Farmall Super A generator wiring help.

[ahhorner]

I have a mystery wire on the same harness between the generator and battery. It's a ground wire, and from what I can tell, it shouldn't be there by looking at diagrams onlinr. The issue is that it was my grandfathers tractor and no one really kept up with it. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Janicholson]

I have a mystery wire on the same harness between the generator and battery. It's a ground wire, and from what I can tell, it shouldn't be there by looking at diagrams onlinr. The issue is that it was my grandfathers tractor and no one really kept up with it. Any help would be appreciated.

There is only one always connected ground and it is the strap from the battery to the chassis. If it appears to be a ground, it could be shorted to ground along its length some where, or attached to a device. One possible wire that could appear as a ground is from the Field terminal to the light switch ((assumes a 4 position light switch) if it has a Voltage regulator that would not be the case. The light switch can control the charge rate. I would use a Ohm meter to find the other end of that wire! Jim

 

[used red MN]

Is the requirement on this tractor to be 100% original knowing that it is imperative that anyone looking at it judging originality not be given any items that could give a reason to score the machine lower? If not an extra ground wire in the harness from a generator mounting bolt connecting on its opposite end to the instrument box faceplate is a good idea particularly if the machine utilizes the low/high charge and combination light switch. It assures the generator and the control panel are operating at the same chassis ground potential.

 

[ahhorner]

There is only one always connected ground and it is the strap from the battery to the chassis. If it appears to be a ground, it could be shorted to ground along its length some where, or attached to a device. One possible wire that could appear as a ground is from the Field terminal to the light switch ((assumes a 4 position light switch) if it has a Voltage regulator that would not be the case. The light switch can control the charge rate. I would use a Ohm meter to find the other end of that wire! Jim

Thanks for the reply. I'll post some pictures next time, but yeah, that's how I found it to be a ground. It probably hasn't run in decades and the last people who knew anything about it in my family have since passed and probably wouldn't have known anyways, so I was checking my voltages and that how I found it to be grounded. I tried looking for wiring diagrams, but it's always a question of which one to trust.

 

[ahhorner]

Is the requirement on this tractor to be 100% original knowing that it is imperative that anyone looking at it judging originality not be given any items that could give a reason to score the machine lower? If not an extra ground wire in the harness from a generator mounting bolt connecting on its opposite end to the instrument box faceplate is a good idea particularly if the machine utilizes the low/high charge and combination light switch. It assures the generator and the control panel are operating at the same chassis ground potential.

Its not going to a restoration piece, just trying to keep it how my grandfather has it to be. I'll post some pictures next time. The issue was that it's hard to tell what wiring diagrams out there are trustworthy, and anyone who had any idea about anything with this tractor have long since passed. Thanks for the reply.

 

[John M]

Heres Bobs diagram, very simple wiring. I suspect the extra ground wire was added to make sure the genny/regualtor was grounded good.