Blowing fuse and no spark

[Wayne0 1,641]

I just dropped a Craftsman donor motor into my Work Horse. It fired 3 timed on spray then started blowing the 15A fuse as soon as I turned the key on. 

I went thru 5 fuses while disconnecting things. Stopped after disconnecting the battery wire from the new motor. Now I have no spark.

Any ideas? @Bill D

[squonk 48,186]

Is one engine a battery ignition style and the other magneto? Key switch may not be compatible with the new engine. 

[Bill D 3,164]

1 hour ago, Wayne0 said:

I just dropped a Craftsman donor motor into my Work Horse. It fired 3 timed on spray then started blowing the 15A fuse as soon as I turned the key on. 

I went thru 5 fuses while disconnecting things. Stopped after disconnecting the battery wire from the new motor. Now I have no spark.

Any ideas? @Bill D

Pictures of the wires would help.  Both engines should have magneto ignition.

 

Sounds like you may accidentally crossed the kill wire and the charging wire and fried the magneto.   

 

The new engine with it's higher amp charging system only needs the one wire from the charging stator connected. The second wire from the stator to the headlight switch can be connected to the auxiliary terminal on the ignition switch to make the headlights work.

 

 The kill wire which should connect to the same spot on the new engine as it did on the old. 

 

@gwest_cashould have a wiring diagram for the GT1800, 1848, 1642, 1142, 1100 machines.  Same basic wiring for all.  

 

Pretty sure the wire from the headlight switch to the AC side of the original stator has a green stripe, the kill wire should be a blue stripe, and charging wire should have a white stripe.   Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.  Doing all this from memory. 

 

If all the wires are unplugged from the engine and fuses still blow the problem is in the tractor wiring. 

Edited 16 hours ago by Bill D

[953 nut 69,657]

2 hours ago, Wayne0 said:

2 hours ago, Wayne0 said:

Craftsman donor motor         Craftsman NEVER made an engine, tell us the manufacturer's name and other information on the data plate. With that information we can help you out.

I went thru 5 fuses while disconnecting things

Hint,   if you blow a fuse put a test light in its place, while it is brightly illuminated that tells you there is a short to ground or someplace electricity is not supposed to go. While troubleshooting you can glance at the light to see if it has gone out indicating the short has cleared.

 

[Gasaholic 396]

13 hours ago, 953 nut said:

Hint,   if you blow a fuse put a test light in its place, while it is brightly illuminated that tells you there is a short to ground or someplace electricity is not supposed to go. While troubleshooting you can glance at the light to see if it has gone out indicating the short has cleared.

 

even better hint - splurge a little bit and get a *circuit breaker* type ATO style fuse at the correct amperage rating and you can drop it in the wiring using spade or bullet connectors somewhere in place of the fuse (for the glass fuses, I made up a jumper with alligator clips to run between battery + and the load side of the fuse holder)  - that way you won't keep blowing fuses while you diagnose/test the system - circuit breaker just trips (it can sound like the old school "blinker flasher" devices used on older cars for turn signals)  Once you have rigged one up you can stick it in your tool box and change out to different amperages to match the fused circuit you're testing... 

[Wayne0 1,641]

15 hours ago, Bill D said:

Pictures of the wires would help.  Both engines should have magneto ignition.

 

Sounds like you may accidentally crossed the kill wire and the charging wire and fried the magneto.   

 

The new engine with it's higher amp charging system only needs the one wire from the charging stator connected. The second wire from the stator to the headlight switch can be connected to the auxiliary terminal on the ignition switch to make the headlights work.

 

 The kill wire which should connect to the same spot on the new engine as it did on the old. 

 

@gwest_cashould have a wiring diagram for the GT1800, 1848, 1642, 1142, 1100 machines.  Same basic wiring for all.  

 

Pretty sure the wire from the headlight switch to the AC side of the original stator has a green stripe, the kill wire should be a blue stripe, and charging wire should have a white stripe.   Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.  Doing all this from memory. 

 

If all the wires are unplugged from the engine and fuses still blow the problem is in the tractor wiring. 

You are correct about the color codes. Magneto=blue stripe, charge=white stripe. I hooked the solid blue from the donor to the blue stripe, the red to the white stripe.

Old motor has the green stripe for the light circuit, which I did not use as the new motor does not have it.

I just don't get the no spark issue.

[953 nut 69,657]

How much of the Wheel Horse wiring did you remove or are you using it all the way to the engine connection points?

If the wiring wasn't blowing fuses with the old engine in place and is with the new engine then an engine component on the replacement must be the problem unless you pinched a wire while swapping engines. I would start by reconnecting everything but the rectifier since it is the only component connected when the ignition switch is in the run position.