400 Electrical Has Me Just Fascinated!

Or maybe it was the previous owner. Would y'all believe that a wire (one & only) coming from the alt & connecting to nothing, is keeping my tractor from charging? Who would have thunk it. As one may imagine, I have just started into my wiring on my 400. The alt is connected to nothing, the dist is set up with a ballast (yay), ammeter is wired backward & the 6v regulator is still wired in. Hmmm! I wonder if any of that has to do with my problems? Now that I've vented a touch, I have a question: is this dinky little silicon diode really gonna take the place of the warning light? Did I get the wrong one? It's a IN4001 - Micromini Silicon Diode - Rad Shak #276-1101 Help from the wiring maestros would be appreciated - Mike

You should be ok with it. Check out the surge amps. David................

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2036268&tab=features

Also read this link. I changed a 58 IH 240 Utility using these instructions. David..............

http://www.ytmag.com/articles/artint131.htm

Thanks David! Yeah, I guess these are the ones. Tiny little buggers. Well, with the 12v conversion article in hand, I'll have a go at it tomorrow. Thanks Again - Mike

I always add a 30 or 40 amp circuit breaker right off the positive take-off---whether it is the battery post or the solenoid post---just for safety.

I agree and have been recommending it as well. A fuseable link will also work. I recommend 10% larger in amp capacity than the alternator output rating. The Amp gauge can be upgraded to this level of amps as well. They can overheat if 2X the current flows through a 20 amp gauge. JimN

Okay guys, laugh at me. I bought a 560 it had no lights, it had two 6 volt batteries mounted to the side of it instead of under teh hood for easier access I presume. It is a diesel so have to run the glow plugs about 90 seconds before I crank. They are those long narrow batteries hooked together in series which i guess is how I come up with 12 volts. I rewired all of the lights from the rotary switch, it has 4 positions, Off I presume, Dim, Bright and without Rear Light ( or maybe I hooked up something wrong - quite possible ) the lights all work and the generator has been changed to a GM alternator.

I just tested for continuity on the rotary light switch and then hooked up the lights accordingly. My 560 has square fenders like a 656 and I added two outside lights to those. I hooked up the fender lights to come on when the two lights come on that are on the pipe bars that come from the center console area like on your 400. It is the same rotary looking switch as we had on our 400 LPG that I grew up on.

I have no idea if our 400 was 12 or 6 volt all I can tell you is dad had a 12 volt battery under the seat. I do not recall seeing a large resistor or diode on it anywhere from jumping it many times over the years. It was a hard starter. The starter was notorious for sticking and you would have to put it in road gear and rock the tractor furiously to get it to disengage if you were lucky and did not have the blade or implement on the rear on the ground or the loader on the front dragging. Not sure if that had anything to do with the 6/12 volt issue.

Not sure if this helps a lot but there was an obvious hot wire for the switch and a ground. I just used jumper wires from the battery posts and a 12 volt test light to see what position on the switch lit up when I moved it and checked the other spades on it to see if any of them were hot at the same time.

I highly recommend a volt meter, 12 and 6 volt test light of some sort with alligator clips or ice pick point on it and a way of testing continuity.

I am not sure of the other parts where you need a resistor and diode. So far I have not experienced any smoking switches or wires and my tractor has not caught on fire. I guess I am just running on dumb luck. THe Amp MEter shows charging properly unless I have all 5 lights ( one in rear ) and am under 600 - 800 rpms and then i show discharging.