Good job spotting that VW coil, Bob!Michael, if money is not an object, go to your Case dealer and get a nice, new six volt coil. Nothing like it on the market I know of. While you're there, purchase or order a copy of the Owner's Manual. Get a copy of the IT IH-8 manual, too - they'll have that in stock. If you already know how to use the ammeter on your dashboard, disregard the balance of this post and have a nice day. The problem is not likely to be the coil. In thirty years of working with Kettering systems I've never seen a bad coil! A couple of times I thought I did, but it always turned out to be an imtermittent problem caused by something else that co-incidently happened to take a break when I replaced the coil. They DO go bad. And, I've heard quite a bit more anecdotal evidence about bad VW coils than any other kind. Even so, I usually troubleshoot them by replacement. That way I always have a spare! I think, though, replacing the coil won't change anything. In which case, every tractor operator should know how to do the following; the procedure is basically the same for an astounding number of these tractors. Turn on the ignition without cranking. Ammeter should show approx. 4 amps discharge with good battery. No discharge? Check the points and make sure they are closed. They almost certainly are; if not close them and check again. Still no discharge? Something is open somewhere. Normal discharge? Good. Now, shut off the ignition. Disable the engine so it cannot start. I usually pull all the spark wires, being INSANELY careful to tag them correctly so I can put them back in the proper firing order. (Later, when you've got experience, you'll be able to spot the correct ammeter action without unhooking anything.) Switch on the ignition and crank the engine. You should see the ammeter discharge flicker to zero as the points open, and then jump right back as they close. No flicker? points are not opening, or something else is shorted somewhere. Good luck and keep us posted. DO read the owners manual!!!!!
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