Connections from the battery to the tractor

[dexta61]

I have checked one of my documents I have downloaded from the internet and noticed on the elctrical schedule that the plus of the battery was connected to the tractor.

Now me being new to tractors to begin with, but used to cars, there the minus is connected to the car.

Now I think I have connected the minus to the tractor as I knew from cars, but the tractor did start (with the help of ether) but the could I have damages something by changing the plus and minus or is it not that important?

[Grani]

Old English tractors and cars have +ground. The only thing that is sensitive for wrong polarity is the relay for the generator but with a little bit of luck it has now been polarisated to - ground and works that way in the future. You can check if the generator charges the battery.

[Brian]

The tractor should have the + connected to the tractor.

All these tractors were positive earthed. You will terminally damage the dynamo if you continue to run like that without doing anything about it. I have seen buildings burnt down because people have done what you have.

It is quite simple to change the polarity of the dynamo to make it correct for a negative earthed system like you have now made.

Disconnect the two wires from the dynamo. Take a length of wire and connect it from the output terminal of the battery to the small terminal on the dynamo for about 10 seconds then remove it. Reconnect the dynamo wires and the job is done.

[dexta61]

I know from the previous owner ( who I think only sold the tractor on, but had not used it) that the battery was not charging. So I think with him the polarity was allready changed. Now getting it correct again, as Brain says) do I understand the I have to connect the minus from the battery to the smaller connection of the dynamo for 10 seconds to get it correct again. In this care the plus needs to be connected to the tractor?

And additional; It looks like the solenoid for the starter has been jumpered. There is a small metal connection there that fits in between but is not connected now but the tractor does start. Does this indicate to an other problem she might have had in the past?

Thanks again for answering.

[Brian]

Yes that is all to get the polarity right and the dynamo charge to match your battery connections. It does not matter which way the battery is connected as long as you run the wire from the output terminal to the small (field) terminal on the dyname with no wires connected to it,

Remember that it is also possible that the regulator or the dynamo itself is already faulty and that is why there is no charge. Put a volt meter across the battery terminals and see if it shows around 14 volts when the engine is running.

The solenoid should have a wire from the switch on the starter connected to the small terminal. When you push the starter lever down, this switch activates the solenoid. Try a wire from the output terminal of the battery, just "flashed" to the terminal on the solenoide and it should click and spin the starter. The engine will not turn as you have not pushed the starter lever and engaged the pinion in the flywheel.

It could also be that your solenoid has two small terminals. In that case one should be from the starter and the other connected to the chassis.

[dexta61]

First of all sorry fro spelling your name wrong in my previous message Brian.

I have googled the result and it came with the following answer of the following web site:http://www.nanocontrols.co.uk/auto/v-reg2.htm

It contant the following info.

Dynamo Polarising & Testing
The dynamo should be tested before connecting a new regulator:


1.Check that the internal dynamo wiring is as Figure 1.

For figure 1 see the web site mentioned I could not get it copied.

2. Polarising:
To ensure the polarity of your dynamo is correctly setup for your bike (and therefore the regulator functions correctly), it is necessary to polarise or 'splash' the dynamo.
To do this disconnect the field (F) connection from the dynamo; take a wire from the live terminal of the battery and briefly touch the F terminal of the dynamo ensuring the battery is earthed (as per intended use). This establishes the fields' remnant magnetism which is required for correct start-up.
3. Unregulated Output Test:
Remove normal D & F connections and link D and F together, connect a 12V headlamp bulb from the linked point to ground.
Run engine at fast idle, lamp should be bright.
If the dynamo has been dismantled or refurbished it is vital to confirm the generated voltage polarity, use a meter to check the voltage between earth and the D & F linked point is the same polarity as the battery live. If the polarity is reversed it is necessary to reverse the field connections inside the dynamo, re-polarise and retest.
4. Reconnect all circuits after test.

[Grani]

First of all sorry fro spelling your name wrong in my previous message Brian.

It´s perhaps not so wrong after all, Brian has the brain when it cames to Fordsons.

[Brian]

That first happened when I first met my friend Dorothy after whom I have named my Dexta and it became my name in the staff room at Ann's school. It happens all the time so do not worry about it.

It is also one of the nicer things I have been called in my time

[Jos Cuypers]

our Sara always said BWIAN...

Ok she was at that moment only 5 years and we are dutch speaking (normally)..

[dexta61]

Well I have done the mentioned trick, and it worked. When I removed the battery from the tractor, the lights ( or the once that still work) were still burning. After I stoped the tractor the lights went out, as expected.