Fixup an old Case 446 for a Maine Orchard

[hydriv]

As an example, here is a 444 in Maine that has been thoroughly gone over by the Seller. While I do not know this man personally, other people in the hobby do know him and have vouched for his workmanship and honesty. If you want a tractor that is ready to go to work for a fair price, this is what you can expect to pay. This one appears to be a 1979. Your Utility Blade will not work on it because Case stopped installing the frame brackets after 1972 but you do get a rebuilt snowcaster and mower deck.

444 Case garden tractor, snowblower, mowing deck

 

[JaimesBeam]

Here is how to test the coil. Disconnect the wires going to
both terminals. Clean and re-gap your spark plugs. Check
the two ignition wires and the holes they go into at the coil
for corrosion or damage. Bad ignition wires can mean no spark.
Connect a jumper lead from the battery + to the coil +. Then
take another jumper and connect the battery - post to a clean
spot on the engine where it will have a good ground. Take a
third jumper and connect it to the coil's - terminal. With a spark
plug connected to one high-tension lead and solidly grounded to
the engine, touch the other end of the third jumper wire to the
battery - terminal momentarily. Touch and remove, touch and
remove. If the coil is OK, then you should see a spark jump
the plug gap.

Yes, that's my next step. I have a couple of questions about the
coil though. It seems to have a hose clamp around the base of it;
it that normal? Does the coil have a rotor inside it; does the
engine need to run to generate a spark?

I also want to change the oil before I get the engine running.
After I get the engine running, I'll change the oil again. Do
you advocate any mystery oil additives? I feel like I should
dump some Marvel oil down the cylinders before I crank it over
any more. There's also engine oil flush additives you can add
to get dissolve some of the sludge in the engine.

Do I need to change the Hydraulic Oil yet? Or the transaxle oil
yet. I only see one plug on the transaxle, and I don't see how to
drain the Hydraulic Oil.

thanks, Jim.

 

[hydriv]

The coil has two secondary windings in it that fire every time the points open and close. There is no rotor inside. In other words, the coil ignites the mixture on one cylinder but it also causes the plug to fire on the opposite cylinder at the same time, which is now evacuating the burnt gasses from the cylinder. The coil will fire if it is good if you follow my test instructions. YOU are taking the place of the points when you momentarily ground the coil and then remove the ground. Once you know that the coil will fire the plugs and that you have 12 volts coming from the ignition switch when it is in both the START and ON positions, then the only items left are the points and the wire that connects the points to the coil. You need to inspect the points to see if they are badly pitted. If so, a new set of points along with a new condenser should be installed.

No need to change the oil prior to getting the engine running. Just make sure that the oil level is on the FULL mark. I would not use anything in the cylinders that could possibly foul the spark plugs. Your first task is to get spark. Then you can drizzle a bit of raw gas down the throat of the carb to see if the engine will run for a few seconds. Once you have reached that stage, a quart of new gas can be added to the fuel tank if it is empty. If it is not empty, then use a turkey baster to suck out the old fuel. More likely than not, the carb will have to be removed, soaked in carb cleaner after dismantling and then washed in solvent. Small wires may be needed to clean out passages. You need to make sure that it has a brass float and not the old composite float. Brian can sell you a quality brass float and rebuild kit for the carb.

There is no rush to change any fluids. Get the engine running first so that the fluids can be warmed up and will flow easier. There is a fill/level plug on the rear of the trans-axle but there is also a drain plug on the side near the bottom if you look for it. The OP manual shows you where the drain plug is for the hydraulic oil. You need to spend some time reading that manual from cover to cover because there is a lot of valuable information in it.

I realize that you are excited about this tractor but don't get ahead of yourself with spending money. First...... the engine needs to be addressed. All of the other stuff comes after we know how good or bad the engine is.

 

[JaimesBeam]

Well I get a really weak spark. In daylight I can barely see it.
Does that mean the coil isn't very good, or does it mean it
needs a new capacitor and/or points?

The Spark Plugs looked pretty clean and new. I didn't gap
them because I didn't know what to set them at. I didn't
check what the plugs are, or what they should be.

Where are the cap/points and how do I get to them? What
replacements do I need? Onan MS / 2434C.

I might be interested in the Hydracutter once I get the thing
running.

Thanks, Jim.

 

[hydriv]

The purpose of the test was to see if the coil was the problem or not. According to you, there was NO SPARK whatsoever. NOW, you know that the coil can make spark so that was not the real problem behind the NO SPARK issue.

