Tried 12v battery

[kinelbor]

I took the battery out of my old pickup and put it on the cub today. WOW!! The starter turns so fast I dont think the mag even has to trip. Just have to bump the starter rod out and its running. I think I will keep it on there and just top off the battery once and a while on the charger. Should I disconnect the generator?

[400lbsonacubseatspring]

Niki....if you feel strongly about doing this (and I wish you didn't) yes, disconnect your generator........

[Clem]

and your lights and regulator, maybe your wire from the mag to switch too...

[kinelbor]

I rode the cub around and noticed that the amp guage is now reading halfway up the charge side. All it ever did before was bounce around. I think that somewhere in my cubs life there was some POI with the generator. Maybe its a 12v generator?

[400lbsonacubseatspring]

and your lights and regulator, maybe your wire from the mag to switch too...

Wire from the mag is different and isolated circuitry......

Lights and regulator, yes, definitely....or at least regulator, and change the bulbs to the 12V version.......

[kinelbor]

Hehe, no lights! I never really liked the look of them so I just didnt bother putting them on. If I ever do, I will make sure they are 12v bulbs.

[400lbsonacubseatspring]

I rode the cub around and noticed that the amp guage is now reading halfway up the charge side. All it ever did before was bounce around. I think that somewhere in my cubs life there was some POI with the generator. Maybe its a 12v generator?

No niki.....a 6v Genny will try and pour 6v into a partially discharge 12v battery all it wants, but it never does any good..... Get it off of there, or you'll be replacing that genny..... maybe you want to convert to a 12V alternator at some point..... Or, put in a cut-off switch, that you can flip once you start the puppy.....

[Jim Becker]

Nik,
If you have an original type charging system for a '48, that is the 3 brush generator with a cut-out (no voltage regulator) it very well MAY be able to charge a 12 volt battery. The 3 brush generator is inherently current limited but not voltage regulated. Excessive current, not voltage is what will burn out a generator so it may be OK.

If that is what you have, try it. Check your ammeter at full throttle after a start up to see how much it is producing. If it is no more than 11 amps (from wherever your ammeter zeroes), it is OK to use. If it exceeds 11 amps, you need to either unhook the generator (by unhooking the wire from the F terminal), or cut the output back with the switch or by moving the third brush.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Or if you decide to make the change to no generator permanent, take the belt off so you don't have extra junk spinning to cause trouble.

[AlanPCUBS]

Or just convert your generator to 12V it can be done. just becarful not to run starter to long.

[rustynuts]

Mine is 12 volt with a alt. to charge the battery with a old type ceramic resistor between the coil and the distrubtor no regulator but with 12 v bulbs in the lights its pretty nice just don't run them in the dim position on the switch, or that little coil on the switch gets pretty hot pretty fast. I had 6 volt on my 8N and it was lathargic starting and when cold weather hit ,I had to warm the oil up with a heater stick. Good bye 6v hello 12v..my 2 cents...........Bill

[rkd]

Really interested in this thread.

My Dad ran his Cub for the last 3 or 4 years that he used it with a 12 battery installed, and just charged it up after each use.

It seems he disconnected all the 6 v lights, and mounted some 12 lights on it. (Ugly, but probably all 1930's auto head and tail lights with 12 v bulbs) The 12 battery ran the tractor and the lights for a couple hours if I remember correctly.

This worked for him.

That battery had not been touched, or charged in at least 3 years, and it still cranked the tractor off the trailer in reverse!

I have had it here for 3 weeks or so. I am using a 12 bat in it and also charging it after my episodes of running. So far, Ive only run it maybe 15 minutes at a time. We put a 12 v/no ballast resistor required coil in it 4 or 5 years ago, and its still in there. Gen and reg is still hooked up I guess. Gage reads on the discharge side, but I really have not seen it move yet.

Headlights are disconnected.

Best plan I have heard is to put both a 6 and a 12 v batt in it, and just connect the 12 v to the starter only.

My current plan is to get the gen checked and repaired, and the regulator, and set it all up 6 v. He already had lugs to jump it with.

[Bus Driver]

On cubs with the dim lights position on the light switch, many mistakenly believe that the dimming resistor will get hotter with 12 volts. Switching to the typical sealed beam 12 volt lamps for the Cub lamp housings results in lower amperage for the lamps due to the doubled voltage. The resistor will stay cooler- and the lamps are dimmed less than at 6 volts.

[Clem]

my latest project was all disconnected except the 12 volt battery to starter. To shut it off, the po would shut the fuel off and run the gas out of the carb. It started great, but since my switch back to 6 volts and rewiring it all up it starts very very hard, I think I'll need to check the timing on it.

The easy way out is to put the 12 volt battery back on.....