1960 cockshutt

[Daveeyx]

Hi guys. I m new here. I am a mechanic and own a repair shop. I just purchased a 1960 cockshutt tractor. When I went to pick it up they couldn t get it started so we pushed it on the car trailer with a bobcat. Looking it over I discovered it s a 6 volt system. The starter was dragging when they tried to start it, I then found it has no ignition. I took the starter off and it s in the starter shop right now getting checked over/ repaired. I have no way of knowing if it s a pos ground system or not. Any advice for a newby would be appreciated. Thanks! Dave

 

[r.w.b.]

welcome mechanic? look at coil ,however it should be positive ground

 

[Jim.ME]

Welcome.

Why would they even try it to start if it doesn't have an ignition, unless it was a diesel? I think your terminology might be off and you meant there is no power to the ignition system or something like the ignition coil is missing. More detail on this will be needed to help you.

Post some pictures and someone may be able to identify the model you have. There is a forum here for Oliver, Cletrac, Coop and Cockshutt, a bit further down the index list, if you want to check that out.

 

[rrlund]

6v on a 1960? I'd think it should be 12. Oliver switched to 12 in 57. I wouldn't think Cockshutt would have been
far behind.

 

[super99]

If it has a generator its positive ground, alternator is
negative ground

 

[redforlife]

Positive ground simply means battery is
hooked up backwards. Ground cable goes to
positive post of battery, instead of the
negative post. Look at battery cables. If
they are hooked up in this manner
(backwards, ground cable to positive post),
then it's positive ground.

A couple other things to note, in case you
just think somebody hooked battery up
wrong, is wires at the Amp guage will also
be backwards, and the wires on coil.
They'll be flipped around as is the battery
cables. There is a negative and positive
terminals on the coil. Wires go to opposite
terminals for positive ground. With the Amp
guage, there is no ground terminal, but if
wires there are wrong, the guage will show
a discharge instead of a charge. So battery
and generator wires are hooked up backwards
there to accommodate this for positive
ground. It just makes the guage work
backwards, as the system is.

 

[J. Schwiebert]

It could be a model 540 tractor as 1960 was the last year of the6 volt system. More questions? J.

 

[Brown David]

There are plenty of negative ground generators.

This post was edited by Brown David on 09/12/2023 at 06:47 pm.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Not all generators were positive ground on things. There were some negative ground generators in later years on some of the cars and trucks just prior to putting alternators on.