Electrical Wizards: help with 1862 power issue
 

I am restoring my 1862 and have run into a power issue. I am in the process of replacing the starter solenoid. I replace the starter last weekend, and that was so much fun!

I tested voltage and have 12 V from the battery to the key switch then passing 12 V from the key switch when it is on through the clutch and PTO safety switches, bringing 12 V to the hot wire going into the solenoid. While I am waiting to replace the solenoid, I checked to see if I could jump the 12 V from the hot solenoid wire, which I have 12 V on now when the key is on, to the starter. When I make that connection I lose all voltage. I am not sure what is happening but it seems like there is a grounding issue somewhere.

A separate but may be related issue is I have two green ground wire is that I cannot figure out where they go. One is a green wire connected to the “depressed foot pedal“ light on the dash. I think that one connected to the battery negative terminal. The second green wire has a circle connection on the end and is over by the solenoid. I think it connected to the solenoid or was ground into the chassis. That wire connects down to the clutch safety switch. Could those two grounds be causing an issue with the starter? Again, I am bypassing the solenoid and running the hot wire with 12 bolts from the PTO switch straight to the starter when I lose voltage when I make that connection.

What are we assuming before you started the restoration? Was everything working properly back then? And what's new besides solenoid and starter?

Finally, have you consulted a wiring diagram?

Be advise that you should have the proper starter solenoid. Some starter solenoids have two big lugs and one small lug. Sometimes the solenoids will have an extra small lug. The extra lug may for grounding like on a fiberglass boat..... Or sometimes the extra lug is a for a "hot"..... For example.... Such as lights that will go out temporarily so you use all the power necessary to start the tractor.

The green wire by the solenoid with the loop terminal is grounded between the solenoid and the battery tray. Held to ground by a solenoid bolt/nut and a star washer.

I'm not sure I understand the rest of your description of your problem.

Before the restoration it was turning over but the plugs were bad and the drive and mower belts were broken. Also the steering was messed up so I took apart and rebuilt the steering column. I got into more than I planned when I rebuilt the steering column and now am having to rewire everything I took apart to get to the column. While I had things apart I decided to replace the starter which was not working well according to the person that had the tractor before.

I have a wiring diagram from the manual but it doesn’t show where the green wires are grounded, just that they are suppose to be grounded. Not sure what is shorting out the starter.

Thanks Mike. Do you mean the wire is grounded on the solenoid terminal with the hot wire from the battery?

loop terminal is grounded between the solenoid and the battery tray.

The loop terminal goes between the solenoid and the battery tray.

It would be considered bad form to hook a hot wire to a ground wire.

I guess I just don’t understand by what you mean when you say it goes between. I understand it goes somewhere between those two points, but where between them?

#27 goes between #10 and #13

https://www.partstree.com/models/186...-components-2/