regulator smoking

Michigan A · Mar 28, 2009

I have owned this 640 with 6 volt, positive ground for over 2 years and it has always charged fine. Over the winter I had it in the pole barn with the sheet metal off and noticed the old wiring was cracked and bare in several places. I replaced the wires one by one using the wiring diagram. Wiring to the regulator was fairly easy with the hood off. The old battery was weak so I got a new 6 volt. I don't have any lights or light switch. The old ignition switch had to be replaced, so I got a new one from TSC. With new battery in, new switch, and wiring in I polarized the field to pos ground. Now when I start it up it charges about +8 and runs fine but after about 1 minute I see a small amount of smoke out of the regulator. Any ideas about most likely cause? I think the wiring is correct as I double checked each connection carefully. Thanks in advance for any ideas or suggestions!

garytomaszewski · Mar 28, 2009

If I read your post correctly you have fried the regulator (polarized the field to pos ground ??? WTF). You polarize by touching the regulator armature terminal to the regulator battery terminal (REGARDLESS of system ground). You do this before you start the tractor.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 28, 2009

I am going to read your message as polarizing it for positive ground system. So, if you did this correctly by flashing the battery terminal at regulator(or from any hot terminal) to the armature terminal at regulator or generator you are correct there. If not, well. The resistors on the underside of a reglator get very warm and if during your process of working on this unit you maybe cleaned things with some solution it might be just cooking that off. Happens all the time when cleaning up a tractor. However, observe it carefully so as no wires are getting warm.

Janicholson · Mar 28, 2009

8 volts is excessive. SO the regulator either needs to be replaced, or adjusted. As Mentioned by Pete, the resistors get hot enough to smoke if recently started (dust) or cleaned. If the battery is fully charged, the volts should be no more than 7.2 to 7.3. To polarize the gen jump for one second between the bat terminal and the Armature (big post) on the generator, or where it attaches to the Regulator, never the Field. If it was jumped to the field, it may have welded the reglator contacts together. (new is best if this is the case) best of luck, and let us know what happens. JimN

Michigan A · Mar 28, 2009

Sorry for misinformation. I go back and forth on Ford and Farmall boards and was thinking I was on the Ford board. I DID polarize to hot(negative) to the field connection NOT pos. On the Ford board one of the experts states to polarize from Field to Bat. Thanks for the idea about cleaning as I did some dirt and grease removal with the sheet metal off. I might not have noticed the small amount of smoke if the hood was on the tractor

Janicholson · Mar 28, 2009

Fords are that way JimN

JMOR · Mar 28, 2009

Jim, I'm not sure what gen type a 640 has, but if it is a type "A", where the regulator controls by grounding the field, then that is same as 8N Fords and if he applied battery power to field, then he probably did weld field points closed.

If he read on Ford board that you polarize by applying battery power to the Field, then he was likely reading about a NAA, Jubilee, or later tractor where the Gen is type "B" and control is by reg supplying power (not gnd) to the field.

OK, I just figured out that you apparently have a Ford 640, not a IH640, so you probably polarized correctly as it is type B.

garytomaszewski · Mar 28, 2009

I'll try this once more, on a Delco generator/regulator to polarize you momentarily touch the BATTERY terminal of the regulator to the ARMATURE terminal NO MATTER WHAT THE POLARITY OF THE GROUND. Grounding the Field terminal bypasses the regulator and gives full generator output to the battery. I will guess that you probably welded the FIELD circuit and are indeed charging 8-10 amps.

JMOR · Mar 28, 2009

(quoted from post at 13:34:33 03/28/09) I'll try this once more, on a Delco generator/regulator to polarize you momentarily touch the BATTERY terminal of the regulator to the ARMATURE terminal NO MATTER WHAT THE POLARITY OF THE GROUND. Grounding the Field terminal bypasses the regulator and gives full generator output to the battery. I will guess that you probably welded the FIELD circuit and are indeed charging 8-10 amps.

OK, I give up, why a Delco on a 640 Ford?

Brownie 450 · Mar 28, 2009

I'm thinking you are talking + 8 AMPS---not volts. You could have a leaf or oil draining onto the resistor on the back of the regulator. This would account for the smoke. See if you can determine exactly where the smoke is coming from.

garytomaszewski · Mar 28, 2009

Alot has to do with my being to dumb to read all the posts and
not knowing we were talking about a Ford on an IH board. The
advice still stands for the Delco, and the comment about
ground polarity not mattering stands even for the Ford, because
what you are doing is (making/forcing/acclimating) the
generator to the polarity needed to charge.

JMOR · Mar 28, 2009

Yes, I made this same mistake initially, too.

"and
not knowing we were talking about a Ford on an IH board. " :roll:

Anonymous-0 · Mar 28, 2009

I didn't catch that it was a ford . They did do things the opposite way.

regulator smoking

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