52 WD not starting.

Hello guys - I need help again. Started the tractor yesterday after it had sat for 2-3 days. It started up and moved about 40 feet before it quit. I tried to restart and heard a sizzle or zap sound.

I checked the battery (12V) and its fine. The battery cable terminals were bad so I replaced those and still no Bang. Had some issues with the starter in the spring, I had it rebuilt last year and again this spring.   

So, I don't know where to start. I was thinking that I could use my volt meter so see if power is getting to the starter? I cleaned the contact with sand paper.

Thanks Stan.

So an update. I have power at the starter. I took the starter switch off to clean it up and that didn't help.
I then decided to pull the starter and it did feel like it was a little loose. I put it back in and it fired up, ran for a minute and died. When I tried starting it again it made a grinding sound and won't start again?? Where do I go from here?

Sounds like two problems to me. It quitting on you sounds like a fuel problem. I had a stuck float one time that it would run just long enough to get it out of the barn then die. I pulled the carb drain plug at that point and nothing came out until I smacked the side of the carb with a screwdriver and then gas flowed. Did it a couple of times to me before I pulled the carb and cleaned it good. I also thing something is wrong with that starter. spring on bendix may be broken and also check to be sure you have the starter fully inserted in the clutch housing so it will fully engage the ring gear on the flywheel.

Unless you have a coil and distributor, and a short in your wiring that sucks enough juice from the battery to kill the spark, the dying has nothing to do with the not starting.
 2 different problems. The sizzle is a poor connection somewhere. I have had a battery post develop a dark oxide looking coating that insulated the battery from the clamp. GOTTA be shiny clean.
 Did you turn the gas on before you drove the 40 feet? What do you have for ignition? Mag or distributor?

I'll +1 for the folder labeled: 'there's more than one problem here'.

For the benefit of all here, please clarify:

When you say it doesn't start, that suggests to us that you're having no difficulty getting it to crank over, it's just that it won't ignite a mixture.

But your explanation sounds more like it's not CRANKING.

Divide and conquer:

First, make the starting circuit and motor crank the engine over properly. Starter circuit- battery, cables, starter switch, starter, ground path through block, to ground cable, back to battery. Pull the switch rod, it should crank.

Next: Get ignition... switch on, crank it over slowly by hand... if you don't have spark at the coil, troubleshoot points circuit.

Once you have that, test to see if you have spark while cranking WITH the starter motor. If you have spark when turning by hand, that's one thing, if you LOSE it when using the starter motor, you still have a wiring issue.

Once you have spark while cranking with starter, troubleshoot fuel, compression, and timing.