Disappointed with 12v conversion kit, any suggestions ??

[Kiss4afrog]

Besides suck it up that is.

I finally received the kit yesterday and opened it up on the table and mocked it up. The main bottom mount for the alternator the holes for the alternator don't line up and they are big enough for the bolt to rattle in them. When I put the bolt in I can see the angle of the bolt is a little uphill in one direction. That same bolt is also loose going through the bottom mount of the alternator. Since it's running on a v belt without a tensioner it's not something I want rattling around.

The vertical mount that the lower mount and adjuster mount attach to has a bigger hole in it than the adjuster does. In my world they would be the same size and tight to the bolt. Makes getting the belt tight a little difficult as you'd need to pry against the alternator to get the belt tight but also push the adjuster towards the block to take the slop out of that mismatched upper mounting hole so you don't lose the tension on the belt when you let go.

The bolt to be used in the alternator that slides in the adjuster has a lock washer but no flat washer to keep the lock-washer from fracturing when it's tightened down over that adjusting groove and falling off.

The instructions are really a joke with generic instructions and photos on one side that don't really apply to the tractor and on the other side one photo of the mounting and a I'm glad to say understandable wiring diagram.

I can make it work but I just feel I shouldn't need to bend, drill and source hardware that better fits the parts.
Call me crazy but they should also mention the belt number so you don't have to spend time researching only to find you can use the OEM length one. At least that's what I've found.

Anyone with a kit have any issues, complaints, fixes ??

 

[R Geiger]

I am about two thirds of the way thru a 12 volt conversion, with a kit I got from our hosts here on YT. mine is for a late 8n, had to modify the slot that bolts to the old tensioner bracket but other than that, the alt bolted right up. had more of a problem getting the old generator mount cradle off than anything. I would have been done with it today but had to replace an electric motor on one of my rock saws. That took up most of the day.

 

[teddy52food]

I have never bought a kit. I just fab my own.

 

[HFJ]

ouch, frog, sorry to hear it.

mine was purchased locally and everything had the good grace to just work, aside from the ballast resistor with way too much resistance.

 

[Royse]

Are you talking about an 8N with a side mount distributor?
I've installed half a dozen of the bracket kits from YT.
Never had a single problem with any of them.
Yes, they use the original belt as long as the alternator
has the right pulley. I usually use the 3 wire alternators.

 

[JMOR]

Don't whine...if unacceptable, simply return it. :roll:

 

[Kiss4afrog]

(quoted from post at 00:02:22 03/01/17) Are you talking about an 8N with a side mount distributor?
I've installed half a dozen of the bracket kits from YT.
Never had a single problem with any of them.

Yup, 8N with a side dist.

That's the info I was looking for. If you've done a few and they've fit then this one just isn't right.

I spent my money and I'm looking for information not whining. Like I said, I bought the kit thinking it was pretty much a bolt on and it's disappointing that the holes don't even line up.
I've already checked the part numbers and they are correct so I'll call the company tomorrow and see what they can do.

 

[Royse]

(quoted from post at 00:27:48 03/01/17)

(quoted from post at 00:02:22 03/01/17) Are you talking about an 8N with a side mount distributor?
I've installed half a dozen of the bracket kits from YT.
Never had a single problem with any of them.

Yup, 8N with a side dist.

That's the info I was looking for. If you've done a few and they've fit then this one just isn't right.

I spent my money and I'm looking for information not whining. Like I said, I bought the kit thinking it was pretty much a bolt on and it's disappointing that the holes don't even line up.
I've already checked the part numbers and they are correct so I'll call the company tomorrow and see what they can do.

I'll agree that the assembly instructions for the brackets are minimal.
Once you get it on correctly it works great though.
I'm curious how you mocked it up without the original generator bracket.

 

[Dell (WA)]

hey Kissy........check yer fan belt. Shuld be a 5/8 belt 'stedda the more common 1/2 belt which is what it sounds like you have. I've never bothered to convert my eazy starting 6-volt 52-8N. I just turn the wheel on the glass filter OFF and let the engine die. This prevents the rubber tipped float valve in the carbie from sticking closed. Many bubba 12-volt conversions neglect to re-pully (is that a word?) the alternator with the correct 5/8 pully. Also note that yer starter motor don't care, positive (+) or negative (-) ground, it always turns the correct way to start yer N-Tractor engine. 12-volt just makes it spin faster. This can be advantageous on a semi-wornout engine. There are some obscure advantages to positive (+) ground, has to do with the sparkies. With todays additive filled gasoline, we recommend AutoLite 437's gapped 0.025. ........HTH, Dell, yer self-appointed sparkie-meister

 

[souNdguy]

same here, brackets are easy to make from scrap flat stock, and alternators are 29$ with core at the local Orilys.

 

[Tom N MS]

Amen Brother--Preach on--#1 thing is "STAY 6 VOLTS"-- All this 12 volt crap is a bunch of hog wash and looks ugly sticking out the side like a sore thumb..If engine is in good shape and tuned up right, it will start forever on the original 6 volt system...

 

[Royse]

It's not always an issue with starting Tom.
12V lights are brighter, 12V powered implements like my salt
spreader, the ease of swapping batteries with other equipment,
simplification/safety of jump starting, etc.
The generator can be switched to 12V if the alternator doesn't
appeal to your aesthetics.
I have 6V, 12V and 0V starters. Starting isn't the issue for me.
Normally the issue on 8N's is finding a reliable 6V voltage regulator.

