6v and not charging

[Bansil]

1950 Farmall Super A, it has an 8v battery and across posts at high idle 7.3v or so

This is after some time on a 6v battery charger so obviously it is not charging, searching the web I found many diagrams showing a 3 wire regulator and the body being grounded(corrosion seems to be a big issue between block and housing)

I have not pulled it off and just yanked the cover for a picture, any troubleshooting for these 4 wire ones?

I have not traced wires yet, I have 1/2 of day tomorrow off and will look at her between projects trying to reference 3 wire diagrams and also using a meter to see if 4th wire is a redundant ground

I have not "energized" the field yet or checked contacts , I will try tomorrow

Thanks

 

[coolreinfarm]

I've worked on many farmall wiring systems and never saw a 8 volt battery on any of them, that said 7.5 volts on a 6 volt system isn't bad. If you google farmall a wiring diagrams and click on images you'll find about every diagram in existence, I would check the generator for a third brush and see if the headlight switch has two positions for charging rate. My 2 cents.

 

[zzvyb6]

http://www.stinsonclub.org/PublicTech/YahooGroup/DC generator theory.pdf

You'll have to read the labels on the bottom of the regulator.

 

[Bansil]

Thank you, the only reason for the 8v bat. is to hide that the 6v gen. is not working correctly

I plan to replace the "small 12v sized" battery cables and get it working correctly

Thank you for the pdf that will help!

 

[Bansil]

okay I found this:

About 12" of burnt wire, it shorted at the wire tie beside shifter

So I replaced it with some 8ga I had

Then put battery back in (took it out to trace and verify panel wiring)

I polarized generator and started tractor, no charge...said a few choice words and noticed it was charging at ~10 amps, tried lights , nice and bright and then noticed it was -15 amps! with lights off?

So I glanced into the generator opening (no cover) and good see random sparks (not from armature/brush area?)

so I disconnected battery and removed generator opened it up and....

notice the "A" brush with no tension? spring is broken

chaffed, burnt and broken wire

NOPE 2 chaffed wires and notice the springs and brush holders, bent crooked and...the "A" brush is broken

So now need to decide what next step is? Buy a 6v generator, voltage regulator (contacts are very pitted and you can "smell" burnt electrical)
also need correct sized battery cables (cracked, old and 12v size) also I need 2 6v bulbs for lights

I may do a 12v swap...we will see

what are ideas, this tractor will not be restored any time soon, if ever, wife likes it like it is

 

[DJ54]

Do you have a good starter/generator repair in your area..?? Much cheaper to rebuild that, then buy. A good regulator will run you $100. I got mine through my local gen. shop. A good name brand 6V battery, and at least 1/0 cables, and it will start like it should. You'd think it was 12V.

All of my smaller IH's are still 6V system, and work like they should.