GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!! I now have a 580L in my drive!! Its a beast for sure. I am going through it now to get some gauges working and cleaning up the engine bay, you know all the ins and outs of something that has just set and weathered over the years.
So I did have to change out the alternator, as we learned a costly lesson. Apparently you have to remove not only the battery (which we did) but you also have to remove the wires from the alternator and in some cases Case wants you to remove the instrument panel wiring as well when welding on the machine. I can only assume that the alternator was damaged when we welded a few spots on the loader bucket. Found out the alternator was bad when the work lights started to get very very dim, and finally the forward/reverse switch on steering column would not engage the selected direction when engaged.
Bought new battery and alternator installed and fired it all up, went to check alternator and boom not putting out 14 volts, was putting out 12.... so WTH! started a long quest of chasing wires and checking grounds, from front to back, found nothing! So dove into forums and found out about how the light bulbs behind the instrument panel are tied into the system so that if a bulb goes out, the alternator will not get excited and start charging. Dumb design, but I guess its to MAKE you fix a burned out bulb. Replace bulb with new, and boom alternator is charging at 14 volts.
Now as a new and completely off the wall problem, the rear work lights which worked before the alternator and battery being changed out(as in the night that the battery dropped to 7 volts and all lights dimmed and found a bad alternator), now do not come on...... have checked all wires and grounds from battery to light switch on instrument panel, to the lights themselves. Have tested the relays and fuses (actually changed every fuse in the box, as they were semi corroded, so cleaned it up and used dielectric grease to protect). From battery to fuse to relay have 12 volts. From relay to switch at panel I have 12 volts. Here is where I get completely lost, if I turn the light switch on, I lose all voltage (goes from 12 volts to O volts on meter) lights do not work. Turn switch off, voltage comes back and fuse is fine. So I took the switch for the front lights and put it where the rear light switch was, then tried, same thing happens, put original rear switch where the front switch was and front lights operate normal. If I put switches back to original way (it does not matter what place the 2 switches are as they are working and the same) and I jump from the 12 volts of the working front lights, the rear lights come on, if I activate the rear light switch with the jumped power the lights go on and off as normal...... I dont want to jump this way permanently as there is obviously and issue and I would like to fix it.
Are there any ideas as to why the front and rear lights worked before the alternator/battery change out to now only front lights work and rears only work in a jumped scenario??? There seems to be no faults in the wire as the rear lights work when I jump the front power to the rear, and if I set it back to original setup the system works until I go to energize the switch (voltage disappears), and no fuses blow....... (on a side not I grabbed another relay that was an exact match and installed it and problem stayed the same.....
New and eager toy owner confused in OK!!!!!