57 WD45 - need help with a minor problem

[SmilinSam]

Painted and decaled it last fall, new tires are getting put on tomorrow. Drove it in the shed last fall, had to push it out today - no spark. All the components were new last fall save for the coil and the ignition switch. I'm getting good feed from the switch to the coil, and the points are clean and gapped right. How do you test for a bad coil or condensor? Any other thoughts from you guys who play with the big stuff? Thanks, Sam Also, anyone know where i can get a model 90, 140, 150, or 170 loader reasonable and reasonably close to central Illinois. Fixer uppers Ok with me.

[AGCO918]

SAM: had the same problem on wd when i had it.try points and condensor and if that doesnt work try the coil .it hopefulily will be one or a combination of the 3 things .hope this helps.agco918

[beamer]

Sam, I had the same problem also on my WD45. Turned out that who ever converted to 12v didnt install an inline resistor. It kept burning up the coil. Good luck.

[bobjack]

Hi Sam, You may have something bridging the gap in your sparkplug. Carbon or spider?? Look at it first. A bad condensor can be shorted inside or "open" inside. If it's open, the effect is like the condensor is not there. If it is shorted inside, it will not let the points open the circuit. A motor can run without the condensor in the circuit, it will eat the points up much faster. Just disconnect it temporarily to see if the motor starts. If you have a bad condensor AND any other problem (bad coil) it still won't start. You can meter the condensor with a Volt Ohmeter on OHMS setting (out of circuit). The resistance will start out at infinity or meg-ohms and stay there if the condensor is open. If it is shorted, resistance will start out at nothing or zero and stay there. Resistance will start out low and move to infinity on a good condensor, as the condensor pulls miniscule current from the VOM until it is full. The condensor (capacitor) acts like a surge tank for electricity. To check the coil, pull the coil wire off the plug and keep it about 1/8" from a ground (cyl head), disconnect the - (negative side) wires, turn key on and be sure you have 12 volts to + (positive side of coil, take a piece of wire and touch (or connect) one end to minus side of coil AND touch other end to good ground on motor, and then pull the wire away from ground. When you pull the wire from ground, the coil should fire the sparkplug wire. If you have spark without the plug, stick the plug in the wire and touch the plug to groung while you try the coil again, the spark should jump the plug gap. Hope this helps, bobjack