Generator vs. alternator on Super A

Bought a Super A this week and its been change to a 12 volt but looks like he left the original generator on it. Some people say need to convert that to alternator. Anyone who knows the correct thing to do please advise. Of course at the auction they left the switch on and drained the battery so we are charging up the battery to see if it will crank again. She cranked very good day before sale. Generator is black so I think its a generator and the old man that sold it said it was. any help would be appreciated as I am a new member and new at tractor restoring.
RICHARD/NC

You also can take the generator to a shop and have it converted to a 12 volt generator probably easier than changing to a alternator.

If it has been changed to 12, the generator may have been rewired already. Get it running & test the voltage at the battery. If it is close to 14 volts you are good to go.

Generator is iron body and not large diameter maybe 4 inches but kinda long and alternators are larger but not long with aluminum body.Not needed to correct if the genny matches the battery now.If its a six volt just buy a new battery[if it wont take a charge].Battery should have three caps not six .Six caps on batt is 12 volt.Pos ground&normally six volts.[Unless for some strange reason someone put a 12volt gen. on it.]Look for marking on present generator.

I just posted a question on 6volt vs 12volt and asked why people do it when the 6 volt works fine if maintained well.

At our club meeting we brought up the subject after they all seen and read my posting.

We come to the conclusion that if it is going to be a show tractor and not run much above an idle for long periods of time the alternator is the way to go. They do have alternators that look just like generators. Alternators will charge better at an idle and generators won't.

That's why so many people change the older tractors to alternators. Many of us in our club still use our old tractors and run them at full throttle for long periods and don't have any trouble with the 6 volt systems.

Some posted last week that 12 volt battery will spin a 6 volt starter faster. Well yeh that's right but why not put a 12 volt starter on it and have a complete 12 volt system. A good 6 volt battery and starter will start just fine.

One guy said that's why they put 24 volt starting systems on diesels. Well he doesn't know probably that a diesel's ignition is caused by heat of compression. The faster you spin a diesel the better it will start. This is true with those that don't have glow plugs. Many of the diesels that have glow plugs are still only 12 volts.

Check and see if it has a 12 volt regulator on it. Generators are dumb, they put electricity out, the regulator is what tells it how much to send to the battery and other things. You can change to 12 volt and leave the old generator on but change the regulator to a 12 volt and either change the light bulbs to 12 volt ones or put a resistor in the line to cut the voltage back to 6 in those lines.

"Generator is iron body and not large diameter maybe 4 inches"

Oh, yeah???

<img src = "http://www.gener-nator.com/images/orange-gen.gif">
Gener nator

Why change to an alternator. One word, for me it is CHEAPER. Buy internal regulated Delco in a salvage yard for the same price as the re-builder pay. About 5 bucks. It has been a while but I have a big stock. I check out the alternator and replace what is needed. One time years ago my Father-in-Law was using his A JD to rake hay. The generator went out and was replaced with a re-built one. It lasted two weeks. The rebuilt was expensive and there was NO Wrranty. I installed a external regulated Delco Alternator as the internals were not out yet. When my Father-in-Law sold his A the alternator that I put on was still on it. We had no further battery charging problem after the alternator was installed.

Kent

The "gener-nater is cool for an authentic looking
restoration, but somewhat pricey. Similar items
are advertised in antique tractor and truck
magazines, such as "Yesterdays Trucks", and i'd
check all prices before buying.

Thanks, for your reply and info

Thanks a bunch for info.
Richard/nc

Thanks a bunch for info.
Richard/nc

Thanks for info and sounds good to me. It is starting fine this morning after a charge overnight.
Rich/nc

Thanks for the info, had not thought of doing that or it had not been suggested by anyone.
Rich/nc

THANKS FOR INFO

895 bucks for that.I buy whole machines for less than that.895 bucks?