Super A wiring

How to tell whether your tractor has a cutout or VR? The resistor on the bottom of the light switch would be the field resistor, meaning the tractor came originally equipped with a cutout. (Having A 4-position light switch also means cutout.)

But someone may have replaced the cutout with a VR at some point. And IHC cutouts and VR’s can look the same externally. Only sure way to tell is to remove the cover and peek inside. I you see only 1 relay it's a cutout; 2 relays is a VR. Also IHC cutouts have 3 terminals (BAT, GEN and F) while most VR’s have 4 terminals (BAT, GEN, FLD and L).

My recommendation is to get a voltage regulator with a curved mounting bracket to fit on the generator (TSC has 'em), wire it up and be done!!

1) You would be MUCH better off if you used a modern full fledged 3 or 4 wire Voltage Regulator over the older 2 wire simple Cutout Relay. The reason is with the older 2 wire cutout relay and the headlight switch field current control you only have 2 choices, being LOW charge and HIGH charge with no in between. You have to manually set the switch for low or high charge and it can happen you may either undercharge or overcharge (actually more harm to battery) the battery HOWEVER a full fledge VR does that automatically so you dont have to worry about where the light switch is set and does it by monitoring the battery and adjusts itslef accordingly. No fuss no worries.

2) I cant say sitting here (maybe Bob M can) if what you have is a Cutout Relay orrrrr a Voltage Regulator????? If under the cover theres ONLY ONE coil/relay its a Cutout Relay BUTTTTT T if it has TWO coil/relays its a full fledged VR. A full fledged VR has terminals BAT ARM (or GEN) and FLD buttttt tt I think IHC used some Cutout Relays that had the extra F terminal yet only one coil/relay inside i.e, a Cutout Relay and NOT a full fledged VR. EITHER a Cutout Relay or a VR still has at least a cutout relay inside it, its just that a VR also controls n regulates the gennys Field current automatically instead of it being done manually from where the light switch is set.

3) IFFFFF its a VR (2 coil/relays inside) its F terminal wires to the gennys F post (NOT up to the light switch),,,,, ,its ARM (or GEN) terminal wires to the gennys ARM post,,,,, ,,,,,and its BAT terminal wires up to the load side of the ammeter.

4) IFFFFF F its a Cutout Relay its BAT wires to ammeters load side,,,,, ,,its GEN (or ARM) wires to the gennys ARM post,,,,, ,,,,,and the gennys Field post wires up to the light switch.

5) If its a Cutout Relay where the gennys Field post wires to the light switch, those light switches have a resistor and the gennys Field is effectively wired dead to ground for high charge but to ground via that light switch resistor for low charge BUTTTTT T some light switches have a resistor used for light dimming purposes so again, I cant say sitting here what light switch you have.

I GUESS THE BIGGEST QUESTION that needs answered is if your device is actually a 3 wire VR (BAT GEN FLD) or a Cutout Relay (BAT GEN) but with the extra F terminal some IHC cutout relays had. If it has 2 coil/relays its a VR but if only one I believe (NO warranty) its a Cutout Relay in which case the gennys Field post wires to a light swiitch for field current control and charge regulation.

Over the years and different vendors those cutout relays or VR's have changed appearance so I just cant be sure what you have UNLESS you look under its cover as described above, IFFFFF its a VR I would use it instead of letting the light switch regulate the charge in which case you NO LONGER wire the gennys Field post up to the light switch.

Hope this helps and dont cornfuse ya

John T