8N whining

[nabdag]

My tractor is whining up front. The alternator is tight. I even put a ratchet strap and tightened it just enough I couldn't spin alternator fan by hand. I didn't do it an insane amount. Jus enough and started tractor and test. Still whined. Gave it some slack - like somewher under half inch of flection. Still whined. Tractor is running best it ever has except this damn whine.

 

[Mad Farmer]

Alternator bearing?

 

[nabdag]

Alternator bearing?

How would I know? It's a new alternator.

 

[used red MN]

How would I know? It's a new alternator.

Take the belt loose a spin it see how it sounds. Alternators can also make a whine if the stator is going bad.

 

[OldBlue61]

How would I know? It's a new alternator.

The quality of much of the new stuff isn't what it used to be. Not by a long shot.

 

[Ed S.]

Use a “mechanic’s stethoscope” to pinpoint where it’s coming from.

 

[nabdag]

Take the belt loose a spin it see how it sounds. Alternators can also make a whine if the stator is going bad.

It would help to know what a "stator" is and how to indicate it is going bad.

@OldBlue61

The quality of much of the new stuff isn't what it used to be. Not by a long shot.

This sounds more like you hijacking the thread to talk about an issue personal to you.

@Ed S.

Use a “mechanic’s stethoscope” to pinpoint where it’s coming from.

This is vague? Go buy a mechanic's stethoscope and just randomly touch it to different parts fo the tractor? Don't start at any specific part and then move to other specific most likely parts?

 

[Eman85]

Take the belt off, does the whine go away? With the belt off and the tractor off grab the cooling fan on the engine and see if there is any side to side play. Is the battery fully charged?

 

[nabdag]

Take the belt off, does the whine go away? With the belt off and the tractor off grab the cooling fan on the engine and see if there is any side to side play. Is the battery fully charged?

Yeah all that is good. Seems to be coming from governor.

 

[used red MN]

It would help to know what a "stator" is and how to indicate it is going bad.

The stator is the laminated metal part you see on most alternators sandwiched between the two aluminum end housings. It has the stationary windings in it. I am not sure what exactly fails in them to increase the whining but the main failure of them is overheating and burning the insulating coating off the wire windings. I have linked an example of what one looks like. Example Alt. stator
Sound like you have moved the blame to your governor. Running the tractor a short bit with out the fan belt would help you eliminate other sources of your noise such as the water pump or alternator.

 

[Mad Farmer]

It would help to know what a "stator" is and how to indicate it is going bad.

See below.

@OldBlue61

This sounds more like you hijacking the thread to talk about an issue personal to you.

If there were still good junkyards nearby, I'd take a used 1-wire Delco over what they sell as new/"rebuilt" now.

@Ed S.

This is vague? Go buy a mechanic's stethoscope and just randomly touch it to different parts fo the tractor? Don't start at any specific part and then move to other specific most likely parts?

Simple, follow the sound. Likely suspects are alternator , water pump, belt.

Good advice disconnecting belt to see if noise goes away.

 

[Non-farmer]

This sounds more like you hijacking the thread to talk about an issue personal to you.

Strange. To me, it sounded like a direct reference to your statement that "It's a new alternator." More and more often lately, new products can be defective right out of the box. Doesn't even sound a little like hijacking, but rather a person making a sincere effort to mention something which might explain something that's affecting you.

 

[wore out]

Yeah all that is good. Seems to be coming from governor.

IF someone has installed the governor with one of the bolts used being too long it can rub on the gear (camshaft, IIRC, vs. the actual governor gear), or WORSE.

 

[nabdag]

Strange. To me, it sounded like a direct reference to your statement that "It's a new alternator." More and more often lately, new products can be defective right out of the box. Doesn't even sound a little like hijacking, but rather a person making a sincere effort to mention something which might explain something that's affecting you.

The stator is the laminated metal part you see on most alternators sandwiched between the two aluminum end housings. It has the stationary windings in it. I am not sure what exactly fails in them to increase the whining but the main failure of them is overheating and burning the insulating coating off the wire windings. I have linked an example of what one looks like. Example Alt. stator
Sound like you have moved the blame to your governor. Running the tractor a short bit with out the fan belt would help you eliminate other sources of your noise such as the water pump or alternator.

It's definately not the alternator and not the fan. When I put a screw driver to governor I hear it clearly.

 

[nabdag]

IF someone has installed the governor with one of the bolts used being too long it can rub on the gear (camshaft, IIRC, vs. the actual governor gear), or WORSE.

Thanks. I have't pulled it off yet. The face of the cover wasn't smooth and wasleaking so the person before me rubbed it over sand paper. It might be rubbing now because the case isn't as tall. I'll pull it off, make usre oil squirts when turning fan, make sure it looks like it all got oil, then if the governor insides look good, I'll stick a couple washers o nto add the space back.

I'm 98% sure it is not alternator or fan. THe governor is where the sound comes from holding a screw driver to it all and just putting my and against it - seems off.

 

[used red MN]

It's definately not the alternator and not the fan. When I put a screw driver to governor I hear it clearly.

Just an observation, you seem dumbfounded as to how Ed S would have you use a “mechanics stethoscope” Yet you are all over it with the “mechanics substitute” a screwdriver held between the offending part and your ear? Maybe the suggestion of buy specialty tool turned your crank? Call this a high-jack if you want.

 

[nabdag]

Just an observation, you seem dumbfounded as to how Ed S would have you use a “mechanics stethoscope” Yet you are all over it with the “mechanics substitute” a screwdriver held between the offending part and your ear? Maybe the suggestion of buy specialty tool turned your crank? Call this a high-jack if you want.

You may reread what I wrote to them. They told to buy a stethoscope but didn't suggest a list of parts to start on.

This is where compartmentalization is key - telling me to buy the tool and explaining how and where to use the tool are two different things. They essentially suggested to just listen to any and every part. They didn't say listen to the alternator, fan, etc. They essentially said listen to the entire tractor.

And again - this is where compartmentalization comes in again - I was not "all over". I focussed on a specific set of parts that were most likely the culprit. During that, I heard it loudest from governor area - so I placed screwdriver there.

As far as hijacking, i don't really know what you're on about or how that drives the conversation forward in any meaningful way.

Thanks.

 

[Ed S.]

Just an observation, you seem dumbfounded as to how Ed S would have you use a “mechanics stethoscope” Yet you are all over it with the “mechanics substitute” a screwdriver held between the offending part and your ear? Maybe the suggestion of buy specialty tool turned your crank? Call this a high-jack if you want.

I never suggested to go buy a tool (nor did I say "listen to the whole tractor." A long screwdriver, or even a long stick works just fine. I assumed some level of common sense, maybe I was wrong?

 

[used red MN]

I never suggested to go buy a tool (nor did I say "listen to the whole tractor." A long screwdriver, or even a long stick works just fine. I assumed some level of common sense, maybe I was wrong?

Sorry Ed, I read what the OP said and did not refer back to your reply. You indeed did not suggest to “buy” a stethoscope.

I was not "all over"

I sort of used “all over” in a bit of a slang connotation, meaning to say “you readily used the alternative method (screwdriver) in the way anyone would who used a common sense approach to finding the source of the noise would” This is what further confused me about the suggestion of the use of a stethoscope.
Remember every bit of advice, suggestions and recommended processes you get here are free. Also it is not without some effort and sacrifice on the part of those providing it. I will take your “compartmentalization” recommendations into consideration in my future replies here across all aspects.

Thank you as well!

 

[MeanGene1]

Does it have the factory tach? If so, take off the cable at the tach, hold it as high as you can, and pour some oil down it