8N Charging Issue

[LLIHKAO]

I have a 1950 Ford 8N 6 volt positive ground I'm trying to fix up and I have a charging issue. The issue is that the ammeter read all the way to the - negative side of the ammeter so i checked to see if the generator was charging and it is, up to about 7.4-7.8 volts+ from 6.4+ volts. I put a new voltage regulator on it and energized it by touching the bat terminal to the field terminal on the VR. I know now that I messed that up. The ammeter then read maximum + to the right side. The ammeter goes back to the maximum - side when I turn the tractor off. I put a new VR on it this morning and the ammeter reacted the same (reading positive + all the way to the right side}. I energized the new VR (no spark was seen) and nothing has changed. Please help.

 

[Richard G.]

I have a 1950 Ford 8N 6 volt positive ground I'm trying to fix up and I have a charging issue. The issue is that the ammeter read all the way to the - negative side of the ammeter so i checked to see if the generator was charging and it is, up to about 7.4-7.8 volts+ from 6.4+ volts. I put a new voltage regulator on it and energized it by touching the bat terminal to the field terminal on the VR. I know now that I messed that up. The ammeter then read maximum + to the right side. The ammeter goes back to the maximum - side when I turn the tractor off. I put a new VR on it this morning and the ammeter reacted the same (reading positive + all the way to the right side}. I energized the new VR (no spark was seen) and nothing has changed. Please help.

I may be wrong but I always polarize by a quick short across Bat and Arm.

 

[LLIHKAO]

According to all I've read, you are correct in the polarizing terminals. I'm thinking when I polarized from battery to field that I popped the ammeter. The ammeter reads either pegged out on the positive side or pegged out on the negative side (when the tractor is not running). The meter hand does not stay in the middle area like my Jubilee's ammeter does.

 

[Eman85]

Ammeter should be the type where the wire just passes across the back and not hardwired. If so then it shows the direction of current flow. If your Jubilee's ammeter stays in the center it means the battery is fully charged or the ammeter isn't working. When you start a tractor the starter should draw enough from the battery so the needle would move to show the current flowing back to the battery. All of that said the best test you did was with a voltmeter. After all they do call the part you changed a voltage regulator.

 

[LLIHKAO]

I checked the ammeter and it was bad. I replaced it and everything seems to work just fine now except when the tractor is running at about 1/2 throttle, the ammeter shows it charging at about 20-25 volts. When I shut the tractor off, the ammeter hand goes back to the middle as it should. Any ideas or is that reading too high?

 

[Eman85]

If an ammeter is showing volts it is definitely bad. best to replace the ammeter with a voltmeter, like every car manufacturer did 50 years ago, and enjoy your tractor.
The ammeter is showing AMPS, that is the amount of amps the tractor is using either to recharge the battery or power whatever electrical items the tractor has on.

 

[LLIHKAO]

I'm sorry but I misspoke. It is amps not volts.