawken]

Its all fixed! I solder all the ends on the cables.

Good to hear.