Farm Equipment - D-17 starts hard

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D-17 starts hard

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=136448
Printed Date: 08 Nov 2025 at 5:14am
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Topic: D-17 starts hard

Posted By: Stanley
Subject: D-17 starts hard
Date Posted: 21 Mar 2017 at 9:43am

My D-17 early series stars very hard. Tractor has a good battery, cables are fairly new and terminals and connections are clean & tight. It actually starts on the 1st or 2nd engine roll over but getting the engine to turn over is the problem. Could it be a timing issue or is there such a thing as a drag on the starter? I doubt there is too much engine compression as there are a lot of hours on any engine work.

Replies:

Posted By: DougS
Date Posted: 21 Mar 2017 at 10:53am

Diesel? Gas? Skinny Minnie battery cables from an auto parts store? What temperatures are we talking about? First check ALL battery cable connections, including at the ground. What kind of shape is the battery in? Fairly new does not mean it won't have a bad cell. Is the battery fully charged? After you've investigated all these items and not just assumed they are good, look at the starter itself.

Posted By: Bill Long
Date Posted: 21 Mar 2017 at 11:33am

I have to agree with Doug S. The first thing we did when the D-17 was new and had a similar problem was to clean the battery cables real good. Fixed a lot of problems.

Also check that you have a clean ground. We had that problem too.

Good Luck!

Bill Long

Posted By: Stanley
Date Posted: 21 Mar 2017 at 12:40pm

Thanks for the replies. I'll check everything as you suggested.

Posted By: Ted J
Date Posted: 21 Mar 2017 at 8:40pm

What are you running, 12 or 6 volts? Do this first, it'll help to solve a LOT of the problem. Take all the plugs out and turn it over with the starter for a couple of revolutions. Does it SPIN like crazy? or slow? If slow, you need work on the starter. Even with bad connections it'll spin over really well....as a general rule. When was the last time you looked or worked on the starter? I'm betting that is your problem.

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"Allis-Express"
19?? WC / 1941 C / 1952 CA / 1956 WD45 / 1957 WD45 / 1958 D-17

Posted By: CTuckerNWIL
Date Posted: 21 Mar 2017 at 8:45pm

Clean BOTH ends of the battery cables and the area they connect to. Make sure the starter has a clean grounded connection to the block.
Timing CAN definitely be off enough to make it turn over hard.

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http://www.ae-ta.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.ae-ta.com
Lena 1935 WC12xxx, Willie 1951 CA6xx Dad bought new, 1954WD45 PS, 1960 D17 NF

Posted By: Stanley
Date Posted: 21 Mar 2017 at 10:09pm

Thanks for the help.

Posted By: john(MI)
Date Posted: 21 Mar 2017 at 10:54pm

I just had that problem with my D14, same setup. I did what was suggested above. Took the starter out and cleaned the area where it meets the block and the block where the starter sits. Fixed my problem!

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D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446