# Strange starting problem 600 ford



## manfred (Dec 4, 2010)

i WORKED ON THIS THING OFF AND ON FOR 2 WEEKS. CHANGED EVERYTHING ELECTRICIAL. SCRUBBED THE CARB, ETC.wOULDNT START.
I CALLED IN THE MECHANIC. GETTING GAS, GETTING FIRE, STILL WONT START.
HIS CONCLUSION: EXHAUST VALVES NOT OPENING.NO PRESSURE FROM EXHAUST PIPE. PLENTY OF SUCTION INTAKE TO CARB. COULD IT BE?


----------



## NBKnight (Dec 5, 2010)

How about timing?


----------



## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Anythings possible, but I don't see how that could be. If the exhaust valves wern't opening, then niether would the intake valves unless the timing gear were disengaged from the cam. Does it even hint at trying to start? Valves adjusted properly? Have you looked to see if the lifters are moving in the exhaust valves? No expert on this, but until Ken or someone sounds off........


----------



## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

NBKnight said:


> How about timing?


You beat me to it by one minute!:lmao:


----------



## manfred (Dec 4, 2010)

I havent removed the valve cover yet. No hint at fireing but it did start and ran for an hour a few days ago then quit and same as before.


----------



## Fordfarm (Dec 27, 2005)

when it started and ran - how did it sound? Was it rough or smooth?


----------



## manfred (Dec 4, 2010)

Ran just fine. It has a backhoe attachment and I dug up a large stump.


----------



## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Are you able to check the compression?


----------



## Fordfarm (Dec 27, 2005)

If it just sputtered and died, it sounds like it's grounding out, to me. Check to make sure to points are good and tight and they aren't shorting out.


----------



## manfred (Dec 4, 2010)

I have a tractor mechanic coming tomorrow.(I hope). Ill let you guys know what he says. Thanks for the replies.


----------



## Ken N Tx (Sep 20, 2003)

Heated coil or key switch is my guess..


----------



## manfred (Dec 4, 2010)

Mechanic was here for 1 and a half hours yesterday. He left thinking fouled plugs. Plugs look new . Could it be? He wired around the switch, straight from battery He is coming back today.


----------



## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Well, this oughta be good!


----------



## manfred (Dec 4, 2010)

Mechanic was here for 3 hours. Says he gives up, cant figure it out. Replaced everything again. Coil, points, condenser, plugs, resister, rotor cap. Im tired of looking at it. Im gonna give it a couple of days and get back into it. No other tractor places around so guess its up to me. ( And help I might get here.)


----------



## manfred (Dec 4, 2010)

Ive had an idea I want to run by you guys.
Since everything has been replaced I believe that only leaves the distributor. One possible problem spot I see is the connection from the points, through the dist. shell , to the neg side of the coil. If the wireing has lost its isolation( like shorted to the dist. body, could this cause my no fireing problem? 
Its cold outside today but later I will test for ground. Comments?


----------



## manfred (Dec 4, 2010)

I just read on another post that if the wires are loose at the amp meter the tractor wont run. This true?


----------



## Ken N Tx (Sep 20, 2003)

manfred said:


> I just read on another post that if the wires are loose at the amp meter the tractor wont run. This true?


I would guess only if its part of the ignition circuit..


----------



## manfred (Dec 4, 2010)

The post on outside of distributor is shorted to ground. Im charging the battery and will see if it runs in a day or two. Hopefully I can run the wires through the hole in the distributor straight to the coil.


----------



## GreenFlyer (Feb 4, 2010)

I worked on a 600 a cpl of years ago. A guy left the tractor sit in his barn for the winter. He also put his sheep in the barn and they had access to it. Ever see what sheep can do to an easily accessible electrical system? All the spark plug wires were gone. The distributor cap was ground to a nub. The wires from the coil to the battery, and the wires from the master switch to the generator were all gone. I had to get a manual from TSC and do a bit of 'reverse engineering'. Anyhoo, I re-wired everything and still had a problem getting the thing to fire. It wound up being the master (key) switch. Check the voltage on both sides of the switch to ground, with the switch in both positions. I read most of these posts but I do not recall reading that the master switch was replaced, (cheap fix). Are you getting spark from all the plugs? If you replaced the coil, by process of what I have already read, it can only be the switch or the distributor. Also check that your points are gapped correctly, and opening/closing when the shaft turns. I hope you fix it! Good luck!!!


----------



## manfred (Dec 4, 2010)

Well, it's running. Took the new rotor out of distributor and put in old worn-out one. They look exactly alike. Don't know why but running like a charm. Everything new.(except rotor bug and I ain't touching it.)


----------



## rsmith335 (Jun 2, 2010)

You can buy a terminal kit from Just 8Ns really cheap and with the kit it keeps the dirt / stuff out of the dist


----------

