Do I need a new starter?

[Jonah]

Swapped out the starter switch, rotor, points, cap, wires and plugs. Running fine. Now it won't start. Just cranks. Do I need a new starter?????

[Bigdog]

If the starter is turning the engine over like usual you do not need a new starter. Per your description, the engine is cranking over but not starting. Even though you recently replaced ignition components you need to verify that you have spark to the plug wires and fuel getting to the engine. Take one thing at a time, you'll find it, we'll help if we can.

[Peter Person]

Look at that, another CT Cubber.
Hope to see you at ConnectiCubFest in May
Peter

[beaconlight]

Jonah
The way you word it leads me to a number of questions. First,Did it start before you changed out all those things? Better yet did the starter turn over the engine before change out? At the moment I have my self confused.

What was your origional problem?

Unfortunately too many of todays computer controlled cars trucks and other stuff has people in the change the cke pack mind set. Cubs and their elk are simple straight forward critters. Electricity goes out 1 side of the battery and back in to the other side using the body of the tractor as the second conductor (ground) Dirty, loose, corroded and other poor connections create restrictions as well as does fresh paint occassionally.
Enough preaching for now. I see far to many guys change out a lot of stuff that I know has nothing to do with their origional problem and they woul know too if they were not frightened by mechaical things. When 1 of the new components is defective, well it drives them up the wall. It did me too years and years ago. I shot troubles all my working career and developed 2 attitudes KISS Keep it simple stupid and don't work harder work smarter. I didn't use them to avoid work but to accomplish the most in the least amoun of time.
Gosh that is long winded. I try to help but have a deathly fear hurting feelings.
Bill

[Eugene]

Swapped out the starter switch, rotor, points, cap, wires and plugs. Running fine. Now it won't start. Just cranks. Do I need a new starter?????

If the engine cranks over, the problem is not the starter.

Not to rehash what others have previously stated. Double check everything previously done.

No spark after tune up - common fault is an electrical short at the points.

I didn't see where you retimed the engine after installing the points.

Eugene

[cjpenny89]

I don't know but I have changed many points before and never re-timed the engine is tha common practice I didn't know about?

[Jim Becker]

I don't know but I have changed many points before and never re-timed the engine is tha common practice I didn't know about?

It is a common practice that is usually best left undone.

[cjpenny89]

Thanks jim you always say in a way that makes me laugh!

[CTdave]

I don't know but I have changed many points before and never re-timed the engine is tha common practice I didn't know about?

It is a common practice that is usually best left undone.

I like that too! I swear by the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" theory

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

I am different, in never having learned better. I go by the "Fix it till it is broke" theory that one of the members used to have for a signature line.

[George Willer]

Just to clarify a point... unless the points are set exactly the same as the last time the engine was timed the timing will be affected. Whether this is enough to matter is up to the individual, but whenever I work on points is is usually a set that was set by someone else the last time, so I time the engine to be sure.

[Jim Becker]

True, changing the point gap affects the timing. But my experience has been that virtually every time I have changed/set points then checked the timing, it has been somewhere between dead on and close enough. If you work on something with an unknown history, it is worth checking. But if you have a history of it running fine before it needed the tune-up, it is likely to be OK.

Also worthy of note, all this discussion applies to battery igniton only. Magneto timing is based on the impulse coupling. Varying the point setting will alter how much it advances after start up.

[Jonah]

It ran fine after the initial tune up. I did the re-timing right after the tune-up and then had new rings put in and the valves reground. Its was running like a champ for a rew weeks and then last week I started it. Its ran for 2 minutes and then it died. Just cranks away. I thought of towing it and trying to start it underway.

I am in CT and it lloks like we might have a meet at the Zagary farm? I go to the CAMA crank-up each spring and its a blast, plenty of Red there.

[Bigdog]

Jonah - try to isolate the problem by first looking at the 2 most likely sources for not running. Either loss of fuel supply or loss of spark. Pull a sparkplug wire and hold it near the tractor frame / engine head etc. to see if you have spark. If the spark is bright and bluish-white then check out the fuel supply. Remove the plug at the bottom of the carb and assure that you have a good fuel supply. You did turn the gas back on - right?

[muleboss]

I am betting on fuel problem. Don't ask. Bob