12 volt conversion question

[ad356]

should i convert my cub over to 12 volts using the generator off of the new acquired loboy engine? are the brackets all of the same? im guessing it would fit exactly the same and would look like it belongs there? i simply would keep the Bendix starter and not connect the starting terminal on the generator. the only thing im thinking i would have to change would be the battery and the lights? otherwise the generator would probably be up for sale. it starts the engine well and the guy said the charging circuit was working but i have no way to verify this.

[Scrivet]

........i simply would keep the Bendix starter and not connect the starting terminal on the generator.....

Sorry, I don't understand this, there is no starting terminal on a generator.

the only thing im thinking i would have to change would be the battery and the lights?

If you change to the twelve volt generator then you will also have to change the voltage regulator and coil. Your six volt starter will work fine on twelve volts. Use it till it dies then put the twelve volt one on.

otherwise the generator would probably be up for sale. it starts the engine well and the guy said the charging circuit was working but i have no way to verify this.

Again, sorry, I'm confused. The generator doesn't start the engine. It seems like you are mixing the terms generator and starter interchangeably. The generator is at the front top right hand side of the engine and is driven by a fan belt while the engine is turning. The starter is bolted to the lower right rear of the engine and is only engaged when you pull the start lever.

One other thought for changing the generator to the new twelve volt one. The fan pulley diameter changed at some time as I think the generator pulley size did also. When you change you may want to change the whole fan assembly as well to keep the right size pulleys depending on what's on your Cub now. Then you have to remember that when you need a new fan belt the one it takes may not be the one your year Cub calls for.

[ad356]

let me explain, this generator is a starter generator. the generator is much like it is on an old IH cub cadet, the generator also acts as a starter. it has two terminals on the generator, one for the starting circuit on for the charging circuit. this engine DID NOT have a bendix starter (the engine that came out of the 154, the engine that i purchased). the engine that is currently installed in my cub has a bendix starter AND a generator. i am stating that this generator is actually, technically a starter generator. now the question i have is, will this work on my cub?? if i use it can i just not hook up that terminal for the starting circuit? this would preserve originality of the tractor. the starter would operate the same, i wouldn't require a solenoid. as far as the regulator goes, it comes with the engine so no need to purchase anything there. i would need a 12 volt battery that would fit in the group 1 sized battery box, i would also need 12v headlight bulbs. these would probably be the same headlight bulbs used in 1970's vintage cars, should be available for cheap at an auto parts stores im guessing. my tractor turns over great most of the time, but on those really bitter, cold days yeah the 6 volt battery is a disadvantage. my tractor is no garage sitter, it needs to be running regardless of the conditions. i rely pretty heavily on this 60 year old tractor. it mows in the summer and plows in the winter, only downtime is the change of seasons where the grass is not growing and the snow is not falling yet. i think 12 volt system would improve the reliability of my cub. doing it with a 12 volt generator is not doing it in a hack fashion. it would retain its original form and function just crank faster on cold days.

[ad356]

in fact the hole where the starter goes through the side of the block has a block off plate.

are all of the brackets on that 154 engine with the starter generator and my current engine with the 6 volt generator the same? it should be a direct swap im thinking

i would not be concerned about changing coils...... my tractor is a mag, coil has nothing to do with a swap... the loboy engine DOES come with the distributor AND a 12 volt coil, but i dont think i will use it. the mag works great, why eliminate it, why mess with the wiring and why destroy the originality of it. now if at some point the mag fails and i can no longer get a replacement, then i would have the parts necessary for a swap of the distributor AND coil

[Scrivet]

let me explain, this generator is a starter generator. the generator is much like it is on an old IH cub cadet, the generator also acts as a starter. it has two terminals on the generator, one for the starting circuit on for the charging circuit. this engine DID NOT have a bendix starter (the engine that came out of the 154, the engine that i purchased)..........

When asking for information it would be nice to have a few details like that you do have a starter/generator not the normal Cub setup. Then again it would also have been nice to have mentioned that the engine you have been discussing through so many posts is not off a Lo Boy but is actually off a Numbered Series Lo Boy.

[ad356]

ok, im sorry for the confusion. i tend to forget that the loboy and numbered series loyboy have some differences. anyways would this work or would i not be able to use this starter generator as a generator only. will it fit and are all of the brackets the same.

another question, my cub is an earlier model with the voltage cutout. the starter/generator i am getting comes with a regulator so no need to purchase anything there. what about wiring, how does it effect the wiring going from a 6v cutout system to a 12v regulated system?

