Jim.ME
Well-known Member
- Location
- central ME
Welcome to the forums.
First question is are you a real person or AI? Sorry if this offends you but this drawing and labeling looks AI generated to me and seems like a strange first thread for a person to make.
I have a few questions/comments on things I see in the wiring diagram you offer as "FORD 2N WIRING MADE EASY".
1. There is no coil between the battery and starter on a 2N, it is a mechanical switch.
2. Your labeling of the alternator tabs with 1R (Reference/sensing) and 1F (Field) relate to the old Delco 10DN alternators which used an external voltage regulator. While you show the proper function of the wire going to 1R, the designations are not correct for a Delco type 10SI internally regulated alternator (1 is the excitation wire and 2 is the sensing wire).
3. Why is the alternator the only thing connected to the ammeter, that will only show what the alternator is sending to the battery with no adjustment for the current taken from the battery for the loads. Most prefer the loads also be on the ammeter terminal with the alternator wire to tell what is actually going back to the battery.
4. It is not a good practice to run loads (lights) through a two-pole ignition switch (or the ignition side of a multi-pole switch); it can overload the switch causing ignition switch failure. There should only be the wire from the ignition switch, and the one to excite the alternator, on one end of the resistor and the wire to the coil on the other terminal of the resistor. The wire you show going to the lights (and on to a switch and starter coil) belongs on the junction terminal.
5. What is with the extra switch and starter coil at the upper left?
6. The ballast resistor is supposed to be the original type, thermistor, it should have an ohm range between .3 ohms and 1.3 ohms, the resistance increasing as the temperature changes. It provides low resistance when starting and increases resistance as it warms during operation.
First question is are you a real person or AI? Sorry if this offends you but this drawing and labeling looks AI generated to me and seems like a strange first thread for a person to make.
I have a few questions/comments on things I see in the wiring diagram you offer as "FORD 2N WIRING MADE EASY".
1. There is no coil between the battery and starter on a 2N, it is a mechanical switch.
2. Your labeling of the alternator tabs with 1R (Reference/sensing) and 1F (Field) relate to the old Delco 10DN alternators which used an external voltage regulator. While you show the proper function of the wire going to 1R, the designations are not correct for a Delco type 10SI internally regulated alternator (1 is the excitation wire and 2 is the sensing wire).
3. Why is the alternator the only thing connected to the ammeter, that will only show what the alternator is sending to the battery with no adjustment for the current taken from the battery for the loads. Most prefer the loads also be on the ammeter terminal with the alternator wire to tell what is actually going back to the battery.
4. It is not a good practice to run loads (lights) through a two-pole ignition switch (or the ignition side of a multi-pole switch); it can overload the switch causing ignition switch failure. There should only be the wire from the ignition switch, and the one to excite the alternator, on one end of the resistor and the wire to the coil on the other terminal of the resistor. The wire you show going to the lights (and on to a switch and starter coil) belongs on the junction terminal.
5. What is with the extra switch and starter coil at the upper left?
6. The ballast resistor is supposed to be the original type, thermistor, it should have an ohm range between .3 ohms and 1.3 ohms, the resistance increasing as the temperature changes. It provides low resistance when starting and increases resistance as it warms during operation.
No I am not AI, rather a retired controls engineer / technician with 21 acres that has had a JD for 30 years but bought a Ford to rebuild last year. I am just learning about the Ford design and admit to be a novice.
1. I should have mentioned that I saw too many problems with the mechanical linkage for the starter button linkage being buried under the cover. So I replaced it with a starter button and a 12 V relay (coil).
2. I used a 3 wire Delco because the 1 wire that was on it gave too low of a charging amperage at idle. I measured the difference between the two with an in line amp meter. The 3 wire Delco I bought had the terminals labeled with 1R and 1F, and it required no external voltage regulator.
3. Not sure what you mean about the alternator being the only thing connected to the ammeter? Since it has a + / - polarity on the gauge, I can see both charge and discharge..
4. The two-pole ignition switch is rated 10 amps and has no issue handling the total load on the tractor.
5. It is a relay replacing the mechanical starter switch.
6. A variable on the ballast resistor that I considered is the heat in the summer with an extended run. Ambient temperatures can be high enough to heat up nearby wiring and the thermal rise in a section of wire does increase the ohms over time. In a worst case they break.
Thank yoiu for your feedback, I am always learning.
Poor bal. Resister choice. Too low, good way to burn points early. Get a Chrysler type, single, about 1.4 ohms. Built with porcelain, usually spade terminals. I see no compelling reason to use a reasonable 2 ga bat cable, then use 14 ga for coil, lights. As a controller engineer, you may see benefits of a fuse links. I,d go 14 ga, after upgrade to 12ga as stated . Your switch is sissy, but you seem to like it. You can wire a Ford car start sol. To send full 12 v to dist only whilst cranking. A bit of overkill, but cool.
