More B questions

I know I should just get a manual on this tractor and quit harassing everyone. My question now is about the electrical system. For starters it has no switch or key, it doesn't even have a place for one. To start the tractor, you push the throttle forward, step on the starter, and you're running. This part works fine. To stop the tractor, you simply pull the throttle back. When I looked at and test drove the tractor it shut off very quickly by doing this. It even worked after I got it home just driving it around the yard. But now I've been using it some and running it harder and I've had some trouble getting it to shut off. Most of the time now when you throttle it all the way down it keeps running. So now I'm beginning to doubt if this is the way it should be. Is this the normal way you operate a B, or is it supposed to have a key or some type of switch? I looked at CA once I was thinking about buying and it did have a key.
Another thing, this tractor has no lights or anything. The only thing I see electrical on it is the starter. I did ask the previous owner if it was a six volt or converted twelve. He said it was still all six volt except the battery. He said this wasn't a problem because it only works the starter and it starts so quickly it wouldn't hurt it. It does start very good, but I'm not sure this is a good idea. I don't really know how to convert one, would I be better off to get a six volt battery? I don't want to fry anything and then it won't run. Thanks.

There should be a mag kill switch in the small box on the rear of thr battery box. Simple push pull switch with a single wire running to the mag.
AaronSEIA

Some of the early ones with a magneto have a little metal piece that connects to the little ground screw on the side of the magneto. You would shut if off by pushing the metal piece against the metal body of the magneto which would ground it out and shut it off.

Asking questions is not harassment, most of the people on this Forum are happy to share their knowledge and opinions. Having a manual is recommended but it won't answer a lot of the questions you may have that can be answered by the experience available here. A lot of these older tractors have been modified in various ways over the years but usually someone on here is familiar with the mod.
Sounds like you have an earlier model which did not come with any electrical but had a starter added later. The torque tube on the first ones had no place for a starter, hand crank only, later ones had the torque tube modified for a starter with a blank plate covering the hole. There should be a metal tab on the side of the magneto that grounds out the mag to stop the engine and a wire could be run from the mounting stud on this to a kill switch mounted on the steering tube post. I have one that the tab does not work so like you I pull the throttle back and stall it in 3rd if closing the throttle doesn't kill it.

Thanks everyone for all the information. From what I've read, this doesn't sound like a big problem, and that's good. I just figured someone removed the switch key in the passed. I'm also glad the twelve volt battery won't hurt anything.
Although, I do believe I may have a bad axle seal. I noticed a lot of oil the other day after running the tractor, but not on the tractor itself, just on the inside of the wheel. I can't see around the axle. I might try to reach up and feel for it, but I'll probably have to remove the wheel to see. I can't think of anywhere else the oil could be coming from. Is this a difficult job to do? And can you buy seals from an Agco dealer? Thanks again Ranse.

12 volts on a B 6 volt starter has caused hard starting on occasion with a magneto. It can spin the engine fast enough the impulse start mechanism of the magneto quits working and so the spark is poor. The B manual I referenced said, "don't spin the engine with the crank" for the same reason. The starter will survive though.

Stopping was never a key switch, but just a momentary normally open button to short the points in the magneto to kill spark to stop the engine. When the points circuit doesn't open there is no spark.

Gerald J.

The pan on the final drive housing has a small pipe plug on the inboard side about midway that you use to check and fill the gear lube. To change the lube you have to remove the pan and clean out all of the gunk that has accumulated over the years. You can make your own replacement gaskets or buy some from the vendors that support this site.

PaulB wrote: Dusty MI wrote: All of the green 2 lungers with mags never had a kill switch, you just put them in road gear, throttled them back and stalled them. Dusty  It's easier to kill "HALF" an engine

yes, squirt the gear lube in with a bottle and tube......... easier with the hub / tire off....... better access