Installing headlights?

I would like to install some headlights on an A. Just was wondering if anybody knew how to do the wiring or had a wiring diagram? It does not appear that the tractor has had any lights on it prior.

Do I recall correctly that you don't have a starter? And therefore maybe not a battery or generator?

That's the problem with trying to keep up with too many threads at once.

Of course, you're 12v.

What you'll have to do depends on what was done in converting your tractor to 12volt, i.e., whether they used the old generator harness or stripped it away. Originally, there was one harness carrying the wires up to your generator and relay/regulator that also carried two wires forward for the headlights.

What do you have for a switch on your panel box? It should be the round knob just below your ammeter. It will have three or four positions to it. The three-position controlled only lights. The four position controlled lights and the charge rate from the generator to the battery.

You will need two wires to run from the back of that switch up to your headlights. (If the harness is still in place and it ever did have lights, you might be able to use the ones that are already there. Otherwise, you'll need to buy some wire. The lights were mounted on short posts with the ends flattened. The round end of the posts fit into the front casting, coming out horizontally, and were locked in with square head set screws. The post on the right is shorter on the A, to allow for the bulge in the casting for the steering gear. The lights mount to the posts on threaded studs through holes in the flattened ends of the two posts.

All the hardware can be found as salvage if you go hunting. OEM has the lights and hardware, as well. They're pricy, but a good set of used lights ain't gonna be cheap, either.

Scotty,
Tractor has a starter (which is currently getting rebuilt). It has been converted to a 12V, but there is no panel box.

Ah-hah! That's the curs--er, um, fun part of working with these old machines.

Is there an ammeter somewhere? If so how is it mounted? What do you have for an on-off switcvh for the ignition> Is there room there somewhere to add a simple toggle switch? If so, I can direct you to some drawings (courtesy of Bob M) that you could adapt to get some basic lighting going, though it will be a little challenging to get bright and dim going.

The original set-up would have been a racetrack-oval-shaped box mounted a little below halfway up the vertical part of the steering wheel support. In the upper half was the ammeter and below it the 3- or 4-position switch I spoke of earlier.

If you don't have an ammeter, then we'll need to figure out what you do have to figure where we could draw power and put in a switch for your lights. That or find an original or reproduction panel, or fabricate something that would hold an ammeter and switch to get you back to something near the sort-of-generally-accepted version of a 12v conversion that would make any future troubleshooting easier to work with. (I think that makes sense????)

It shouldn't be hard. There'll be some expense, mostly in the lights and the hardware to mount them if it isn't already there, and dependin' on what you want for a switch (basic lights, or dim/bright ability).

But it's all very do-able. Just a matter of figurin' out what you have in place, and what else you need to make it work.

There is no ammeter anywhere. The ignition has just a toggle switch (located on the steering wheel support). I am not too worried about having both dim & brights. I just need some light when mowing & if the sun sets on me before I finish. Thanks.

Well, that makes it fairly simple. All you need is a loop connector that you can bolt down under the nut on your positive battery clamp (or the hot stud on your starter when you get it back). Run a wire from that connector to one side of a simple, single-pole-single-throw toggle switch. From the other side of the switch run a single wire, (14 ga is good) up to the front of the tractor. When you get the wire up to the front end, make up a butt-splice (or a Y) connection, with the wire from the switch on one side and, moving toward the front, two wires out the front end, and run one wire to the hot stud on each light. You'll have to cross the front of the motor to do it, so make sure you get the wire that crosses the motor clipped/zip-tied down so it doesn't get snarled in the fan or the belt. In the original setup, the wire ran up the left side and split behind the generator. The wire for the right-side light is the one that crossed the front of the motor. You may or may not find clips in place to hold it, depending on what used to be there.

If you use a typical tractor light, you shouldn't have need for a return/ground wire. The old Guide lamps (teardrops or the flat sealed-beams) had an insulated stud for the hot wire and grounded through the light housing.

Goin' upscale a little, but depending how well you trust yourself to turn them off when you're done, you may want to wire a pilot light where you can see it when the lights are on. It needs to be in series and can be either between the battery or starter and the switch, or between the switch and the light. If ya want sometin' really $ecksy, there are toggle switches out there where the tip of the toggle has an LED in the end that lights up when the controlled circuit is hot. Whooo, doggies!

The folks at NAPA can fix you up with the connectors, wire and switch.

Keep us posted on how you're makin' out!

I made a new wiring harness on my 504 recently and installed a new light switch. I went back with sealed beams and used 14 ga wire, so I know there should not be much voltage drop.

If you have small wire or are using the $10 Blazer brand Utility lights from Wal-Mart, I would wire them through an automotive relay. They are about $3-$4 dollars at most parts houses. The lights I mentioned are BRIGHT floods and look like your typical universal tractor light. They have a H-3, 55W bulb, which is 110W total, for 9.2A (2x55/12=9.2A). I do not like running that much thru a toggle switch.

Relays are pretty simple and make locating the switch easier and keeping the light wires shorter and closer to the battery. I am going to add two of these lights onto my loader to increase my night visiblilty.

Charles

Do you need the two posts that go in the holes of the steering sector for the lites.

Yes Gene, I do need the posts.