Charging Question

[Granto46]

I am currently changing one of my 6v cubs over to 12v. I got everything hooked up and noticed when the tractor is off with the kill switch pushed in the ammeter slightly favors the discharge side and comes more to center when the switch is pulled out. When running the ammeter reads discharge. I did not change any wire connections on the kill switch and pretty much left the wiring the same on the ammeter. It was missing a wire from the kill switch to ammeter so I added a wire on the post from the kill switch the discharge post on the ammeter that also has a wire that goes to the alternator (one wire alternator). The other post on the kill switch has a wire going to the coil. The charge side of the ammeter has a wire that goes to the starter. I am guessing I need to swap the wires on the posts but is the ammeter I need to switch or the kill switch? Or am I wrong all together?

-Grant

[MiCarl]

From what you say it sounds like a magneto ignition tractor. If I've got that right there should be no connection between the kill switch and the ammeter.

When the switch is pushed in it shorts the terminal to ground, which would discharge the battery if connected to the ammeter. In fact, unless you added some sort of load it should draw enough current to let the smoke out.

[Granto46]

It's a 57 and has a distributor if that changes anything

[inairam]

It is a one wire alternator?
Did you rewire the lights? Is the light switch on? The lights are not wired through the switch and will draw current.

Post on the wiring per the manual with should be the same behind the dash for the 12 volts viewtopic.php?f=1&t=103418

[Granto46]

The light wiring is all there at the dash and fed to the lights but not hooked up. The light switch is off. I'll double check but don't believe any of the lights are connected to the kill switch

[Eugene]

https://photobucket.com/gallery/user/fa ... A==/?ref=1

Above link, wiring diagram for a 3 wire alternator. For a 1 wire alternator, completely eliminate wires #1 and #2 that are attached to the alternator.

[MiCarl]

I bet the ammeter is wired backward and the 0 on the ammeter is off a bit. When you power up the coil it draws some current pulling the needle toward the charge side. Start the tractor and it charges pushing the needle to a discharge reading.

Disconnect the battery. Wherever the ammeter needle points is where 0 actually is. While disconnected switch your ammeter wiring to the opposite sides.

[Granto46]

That sounds like it could be it, not holding a true zero at rest. I'll try switching and see what happens.

[Glen]

Hi,
If you had the original 6 volt positive ground electrical system, and changed it to a 12 volt negative ground system, the ammeter will read backwards. You need to switch the 2 wires on the ammeter to the other posts, then charge should be shown to the right on the ammeter, like it was before.

Disconnect the battery ground cable before changing the wires at the ammeter.

The pointer might not quite be straight up when the engine is off.

[Granto46]

MiCarl and Glen were right. I switched the wires on the ammeter and everything is working as it should. The rest position of the ammeter needle favors the discharge side when off so no worries there. Appreciate the help. Now off to put in new brake pads