May also have a NEUTRAL safet switch on the shifter, it will be a magnetic pickup style.

These are possibly the worst tractors to diagnose a no start, or no spark situation on...alot of switches, alot of wire, relays, etc...

One thing to try is on thE PTO switch, on the inside of that panel there are 2 seperate switches (4 wires, 2X2) one of them goes to the ignitions system, and one goes to the spark kill. If the wires are out, it may act funny.

 

Thanks Red, I'll check that as well.

There isn't a PTO switch that I can see. Engagement of the mower is a lever/pully, not electric. There might be another safety under their as well.

Its a bear with no schematic...

 

ya, next to the battery, where the lever goes through the frame, there is a little cavity where the lever contacts a pair of switches. One goes to the ignition relay, and one goes to the spark circuit.

It will crank, but not spark if one is bad.

I think the one farthest out is the one for spark.

 

:Welcome1: I hate it when that kind of thing happens! I really don't have a opinion but a safety switch maybe.:goodl:

 

I believe there is a safety switch on the PTO, that will kill the ignition if it goes bad. However if it's bad I would think that it would not turn over either.

Being that all seemed OK before the ignition switch replacement I would check all connection to and from the ignition switch as well as all connections in general.
Sounds to me like a bad connection, ground or blown fuse.

You can go here:

https://lookup3.toro.com/partdex/

Put in your tractor part number as listed on the tractor Data plate (something like 31-12K801), not 312-8.

Look for electrical systems diagram/s.

 

Did you get the correct ignition switch?
If you got one for an early 312 with a K series engine it won't work.

Unplug the ignition switch completely and jump the starter solenoid so it will turn over (run a jumper wire from positive battery cable to small terminal on solenoid) and see if you have spark.
Make sure the tractor is in neutral and the parking brake is set before you do this!

 

Look at this website. It may show the wiring diagram and parts you need.

http://www.partstree.com/parts/?lc=toro_consumer&mh=19

 

busted horse is correct wrong switch and it want spark or did you have spark before all this happened
One has to sit down and go though all the switches its real esay for some to tell you to do this and that a good meter and a little seat time will fix any thing

 

It's still dead, but I wanted to give an update..

I'm a little belated in my response here.

So, I started by doing the obvious rather than trying to test all the switches, which was to visually inspect the coil and you can see it was gnarled. Very odd how it was chewed up like that, it was nowhere near the flywheel and it didn't seem like it was physically possible for it to even hit the flywheel, mice maybe?

Further data, the tractor was running a little poorly when it was put up for the winter, I suspected just a dirty carb, as it would only run at 1/4 choke.

This spring is when the no spark condition was observed.

I got a new coil installed per the manual, gapped to .012, and still I have no spark.

I do have power on the white lead(which was also bare) both in the "on" and "crank" position on the key.

The first time I put the coil on, I got it backwards....I totally blanked out the fact that there is a directional arrow stamped on the thing.

Could I have ruined the coil by having it on backwards?

 

Busted Horse for the win.

So, I did as you suggested, removed the switch and jumped the solenoid and voila, hot blue spark.

So, the replacement switch is wrong or something is shorted in the kill side. The number stamped on the switch is the same number that was on the old one. I picked the new switch up at the local hardware storge.

I completely misunderstood what the white lead is for...

The white lead lights a test light when the switch is on or crank and I think I get now that is a bad condition, it means that power is leaking into that wire and it shouldn't, that wire should be ground I think...

Am I mistaken?

 

how did it get like that its easy a rat or mice

 

last update, I haven't figured out why the kill lead has 12v on it yet, but for now, I just have it removed, so tractor is running again and I can finally get the grass knocked down.

Cheers.

 

Just wanted to add one thing that was very helpful in working on the magnum.

http://www.wheelhorse.org/manuals.html

That link posts service manuals for magnums which are quite detailed and very useful.