Jim.ME
Well-known Member
- Location
- central ME
Good to hear you are not AI. 
Good job on providing a drawing of your system, most just describe what they did, and visual does help understand.
Given that many people with little knowledge view these, and other forums, you must carefully detail and show what you actually with things like changing the starter from a mechanical safety switch to a relay type system for the starter, your drawing does not show that to people. Many here will frown on bypassing the safety start system, but that is your choice. Some have used an isolated base relay with the ground controlled by the original push button (bypassing the mechanical switch) to retain the neutral safety feature.
On a Delco 3 wire the #1 terminal is for alternator excitation and is powered as you show. The #2 terminal (my error in typing 1F earlier) is for the sensing wire, these terminals are reversed from the old 10DN. If it is marked 1R and 2F on a 10SI type that is an error. The alternator pictures below are for those not familiar with the two types that have three terminals.
It looks to me like the way the wires are on your ammeter it should only show a discharge into the alternator. When I and many others wire an ammeter, we put the alternator wire and any loads, like light, power to the junction block for the ignition and lights on the same terminal. This will show the net charge going back to the battery (what the alternator is putting out less the current being consumed by the loads. the way you are showing it will only show power going to or from the battery from the alternator. If you have the engine stopped and turn the key on and the lights the current draw is not going through the alternator and will not register.
You may be getting by with your lights powered from the key switch. Many have done that and had switches fail. Of course, the amperage rating of the switch use can make a difference in the ability to handle the load.
In past threads there are discussions here on the Ford 9N, 2N & 8N Forum about the OEM Ford resistor (which Ford used with the 6-volt coils from the beginning) and how it is temperature (created by current passing through it) affected to increase resistance as the engine runs and current passes through the resistor. It has been determined that resistor is needed even when a new 12-volt coil is installed as part of a conversion, as the new square coils do not have the 3-to-4-ohm resistance commonly built into 12-volt "can" coils. The only need for an added ballast resistor is if the original 6-volt coil is retained when doing a 6-to-12 conversion.
You will find a number of drawings in threads here done for people by JMOR (RIP). His drawings are the standard go to for most people here. Here is one of his drawings and a search here using his handle will bring up more.
Good job on providing a drawing of your system, most just describe what they did, and visual does help understand.
Given that many people with little knowledge view these, and other forums, you must carefully detail and show what you actually with things like changing the starter from a mechanical safety switch to a relay type system for the starter, your drawing does not show that to people. Many here will frown on bypassing the safety start system, but that is your choice. Some have used an isolated base relay with the ground controlled by the original push button (bypassing the mechanical switch) to retain the neutral safety feature.
On a Delco 3 wire the #1 terminal is for alternator excitation and is powered as you show. The #2 terminal (my error in typing 1F earlier) is for the sensing wire, these terminals are reversed from the old 10DN. If it is marked 1R and 2F on a 10SI type that is an error. The alternator pictures below are for those not familiar with the two types that have three terminals.
It looks to me like the way the wires are on your ammeter it should only show a discharge into the alternator. When I and many others wire an ammeter, we put the alternator wire and any loads, like light, power to the junction block for the ignition and lights on the same terminal. This will show the net charge going back to the battery (what the alternator is putting out less the current being consumed by the loads. the way you are showing it will only show power going to or from the battery from the alternator. If you have the engine stopped and turn the key on and the lights the current draw is not going through the alternator and will not register.
You may be getting by with your lights powered from the key switch. Many have done that and had switches fail. Of course, the amperage rating of the switch use can make a difference in the ability to handle the load.
In past threads there are discussions here on the Ford 9N, 2N & 8N Forum about the OEM Ford resistor (which Ford used with the 6-volt coils from the beginning) and how it is temperature (created by current passing through it) affected to increase resistance as the engine runs and current passes through the resistor. It has been determined that resistor is needed even when a new 12-volt coil is installed as part of a conversion, as the new square coils do not have the 3-to-4-ohm resistance commonly built into 12-volt "can" coils. The only need for an added ballast resistor is if the original 6-volt coil is retained when doing a 6-to-12 conversion.
You will find a number of drawings in threads here done for people by JMOR (RIP). His drawings are the standard go to for most people here. Here is one of his drawings and a search here using his handle will bring up more.
Non-farmer
Well-known Member
QFT. I'll also add that his drawings were requested and supplied to customers by several retailers of electrical system stuff.
Welcome to YT, Ron
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