Cub not Starting

[bookman51]

I started my 1955 Cub a week ago and drove it around a bit. I parked in my shop and a couple of days ago I went out to start it and.....nothing. It does not turn over at all. There battery appears charged up and it looks like there is electricity getting to the starter (if I checked everything okay). I checked the grounds, etc. and appears okay (but I have been fooled on this before).

In checking my records, my battery is not quite two years old, and I had the starter worked on in February 2012...to the tune of $120.78.

Are there somethings I can do to trouble shoot the starter? I have never torn into a starter.... Or should I go back to the folks that reparied the starter almost two years ago and say....ummm seems like it should last more than two years.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

If you have a voltmeter, check for voltage at the starter when you pull the starter rod. If voltage goes away when you pull the rod, look for a bad connection or ground back toward the battery. If voltage does not go away, you may have a starter switch or starter problem, or starter may be locked into the ring gear. Try turning engine with a crank. If engine is stuck loosen starter bolts and turn it. Once free try to start. If no crank put it in 3rd gear and try rocking the rear wheels to see if fan turns.

[vern b]

Try the start switch the contacts may be worn and not makeing contact.

I'm a new b myself but have found that was the case of mine.

Vern B

[Eugene]

Yup. On John's suggestions. I would start by cleaning up the battery and cable terminals.

[bookman51]

If I touch a jumper cable from the negative post of the battery to the battery stating post, should the battery turn over? It does not.

[Scrivet]

Just touching the bolt on the starter where the battery cable connects won't do anything unless you pull the starter rod. Pulling the starter rod pushes the button in on the starter saddle switch which makes contact between the bolt and the nub under the saddle switch. This is what Vern is talking about in his reply. It's easy to take the switch off to check or replace it, two screws, one on each side of the saddle. There are two faces of the moving part, one that hits the underside of the bolt and the other hits the nub when you pull the starter rod.

Also one simple thing, make sure you are pulling the starter rod hard enough. I have one cub that has a very good antistart feature. When you pull the rod normally, nothing, nada, zip! You have to give it a little extra tug at the very end of it's travel to get it to start.

[bookman51]

I thought I did pull the starter rod, but maybe not. It could be that it just needs that extra tug....or a new saddle switch. I don't recall if it is a different starter switch for the cub than for bigger Farmalls. If they are the same, I might have an extra in the shop.

Thanks

[Don McCombs]

I don't recall if it is a different starter switch for the cub than for bigger Farmalls. If they are the same, I might have an extra in the shop.

The same.

[bookman51]

Don, thanks, I will give it a try later this morning. -2 degrees here now. Fortunately, the tractor is inside, but it will take awhile to warm up the shop.

[danovercash]

If you have lights and they work as they should then its not the battery. If you take the the starter switch apart to clean might be a good idea to lube moving parts with a dry non-conductive lubricant. My starter rod is hard to pull and that helped a lot. I used PTFE (Teflon)

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

I don't recall if it is a different starter switch for the cub than for bigger Farmalls. If they are the same, I might have an extra in the shop.

The same.

Depends on what bigger Farmalls you are referring to, most H and M used a LARGE push button to activate the starter.

[bookman51]

Well, I replaced the push botton and nothing. Now it does draw power when I pull the lever back to engage the push button, but nothing turns. I double checked and the battery is good and I am getting electricity to the starter. I took the starter off and took the band off and peaked inside. I don't see anything unusual, but then I am not sure what I should be looking for.

I checked my records and I had the brushes replaced less than two years ago (February 2012). Don't know if the place is open on Saturdays but I plan on taking the starter back. I probably do not start the Cub more than half a dozen times a year and it sits inside. I suppose there could be some corrison, but it started just a few days ago.

I have a knack for taking something not all that broken and fixing it until it really broken, so I don't think I will tear into the starter.

Thanks for the help and information.

Bookman

[indy61]

Sounds like a weak battery to me but you say it tested good. A 2 year old bad battery would not surprise me.

[hurleyjd]

Take the starter switch off of the starter. Take the cable and touch the end to the nub that is on top of the starter. If the starter turns over then it is the switch. Also if it does not then could be the battery.

[bookman51]

Tried it, got a nice spark when I connected the negative wire to the nub, but nothing moved. I gotta think something internal to the starter.

Thanks