[Eugene]

The S/G from a numbered Cub Low-Boy will probably fit the mounting brackets. However, the amp out put is only around 12 to 15 amps.

My suggestion is that if you want to convert to 12 volts is to use the single wire Delco clone alternator. Much simpler.

Wiring, changed from a 6 volt cut out to a 12 volt regulator. I don't know without researching and studying the various wiring diagrams. It can be done, but will require some wiring modifications. You are asking a generic question. Wiring, wiring diagrams changed over the Cub production years.

[ad356]

well, i would have to buy an alternator. i will have a S/G in my possession

[Eugene]

well, i would have to buy an alternator. i will have a S/G in my possession

Have the S/G and regulator tested. If good put them up for sale. They will probably pay for the conversion to a single wire 12 volt alternator. You may even have some pocket change left over.

Back to your original question. The original 6 volt electrical system works great. Magnetos will fire at virtually any negative out door temperature.

Just suggesting that you may have other problems with or in the 6 volt electrical system. Have you checked the battery condition and cleaned up all battery terminal connections? Engine mechanical problems?

[ad356]

the mag system is good, it has never given me any trouble. the cap and rotor are inspected annually, they are in good shape. the engine probably has some hours on it but it runs fairly well. when you let it idle down and then throttle it up it will smoke a little (this is only in warmer summer temps). it does not consume a significant amount of oil, oil was changed this spring and i have been mowing every 4-5 days (lots of rain this year). i have not had to add any oil at all and the oil is only slightly below full.

the wiring harness was replaced before i bought the tractor, it does not appear to be that old; it certainly is not original to the tractor. the battery was replaced by me probably about a year ago. battery was replace with a battery right from the case/IH dealer, they are 3 doors down and i figured they were probably a good battery.

the tractor is overall mechanically in good shape, aside from some worn out paint that i have to work on. i run 10W30 in the winter, is that too thick of an oil and run 30W in the summer. is 10W30 too thick for winter use, should i be using 5W30?

anyways i figured that IH went to 12v on the cub for a reason, im guessing they wouldnt have done this if it did not give an improvement. the 6 volt system is OK in the winter but you certainly notice a reduced cranking speed. my tractor has always been cold-blooded in the winter. i can get it started but when it gets really bitter cold it takes too long. i think that with a 12v system conversion it should spin over faster and start eaiser? isnt this why IH moved to 12v in the first place?? the 6v system is ok but if you are actually going to use the tractor as a tractor i think the 12v would be far superior. please correct me if im wrong. i bought my tractor to be a workhorse, its not a show tractor or a parade tractor..... its a tractor tractor, lol. i will not be doing any conversion work as of right now because my battery is only a year old. that battery was $80, not cheap. i dont want to dispose of a good battery if there is no reason to.

by the way what is a working 12v starter generator worth? i was told that the charging circuit works but im not sure how i would test that without having it on a running tractor? how would i test a regulator without again, installing it on a running tractor. what's a working starter generator worth?

[ad356]

what delco alternator are we talking about, is there a part #?

[Hengy]

See Boss Hog's post in the How-to section. The Alternator is the Delco 10si, 1-wire alternator. Really easy conversion...Merlin is getting that conversion this fall before plowing season. Lewis will be a 12v tractor before he is done!

[Eugene]

Magnetic engine block heater.

[Jim Becker]

anyways i figured that IH went to 12v on the cub for a reason . . .

Money.

By the '60s, auto manufacturers had long-since changed to 12-volt systems. The reason being that cars were getting more and more electrical components that required higher power (e.g. magnetic AC clutches). They had the choice of either making components that carried higher and higher current levels or bump up the voltage. Look at a main harness on a late model car and imagine what it would look like if every wire had to carry double the current. Alternators in modern cars typically can produce 100 or more amps. Imagine what the alternator and connecting circuits would have to be for 200 amps.

The typical electrical load on a Cub is an ignition unit and 3 light bulbs, but no air conditioning or high wattage stereo. 6 volts is adequate. They went to 12-volts because with "everything else" was running on 12 volts. The components were cheaper. This is still the main compelling argument for converting an old tractor to 12 volts.

[bythepond88]

Ditto Eugene's suggestion of an engine block heater. The only reason I can see to switch to 12v would be if your generator needs to be replaced, then it is more cost effective to make the switch. If your charging system is working, don't switch. If it isn't, use the flowchart to figure out why, rather than just swapping.