# IH 140 starting issue



## wbeau0408 (Mar 25, 2017)

Hello all, I have an issue with a IH 140 staring circuit. The tractor has been converted to 12 volt system for several years now and I have been using it quit regularly. In the pas t month the tractor has developed an issue with starting. The starter will not turn the engine over or will only turn it slowly. The issue is intermittent some times it turns over and starts others it will not. I can not determine a noticeable pattern to it. I have changed the battery, the battery cables and had the starter rebuilt all to no avail. I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this issue and if so what did you do to fix it?

Additional information: I have performed a voltage drop test on the cable coming from the solenoid to the starter. I have a significant voltage drop as well I performed a voltage test on the battery while cranking the engine I also get a significant voltage drop. Now here's the kicker, if I take the spark plugs out of the tractor and perform the test, the engine spins fine and I have no voltage drop. Sure sounds like a bad starter but the starter shop says it is fine. Any ideas?


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## HarveyW (Sep 15, 2014)

Hello Willy. welcome to the tractor forum. 

If you are getting a "significant" voltage drop on the cable running from the solenoid to the starter, then the cable has high resistance, possibly internal corrosion.

Another area to check the interface where the starter mounts to the bell housing. This is where the starter gets its ground connection and is often overlooked as part of the electrical circuit. Needs to be cleaned to bare metal.
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Here is a comment I found on the internet posted by *fleet621*:

"I had kind of a similar problem with my '65 140 12volt. I would turn the key on and hit the switch and nothing. I had to pull the battery out and take the battery box side off to get to the wiring in switch panel and take all the connections loose( 1 at a time) and clean them real good ( with a small jeweler's file) to get all the rust and corrosion off and replace a couple of wire's so they had good connections. But after I did that turn the key on and hit the starter switch and she usually fire's before the motor spins 3 time's. I would definitely check the wiring behind the switch panel."


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## wbeau0408 (Mar 25, 2017)

Thanks for the replies; I have replaced all the wiring on the switch as well. After an overnight charge the tractor will occasionally start but only once then back to slow or no turn of the engine. Guess I'll try another`battery tomorrow and see what happens. I'll also try cleaning the bell housing and starter housing with a wire brush. 

Thanks again!


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## wbeau0408 (Mar 25, 2017)

Sorry for the delay in replying... Turns out it was the starter after all. It was draging. on the test bench it works fine but when installed on the tractor it was dragging against the rear plate on the starter. I removed on of the bushings (washers) from the rear of the armature shaft and that fixed the problem.


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## thepumpguysc (Jan 25, 2015)

Makes perfect sense.. Was the starter done by a pro at a shop or at bubbas kitchen table?
IF done at a shop, a phone call would be inorder.. just thank them for the work they did & explain to them what you found and the grief they caused & maybe a small refund is in order..
Never hurts to ask.. like my Grandfather used to say.. "if they hurt you over the phone.. I'll go down there".. Lol


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