FergusonTO20
Member
[b:0f7236b2c5]{unnecessary but amusing preamble}[/b:0f7236b2c5] This all started when the steering on my TO20 locked up. Following some good advice gained here, I jacked up the front end and determined that the problem was not in the front end. So I disassembled the steering housing, which required disassembling a lot of other stuff.
Unfortunately the steering wheel itself was frozen tight to the shaft, and I didn't have a gear puller that fit. So I cut the thing off! And ordered a new one. I found a rusted and locked upper steering shaft bearing, so I ordered the steering bearing kit. With all that replaced, the steering worked beautifully.
Unfortunately, though, while I was testing the steering, I noticed that the right front wheel was turning badly. So I disassembled that and found yet another rusted-out bearing. I ordered the bearing replacement kit. Meanwhile, I tried to remove the old bearing races from the axle. I sprinkled WD-40 like holy water. I finally got them off with a new gear puller I purchase just for this task. Even then, I had to grind special slots in the gear puller so that it could fit into the tight space.
But I could not remove the old bearing races inside the hub. There are slots for using a screwdriver to pound them out, but I didn't want to risk damaging something I might never get out. So I just cleaned them and left them in place -- they were in good shape.
After packing the whole thing with handfuls of grease, I got it all assembled and spinning beautifully.
So I fired up the engine -- but it wouldn't start. It cranked just fine, but no spark. Lots of testing with a meter accomplished nothing. But somehow, after all the fiddling around, it started! Problem solved! Not quite. It turns out that somewhere in the system is an intermittent connection. The wiring is definitely original equipment -- some of the wires had cloth insulation!
Removing the wiring harness was easy right up to the point where I reached the voltage regulator. The wires are secured with screws that face the rear of the engine, with maybe two inches of space. Do you have any 2" screwdrivers? I don't. So I had to remove the entire voltage regulator, which was made difficult by the blockage from the oil filter and the choke and throttle lines. But I somehow got it out. And that's when I figured out that there were two major problems with the electrical system.
[b:0f7236b2c5]{end of unnecessary but amusing preamble}[/b:0f7236b2c5]
First, the polarity on my TO20 is reversed. It is specified as positive ground, but my TO20 definitely has a negative ground. Now, this should not be a big deal because all the electrical equipment works with current flowing in either direction -- except for the generator, but that's easily solved by simply reversing its connections. And in fact the tractor has worked fine for years. This leads to my first question:
[b:0f7236b2c5]Is there any good reason why the TO20 must have a positive ground?[/b:0f7236b2c5]
I also discovered that the voltage regulator was dead and that its output had simply been disconnected. No wonder battery life seemed short on this tractor. I'm ordering a new voltage regulator, but I really need to get this tractor running, so I am tempted to just bypass the voltage regulator for now. In a week or two, I'll be able to replace it. So my second question is:
[b:0f7236b2c5]
Are there any hidden gotchas to running without the voltage regulator for a week or two, other than slightly reducing battery life?[/b:0f7236b2c5]
Thanks for any help.
Unfortunately the steering wheel itself was frozen tight to the shaft, and I didn't have a gear puller that fit. So I cut the thing off! And ordered a new one. I found a rusted and locked upper steering shaft bearing, so I ordered the steering bearing kit. With all that replaced, the steering worked beautifully.
Unfortunately, though, while I was testing the steering, I noticed that the right front wheel was turning badly. So I disassembled that and found yet another rusted-out bearing. I ordered the bearing replacement kit. Meanwhile, I tried to remove the old bearing races from the axle. I sprinkled WD-40 like holy water. I finally got them off with a new gear puller I purchase just for this task. Even then, I had to grind special slots in the gear puller so that it could fit into the tight space.
But I could not remove the old bearing races inside the hub. There are slots for using a screwdriver to pound them out, but I didn't want to risk damaging something I might never get out. So I just cleaned them and left them in place -- they were in good shape.
After packing the whole thing with handfuls of grease, I got it all assembled and spinning beautifully.
So I fired up the engine -- but it wouldn't start. It cranked just fine, but no spark. Lots of testing with a meter accomplished nothing. But somehow, after all the fiddling around, it started! Problem solved! Not quite. It turns out that somewhere in the system is an intermittent connection. The wiring is definitely original equipment -- some of the wires had cloth insulation!
Removing the wiring harness was easy right up to the point where I reached the voltage regulator. The wires are secured with screws that face the rear of the engine, with maybe two inches of space. Do you have any 2" screwdrivers? I don't. So I had to remove the entire voltage regulator, which was made difficult by the blockage from the oil filter and the choke and throttle lines. But I somehow got it out. And that's when I figured out that there were two major problems with the electrical system.
[b:0f7236b2c5]{end of unnecessary but amusing preamble}[/b:0f7236b2c5]
First, the polarity on my TO20 is reversed. It is specified as positive ground, but my TO20 definitely has a negative ground. Now, this should not be a big deal because all the electrical equipment works with current flowing in either direction -- except for the generator, but that's easily solved by simply reversing its connections. And in fact the tractor has worked fine for years. This leads to my first question:
[b:0f7236b2c5]Is there any good reason why the TO20 must have a positive ground?[/b:0f7236b2c5]
I also discovered that the voltage regulator was dead and that its output had simply been disconnected. No wonder battery life seemed short on this tractor. I'm ordering a new voltage regulator, but I really need to get this tractor running, so I am tempted to just bypass the voltage regulator for now. In a week or two, I'll be able to replace it. So my second question is:
[b:0f7236b2c5]
Are there any hidden gotchas to running without the voltage regulator for a week or two, other than slightly reducing battery life?[/b:0f7236b2c5]
Thanks for any help.