MS290 starting issue

Dontcha just hate when you are at work and have the perfect response to a post here on FHC, and then you get home and forget all about it...CRS...its comin for ya!

 

Good news for you on having wood. Perhaps you could split it where is lies and carry it to where you need it? More trips but less weight each trip. How long ago could this have been done????? Sorry Kim, demerit points are coming your way!!

I too also thought that your chainsaw issues were that you couldn't get it to start or run. And all this while it was just hard to start but was fine? 17 pages of people trying different approaches......

C'mon there girl! We now know you have the time, get out there and get it started/finished!

 

I am not seeing any sort of sparkies when I take a wire off a plug. My new points and condenser arrived from Rock Auto, I got them in this evening; about an hour ago. The old points look fine to me so I don't think it was a points issue and I put the condenser in first with the old points because I did not think there was anything wrong with the points. Bench tests shows everything is fine. Unless the coil is breaking down under load; I just did a bench test and it sparked OK and I sparked it through an old plug. Usually coils break down after they are run and get hot; this is no sparkies cold. The timing is off a bit but it was starting easy every time before I parked her; so the timing did not slip being parked; this is direct drive mechanism; no chains. I checked to make sure the timing shaft was rotating and it is. I started to replace the timing gear with a metal one but the tractor forum said the phenolic one I had looked good and it might have been replaced when the engine was rebuilt anyway. I might put a mirror at the front of the tractor so I can see the end of the cam shaft; the distributor in these front mount drives off the end of the cam shaft. Problem with working alone is that it is hard to be in two places at once. Dad bypassed the ballast resister when he converted the top coil to a can coil. I tried an analogue meter to see if the points were opening and closing but that was inconclusive because the response time of the meter was too slow. They were operating properly on the bench. I really need to get that oscilloscope interface for computers; dedicated oscilloscopes are expensive; I have looked. The meter needle did flicker.
I am going to try to set the timing tomorrow; I found a video a guy did that shows how to do it without having five hands. If still no sparkies, then I don't know; guess I will start wheelbarrowing wood up the hill. I hauled all the stones for my flower beds by hand; I did not have the carrier for the tractor so it was in the wheelbarrow; liked to kill myself at times as I lifted some heavy stones.

 

Hey, I have been sitting in the corner with the dunce hat on LOL.

 

No, no no.

 

This post has gotten way off topic. I was hoping MasterMech would comment on the post in the recoil; if that is something I can replace.

 

I can't say for 100% sure...but every plastic pull starter I have had apart, the post was molded as part of the cover...but MM will be along shortly...

 

Yep. And they wear out. Slowly but surely they wear.

Your best bet is buy a new chinglish assembly from definitive Dave.
All 30 bucks of it.

He will offer more support than anyone else.

Members here don't lie.

 

If that is the case, you may be correct. That also means I could play with mine since I will end up tossing it; I have something in mind to try.

 

If I'm not mistaken your tractor has been sitting outside, and it's old, I would check every ground there is supposed to be, cables ,brackets, mounts, nuts, bolts, wherever there is supposed to be a ground connection, take it apart, clean up all surfaces.
Bad ground somewhere equals problems

 

Yes, under a canopy but still with all the moisture we have had this year. I have already took some joints loose and cleaned and eliminated a couple that were just splices. The starter did not want to spin; I took the connectors apart and cleaned them and that seems to fix the starter issue. It wouldn't hurt to clean the main ground connector for the battery; I will do that tomorrow. There is not that much to the wiring on these old 8Ns

 

Check the coil mount, and bracket if there is one.
There's not that much to the wiring on older vehicles as a whole, but grounds must be grounded not corroded or rusted.
Be sure of everywhere that is supposed to be grounded and clean it

 

Maybe I should cut some wood today and let the tractor rest for a bit; it is starting to get on me nerves.

 

Yes, being from the electrical field I know of such and was wishing I had some. I really should get some.

 

As long as you have clean metal to metal your good. You could paint over the area at a minimum and would get you by longer than just bare metal.

 

Did you set the points to .015" when you installed them. Not correct no spark. Tractors are sure handy to have.

 

Yes, using a feeler gauge; and checked after tightening the set screws as well.