TO30 Electrical ?

[smrtnez]

Hey guys I have a Ferguson TO30 past down from my Uncle and from what I can tell he had converted it to 12volt. The way it was set up as follows: A generator and a 4 wire regulator, a ballast resistor, and a 12 volt battery using a negative ground. And I assume the starter was still a 6 volt which is fine from what I read it just spins faster. The generator went out so I want to keep it original looking so (instead of switching to alternator) I took it to my local shop he said the field coils are bad and is starting the repairs. But I also had him test the regulator and he said it was a 6 volt regulator? So I asked how did that work before? A 12v Generator, and a 6 volt reg.?? He said that was why it had a ballast res. on it probably. And I'm not sure if the coil is 12 or 6 volt.
So with a new (rebuilt) 12v GEN. and a new 12v REG. should I replace the coil with a 12 volt coil also? And will I still need the ballast resistor?

 

[Bruce(OR)]

Pos side of the coil goes to the battery. Neg side to the points. 12V coil can be used with internal resistor. That will stop the need of the
ballast resistor.

 

[Steve@Advance]

When you get the generator back, be sure to polarize it before starting it up.

Polarizing is a simple procedure and necessary. You'll need a piece of wire long enough to reach from the positive battery cable to the A terminal of the generator. Connect it only for a second. You will see a small spark when contact is made, that's all it takes, don't leave it connected.

As for the regulator, either it is a 6 volt that was adjusted up to 12v, or it was a 12v and he wanted to sell a new regulator.

If the old regulator was original, and still working, put it away in a safe dry place. You may need it one day.

Go ahead and install the new regulator for warranty purposes. But, new regulators have a bad reputation. They are not the same quality as the old ones. That's why the old one may come in handy some day.

About the coil...

If it still has the 6 volt coil, it will need the resistor. (BTW, the coil and resistor have nothing to do with the charging system!)

Chances are the coil/resistor combo is correct. If it were wrong, the points would be short lived or the tractor would be hard starting, running bad. If you have an ohm meter you can test the coil. Set the meter on a low ohm setting, disconnect one or both wires from the coil, read the resistance across the primary coil terminals. If it reads around 1.5 ohms, it's a 6v coil. If it reads around 3 ohms, it's a 12v coil.

You can get a true 12v coil and eliminate the resistor if you want. The NAPA part number is MPE IC14SB.

If you do replace the coil, be sure you get what you ask for. Look at the part number actually on the coil, not what the box says. Those coils are dinosaurs now, they often get reboxed, traded between warehouses and retailers. If the part numbers don't agree, it may not be the right coil.

 

[smrtnez]

Thanks I had forgot to ask about how to polarize the generator, thank you for the info! I appreciate it. The guy called and said the field coils are bad and I gave him the go ahead to do the work needed on the generator. As for the regulator he said he could get me one or he might have one laying around the shop. But I think I'll just pick one up myself probably be cheaper then his mark up cost I would think. And I'm hoping the armature is still good I know it's pretty pricey now to rebuild these old things.

 

[Steve@Advance]

You might want to get the regulator from the rebuilder.

That will help cover any doubt if there is a warranty issue, and he may have some inside info for finding a reliable brand.

 

[smrtnez]

Hey I got the Generator back from the shop and a new 12v regulator. I got my multimeter out test the coil like you said and I get a reading of 3.5 ohm so it's a 12 volt coil, but since I don't know if it has a built in resistor should I still hook up the ballast resistor to be safe or is there a way to test the coil for the resistor. Or should I just get a new 12v coil with a built in resistor?

 

[TR3driver]

If it's 3 ohms, then it doesn't need a resistor to operate on 12 volts.