Solenoid

[Jason Miller 24]

My wheelhouse 856 has a bad solenoid. I can’t seem to find the one that is currently on it online. Need some help please. This is the current one. When I turn the switch i get nothing. I replaced the battery, have spark and can jump the solenoid and it starts but nothing when I turn the switch.

[Jason Miller 24]

Forgot to say cant find this particular one one internet. All the numbers match except the -30 last 2 numbers not sure.

Thanks

[ebinmaine 67,394]

That tractor didn't have a solenoid as built so don't be concerned with getting correct/ matching numbers. 

It's a popular conversion. 

 

Most any solenoid with 2 big terminals and 1 small one will do fine. 

 

Old fords and jeeps used them. 

 

Big box stores may have a generic tractor one too.  

[WHX?? 48,813]

Be nice to get one simmilar so cables line up. Guessing you get 12 volts to the small terminal with the blue wire. 

[pfrederi 17,700]

Nothing special.  Is easier if studs are same size and location. 

[Jason Miller 24]

Awesome! Thanks guys so much. 

Jason 

[ri702bill 8,311]

Most solenoids require a GOOD ground thru the mounting lugs, otherwise the pull-in coil with one wire will NOT work.

[953 nut 55,158]

Many of the solenoids you will find at auto parts or big box stores will have two big terminals and two small ones, here is how they hook up.

[Ed Kennell 38,113]

Jason, were  you a Scout in St Johns UCC troop 35 ?

[Racinbob 11,048]

You can pick up the style Ford used just about anyplace and what I usually use. But it's wired a bit different than the two small terminal solenoid Richard is referring to. The small terminals are marked I and S. The I terminal is a bypass and sends full voltage to the coil. Just ignore it and don't use it. The mounting bracket must be grounded for the coil to operate.

 

[ebinmaine 67,394]

@Racinbob. Neat info..

[biged77 113]

18 hours ago, ri702bill said:

Most solenoids require a GOOD ground thru the mounting lugs

Twice I have suspected a bad solenoid when it turned out to be a bad ground.  At least on the 300-400 series models the solenoid is mounted using bolts and nuts that may not make good contact with the (supposedly) grounded sheet metal panel.  I added a separate ground wire to one of the mounting bolts to correct this issue.  Any time a bad solenoid is suspected first try connecting a jumper between one of the mounting bolts and the negagive battery terminal.

[ebinmaine 67,394]

7 minutes ago, biged77 said:

.  I added a separate ground wire to 

 

Excellent.  

 

When rewiring a tractor I add a separate ground wire for every circuit now.  

 

 

 

[WHX?? 48,813]

7 hours ago, Racinbob said:

The I terminal is a bypass and sends full voltage

Here I thought that was a ground... 

[Racinbob 11,048]

1 hour ago, WHX?? said:

Here I thought that was a ground... 

 

It is on some of them.  But I cringe when somebody is told that if your solenoid has two small terminals one is + and the other is -. Hook up a Ford solenoid like that and it becomes a fuse tester.

[EB-80/8inPA 1,640]

Has anybody here ever tried opening one up to attempt a reconditioning?

[wallfish 16,994]

51 minutes ago, EB-80/8inPA said:

Has anybody here ever tried opening one up to attempt a reconditioning?

Yup, drill the rivets and open it up, clean the copper ring and contacts etc and put it back together using screws instead of rivets.

If you have a bad one, open it up because you can't break it anymore than broken so there's nothing to loose (Except for a spring inside! LOL)

[EB-80/8inPA 1,640]

53 minutes ago, wallfish said:

If you have a bad one, open it up because you can't break it anymore than broken so there's nothing to loose (Except for a spring inside!

That’s what I was thinking!

[WHX?? 48,813]

I opened one once just to check out the guts. Inquiring minds want to know. Then round filed it. I suppose if I was a strapped kid and needed to roll tho... open solenoid surgery it is... 

[EB-80/8inPA 1,640]

38 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

I opened one once just to check out the guts. Inquiring minds want to know. Then round filed it. I suppose if I was a strapped kid and needed to roll tho... open solenoid surgery it is... 

That thought, too, had occurred to me, but I have to try it for reasons I can’t explain.  Curiosity, I suppose.  Or maybe I’m just that cheap lol.

Edited October 18 by EB-80/8inPA

[Ed Kennell 38,113]

10 hours ago, EB-80/8inPA said:

Or maybe I’m just that cheap lol.

Nope, just wise.  I've cleaned the contacts in a couple like John described.

[Jason Miller 24]

On 10/16/2024 at 8:17 PM, Ed Kennell said:

Jason, were  you a Scout in St Johns UCC troop 35 ?

No I wasn’t Ed.

[Jason Miller 24]

Wow! You guys are awesome. Hopefully it is the solenoid it was $10. My uncle said it was he’s pretty sharp. My concern is I downloaded the original Manuel and there’s very few wires. Unfortunately my switch has like 6 wires coming from it and I have one its marked yellow that’s hot . I taped it off. Apparently it fell off when I took off the gas tank. Ill send pics and may need more help if this baby doesn’t start.

[Ed Kennell 38,113]

12 hours ago, Jason Miller said:

No I wasn’t Ed.

OK, another Jason Miller.   Thanks.

[EB-80/8inPA 1,640]

Well I replaced the sticky solenoid on the C-160 and I realized I should have paid closer attention to the new unit’s specs.  The “Breaks & Scrappem” rated replacement came with metric studs of all things and I hadda find a 10mm socket, for crying out loud, to effectuate this replacement (along with some washers to marry the big terminals to the puny little studs); but that’s neither here nor there.  The new unit works, but the old one weighs about twice as much.  Yeah, I’m gonna crack that open and recondition the blessed thing.  These replacement parts are kinda cheezy.  Lesson learned - scrutinize the specs next time, or go to NAPA, I guess.  At least I can put away the hammer now!