Willie B
Senior Member
I took delivery on Christmas day 2015 of a new to me Dresser TD7G. It was low hours, and loved, but 25 or more years old.
We immediately put it in the shop and gave it a thorough going over. Lots of things got replaced, including the entire starting circuit. New batteries, new cables, master switch, the whole 9 yards. All connection points were ground shiny, buttered with noalox, and new terminals, and bolts.
3 years now, it has been a cold weather starting problem. Typically, the starter does nothing, or the solenoid clicks but the starter doesn't turn. I charge the batteries, load test, try again, it starts.
Yesterday, was a bit warmer. I had the batteries in heated storage. I installed them, still nothing. Experimenting, I eventually managed to get the solenoid to click. Off came the exhaust, air intake, side curtains, hood and solenoid. Everything on the solenoid polished, and buttered with Noalox. The solenoid tested fine. This machine has a new 2/0 cable directly to the starter. The solenoid supply operated the electric gear linkage and in turn, contacts to power the starter. I removed the starter. I tried it on the track. Plenty of power at the positive side to the starter motor, but still no function. Then the acid test: i jumped from the positive side off the starter to the track. Only a feeble spark.
The tractor frame is the negative conductor. Engine ground strap is new, carefully terminated. The three year old master switch has to be bad. I removed the seat, and mounting plate to reveal the problem. The termination from master switch to tractor frame was new, buttered, and a new bolt, BUT the new bolt was only started. The volume of grease on the bolt shaft says it had never been screwed in, not that it had loosened.
I knew instantly what had happened; The phone rang. The bolt didn't tet finished. 5 seconds to tighten the bolt would have saved hours of frustration.
Using a load tester would have sped up the diagnosis.
We immediately put it in the shop and gave it a thorough going over. Lots of things got replaced, including the entire starting circuit. New batteries, new cables, master switch, the whole 9 yards. All connection points were ground shiny, buttered with noalox, and new terminals, and bolts.
3 years now, it has been a cold weather starting problem. Typically, the starter does nothing, or the solenoid clicks but the starter doesn't turn. I charge the batteries, load test, try again, it starts.
Yesterday, was a bit warmer. I had the batteries in heated storage. I installed them, still nothing. Experimenting, I eventually managed to get the solenoid to click. Off came the exhaust, air intake, side curtains, hood and solenoid. Everything on the solenoid polished, and buttered with Noalox. The solenoid tested fine. This machine has a new 2/0 cable directly to the starter. The solenoid supply operated the electric gear linkage and in turn, contacts to power the starter. I removed the starter. I tried it on the track. Plenty of power at the positive side to the starter motor, but still no function. Then the acid test: i jumped from the positive side off the starter to the track. Only a feeble spark.
The tractor frame is the negative conductor. Engine ground strap is new, carefully terminated. The three year old master switch has to be bad. I removed the seat, and mounting plate to reveal the problem. The termination from master switch to tractor frame was new, buttered, and a new bolt, BUT the new bolt was only started. The volume of grease on the bolt shaft says it had never been screwed in, not that it had loosened.
I knew instantly what had happened; The phone rang. The bolt didn't tet finished. 5 seconds to tighten the bolt would have saved hours of frustration.
Using a load tester would have sped up the diagnosis.
