Up In Smoke

[cahickm2 0]

I replaced the head gasket and reinstalled the carb on my 3212h today. I had this tractor apart in the fall and haven't messed around with it until yeterday. The points and condensor were also replaced. When I was rewiring it the manual was really no use and I like the retard I am forgot where the wires went. So I did the best that I could according to the manual. When I would try to start it, the voltage regulator was making a funny noise then poofed some smoke. I took it apart, nothing seems to be scorched. In the pic, I show a wire that doesn't show up on the wiring diagram: ?

The black wire comes from the post on the solenoid where the positive battery cable comes in. That is also where the black wire with the fuse comes from. Is this right? doesn't seem right to me. What would the point of the fuse be then? also, with those wires comeing from the positive post on the solenoid, why would they run to the negative terminal on the ammeter? Is my voltage regulator junk now

[UCD 14]

You have to upload the file before it will display.

[cahickm2 0]

the picture I had was the same as the last one on your post UCD. However, the wire that I am talking about that doesnt show up runs exactly the same as the wire with the fuse. From the solenoid to the - termianl on the ammeter, only this wire doesn't have a fuse. I didn't do any of this wiring, the previous owner had the tractor and never ran it. I don't know if that wire is causing the problem or if I have a problem somewhere else.

[D-17_Dave 12]

The wire you speak of could have been added by someone in the past to do any number of things such as lights or something. Although adding a wire like this unfused is incorrect, it could work. The purpose of any fuse is to protect the wires and sometimes the electrical components from an overload condition that might damage the wires or the components. The amp meter is a flow meter for the electrical current. Voltage is capable of flowing in either direction through this type meter and it reflects this flow. The purpose of the diagram is to show the wireing connections as they should be. You don't have to completely understand the reason for each wire but by replacing the wires in the correctly shown locations and provided that the electrical components are OK then everything should work as it was designed. If it was hooked up wrong it could easily damage any of the componenets.

[cahickm2 0]

I understand the diagram. But when I took it apart, that wire came from under the dash. This tractor never had lights, or even a toggle switch. I hooked that wire up to the - terminal as I thought it was supposed to. The points spark as they should, and so does the plug. Its like it wants to run but the electrical system won't let it....

[cahickm2 0]

on the safety switch does it matter which wire goes where?

[UCD 14]

An ampmeter with out a fuse is asking for a guaranteed electrical fire. I have seen them wired with out a fuse most likely because they were blowing fuses and didn't know why. The most likely cause of blown fuse's is dirty connection at the solenoid and starter/generator. I presently have 3 tractors that had that problem when I got them and the only thing wrong was dirty connections. My 3212H was completely rewired with about a mile of excess wire toggle switches and push button starter switches and did not run. I removed all of the excess wire and switches cleaned up the original wiring connections replaced the fuse in the original wiring harness turned the key the engine turned over and it started. The wire you are talking about has nothing to do with ignition. That wire is one that someone used to by-pass the fused wire. The only wire in the ignition circuit is the white wire in blue in the diagram. This puts ground on the points to kill the ignition. The starting circuit in red is only to tun the engine over. The red wire in diagram from s/g to V/R G terminal and yellow wire Green in diagram to ampmeter and black wire red in diagram to solenoid and positive terminal on battery is the charging circuit.

[cahickm2 0]

I understand what your saying about the dirty connections. I'll clean them up, but I dont know if that voltage regulator is fried or not. anyway to test it?

[DMedal 1]

Corey- In your drawing I'd say that extra wire is there to bypass the fuse. Probably it was installed because either the last person didn't realize the fuse was in there or didn't have a fuse. Get rid of that extra wire ASAP. It is the cause of the problem leading to smoke and not a blown fuse, but not the cause of whatever caused the fuse to blow. A close visual and nose inspection should lead you to the source of the smoke. I wouldn't recommend just assuming all is ok now because it stopped smoking. First get rid of that extra wire, and install a fuse if needed. then you have two tasks: what smoked (regulator only?) and what shorted to cause that smoke? Either you made a simple error in hooking it up again or there's something like a pinched wire somewhere shorting it out. To test the regulator - you don't say if you have a voltmeter. If you do it is a fairly simple matter of starting it and measuring whether the battery voltage is higher with the engine running compared to at rest, or lower. If it is higher, your regulator is probably still working. If you don't have a voltmeter, I suggest you pay attention to how it cranks over, then run it around the block a few times and see if it runs down or not (does it get harder to start over time?) but... there is a regulator failure where it overcharges the battery. That would be fatal to your battery if left undetected. So I'm thinking you should find someone with a voltmeter and actually measure things. Good luck! -Don

[cahickm2 0]

I cleaned all the wire termials on the whole tractor, reinstalled the voltage regulator and tried again. I left the cover off for a visual. When I crank it over, The F terminal closes then when I let off the key it opens and sparks. None of the other terminals close. The Spark plug still has good spark, as do the points. I don't know whats going on. I'm not familiar with electrical systems and I dont know what to do...

[UCD 14]

If you have good spark at the plug with the plug out it is either a bad plug that will not fire under compression or a fuel problem. Put a little gas in the plug hole and install the plug if it fires you have a fuel problem.

[cahickm2 0]

It seems to be getting fuel. I can smell gas, and the plug was wet....

[UCD 14]

You are getting to much fuel. Remove the plug, dry it with a cigarette lighter or propane torch, with choke off and plug out turn engine over to clear cylinder. Reinstall plug and with choke off try to start if it doesn't start remove plug and check it. If plug is wet needle seat is sticking open or float is adjusted wrong or float is bad, causing it to flood out.

[cahickm2 0]

I know the float isn't bad. I rebuilt that carb and I even made sure that the float is level. When i turn the gas on the carb floods. gas starts leaking without even cranking the engine over. call me dumb but I think something might be wrong in the carb... What are the initial adjustments for the carb? 3 turns on the main jest and 3/4 turn on the idle? thats what I had it set at, but i know nothing..

[UCD 14]

The initial adjustments 1½ - 2 turns have nothing to do with the flooding when you turn the fuel on You are right something is wrong in the carb, the float or needle and seat. The flooding is controlled by the float, needle and needle seat. The needle and seat is a valve that controls the level of fuel in the carb. the float turns this valve on and off. Either the float is not adjusted right or the needle is sticking open or there is dirt in the seat or the needle and seat are both worn to the point that they leak If you refuse to believe that one particular thing is wrong because you think it is right you never will get it fixed. Murphy's law states "What ever can't be most likely will be" and it always bites hard.

[cahickm2 0]

The rebuild kit that I bought came with a new seat. I didn't install it because i dont know how to get the old one out. The original one seems like it is pressed in somehow. The new one has threads on ot and a flathead groove to tighten it in.... anyone else seen these?

[cahickm2 0]

ttt