Weird Battery Question.......

[bigdraft]

Hey everyone! Got a kinda stupid question for ya. My dad took his 1956 John Deere Model 50 into the dealership in 2002. They tuned it up, adjusted it, and put a new battery in it. Well, its now my tractor as of a few yeats ago. The battery started acting up and not keeping a charge. Sooooo, when I pulled the battery, it was hooked up backwards. Yes, backwards. The negative cable was hooked to the positive post on the battery and so on. Is it supposed to be this way? I just thought it was kinda weird................


kevin

 

[Stuart]

Yeah its a positve ground system. If you charge the battery up hook it up like you normally would. Red clamp to postive and black clamp to negative.

 

[bigdraft]

yeah, I have charged it and jumped it a few times, hooking it up the normal way........when I go get a new battery, do I hook it up just like the dealership did, backwards?



kevin

 

[Stuart]

You bet. Positive cable gets grounded. Does it still have a generator on it?

 

[buickanddeere]

It's not backwards, it's postive chassis return.
If the battery was dead and you jumped or charged the battery in reverse. The battery is certainly ruined now if it already wasn't.
The generator will require re-polarization.
Which polarity is the ignition coil connected?

 

[Tx Jim]

bigdraft[/quote]ooooo, when I pulled the battery, it was hooked up backwards. Yes, backwards. The negative cable was hooked to the positive post on the battery and so on.

If negative cable was hooked to positive post of battery JD technician at dealer hooked it up backwards.

 

[bigdraft]

Generator? No idea. I would so no, because there isnt anything out of the ordinary looking on it. And yeah, the negative cable thats grounded to the battery box is like 10 inches long, and it was hooked to the positive terminal on the battery. The positive cable coming from the engine area was on the negative post on the battery. Looked and sounded really backwards to me, but it ran and started perfect since the dealership put it in in 2002. I dont get it.

So, when I put a new battery in it, do I hook the positive cable to the positive post and negative to negative, or do I install it like the dealer did?



kevin

 

[Tx Jim]

From factory it had a positive cable grounded to battery box and a negative cable attached to starter solenoid with battery attached to correct cables +to+ & -to-

 

[Moore-D]

Seems there is a bit of "misunderstandings" with the terminology being used here.

As you are now aware, your tractor is what they call a "positive ground" system. It is not wired up backwards.......
As buickanddeere stated above, "It's not backwards, it's postive chassis return" is 100% right. The cable that goes from your starter to your battery IS your negative cable. It is hooked to your negative terminal on your battery. Your positive cable goes from your "positive" battery terminal and goes directly to a chassis ground. This is still your "positive cable" even if it goes to the chassis for a ground.

I will admit that when I was a young teenager and came across my first "positive ground" system, I had never knew that they made such an animal (I'm only 34 yrs old now), and I thought it was wired up wrong and that I better change it back right away!!! Luckily I had an old-timer neighbor that set me straight with the system.

Many farm vehicles and trucks from the 40's and 50's were a positive ground system. I wonder what the last vehicle was that was made with positive ground???? Anybody know?

 

[bigdraft]

Allright guys, I got it now. THANKS for helping with that one. When I get a new battery, I'll hook it up the same way the dealership had it hooked up. Still learning about this thing, so please bear with me.........

THANKS AGAIN!!!!!!



kevin