voltage regulator adjustment

[maxwell99]

got my old TO-35 up and running and then noticed as i was giving it a good test drive, the voltage meter was not moving.

when i turned on the lights the meter would read negitive, but as i raised the rpm's it would not charge.

turned lights off and the meter when back to center, but not to the positive.
pecking on the voltage regulator did not help

i did have to charge the battery once earlier in the fall, so i knew the system was not working

voltage regulator adjustment:
anyone know if you can open up these cheap china made voltage regulators:
move, adjust, file or clean the points and get them working again,

i tried a couple of things that was written in the directions for installing the voltage regulator, but it still would not charge, i guess that was only to Polarize the regulator.

I have another one to install, but if i can excite this one, it would be good,

any other things to try or suggestions would be appreciated

Thanks,
Fred

would change it over to an alternator, but the tack runs off the back of the generator and so far i have not found a low RPM tach that would fit and look good in that dash tach hole.
anyone know of one.

 

[Bob (Aust)]

You sure the generator is good? No wiring faults? If the Amp meter (from the way you describe it I don't think you have a volt meter?) shows negative (or discharge) with the lights on, polarity is correct.

 

[John(UK)]

Is there any output from the Generator, have you checked it, only you don't say. If you have tried to "polarize" the Regulator, you could have fried it, just depending on what you have done. You can Polarize the generator but not the Regulator. The tractor should be Positive Ground and you need to make sure that the generator is polarized that way or it may not show a charge just like you are experiencing right now.
Usually you can get the cover off the Regulator, but there are so many different ways that the cover can be secured. Be very careful when you take off the cover as it does not take very much to reduce your regulator to a tin box. Carefully and gently clean the contacts and try it for charging again, you maybe lucky.Make sure that the ground lead from the Regulator is making a good contact with the tractor chassis. Don't adjust anything in there unless all else fails. Very often when this happens if you press the points gently if may start charging and then you know that if you do adjust it, it will start to charge properly. If it keeps playing around and you are sure that you have output from the Generator, then bin the Regulator...John(UK)[email protected]

 

[maxwell99]

Thanks,
for your replys,

working on the electrical system of the old tractor is like walking into a dark cave for me.

my old tractor is a 1957 model Fergy TO-35 and it has the negitive ground system.

I got out my yesterday's Tractor write up on
RE: Testing Generator

I will follow those steps first and be sure its working.

Before I start tearing into or changing my voltage regulator.

all i have done so far is check:

polarize generator:
per info in voltage reg box: touch one end of wire to "gen" terminal and other end to "Bat" then remove, if a spark occurs, its natural, there was no spark.


other test:

be sure voltage regulator is grounded, i did that.

next test the pamplet offers:
with engine running at med speed: connect a wire from regulator terminal "gen" to regulator terminal marked "bat".

per pamplet: if charging rate increases replace old regulator. when i did this my amp meter went to positive.
it says to replace old regulator:

so that was why i figured the generator was still working because the meter when positve.

I will test the generator function today and be sure its working before I do anything else.

thanks for your comments

Is there a good writeup, in easy to understand terms, on the forum, on the subject of testing the old tractors electircal system.

 

[rvirgil_KS]

The meter readings indicate that the system is configured for negative ground. May have originally been positive ground but can be changed to negative ground.

A Regulator has two sections.
1. The regulator that controls voltage and current output of the generator.
2. A cutout that connects generator to battery when generator output is above battery voltage and disconnects when generator output is below battery voltage.

When you connected "gen" to "bat" with engine running you jumpered across the cut-out section of the regulator. Charge indication indicated that the generator is working.

Your cutout contacts in the regulator are either not closing or are corroded and not making contact. If you can remove the regulator cover try cleaning the contacts. (pull a piece of heavy paper or business card through the closed points). If that does not help it will probably need a new regulator.

Since it is negative ground the negative (-) post on the coil should go to distributor.

 

[maxwell99]

RV,

got the new voltage regulator on and it works fine.

I tried cleaning the points on the old one, but it did not help.

new set of plugs and it runs like a top and electircal system charges fine.

So its off to the barn, we should be ready to go come springtime.

Thanks to all who helped me on this project.

Told my wife she could now tear up my letter to Santa asking for a new tractor.
she said,
"No problem as she had not sent it anyway"

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 16:43:52 12/24/11) RV,

got the new voltage regulator on and it works fine.

I tried cleaning the points on the old one, but it did not help.

new set of plugs and it runs like a top and electircal system charges fine.

So its off to the barn, we should be ready to go come springtime.

Thanks to all who helped me on this project.

Told my wife she could now tear up my letter to Santa asking for a new tractor.
she said,
"No problem as she had not sent it anyway"

on't stop here! If you let it set until spring time, you will be working problems all over again! Start it & run for at the very least 30 minutes at least one a month if not more frequently from now until spring & save yourself a lot of heart burn!

 

[John(UK)]

Actually your tractor should be wired Positive to ground, they weren't changed until much later to Negative Ground....John(UK)