Cub Charging problems

A little background:

49 Cub, chnaged to 12 volt when I got it. I left it this way. The generator was rewound for 12 volt, and had a cut out on it. When I got it, the amp gauge would go up to around 6 or 7 for only a few seconds, then drop to - 2 or 3 and stay there. During restoration, for safteys sake, I had the generator rebuilt, and a new 12 volt regualtor installed and new wiring harness and amp gauge. Still had the same problem with charging, but didnt worry about it.The replaced regualtor hung up and burnt the newly refurbished gen. again had it rebuilt for 12 volt, and still the problem persist....

Now heres my querys:
1. Refresh my memory, on the third brush, moving it close to the other brush INCREASES or DECREASES the amount of charge?
2. Why would one cut out, and 2 regualtors do the excat same thing? It does this no matter how long it has sits in the barn. This last time, it had not been started all year,since last November, and I had to break out the handcrank to get it running the battery had drained that much.
3. Would I be better off to repalce the regulator with a cut out and run the charging rate back through the light switch (4 position)? On that note, if by chance the resistor is bad, can an electronic resistor be used, if so which one?
4.Why is it on 12 volt? As I mentioned it was that way when I got it. 6 volt batteries here are scarce and expensive, and everything else I have here is 12 volt. I have all of my tractor except 2 on a 12 gen/regualtor setup and have very little trouble with them and the charge right 99% of the time. Just cant fiqure out this Cub.
5. Anybody know if the Hitachi alt mentioned the other day will fit with little or no modifiactions?

Well, in the first place...why don"t you go to the local junkyard/auto salvage and buy yourself a one wire GM alternator and be done with it? Some of these folks on here don"t like the one wire alternator for some reason....I"ve read why...but don"t recall. Anyway, I have a one wire alternator on my "52 Super A and I am perfectly happy with it. There are archived instructions available here for the conversion. You"ll have to use a 12 volt battery and change your lights......it won"t hurt your 6 volt starter at all, you also place a ballast resistor ahead of the coil as I recall.

Take that ancient 6 volt generator off and quit fooling with it.

I agree with Mark. 1 wire Delco is the only way to go!

Wont fit without alot of mods to the mounting brackets. I accually tried to fit one yesterday. Raed my post again, its alreay coverted to 12 volt using the genny.

The reason I like the 3 wire alternator set up is because it charges at lower rpm's than a 1 wire set up. I think either is better than a gen + volt reg.

Since November, a battery not connected to anything would be badly discharged. So do not blame that on the charging system. I suspect that most new regulators are imports of considerably lesser quality than the USA items of the 1950s and 1960s. I installed a Delco on a CUB. Doable, but I made all new mount and tension bracket. The tension bracket was tough, took three tries to get one of the proper size and shape. And I used the three wire system, far better in my experience. The one-wire is just a lazy cop-out.

I wasnt, the tractor has not been ran since November, I had to handcrank it to get it running. BUT the gauge still only showed a few seconds of 6 or 7 amp charge, then dropped to the discharge side. I do not have approriate tools to make any sort of mount for a Delco alt.

With it running at 1/2 throttle or more, use a piece of copper wire to short the F terminal on the genny to ground. This makes it charge full power. If the amp gauge still goes to - then the genny has issues,
or the cutout in the regulator is opening up. Putting the third brush closer to the other one makes it charge more. John T charging system analysis document in the search for area will also help a bunch, JimN

Hard to do on a Cub with the hood on, but Iwas able to get it. The gauge goes to full charge, but the wire gets very hot. I didnt let it go like tha tvery long to see if the gauge ever dropped. Could it be that each time I had the genny rewound for 12 volt, they didnt do it?

I read your post. I also plainly see that you are taking the long away around to achieve your goal....a 12 volt system. Thousands of Cubs have had alternators hung on them and for a hell of lot less than having a generator rewound and so forth.

Of course, get a 3 or more wire alternator because a one wire type is just a cop out...ask the guy above. Cop out or not, it does a fine job of charging the battery....the intended end of the conversion. To some, doing something the most difficult way is always deemed 'better'. He probably wipes his a$$ with his foot.

.....and there were 12 volt systems before there were alternators. With the exception of one of my Ms, (and my 39 F14 with no electrics)all my tractors are on the same system, 12 volt genny and regulator. I have very few probelms with them at all. Evidentally there are very few on here that realize the room there is to put an alternator on a Cub without alot of fabrication of brackets, etc.. I have neither the time, or tools to do so. That in itself is the reason I wont to keep the genny/reg system. Im sorry this offends you that I want ot keep what I have if at all possible.

There should not be more than 4 amps running through the wire used to ground the F terminal. Are you sure you were grounding the small F terminal!
If it went to full charge, then it may be that the field windings are shorted to each other and not of the correct resistance. If that were the case, the excessive current through the field will prevent correct VR operation. Check the amount of current flowing through that field winding (use a amp gauge (20 amps or so)in place of the wire you used to ground it. It should be less than 4 amps for sure. JimN