voltage drain

Anonymous-0 · Aug 4, 2010

I installed a Hitachi 12 volt alternator on a super H negative ground. after sitting 3or 4 days the battery is dead. what is the cure for this ? Any help well be wecomed. Thank you

gene bender · Aug 5, 2010

The cure would have been to keep the system you had and made it work like it did when the tractor was new. Now you still have to cure a problem. By the way how did we get along when they were are bread and butter. Answer we kept them up in shape. Now here comes the newbies pretty paint and ploish but forgot how to keep up the general operation.

El Toro · Aug 5, 2010

You should place this request over on the Farmall forum too, as you will get get more responses. Hal

Richard G. · Aug 5, 2010

Just put a master cutoff switch in one of your battery cables. It fixed mine.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 5, 2010

It's possible the new alternator has a leaking diode. You may want to check for drain by turning all lights etc off, then remove one battery cable and place a multimeter in series and determine how much is being drawn away. Then disconnect the alternator and see if that eliminates the drain.

Kentb of SWMO · Aug 5, 2010

Check how you have the unit wired. I am not familiar with the Hitachi alternator but I know that if you switch the regulator wire son a Delco internal regulated alternator, it drain the battery.

Kent

Jon Hagen · Aug 5, 2010

Check your wiring to see that the "I" alternator terminal is connected to switched power(only live when the ignition is on).
If the wiring is correct, you may have a defective diode or shorted regulator.

Jon Hagen · Aug 5, 2010

Yeah, everyone wants to discard the wonderfull 6V electrical system, gods greatest gift to man kind because it works so well and is so reliable.
A 6V starter and battery is far better at generating heat / smoke than rotation of the engine.
a 6V generator and mechanical regulator / cut out is the most unreliable part of those tractors.
I made my living with those tractors since the 50's, so I was around 6V systems when they were new. In short they were pathetically weak when new.
The switch to 12V in the mid 50's was the first you could depend on reliable hot or cold starting.
The early 60's when generators and mechanical regulators were dumped in the trash and replaced with reliable solid state alternators was another quantum leap in reliability.

BCnT · Aug 5, 2010

AMEN to that!
i had same arguement with my dad about our ford 2000...i finally got tired of chasing 6 volt problems and put on a delco alternator...he took one look and said dust will get in all those holes...bet it wont last a month...that was 30 years ago...he's gone but the tractor still starting anytime i push the button...miss my dad but i'll NEVER miss that )$%$@#%* 6 volt crap

gene bender · Aug 5, 2010

Sounds like another owner who didnt maintain his system very well. Our B and the M were used almost daily gringing feed. Cleaning up from the hogs ect and we never had any problems course the batterys terminals and boxes were serviced at least one a yr and they did set in a shed so dont tell me they didnt work same was true with the neighbors same old thing farmers can find a way to break new things as iv heard horror stories from a friend who sells a lot of the Green stuff. When the 49 M was finally sold in 65 still had original starter and generator.

pete 23 · Aug 5, 2010

Far as the voltage drain, like others have said , check your wiring again, do a current draw test, easy way is to unhook ground at battery, put a test light in series, if it lights start unhooking until you find the area of the draw. Far as 6 volt systems, I was surely pleased when most everything went to 12 volts. Also the alternator. Was something else new to learn but it was a blessing. You couldn't put a big enough generator on a school bus to keep all things humming. Starting a M farmall with firecrater pistons, a factory 450 gas with 6 volts, real pain. Twelve volts, end of problem. Solid state voltage regulators, vast improvement over mechanical. I used to be the only guy in the area who would actually take them regulators apart, refinish or replace the points and set them back up again so I was well versed in their shortcomings. Also, when they dumped that 3rd brush generator in favor of a shunt wound two brush, another blessing. Progress some times is good. Will 6 volts systems work, of course, I have one on one of my H farmalls. Works fine. But I'm still glad they switched to 12 volts systems. .

agpilot · Aug 5, 2010

Hi Peate 23: You said you repaired the voltage regulators ... Great. Glad to see another willing to take on fixing even small items. I have to force myself to skip wanting to fix everything now so that I can end up with more free time. Repairing things did improve my understanding of equipment overall. ag

voltage drain

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

gene bender

Well-known Member

El Toro

Well-known Member

Richard G.

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

Kentb of SWMO

Well-known Member

Jon Hagen

Well-known Member

Jon Hagen

Well-known Member

BCnT

Well-known Member

gene bender

Well-known Member

pete 23

Well-known Member

agpilot

Member

Similar threads