 

[Kiss4afrog]

Forgot I had to run my GF to the doctor today for a small procedure and tomorrow I have cataract surgery. It will be a couple days before I'm back with this project.

Dear Dell, I bought the kit from here (YTC) so the alternator came with the 5/8" pulley but no belt of belt info.
I have both a 10si and newer GM metric 105 amp laying around but once I added the wiring harness and the three mounts together it just made sense to get the whole kit with their alternator too and just be done with it.

I mocked it up in my lap. Not the most exacting but I just wanted to see how it went together. It's cold outside and being dead it's sitting next to the garage out in the freezing weather. On a nicer day I already pulled off the 6 volt system.

I still have the fuel tank to flush out, filter to clean and hope the carb will work as is so I can at least hear it run and test the clutch, hydraulics and transmissions, the 8Ns and the Sherman comb.

The photo is of the bracket that mounts vertically on the side of the water pump and the top bracket that attaches to it and allows for the belt adjustment. I have the vertical mount backwards in the photo so the two holes are at the same level. One hole is 5/16" and the other is 3/8" and they're both a bit sloppy. This is what I was disappointed in. I can easily drill out the 5/16 and get a shouldered bolt but shouldn't the two holes be the same size from the factory at least ?? And the other fitment issues.

I have a drill press, grinders, wirefeed and stick welders and I'm pretty sure if I had the time I could easily fabricate something better than this. But my time is valuable and it's a kit so I thought I was covered. I'll still contact them about the fit but I'll likely just end up doing some bending, drilling and picking up some SS hardware. I just like things to fit better so they last.

Can't get the photo to upload. Am I too new ??

 

[Kiss4afrog]

Trying the photo again.

 

[Hobo,NC]

I challenge anyone to make a better alt bracket for a side mount than you can buy. They are blowing it out there arse if they think they can do it better.

http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/viewtopic.php?t=1202735&highlight=bracket

http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/viewtopic.php?t=713707

 

[Royse]

The kit on a side mount attaches to the original generator bracket.
If you're having trouble with the pics you can email them to me
and I'll post them for you. RoyseTractors at gmail.com

 

[Kiss4afrog]

Well, still recovering from the cataract surgery but I'm out of the eye drops so I'm back to the tractor.
Finally managed to upload photos. Was using Mozilla/Firefox and they won't load but in Microsoft Edge I'm good. No clue why ??

This is one example of the different size holes in my mounting kit. I'll be sending this photo off to YT today to see what they say. I'm sure with this kit if I just bolt it all down tight most of the slop will be taken out of the mounts but I really have a problem with getting parts that are supposed to bolt together that aren't even drilled the same size.
I understand I have the vertical mount upside down but I did that so the holes are at the same level.

 

[R Geiger]

(quoted from post at 12:12:08 03/14/17) Well, still recovering from the cataract surgery but I'm out of the eye drops so I'm back to the tractor.
Finally managed to upload photos. Was using Mozilla/Firefox and they won't load but in Microsoft Edge I'm good. No clue why ??

This is one example of the different size holes in my mounting kit. I'll be sending this photo off to YT today to see what they say. I'm sure with this kit if I just bolt it all down tight most of the slop will be taken out of the mounts but I really have a problem with getting parts that are supposed to bolt together that aren't even drilled the same size.
I understand I have the vertical mount upside down but I did that so the holes are at the same level.

the only ting I had to modify in my side mount dist alternator kit was the width of the slot.

 

[R Geiger]

this what mine looks like.

 

[Kiss4afrog]

I guess it's not a big deal as you're likely not to need to adjust it very often but all the alternators I've seen on cars have the alternators bolt in the adjuster slot. Reason being you only need one hand/one wrench to loosen and tighten it since the alternator has threads and isn't going anywhere. That leaves the other hand free for a pry bar or whatever you use to put tension on the belt. With it your way you'd need to hold the back side with something as you try to loosen or tighten it down in the slot.

[b:7ad32612c7]BUT[/b:7ad32612c7] ... that might make sense out of the holes being different sizes !! The guy who designed the kit might not have been a mechanic and didn't think it all the way through or style it after the way a car's alternator used to be mounted or how it would be easier to adjust since everything now a days has auto tensioners !!!
It's all coming clear now. Well, except for why you'd need to modify the slot to fit the bolt. Either they should make the holes the same size and mount it like a car (slot would be ok) or enlarge the slot and mount it like Geiger did.

 

[R Geiger]

(quoted from post at 15:20:23 03/14/17) I guess it's not a big deal as you're likely not to need to adjust it very often but all the alternators I've seen on cars have the alternators bolt in the adjuster slot. Reason being you only need one hand/one wrench to loosen and tighten it since the alternator has threads and isn't going anywhere. That leaves the other hand free for a pry bar or whatever you use to put tension on the belt. With it your way you'd need to hold the back side with something as you try to loosen or tighten it down in the slot.

[b:b885c557f3]BUT[/b:b885c557f3] ... that might make sense out of the holes being different sizes !! The guy who designed the kit might not have been a mechanic and didn't think it all the way through or style it after the way a car's alternator used to be mounted or how it would be easier to adjust since everything now a days has auto tensioners !!!
It's all coming clear now. Well, except for why you'd need to modify the slot to fit the bolt. Either they should make the holes the same size and mount it like a car (slot would be ok) or enlarge the slot and mount it like Geiger did.

I have two of them ands the other one does have the adjustment slot at the alternator. It does seem to work either way, guess I did not look at the firsst one I did enough when I did the second one.