Farm Equipment - D17 electronic ignition

Print Page | Close Window

D17 electronic ignition

Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=128636
Printed Date: 19 Jul 2025 at 3:23pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: D17 electronic ignition

Posted By: cnafarms
Subject: D17 electronic ignition
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2016 at 4:51pm

Back in the spring ordered a 12 volt positive to ground electronic ignition and flame thrower coil. Finally got around to put it on today. I followed the directions step by step and went to fire up the old girl and now I've got nothing. The motor cranks over but it won't start up. Made sure it had gas and the fuel shutoff valve was open. I did the trouble shooting advice to check resistance and still just cranks over. Went back through everything to make sure I didn't miss nothing and it's all correctly installed. It just isn't sending no fire out. Any advice from anybody who has put this on there old tractors would be greatly appreciated.
Chris

Replies:

Posted By: Dan73
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2016 at 5:49pm

If you pull a plug do you have spark? I have seen the timing way off when. I swapped pertronix modules.
If you put a test light on the 12 volt line comming out of the pertronix kit going to the coil you can test if it is cycling when you crank it over. That will tell you if it is in the low voltage side or the output from the coil.

Posted By: Stan R
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2016 at 6:43pm

Did you push down the sending unit that goes on the distributor shaft so that it clicks in? When I put one on our D17 IV, it had no spark until I realized I did not push it down far enough.

Posted By: cnafarms
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2016 at 7:18pm

Yes I pushed that down all the way. I didn't pull a plug to see if it was getting fire. I do remember reading that some people had to retime the tractor. Guess I'll have to see about getting a timing light to do that.

Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2016 at 8:24pm

Are you sure your D-17 is positive ground?

Posted By: cnafarms
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2016 at 8:54pm

Yes I'm 100% sure that it's postive to ground. Postive side on battery (+) goes to ground. Put the electronic igniter in the inside of distrubotar where points were. Wired the coil up like the directions said. 1 wire that comes of igniter goes to (-) side of coil (the black and white wire). The other wire (black wire) gets wired directly to switch wire that was formally on (+) side of coil. The only wire that comes off (+) side of coil goes to ground or can be put on (+) side of battery which is grounded out.

Posted By: MACK
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2016 at 9:01pm

Did you remove resister under battery box?

Don't think there should be a wire from coil to ground. MACK

Posted By: Dan73
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2016 at 9:07pm

Mack I have installed a couple of those kits the wiring he shows is correct the power flows from the key through the pertronix module to the coil and the other side of the coil goes to ground. Points ground the coil out through the distributor but the positive ground pertronix kit provided power to the coil which the coil takes to ground. I have had trouble with a faulty key switch blowing the ignition module. That is why I said pull a plug and check for spark.

Posted By: cnafarms
Date Posted: 12 Sep 2016 at 5:49am

I used a test light yesterday and found that I had power from switch wire going into distrubotor and also had power coming out going to (-) side of coil. I'll have to pull a plug today after work and see if there is fire at the plugs. Hopefully just out of time. Thanks for the responses

Posted By: DougS
Date Posted: 12 Sep 2016 at 1:18pm

Showing voltage with no load doesn't mean you have a good connection. Recheck ALL your connections back to the switch and to the grounds. Sometimes a wire is crimped into a connector, but the wire is corroded inside the crimp.