# Help with getting tractor to fire / Ferguson TO20



## Daniel Neff (Aug 11, 2018)

Hello, I have a TO 20 I am attempting to tune up. I have never done this with a vehicle or tractor so its a new ballgame to me.... The tractor ran; not well but I pulled it into the garage, went to replace the distributor. Pulled the first plug and turned engine over to the 'out compression' and the first cylinder on top and lined the rotor boot up to that cylinder with firing order of 1,3,4,2 put everything else back together. Pulled each wire separately off of coil and had spark on all and center from distributor. But cannot get it to fire up.


Any suggestions would be appreciated. 

Thanks

-Dan


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2018)

Hello and welcome to the Tractor Forum. We have some very knowledgeable and experienced members. I'm sure one or more of the members will help.

You might consider putting your tractor in the Showcase (located under the TRACTOR button at the top of the page). A perk is that if you add your tractor to the Showcase, it becomes instantly eligible to be entered in our monthly tractor contest, in progress right now. Please be sure to add your vote for September's Tractor of the Month, which is found on the main Forum menu as the fourth category, listed as "Tractor of the month". The poll is at the top of the page. Thank you for your vote, and again, welcome to The Tractor Forum!


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2018)

Ok, a couple of immediate thoughts....you would be well served to obtain a copy of the "owner's/operators manual" and the "service manual" for your TO20. Each in the $30 range or so. I prefer Amazon, but ebay is good also.
Ok off the bat, it seems you have talked the tractor that ran, but poorly, into not running. Logic dictates you changed something in the process. You stated that you only changed the spark plug wires. So, make sure the new wires are fully seated at the distributor and on the spark plugs. I think you have a 6v system (unless someone changed it over to 12v) so I'd also make sure the battery shows a charge of around 8v or close to it. The 6 volt systems don't have a lot of reserve starting power. Make sure the tractor is in neutral and have a helper push the start button as you hold the spark plug wires (one at a time) near the spark plug....you should see blue spark jump the gap as each one trys to fire.


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## RC Wells (Dec 26, 2008)

The old Continental overhead valve engines are real easy to get the distributor 180 degrees out of time. You definitely need the manuals. 

These are very good and reliable tractors, so well worth investing in the manuals.


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## deerhide (Oct 20, 2016)

Lucas electrical can be bad for shorting out for nearly no reason........and you probably have the firing order wrong.


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## Hacke (Feb 22, 2011)

N Tractor Club has a nice collection of Ferguson documents:
http://www.ntractorclub.com/forums/manuals/manuals.htm#tractors


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## deerhide (Oct 20, 2016)

The Ferguson2080 was 6 volts, the 2085 was 12 volts. (80mm. pistons vs. 85mm pistons) and not the same bell housings.


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