TD-15 project - Coil is so hot I can't touch it, no spark...

Just replaced points, condenser, rotor, cap........

.020 gap on points, changed battery to positive ground (this is what I believe it should be, manual hints but never tells you straight out.) Cranks over just fine (seems faster on positive ground).

Should coil ever get this hot? I'm assuming the coil is bad as it's leaking oil down the coil wire to top of distributor cap. (Coil is mounted upside down, I'm assuming so the water and crap don't get into coil lead wire.

Does a coil have a polarity? As long as it'd grounded through points that should create the spark right?

All suggestions appreciated. I haven't touched anything with a coil and points in decades. (All the rest of my diesels are pure diesels.)

Should be able to read the polarity on the generator/alternator.

It should spark as you open and close the points, sorry, can't remember which one. Polarity of the coil shouldn't matter.

Is this a gas start, diesel run engine?

Delmer said:

Should be able to read the polarity on the generator/alternator.

It should spark as you open and close the points, sorry, can't remember which one. Polarity of the coil shouldn't matter.

Click to expand...

Polarity does matter. It will cause the coil to fail from heating. If it is postive ground the + terminal on the coil goes to the distributor,if negative ground - terminal goes to distributor. If coil is leaking it needs replaced.

Turns out polarity is positive ground and everything works right when positive is grounded. Had no spark before, now have healthy spark, turns over faster and even the lights work. (Since when do filament lights have polarity? Must be in the light switch.) Still can't get diesel air butterflies to close, for some reason the pull lever for the compression release, butterfly closure does not pull full length. I don't want to pull so hard I break something....

Anyone ever start a IH 554 motor or have to diagnose a non-start issue? It looks like to me the butterflies don't close completely and the butterfly rod is not rotating to the correct position. There is a contact patch on the end that makes a contact energizing the coil (1959 version of a idiot switch so you don't run the ignition all the time your running on diesel.)

Bart D. Hull
Laveen, AZ

I have seen 6 volt coils in 12 volt applications get really hot. In one instance there was supposed to be a resistor in the circuit that dropped the voltage, but for some reason it was removed.

should be pos grnd. coil might be bad. try lubing all everything in the change over mechanism. try disconnecting the butterfly and moving it manually and moving the linkage while it is disconnected.They can be fussy I don't have any manuals anymore to look at the linkage. check over on the redpower site, someone there will help. Steve

Still not happy with the spark. Seems pretty weak.

I have a good vacuum (I'm putting my hand over the intake pipe just above the carburetor, the pipe was cut by someone previously and joined with a rubber tube). I pulled the float bowl and cleaned it, the float needle was cleaned, and the only jet was cleaned. I don't know what else I could clean on the carb.

Not even getting a pop, but I hear clear compression pops in the exhaust and the pops are quieter when I pull the gas decompression lever and turn it over VS. when the decompression lever is in it pops much harder. (I'm assuming due to the higher diesel compression.)

Can I just try to start it on diesel? It is 110 degrees here in Phoenix, AZ. That should be plenty warm? My B275 starts without glow plugs in the summer here and that is a similar low compression diesel. I haven't looked too hard at the diesel side of the motor but found a shut off valve under the seat that was closed. If I was cranking it in diesel mode does this mean I need to bleed all the lines?

Wish it would start on gas, as I would bleed the diesel side with it running on gas.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Bart
Laveen, AZ

I don't believe they will start direct , maybe if you towed it . I really recomend checking in on the redpower site they will sort it out for you pretty quick. Probably have disconnect the linkage and see if you can move things by had , been a long time since I had a gas start diesel. Steve