Farmall C battery/wiring problem

[Mike Wheels]

Bought this Farmall C and the owner delivered to my house. The alternator was missing. Wiring was a complete mess. Tractor was started on a car battery, and it ran and drove. Seller took his battery back. I put in my deep cycle out of my boat. Deep cycle battery was bad. I went out and bought an Interstate battery that would fit in the battery box. I bought an 10SI one wire alternator, new kill switch, amp gauge. I used the wiring daigram from Stiener Tractor Parts website to re-wire the whole tractor. I double checked my work. With the new battery when I pulled the started rod the started just hummed, it wouldnt turn over. Finally decided the contacts where bad in the start rocker switch. I picked up on this morning at Napa. I had the battery charger on overnight just to make sure the battery was full. My son and I installed the started with new switch, and then hooked the battery up. Before the battery was hooked up the battery charger was unplugged and disconnected. I pushed on the rocker on the started and it sounded like a 12 gauge shotgun went off. The battery blew up!!!!! Got some acid sprayed on the side of my face, luckily my son was in front of the tractor. What the heck did I do wrong??? Im 38 years old and have had 2 batteries blow up in the last couple years. I dont ever remember having one blow up growing up on the farm.

 

[Mike Wheels]

 

[wore out]

It's not that uncommon for a battery to blow up, I doubt if the simple bit of wiring in the diagram had anything to do with it.

All it takes is a spark near a battery that's "gassing" (which your "farmerized" cable end could have caused) or a failed connection INSIDE the battery and BOOM!

 

[old]

Hydrogen gas is given off when you charge a battery so if you had just unhooked the charger good chance you had the gas there and a simple poor connection at the battery cable ignited the gas which goes BOOM

 

[used red MN]

I see you used those hokie at best clamp on battery terminals. While I have to admit I have used them they are not ideal. I see you bolted a crimp on eye under one of the bolts on the replacement battery end, again far from ideal but will work. If any of the connections at the battery were not clean and tight the smallest arc there on top of the battery with the right concentration of gases there can cause an explosion. That coupled with the freshly charged battery could have raised the chance of the explosion. Again many have charged a battery even while trying to start a vehicle including me without an issue. It could also be that the battery had a loose internal plate connection that caused this. Is it something you did wrong I doubt it from what I see if you followed that diagram. Only other possible thing I can think of is that the replacement switch on the starter is internally grounding when you pull it to start. Maybe try to see if the starter will turn over by hooking it to another vehicle using a good pair of jumper cables. I think the multiple incidents are just the luck of the draw.

 

[rustred]

happens when fast charging, and you said you had it charging all night probably at too high of an amp .well at least you were not in the air like the hindenburg. spark might have come from that starter switch as those arch when engaged. and your starter brush cover is off where another spark can come from.

 

[kris Jensen]

I have a Farmall A that I started for a couple of years with the crank because I thought starter
was faulty, or battery. Turns out it was that nice little switch on top of the starter. It has I nice v shaped
piece of copper bolt that bridges two terminals between the starter and battery cable.
If it is not right on centred it makes a poor connection, starter just grunts a bit, if that.
Make sure it is aligned properly, and all connections are clean and tight. They are easy tractors to start
You just had some poor luck Check your wiring and when you put in another battery, wait a few minutes.
Hope the Christmas elves bring you good luck.
Kris

 

[John T]

When I was a used tractor dealer and attended hundreds of auctions over the US I saw a ton of them blow up ONE COMMON CAUSE WAS HIGH CURRENT CHARGING OR JUMPING that caused excessive explosive outgassing and when there was a spark POWWWWWWWW

John T

 

[Russ from MN]

What kind of charger did you have on it? It looks like the battery was overcharged and almost boiled dry, so there was a lot of gas inside. If the battery is full of liquid to the recommended level there isn't much room for gas, and then the explosion will be smaller!

 

[560Dennis]

Wow

 

[504]

You Had a spark at the battery that is all it takes. If you haven't already, get the garden hose out and flush the daylights out of everything, throw on some baking soda and wash again.

 

[47fivewindow]

Glad your OK. It may have an internal break in the cell connections that opened and sparked on its first use under load. It seems your warranty stickers are missing, lol. I would try it anyway.