Fighting 6 volt generators and regulators.

Ok. Is it just me or does everybody else fight voltage regulators on tractors.

I have a 6 volt generator on my MM UTU, it is not the correct generator for the tractor and it lost its Identification tag, but it still works/should work. Last week it worked fine, this week nothing. I did replace the battery, but it worked fine for the next few days after. Today nothing. This generator / regulator has been checked out and gone through by about 3 diferent guys in the last 3 years. They check out the generator and sell me a new regulator. It might work for a year then I start having problems again. Half the guys at the repair shops say why are you bothering, just convert it to 12 volts. I would like to keep it a little bit original, besides when it works it works fine and when the battery is fresh it has plenty of cranking power. It is only when the generator/regulator starts giving me problems that the battery power goes down and won't start.

Ok. I am ranting here but how long would you expect a voltage regulator to last? I do live in a wet climate and it does get abused sometimes by being left out in the rain.

Also I have a Co-Op E-3 with a regulator that at an idle shows slight discharge, if I hold steady at about 1/3 throttle shows +8amps steady, and full throttle the needle jumps between 0 and 8, might hold on +8 for 5 seconds then jumps back and forth for 5 seconds. Sometimes (1 in 15 starts) the generator will not put out anything until I tap on the regulator. Is this normal?

Are these just bad regulators? How is it that I am this unlucky? Did farmers put up with this in the day, or are we just getting junk regulators today? Is there any maintenance that I need to do to my regulators? If you don't have any advice, am I alone with these problems?

Sincerly,
Pulling my hair out.

A suggestion that I just learned last week is make sure your regulator is grounded good. Take it off of the generator amd clean under the mounting bracket and stuff. We fried a $90 reg because of that trying to make it show a charge on the guage. Had the gen checked and the reg was new but it wouldn't show a charge. Fried it trying it out and got another one . It was doing the same thign and dad cleaned up where we bolted it to the gen and it worked fine.

Jeff is Right --- you have to have Very Good Connections and a Good Ground for 6 volt applications --- to figure this out is easy but tricky and I'm not sure you are ready for this.

what I have done with 6 volt sytems that will not perform --- is Tap them with a 12 volt battery and see if they work -- if they do -- it's the connections for sure ....

Nothing wrong with 6 volt,you just need some one who is smart enough to maintain the system.Ive been running a JD H for 42 years with the same generator.I replaced the muffler last year and checked the generator while it was out.Brushes and bearings were fine.A few drops of oil have kept it running fine.It has a simple cut out that needs some work.I suspect it needs the points cleaned and spring tension checked.My Ford tractor has been here for 22 years now.It had a no charge condition a few years ago.The shunt coil in the voltage regulator opened up and could not be repaired because it is wound under a heavy series winding.The new regulator had to be adjusted to make it charge at 5 amps.It took me about ten minutes to find out that the regulator was bad.The on farm hourly service rate is 90.00 per hour and shop rates run 60 to 70.The old generator regulator systems are very simple if you will take the time to study them.

The generator usually shows little to no charge at slow idle. The battery will be supplying power.
Some negative chassis regulators get used on positive chassis equipment and suffer shorter life.
It's important to get the cutout and voltage regulator set correctly. The cutout needs just enough tension to ensure it opens when the trator is shut off.
The voltage needs to be set with a voltmeter and a fully charged battery. Setting the regulator via the ammeter like most old timers did caused the battery to be chronically under or over charged.
As previously stated every connection must be clean and tight. Contact through a newly painted regulator to a newly painted generator is iffy.
Fluxuating current can be from dirty,stuck brushes/holders or a dirty/out of round commutator with high mica.
12V is often a bandaid fix that covers the symptoms but not the causes.

Doug, A jumpy ammeter can be an indication of a genny commutator thats all oily or dirty n carboned up and/or worn down brushes or weak or stuck brush hold down springs. Check n clean n polish the gennys commutator n check the brushes n clean n exercise n light lube the brush hold down springys..

Next Id remove, clean n wire brush n reattach each n every VR n Genny terminal/connection as well as each n every battery n starter n ground connections. MAKE SURE THE VR AND GENNY BOTH HAVE GOOD CLEAN GROUNDS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Does the VR match your ground?? Some VR's are labeled for Pos ground others Neg soooooooo make sure you have the right one or it may not last as long

John T

#1, you don"t have to convert to 12 volts, you
can get a 6 volt alternater!
#2 Are you getting american regulaters ? Cheap
shiny black, no name, regulaters are coming
from China, I"ve had trouble with them! Cheap
regulaters don"t last long ! Quality does not
come cheap!

Going 12 or even 24 isn't going to fix it if you don't have your wiring straight, use the correct polarity regulator, and "polarize the regulator" after connections are made. 6V systems like bigger wires and large battery cables to make it work better also. Some regulators are universal to wire up with neg - or pos + ground and some are not has to be correct one or won't last and fry points out of it. Checking all your electrical system for shorts, good grounds, other problems or not getting it polarized or wrong regulator is most likely your problem. We had a 6V system kept up on a old Willys jeep and it always started fine in the coldest weather once I rebuilt all the electrical right.

This is the number ONE reason why old machines with generators get converted to 12V alternators. Old gen's and regs are a pain in the hole. It's not because gen's can't be made to produce more current...
These annoyances are the price of originality. When functionality becomes more important than originality, you'll buy a Delco 10si alternator the same as the rest of us that crossed that bridge.

Rod

If it's a working tractor, convert it to 12V and don't even look back.
I like one of the other comments, If you're smart enough", I think it's stupid to put up with the hassles of a 6V. 12V, all the parts are cheaper and if you ever haff to, you can jump it with your vehicle.