Another Generator / Changing thread

[AndrewSpencer]

Happy Sunday all,
I have read too much, watched too many videos and am now so throughly confused as to what I have and how it should be used I am at the point where I raise the white flag and ask for help.
The tractor is a 1953 Cub, I had the generator rebuilt last winter, and it charged for all of about 45 seconds then quit. Was not that worried about it, but now there is a fresh coat of paint and a brand new wiring harness, so I would like to get the charging system working as it was intended.

This generator has three brushes which makes it a cut out generator, but not for 53 but some of the normal generators still have three brushes?!?!???

Hope you all are having a great Sunday and thanks for your help on this poor beat to death topic.

[Jim Becker]

Generators for a cut-out system have an ADJUSTABLE third brush. Your generator has a NON-ADJUSTABLE third brush and is correct for a 1953 tractor. In fact, it has a 1953 date code stamped into it.

Your problem is more likely to be a problem in the voltage regulator or a bad connection. The bad connection is most likely a poor ground somewhere. A voltage regulator problem is likely to be the points in the cut-out relay. If they are dirty, carefully clean them up with a point file. Do NOT use sand paper or other similar abrasives.

[AndrewSpencer]

Thanks for the guidance. While we are on the subject, if you do not polarize the voltage regulator then _____ and the white horse then______ and Jesus’ return is delayed.

What actually happens? Do you really need a new regulator? I.e. can I check my old one and see if it is still good?

[tst]

follow the chart

[AndrewSpencer]

Yes! I have that chart and have printed that chart and I will figure out some sort of external gas tank so I can test these things and have more access to the wiring. But I am still curious what goes wrong if the Voltage regulator isn't polarized? Is that fixable? Or is it the generator that is polarized? Do I burn up a field in the generator? Can I test the generator by hooking up + and - to the two terminals?

Thanks!

Andrew

[tst]

take a battery and run one wire to the positive terminal and the plus on the generator, ground the other wire negative on battery to minus on generator, it should spin, remove the ground wire while it is spinning and it should spin faster, if it does this the generator is probably good

[Jim Becker]

It is the generator that is polarized. What happens if you don't depends on the state of the generator when it is hooked up. If the generator happens to be correctly polarized, everything is fine and the polarizing step wasn't needed. If it was polarized backwards (which easily happens when somebody is working on it and applies power to it) it could start producing current of the wrong polarity, effectively forcing the battery to discharge. The battery is perfectly happy to push current the same direction by itself. At that point, the excessive current will probably overheat the cut-out points of the regulator and weld them together. It might also burn up the generator. If you shut the engine off when this happens, current from the battery will continue to run through the generator due to the welded together points in the cut-out. Things may not stop happening until you get a battery cable disconnected.

A generator can be tested by applying power to the A terminal with the frame of the generator grounded (back to the ground side of the battery). If it is mounted on the tractor, the ground connection should be in place. You need to have the generator belt off so it can freely spin. If it spins, leave the power connected and ground the F terminal. The speed should change but it should continue running. Passing this test does not guarantee the generator works. Failing the test definitely indicates a problem with the generator.

If this test is done with the tractor ground (positive) to the frame of the generator and negative to the A terminal, it will polarize the generator. Doing it backwards will reverse the polarity of the generator and repolarizing will be needed when it is reinstalled.

NEVER apply voltage to the F terminal of the generator. You could burn up the field coils.