If you accessed the correct Operator's Manual at the Colt,Case, Ingersoll dot com website, then READ IT and learn about which spark plugs are correct, the plug gap, the point gap and so forth. It's called self-education and that is what that Technical Library is for. In the SERVICE MANUAL section under ENGINES, you will find manuals for ONAN ENGINES, including yours. More education is right there for you.

As I said before, if you need parts, then contact Brian at Salem Power. I gave you the link to his website.

 

[JaimesBeam]

I found a manual on the Colt Case Ingersoll website dealing with
the electrical system. It gave a procedure for checking the coil.
I'll try it out.

The Information on the plate on my engine says Onan MS / 2434C,
Serial Number 0374774772. The manuals refer to B43M. "Onan
Engine Specs" refer to B43E which is the 16 HP engine used for 1974.
B43G seems to be the same engine rated at 18 HP; what's the difference?
I don't know how to relate what my engine tag says to the manuals,
which refer to B43M.

Anyway now I have a wealth of reference material to read through;
I'm sure I'll figure it out, and order some parts from Salem Power.

Many Thanks, Jim.

 

[hydriv]

Here is the link to the correct Operator's Manual for your tractor.

http://www.manuals.casecoltingersol...ctor Operator's Manual 9-4393_watermarked.pdf

You will find information regarding the spark plug type and gap as well as the point gap listed there. You will also find the CORRECT wiring diagram in this manual that shows the wire colours.

Here is the link to the correct Parts Manual for your tractor.

http://www.manuals.casecoltingersoll.com/PartsManuals/Case 446 Parts Manual B1279_watermarked.pdf

Page 18 shows you what the points box looks like inside and outside.


Page 44 shows you the travel/lift valve. ITEM 21 is the drain/test plug that has a hex shaped hole in it for an Allen wrench to fit into. This is the plug you remove to change out the hydraulic oil once you get the engine running OK. Remove the plug, put a bucket underneath. Remove the spark plugs. Spin the engine over for 20 seconds at a time and let the pump empty the oil into the bucket. When it starts spurting air, then you are empty. Put the plug back in and refill the reservoir to within one inch of the top of the tank.

Here is a link to the engine manual for the Onan used in your tractor.


http://www.manuals.casecoltingersol...B43, B48, CCKA Manual 9-51393_watermarked.pdf

This is a large file so be patient while it downloads. Page 30 and 31 talks about setting the points and testing the coil but you need a decent multi-meter to make that test. My test is simpler.

Right now... you know that the coil will give you a spark when the plugs are out of the engine and not under compression. Dealing with the points is the next step. If the points are in good shape and adjusted properly, then you should get spark when you spin the engine over as long as you have 12 volts going to the + terminal of the coil. Once you have that, then install the plugs, pour a small bit of fresh gas down the carb and spin the engine over to see if the engine will light the gas. If it does, then you have adequate spark and we can move onto dealing with the fuel supply issue.

At least now, you have the correct manuals in front of you to absorb and learn from.

You must be signed into the CCI forum in order for the above links to work. You can download those manuals onto your hard drive so that you do not have to access the site first to get to them.

 

[JaimesBeam]

The Case parts manual gives me Part # 20341 for a set of points;
which I can't find on the Internet or ebay.

The Onan B53M parts manual gives me Part # 160-1378 for a
tune-up kit: spark plugs, points and condensor; which I could find
in a number of places.

Oh Well, I'll try Salem Power in the morning...

Jim.

 

[hydriv]

Case is no different than any other manufacturer. They buy parts from various suppliers in order to build their product and then they produce a Parts Manual that shows all those parts BUT.... they assign their own part numbers to those parts. That is the reason why those part numbers cannot be found on e-Bay or the internet. Onan produces parts and assigns their own part numbers to them. Since there are a number of bona fide Onan dealers and distributors, they all use Onan's part numbering system, not the Case system. John Deere also used Onan engines as did Sears, Wheelhorse, Gravely, Cub Cadet etc. Every one of these manufacturers had their own parts numbering system for the exact same part.

The simplest course of action for you is to just do what you intend to do and that is to contact Brian and give him the model/PIN of your tractor along with the engine information. He will put your parts in the mail the same day or the following day.

 

[JaimesBeam]

I've ordered Onan 16 HP Tune-up parts from both Salem Power (initially backordered)
and Ebay. Still waiting for the parts...

I've heard that part of the maintenance is to remove the heads and hone the
cylinders. I've been told that if you don't do this, it' not a question of *IF*
your engine will explode, but *WHEN*. Apparently this cleans out the carbon
build-up in the cylinder. Is there a special tool to do this, or what?

Thanks, Jim.