Wiring harness, best one to buy?

[northpaw2]

As long as I have all the sheet metal and stuff all off to split my 50 Cub, what is the best weiring harness to get? Mine will be a worker, not a show tractor, so I don't need the original cloth braided one. I also plan rear lights and the headlights working. Mine looks like the moles in my yard, after tearing that up, went to work using the wires for toothpicks (it was in a barn for about 20 to 25 years).

[Bill V in Md]

Check out the below link to a recent post on that subject. In addition to the suppliers listed in that post, you could also consider Brillman.

Wiring Harness

[Jim Becker]

Be aware that the electrical system changed during 1950, at serial 115403. It went from a cut-out system to one with a voltage regulator. The main harness changed from 351 325 R91 to 354 252 R91. Be sure to get the correct one for your specific tractor.

Last I checked, they were still available from CaseIH. If they still are, they will be made with modern wire, no cloth covering. Also they will be sold as just a main harness, not a kit that includes the several short individual wires required for a complete rewiring. The several aftermarket/restoration suppliers, as referenced by Bill, usually supply complete kits as one item and may still be cost competitive with CaseIH. I have heard good reviews of harnesses from all the mentioned sources.

[northpaw2]

The serial no. on the block is 113085, looks like someone took a scotchbrite pad to the front info plate. The generator has a Delco V/R, 3 wire mounted on top. The switch has only 3 positions. Did someone change it from a cutout to a V/R somewhere along the line then?

[Puffie40]

Cutout generators will typically have 3 brushes, whereas a v/r generator will just have 2.

A cutout generator will work fine with a v/r.

[Jim Becker]

I would expect that engine number to have a cut-out system. The unit on top of the generator is usually a cut-out. Take the cover off and see how many coil/relay assemblies are in there. I expect one and a lot of vacant space. Are you sure the switch only has 3 positions? Count again, count the number of positions, not the number of times it clicks going from one end to the other. Maybe it was replaced with the wrong switch.

The early regulator type generators had 3 brushes. Unlike the cut-out style, the third brush was not adjustable.

[northpaw2]

I will check that tomorrow There are 3 wires on what looks like a VR. Also has a distributor and coil, not a magneto. BTW, are the engine number and serial number in "sync" with each other?

[Bill Hudson]

... BTW, are the engine number and serial number in "sync" with each other?

Only on the very early Cubs. IH soon started using the engines for power units in other applications. The engines were numbered sequentially and those pulled out and used in the other applications caused the engine and tractor serial numbers to not be the same.

Bill

[Glen]

Hi,
A cutout or relay IH called it, looks like a voltage regulator, but is not a voltage regulator. The IH voltage regulator was not on top of the generator. The Battery Ignition came out in 1950, at the serial number Jim said. Some older than that were changed to Battery Ignition, IH had a kit years ago to change them, and people have changed them since the kits were made too.
No, the tractor and engine serial numbers were not exactly the same, except for some in 1947.
Raymond Durban's data base shows in 1950 the engine serial numbers were several hundred ahead of the tractor serial number.
Try using a bright light, and get down near the serial number plate and see if you can read the number.
Here is a page from the 1950 Cub owner's manual showing the original parts under the hood, and a page from the 1955 Cub owner's manual showing the voltage regulator. Click on the pics makes them bigger.


http://www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/Cub%20 ... e%2033.jpg

http://www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/Cub%20 ... age-39.jpg

[Scrivet]

....... The generator has a Delco V/R, 3 wire mounted on top. ...........

With a saddle mount regulator make sure you look underneath. Might or might not find another terminal.
Here's a picture (with the regulator turned upside down) from a previous thread.
http://www.farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=46125&hilit=regulator+wiring+problems&start=15
The saddle mount is at the top and the three terminals in a row are on the back side facing away from you. Notice the screw terminal, pretty much dead center, with the wire that has a yellow terminal on it.

[northpaw2]

Well, it has a V/R on it, it has 2 coils in it, 3 wires on the back side and one on the front side, and I only see 2 brush holes, so I guess it must have been converted. I also looks like 1 wire has been removed from the light switch.

[Scrivet]

I don't see where we ever determined which light switch you have. You had mentioned it has three positions. Are you counting the spot where you start as one or that it clicks three times? If it is the original four position switch that could be why you have a wire disconnected (correct for a voltage regulator). That original style light switch is really two separate circuits controlled by one knob. It has a charging circuit with the positions of Low-High-High-High and the lighting circuit with the positions of Off-Off-Dim-Bright. With a voltage regulator instead of a cutout you only use the Off-Off-Dim-Bright circuit.

[northpaw2]

I started all the way to the left, and 2 clicks later it was all the way to the right. If I have time in the next day or so, I'm going to pull the dash and see what I have for a switch.

[tst]

that is the correct switch for a generator with the regulator (not a cut out relay)

[northpaw2]

Thanks Tim, hopefully next week we'll split it and put in the new RMSbI got from you. Darn cold out in the barn right now, and of course the fake snow (not real snow, lake effect and freezing rain right now)! I still don't know what harness, but I am starting to assume it's one from a later model that has a V/R on it and battery ignition.