Farmall H cutout regulator revisited

I got the new regulator on and everything is fine but when you turn on the lites it goes into major discharge.I went from the old cutout to a regulator on a 1946 H. Is there something else that I'm forgetting.

(quoted from post at 06:39:01 11/07/09) I got the new regulator on and everything is fine but when you turn on the lites it goes into major discharge.I went from the old cutout to a regulator on a 1946 H. Is there something else that I'm forgetting.

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hird brush position controls output when used with cut out. With regulator, move 3rd brush to maximum output position and let regulator control output. Similar to this:

I agree with JMOR, if???? you have a 3 brush adjustable genny Id set it for max charge if you convert from a cutout to a VR buttttttt there may be other problems??

Did you Polarize the genny BEFORE you started it???

How many amps discharge are you calling "major discharge" and is that at a pretty high RPM??????

If the new system is working Id expect at fast RPM she could still charge even if only a few amps, it depends on the RPM and the genny and VR and light wattage etc BUTTTTTTTT AT FAST RPM I WOULDNT EXPECT IT TO DISCHARGE WHEN LIGHTS ARE ON, sure maybe at idle but NOT at RPM

Is the new VR a 3 (BAT GEN/ARM FLD) terminal or a 4 (BAT GEN/ARM FLD LOAD) terminal???

How is the new VR wired?????

Does the new VR have a good ground??? Usually to the genny if genny mounted or frame if mounted elsewhere IT NEEDS A GOOD GROUND TO WORK RIGHT, try using a jumper wire etc to insure it has a good ground n see what happens

You removed the wire from gennys FLD that wired up to the light switch when you converted right???

When running at fast RPM momentraily use a jumper to dead ground the gennys FLD post n see if she kepes at charge with lights on then??????? If so but NOT otherwise the VR isnt well grounded or isnt working or teh wires bad from FLD on VR to Gennys FLD post..........If theres still no charge even with gennys FLD post dead grounded keep it running and run a jump from BAT on VR to the GEN/ARM terminal (by passes cutout relay) if it charges then but NOT otherwise, the VR is bad or not grounded.

With the gennys FLD post grounded and the VR jumped form BAT to GEN/ARM the VR is out of the equation so if still no charge the genny is bad iffffffffff all else is wired right....

Insure the VR is wired right and grounded and the genny is polarized then go through my Troubleshooting Procedure

John T
John Ts Troubleshooting Procedure

So far so good, the two gentlemen have covered the gen situation.
If the lights are shorted o ground at any point, they may do the discharge thing, but not burn up wires unless left on for a few minutes. I would pull the bulbs and see if it still discharged. If so I would trace wires to find it. If not, I would put one bulb at a time back in, fixtures and sockets can also fail. JimN