thebunns

I'll make you feel a little better! Many years ago I followed an ad on a TD-14 for sale. It was in a dump pushing garbage. When I got there it was running & the owner said to try it out. I got on, pushed a little snow & told him I'd take it. He hired it trailed to my place. As it was winter & it would have been impossible to get it up to my house I walked 2 1/2 miles down the road & met the driver. He told me to unload it but I didn't know how to start it---he didn't either. In a blizzard, we unhooked & drove to town 16 miles away to look for a mechanic. We found one who followed us back up the hill. He jump started it (because I'd run the batteries flat) & unloaded it. I drove it home and for the next 2/3 years learned how to get it running. Vic

Pretty neat idea---I assume the test worked. I also assume that the plugs on my -14 have been firing on diesel for the last 15-20 years. Vic

That only applies if the ground lug on the mag is wired to the switch up on the end of the manifold. The lug on my tractor reads .3 ohms with no wire (or anything else) connected to it. Vic

I can't figure out how this system works when the post I want to ground when switching to diesel is already grounded with the motor shut off. It makes me wonder how the tractor starts in the first place. Exactly how did you test your system to determine that your switch didn't work? Vic

I just put a set of W89D plugs in my TD-14. I've been fighting the starting of that tractor for over 15 years. The other day I measured the resistance of the plug wires. Three read 4,000 ohms & the other one was over 25,000 ohms. The highest reading on the new set was .4 ohms. What a difference! By the way, while I'm at it, as far as I know the plugs have been firing while on diesel for those 15 years. The ground post on the magneto reads .3 ohms with nothing hooked to it. I ran a ground wire through a switch on the dash & it reads .4 ohms. Therefore, I doubt it does much good to toggle the switch after switching to diesel so I don''t bother with it. Vic

One thing popped into my head---try leaving the cap off the fuel tank in case you're creating a vacuum because of no air to replace the fuel used. Vic

I've had a Chinese Rhino crawler for over 20 years. I has a glow plug that is worthless because the wire going to it is twisted off merely by its installation. One shot of ether just prior to cranking it has done the trick for all those years. Vic

I hope your manifold is pretty much like mine! Leave the decompression lever down. The manifold valve shafts are hooked to a yoke in back ( #22 on my parts list). You should be able to wiggle that yoke back & forth about 1/2 inch. Take the end caps off the manifold and spray some lubricant on the shaft ends. Also, you can spray where the shafts come through the intake holes going to the motor. Look in there with a flashlight to try & get an idea where to spray. I use silicone spray with that red extension "thing" that comes with it. I just try and get it close & then spray. Keep wiggling the yoke to help get some lubricant in around the shaft. Vic

There must be an easier way to check them. If they are anything like the ones on my -14 you can reach behind the manifold & flip the lever to see if they are stuck. Mine are stiff so I have to flip them open every time I move the lever on the dash to the gas position. I've had the manifold off around three times to free them up but they always end up stiff. I have made it a bit easier to work them by shooting silicone lubricant where the shaft enters the manifold. Vic

Theoretically any conversion plug should operate the same as the original. Why not pick one & go for it? Yours look cheap compared to mine. I just bought 4 Champion W89D plugs for my -14 for over $40. Vic

I've had extensive work done on a -14 pump by Central Fuel Injection Inc. in Estherville, IA. I've also had work done by Fuel Injection Systems Inc. of Yakima, WA. Vic

I was only referring to the "top" in verifying the position of the #1 piston. I've said before that I cannot crank the motor inch by inch as the hydraulic pump is in front. I've also dealt with the flipper. The ground is not hooked up. I ran the ground wire through a switch on the dash. Actually, I pay no attention to it as the ground terminal to ground resistance measures .3 ohms and the wire back through the switch measures .4 ohms so what am I grounding? I ran that tractor for years before I even knew about the ground & it didn't have a wire hooked up. I can only let off on the starter when I feel pressure on the spark plug hole. By that time I don't know how far the rotor has turned. I've installed new plugs and new wires are in the mail. Vic

Can someone measure the resistance of a couple of TD-14 spark plug wires (preferably with a digital meter)? My four read all over the place but have been working as I actually heard the motor run on all cylinders. Now that the diesel side is working I cannot start it. I bench tested the mag, spinning it with a screwdriver and got more than a quarter inch spark. I can only assume I've got the timing screwed up but don't want to remove the hood & valve cover just yet. Vic

The spark appears to be getting weaker. I've pulled the magneto & will spin it in a vise with an electric screwdriver to see what the spark looks like. I measured the coil wires---got .7 ohms on the primary & 14.07 Meg.ohms on the secondary. I believe they seem reasonable. I Vic

The spark appears to be getting weaker. I've pulled the magneto & will spin it in a vise with an electric screwdriver to see what the spark looks like. I measured the coil wires---got .7 ohms on the primary & 14.07 Meg.ohms on the secondary. I believe they seem reasonable. I'll stay away from buying another tester as long as possible. Vic