1979 Trailfire 440

[retter11]

Just got a 79 trailfire. Engine was seized but i freed it up. tried to start and i had spark. went and got fuel so i could test it out and now i have no spark. not sure what happened between the time i had spark and then went and got fuel (20 minutes) to when i tried again and now i don't get any spark.

Any ideas?

[AirborneX4Special]

How long has it been parked unused?
Was it seized or just dry stuck due to lack of lubrication from sitting?
Seized indicates a lean condition, which means you have big issues.
I'd tear it down for inspection, new crank seals and whatever else could be wrong, and clean the carburetor. Make sure the fuel tank is clean, especially if it had old fuel sitting around more than a few months. Don't run "oxygenated" fuel such as ethanol because it's corrosive and largely a solvent.
There's lots of tutorials and sources for help around this site, but don't be afraid to ask questions.

Welcome to the hobby of old Deeres....

[retter11]

It has been sitting for about 5 years at my Dads place. I think it was just stuck. cleaned carb and fuel tank. as far as the spark issue, just wondering where i should start. the coil pack, CDI, or stator? how do you test the CDI?

[AirborneX4Special]

Kawasaki engines are notorious for dry seals, especially after sitting for a long period of time, so install a new set instead of burning it down. Start with the coil and CDI but it's likely to be any of the ignition components. External coil failure typically shows up as a drop out when the unit gets warmed after operating a short time. If I had to guess from my keyboard your CDI is junk but it's a guess because the windings could be bad just as easy on the internal coils. Did the lights flicker when you pulled the rope?

[snowmoer]

Here is a link to down load the service manual. It has the steps in there to test all the electrical systems.

http://www.vintagesnow.com/John_Deere.html

[retter11]

So i got into the service manual to try to test all the electrical components (stator, cdi box, coil pack) but it says i need a JDM-74 Tester. Does anyone know how i can test each of the components (stator, cdi box, coil pack) individually to see if it is one of the components that are bad? I'm assuming it has to be one of these items, if not multiple bc i had spark and then all of a sudden i didn't.

[JDGuy]

Years ago, if I remember right, there was a post here showing ohm readings for the stator, not as good as the JD tester, but better than nothing.

[AirborneX4Special]

Service manual says to test in following order: Ignition, CDI, exciter, and pulser with JDM-74 tester on low side and dial at 25 for the ignition and high side with dial at 55 for the CDI. Switch on high and dial at 50 for the exciter and pulser coils.

[retter11]

I meant is there another way to test them without the tester?