'71 Ford 2000 Ignition

Help! I have a '71 Ford 2000 gas tractor and I have just replaced the starter, relay (solenoid), voltage regulator, and ignition switch. When I go to start it, it begins to start but when I let the ignition switch fall back to run, it dies. I have double checked the wiring with a wiring diagram from an IT service manual and everything seems to be wired correctly. I even put the original switch (Lucas) back on but same thing. The posts on the back of the old switch are labeled 1, 2, and 3. The wires are as follows: #1, brn, brn; #2, brn-red, white;#3, white/yellow. On the relay,the small posts are marked I and S. I is brn-red, and S is wht/yellow. Any ideas???

I dont know beans about that particular tractor but it sounds like youre NOT supplying hot voltage to the coils input when in the ON position. Put a test lamp on the coils input (NOT to distributor) terminal n turn on Ign switch n see if it lights up AS IT NEEDS TO. If not see which switch terminal is hot when in ON position and see that it wires down to the coil perhaps?? some sort of discrete ballast resistor or resistive wire link etc.

See if a test lamp on the coils input lights up ONLY while youre cranking it AS IT STILL SHOULD (even if switch mis wired) if the solenoids lil I terminal wires to it which is to by pass any ballast ONLY WHILE CRANKING FOR A HOTTER START SPARK.

If it has a ballast and if its bad/open or the ign switch is miswired it can run ONLY while cranking cuz ONLY THEN is the ballast by passed and its the solenoids lil I terminal thats supplying hot coil voltage

The problem may be: Mis wired switch (needs hot voltage to coil when ON) orrrrrrrr an open or bad or miswired ballast circuit (if it has a ballst that is) orrrrrrrr the wires open from switch to coil or mis wired

NOW let the Ford men figure it out cuz they will know if it even has a ballast

John T

Hey, thanks! I'll get a test light and check it.

I'm with John T. Don't know beans about that tractor but did have a Chrysler car that did that and it was a bad ballast resistor. It was a white block of ceramic on the fire wall with wires going to it. About 1/2" by 2" by 1/2". The car did exactly the same thing.

when you crank it, it feeds 12 volts to the coil from the starter seloniod that bypasses the resistor.

when you release it back to "run" or on it feeds only from the ignition switch and not from the starter seloniod... so you may have a bad "run" contact on the ignition switch, bad ballast resistor or bad wire in this circuit to the coil.

Thanks! Can you tell me where to look for the ballast resistor? I have ruled out the switch because I bought a new one and it does the same thing.