Pre-regulator generator start-up

Don Mountain · Apr 2, 2012

I have an old Farmall M that doesn"t have a voltage regulator on it. It does have a battery and lights on it. I just got it running after several years, and put a new battery in it and the generator won"t charge. Everything looks good and it turns ok and the generator is clean inside. The light/charge control switch turns ok. Then I got to wondering if I needed to "charge" the generator winding like I do on the regulator on my Super C by jumping across two of the terminal on the regulator? And how might I do this or check my charging circuit and controls?

rustyfarmall · Apr 2, 2012

(quoted from post at 07:32:59 04/02/12) I have an old Farmall M that doesn"t have a voltage regulator on it. It does have a battery and lights on it. I just got it running after several years, and put a new battery in it and the generator won"t charge. Everything looks good and it turns ok and the generator is clean inside. The light/charge control switch turns ok. Then I got to wondering if I needed to "charge" the generator winding like I do on the regulator on my Super C by jumping across two of the terminal on the regulator? And how might I do this or check my charging circuit and controls?

Either you DO need to add a voltage regulator, or you have the "lights only" generator system which would be VERY rare, and I don't think the "lights only" system even used a battery.

John T · Apr 2, 2012

To "Polarize" the genny BEFORE starting, momentarily flash jump from BAT on the VR or Cutout Relay over to the GEN/ARM post and you should get a small spark

Read my Charging Troubleshooting Procedure posted belowe may help

John T
John Ts Charging Troubleshooting

Don Mountain · Apr 2, 2012

I have no idea what year the tractor is, but there appears to be a manual voltage regulator on it. It has one of the oval control panels on the steering column and the indicators on it are low, hi at the bottom and farther up on the knob rotation is says dim and bright. And years ago when I set it on low at the bottom the amp gage read low, and if I set it up on hi, the amp gage read about twice as much. And then the dim setting produced dimmed lights and the bright setting gave me bright lights. And my father told me when I was a kid and was plowing all day with it that to always set the control to the bottom setting on low. I don't see a voltage regulator anywhere like my Super C has. This is one of the older models I think that my grandfather used to run on some other type of fuel during the war. Alcohol or kerosene or something and I had to run it with the shutters closed.

Don Mountain · Apr 2, 2012

To "Polarize" the genny BEFORE starting, momentarily flash jump from BAT on the VR or Cutout Relay over to the GEN/ARM post and you should get a small spark

On my Super C and Cub LoBoy there is a black box type voltage regulator. But I don't see one on this M tractor. Where might it be?

Don Mountain · Apr 2, 2012

Thanks for your help so far. I found the voltage regulator hidden up on top of the generator. But I also found out the amp gage isn't working. I can turn the lights on and it doesn't show any discharge or change in amperage. So now I need to check the system out and see if it does charge. Gotta get out my volt meter and do some exploring. Are amp gages for these old 6 volt systems still available anywhere?

JMOR · Apr 2, 2012

(quoted from post at 12:15:11 04/02/12) Thanks for your help so far. I found the voltage regulator hidden up on top of the generator. But I also found out the amp gage isn't working. I can turn the lights on and it doesn't show any discharge or change in amperage. So now I need to check the system out and see if it does charge. Gotta get out my volt meter and do some exploring. Are amp gages for these old 6 volt systems still available anywhere?

f you had not said, "Everything looks good and it turns ok and the generator is clean inside.", I would have told you to look on top of the generator, but the implication was that you had really looked over the generator, even inside. Oh, well. :roll:
Any ammeter will work that you can mount, 6/12v doesn't matter, just +/-amperes. You can find generic or pay more for one that looks like original IH.

Don Mountain · Apr 2, 2012

You are right about that JMOR. I haven't had the generator off of this Farmall M. Its the one on my Super C that I was thinking of when I said that. And when I went out to look farther at the M I realized that I hadn't had the generator off of this one. I have been all through this on my Super C also. And still can't get the generator working on that. So I hope this one works ok, and just needs a new ammeter. I need to put a volt meter across the battery and see what I can get for voltage as I start and run the engine up. Then look farther.

gene bender · Apr 2, 2012

It will never charge without a regulator or a cutout. First get the Delco Remy # off your generator so you can get the correct regulator for that generator as they do list 2 for replacement. Then wire it up according to the instructions that will come with it and polarize after makeing sure that everything is grounded correct your generator mite have the third adjustable brush. Just get the correct regulator. USA built ones will run around65-75 for a new one.

Pre-regulator generator start-up

Don Mountain

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rustyfarmall

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John T

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Don Mountain

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Don Mountain

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Don Mountain

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JMOR

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Don Mountain

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gene bender

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