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KT17 Troubleshooting advice


GWGAllisfan

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Om the tractor in question is the one from here:

http://www.simpletractors.com/club2/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=135095

It came to me without a coil and a story of it was running when they last moved it it backfired and then quit, someone had identified a coil as the problem, removed it and that's how I got it.

Ok obvously first step was to get a coil, which a member was able to supply. I hooked the coil up, shot a little gas in the carb and cranked it, nothing.

Pull plugs: no spark as it cranks.

1. Checked power to coil: 12V present

2. Checked that points open and close: yes. meter shows continuity to ground against coil post.

3. with plugs out ground coil: spark present at both or either plug.

4. Made sure power present at coil while cranking: yes

Ok what next?

I haven't opened points cover, as it got late. Could this be an internally shorted condenser? Is that the next logical thing to check? Are the points and condensor the same as on a Kohler single? or does it need a special capacitance for the dual coil?

Suggestions?

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I didn't read anything about fuel. Is it flowing from the carb to the cylinders? Has the fuel filter been changed? Does the fuel pump work? Is the fuel fresh?

If you've got a nice blue spark at the spark plugs, the first thing I'd check would be the fuel. Also might want to check the air filter.

The tractor you bought looks great. Very similar to my '85 917H Allis. Hope it works out for you.

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He shot some gas in the carb... Check the compression, if you have spark and fuel something needs to pop! Is the spark at the right time? You said you were told it backfired and quit. Sheared flywheel key? There are guys who know that motor front and back. Someone will be able to give you more info I am sure!

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IMO, always start with the basics. Remove the ground wire that runs from the points to the coil and use a jumper. Hook the jumper to the coil ground side and then bounce/drag the other end on a good ground and watch for spark at the plug.

This takes the points out of the loop. If you get spark, follow the rest of this. If not, Take the coil and have it tested.

Remove and clean the points with carb cleaner and then check for a burned or corroded place on the contacts. Sand as needed and then pull a dollar bill through them a few times. The bill won't leave lint as most paper will and it helps remove oils etc. If there is much oil you likely need a new seal for the plunger.

Make sure you have 12 volts to the coil as the engine is spinning. Switches can go bad and have power in run position but not in start. A jumper from the battery positive to coil positive will show if this is a problem.

Not sure about the condenser being different but try one if you aren't getting anywhere. The condenser is there to keep the 12 volts from arcing between the points and burning them. Most any from a 12 volt battery fired ignition should work long enough to test. At least in my thinking.

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Nice tractor, the one I have is my favorite of all the tractors I have owned.

Keep in mind that both plugs need to be grounded to see a spark.

Some good advice in the previous posts. You will have it running in no time.

Good Luck,

John U

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Hello, On the right side of the engine sheet metal, is a hole to see the timing marks on the flywheel . If you have access to a timing light (old school) you can check the timing, while some one cranks the engine over.

I also love my simplicity 7117.

Ken in Mi

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It's running, or it was a few minutes ago. Checked, cleaned and reset the point,checked all the connections, sprayed a little brake cleaner in the carb, and it finally started. It ran a bit rough for a while and surged a bit, but it seems to be clearing up. I think it needs higher gas level or maybe the cap is not venting, but maybe i can put it outside for trying a longer run Saturday. A few minutes in the garage was all that was safe.

By the way is there any trick that allows changing the points without having to completly dissasemble the air cleaner? That was a pain.

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Unfortunately, you need to be able to see what you're doing while adjusting the points. It's easier to set the points correctly with the air cleaner out of the way. Don't forget to recheck the point setting after you tighten the screw. They always seem to move a little, which will mess up your timing. I usually wind up setting and checking 3 or 4 times until it settles in to where it should be.

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My technique was to set the points with the feeler guage between them. That should keep them from moving while the screw tightens.

Probably should have put new ones in while I was there. Never have time to do it right the first time, always have time to do it over I guess.....

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Setting points with a feeler guage is correct. You should recheck the setting after you tighten the set screw, because the torque put on the set screw will sometimes cause the adjustment to move.

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