Another Question??

[BigBill]

First I see that my post about the gear ratio's has taken off with more questions on another post thats good....the more bottom end we can have the better.

With most of you cub guys owning cub cadets and int cubs at one time too i have a starter generator question about my int 154 cub.

I noticed that my generator doesn't charge on the idle. On the older cars when they did this I would raise the idle till the amp gage jusy went a tad into the plus side. On my 154 the speed is too high to get that to happen so another thought came to mind thats changing the diameter of the generator pulley by going smaller thus speeding the generator up. The only downfall is there is less wrap of the fan belt for traction when starting(starter/generator). Has anyone ever played around with this?

I want to use my SIMS cab with the lights and the wipers plus i have a cab heater too. I hope that speeding up the generator it will supply enough power to run everything.

[gitractorman]

Bill,
I'd be worried about the loss of torque with the bigger pulley, then making it harder to actually start the engine. If the starter/generator is not charging well, I would have it rebuilt.

I'm sure that others will speak up, but I believe that the amp gauge goes back to 0 whenever the battery is fully charged. As long as it is not going negative, then everything is OK. I know that is the way that my cadets and my cub all work. If your battery is not going dead, then your starter/generator is working fine. When you turn your lights on you might see a slight negative on the amp gauge, but it should come back up to 0 or even a little + until the generator catches up with the amp draw.

[George Willer]

Bill,

As you already know, but didn't mention, the smaller starter/generator pulley will reduce cranking speed. The "traction" won't be effected at all. That load is determined by the starting effort required by the engine.

This is often misunderstood... the coefficient of friction between two surfaces is determined by what the surfaces are and the total applied pressure and is independent of area, so the "wrap" doesn't matter. (within reason)

[BigBill]

My 154 turns over very slow and but it always starts and the starter generator seems to be ok but it seems to labor when starting. I figure the smaller pulley would give the starter generator more torque like putting a smaller pinion on a ring gear. The distance of the wrap is less with the smaller pulley gut your right it may not matter. I know in the elevator industry the amount of more wrap is better traction for the ropes. I'm sure its the same with the Vee belt traction too. I have to measure my s/g pulley and see what sizes are available.

[Eugene]

My 154 turns over very slow and but it always starts and the starter generator seems to be ok but it seems to labor when starting. I figure the smaller pulley would give the starter generator more torque.

Couple of opinions.

1) Rebuild the starter/generator. Probably just new brushes and bearings. As a guess the armature is starting to drag on the field. In any event the rebuild is very inexpensive if you do the labor.

2) Check the battery condition and clean up all connections. Battery may be getting weak.

3) Without knowing how much of a load (amps) the lights, wiper and heater - heater blower will place on the generator if all were operating at one time. I don't think the generator will handle the amp load - will cause a drain the battery even with the tractor running at rull rpm.

4) Amp gauge may not be showing much of a charge or no charge. You can check to see it the generator is charging by checking the battery voltage with the engine off and again when the engine is operating. Voltage increase across the battery terminals when the tractor is running means the system is charging.

Eugene

[BigBill]

I hate to add an alternator to my 154 but it maybe needed to run everything. Maybe an alternator run off the PTO shaft were the double pulley's are or right next to them another seperate pulley.
So i gather the use of power(12volts) on the cub is limited.

I have a new battery, the generator charges but only on the higher idle. Maybe its me but i like to set my ilde so the generator just charges a hair off the centerline.

Ok one more dumb question can the stator or windings be changed in the starter/generator to give it more starting power and charging amps?

My point is to setup a 154 for snowplowing with the SIMS cab, a heater in the cab, wipers and lights. I need an orange revolving lite, besides a rear implement lite(backing up) and lights on the cab lighting up the plow on both sides. You have to be all lite up to besafe and legal.

I know my old generator guru has to be dead by now godbless his soul. He bailed me out many times many years ago with setting up generators. When the old timers pass on it sucks because no one followed them to learn the trade so all the knowledge goes with them. There were starter/generator shops years ago just like the old radiator shops and were losing these guru's more and more. These guys worked in shed like shops who could fix any problem.

BTW; I will remove and rebuild my s/g as soon as possible.

I wish i had more land, i'm drooling over the bigger tractors like the Int. 684/884/886/986 and there awesome with the cabs.

[Eugene]

Ok one more dumb question can the stator or windings be changed in the starter/generator to give it more starting power and charging amps?

I personally don't know the answer on changing the field and armature windings. My thought is that it would terribly expensive.

The answer may be as simple as using a different regulator or a different generator as the starter/generator.

This is where your old Guru would know the answer.

Eugene

[Boss Hog]

I believe as Eugene stated a rebuld of the starter generator and maybe setting up the regulator a little to give a few more amps will solve your problem. a generator rebult kit is under $15.00 I think
David