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Hard to believe it ran!

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Dave(inMA) View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dave(inMA) Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Hard to believe it ran!
    Posted: 11 Dec 2019 at 3:39pm
Tried to start my CA yesterday. Refused to fire. Pulled a spark plug wire and found a LOT of corrosion on the distributor end. Investigated further and found lots of corrosion on both ends of all 4 wires, the coil-to-distributor wire and inside all 5 wells on the cap.

The amazing part is that this tractor started and ran just a couple weeks ago! How it did so is beyond me. Shocked

BTW, a distributor cap and some used wires off the shelf and she fired right up.

I guess this is why a semi-annual check on the basics is a pretty good idea!
WC, CA, D14, WD45
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Gerald J. View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gerald J. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Dec 2019 at 3:42pm
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Sugarmaker View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sugarmaker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Dec 2019 at 3:55pm
Dave,
Glad you got the CA running!
For some reason I still have a Narrow front CA on my list to have join the herd. Maybe someday!
I have seen these old tractors run for weeks and months and years with little to no maintenance. That's what we called farming when I was a kid. I don't think I ever see a new set of plug wires be changed on any of the Allis tractors. If they could some how be rigged to get close to the plugs or stick in the cap that was good enough. And the tractors just kept running! They seemed to be very tolerant of these types of issues. Kind of like a good dog that never complained.
Now take a Wisconsin engine That's a totally different story!
Regards,
 Chris 
D17 1958 (NFE), WD45 1954 (NFE), WD 1952 (NFE), WD 1950 (WFE), Allis F-40 forklift, Allis CA, Allis D14, Ford Jubilee, Many IH Cub Cadets, 32 Ford Dump, 65 Comet.
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frnkeore View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote frnkeore Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Dec 2019 at 6:15pm
When I was a mechanic, in the '60's, the company I worked for had AAA contract and 5 tow trucks. They had 3 with drivers a spare and a 2 1/2 ton, for trucks.

When we got our first rain (SoCal) we would get swamped with call for people that couldn't get there cars started so, I got put on one of the trucks.

There were two main issues, both having to do with moisture. One was the moisture would get between the battery cable and the battery with corroded cables, loosing the connection and the other (possibly your case) the same thing would happen with the ignition wires. That one develops a path to ground, threw the moisture and other thing that would happen and you could readily see it, under the hood, on dark, over cast days, was the spark plug wires, when they had minor cracking, that wasn't readily visible, leaked high voltage spark, sometimes spider webbing the the whole wire loom.

If you want to diagnose the plug wire one, just put your hand on the dist cap, while trying to start it :)

Plug wires are much better today but, corrosion, will always be with us.


Edited by frnkeore - 11 Dec 2019 at 6:16pm
Frank
1959 D17 Series I #24001+, '59 D14
'55 & '59 Ford 850 & 861
Ferguson TO 35 Deluxe, Oliver 70 and 5 more.
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JW in MO View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JW in MO Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Dec 2019 at 7:09pm
This has been the wettest year we've had in a long time and all the tractors I've worked on this summer, if they haven't run in a while, I've had to replace the points.  I've cleaned some that worked for a while but ended up replacing them because of corrosion.  Hadn't seen it on the plug wires but stands to reason.
Maximum use of available resources!
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jaybmiller View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jaybmiller Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Dec 2019 at 8:30pm
When I drove REAL JEEPS  ( CJ-5s ), I'd solder the connectors to the HV wires(soild - not resitor type), install firmly, then spray 8or9 light coats of HV  varnish on the cap and coil. Some special stuff we used on CRTs in the  'computer screens'. You could spray a hose all day long and the engine would NEVER miss a beat.
3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)

Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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Dave(inMA) View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dave(inMA) Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Dec 2019 at 9:24pm
All sorts of interesting stories and work-arounds! Useful and fun to read. Clap
WC, CA, D14, WD45
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DaveKamp View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DaveKamp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Dec 2019 at 10:31am
That stuff Jay refers to... I used to have a few rattle-cans of something of that description, it was used to insulate and stabilize windings of TV and video monitor deflection coils.  It was the wierdest-gooeyist, and probably most dangerous stuff to use in an enclosed environment, but it certainly worked well...

and it's probably illegal in most states now... but nobody uses CRTs anymore...
Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest.
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Steve in NJ View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steve in NJ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Dec 2019 at 7:23pm
The weather this time of year plays havoc on electrical connectors and contacts. One day its 50 and humid, the next day it rains and its cool. The next day its in the teens. Its crazy, and this type of moisture and air changes promote corrosion bigtime! It is amazing how current still manages in most cases to get through most of the time. Dielectric grease in plug wire boots helps immensely all year round in keeping corrosion to a minimum ....
Steve@B&B
39'RC, 43'WC, 48'B, 49'G, 50'WF, 65 Big 10, 67'B-110, 75'716H, 2-620's, & a Motorhead wife
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