cub 6v or 12v?

[macec3(TX)]

I have a farmall cub from my parents estate. It has no battery, and what I need to know is, how to determine if it is a 6v or 12 volt system?
There is a 6v coil. Noticed that when we were unloading it. That is all of the info that I know as of now. Will be taking a look later today.
Don't know much about electrical systems, please be very basic with any replies. Thanks

 

[rustred]

it would be 6v from factory with a generator if it has not been changed over.

 

[Jim Becker]

Until mid-1964 they were 6-volt. 12-volt after that. If it was 6-volt, someone may have converted it to 12. Check for a 12-volt starter (red tag). If no tag, check the engine block part number (on left side, look here www<dot>tmtractor<dot>com/id/id_004.htm). If the part number is 251341R1 through R7, it was originally 6-volt. If it is 251341R8, it was originally 12-volt. If originally 6-volt and converted to 12, it will probably have an alternator rather than a generator.

Long enough answer for your short question?

 

[jeffcat]

Most CUBS were 6 volt negative ground. Red paint job. RIGHT? When they went yellow is when 12 started. Easy thing is to look on the generator and the little metal tag will tell you the voltage. If it has an altinator you are 12 negative ground.

 

[Janicholson]

As far as I know, from being around them for 67 years, Farmalls were all positive ground until the change to 12v. Jim

 

[khouse6]

best to find someone nearby, and let them make that determination.

 

[old]

If it is the old read cub it would have been 6 volts when made but one never knows what has been done to up grade it. That said if it has a generator it is most likely still 6 volts but if it has an alternator it has been change to 12 volts and there is a 99.9% chance it will be - ground. A generator will look as lot like the start as in about a foot long and about 6 inches in diameter. An alternator will be bigger around then it is long but made of aluminum where as the generator will be made of steel so if you still not sure which is has get a magnet and it will tell you since a magnet only sticks to steel never aluminum

 

[D beatty]

Wouldn't the ^V coil give away which system it is.

 

[AlinMO]

(quoted from post at 11:20:23 01/26/17) Wouldn't the ^V coil give away which system it is.

Probably not as most of the early 12v systems used a 6v coil. But they added a resistor somewhere, either in a box like thing or a special wire.

 

[gene bender]

6v positive gnd

 

[old]

Not at all many had 6 volt coils and a ballast resister. Not saying this is true on a cub but saying this is true on many machines like say the old Dodge cars where they use a by pass circuit so as to put 12 volts to the 6 volt coil for a hotter spark on start up.

Ya on the cub if it was the old red cub they where 6 volt from the factory

 

[tractorguy2]

Neighbor had a 56 cub. Positive ground six volt. If the starter and electrical system is good. Six volts will spin a cub over good.

 

[Charlie M]

I believe if you have a generator then the regulator should say 6 or 12 volts.If you have a resistor installed and a distributor you would have 12 volts. If you have an alternator then you have 12v. If you have a mag and nothing for charging a battery then either would work.You really can't go by the year the tractor was made. I bought a 47 Cub a couple of years ago and it was converted to 12v when I got it.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

All that said, there is nothing wrong with hooking up a 12V battery to see if it runs. Positive or negative ground, it doesn't matter. There are no solid state polarity-sensitive electronics on the tractor (at least none that will be in any usable shape), and the old mechanical generator/regulator system will not be damaged by hooking it up wrong. In all likelihood the generator/regulator needs to be serviced anyway.

Limit your runs to a few minutes on 12V, though because the coil will heat up quickly without a ballast resistor.

 

[old]

Ah but if it so happens to have an alternator on it if one hook it up + ground you will let the smoke out of it before you can even unhook it. Guess how I know you cannot unhook one fast enough to keep it from smoking?

 

[gene bender]

i guess you forgot about wrong polarity will fry the regulator same with 12 on a 6v system

 

[David G]

I could be anything, please post pictures of the coil, and generator/alternator before connecting.