Re: Picked up a \'57 Ford 640
The 640, with it's B type regulator and generator ( 6v positive ground ), is going to share the same wire diagram as the NAA, and most of the early 6v hundred series gas engines.
Essentially.. you have a wire from the big thumb sized starter button to the starter solenoid small terminal. This grounds the small terminal, and allows power to pass fromt he battery side to the starter. You have to have the battery terminal and starter terminal hooke dup ont he correct sides for the solenoid to be internally hot, therefore working by grounding the small terminal.
Generator is easy. It's B-type. it will have a field, armature and ground connection ( ground optional ). Armature is the big stud on the back.. field is the smaller stud on the casing.
Regulator will have f for field, a ground tab, B for battery, and the last tab may be marked either G for generator.. or A for armature.. depending on te age of your VR.
If the system doesn't charge.. or hasn't for a while.. try repolerizing the VR cutout, and genny field poles. On this b-type systm, make sure your battery is hooked up positive ground, then momentarilly jumper battery negative ( 'hot' post in this setup ) to the field terminal. may spark a tad. This should have set a residual magnetisim in the genny field shoes, and polarized the cutoput relay in the VR. When you start it.. it should charge if the vr and genny work. As a way to test the genny.. you can full field it. This bypasses the vibrating contacts in the VR. Again.. jumper battery negative to the field.. it should charge HI If not also jumper bat and gen at the vr, as your cutout may be stuck open. If jumpering bat and gen, and then jumpering negative to filed produces a charge.. get a new VR.
Now.. charge wire comes out from vr, labeled battery. This goes to one side of your ammeter, other side of the ammeter can be wired over to the hot side of the starter solenoid. Yor ignition switch should be wired from that same 'incoming side' on the ammeter. This is a net charge/discharge setup. With the engine off, ( and the points closed). when you turn the key on.. you should get a slight negative deflection on the ammeter.. if not.. points aren't closed. Once you start the engine.. the meter should deflect back positive.. at a good rate to make up for starting.. say 10-20 amps.. then taper back down to 2-3 amps after a few minutes, just enough to maintain ignition draw.
If you have headlamps.. draw their power ALSO from that same incoming side of the ammeter where the ignition is. That way, when the engine is off, there will be a LARGE deflection negative ont he meter, again.. showing discharge.
That way.. if, when the engine is running, and your lights are on, if the meter is still a tad negative.. you know your battery is being discharged and your genny is not keeping up with demand.
6v lamps are commonly found inthe 30 - 35 watt size. 5.8 amps on average for a 35 watt bulb If you have 2 headlamps, and a rear work lamp.. thats about 17.5 amps. Ignition draw is another 3-4 amps. That a hair over 20 amps. That's pretty much the limit of the ford generator. I think you can full file dthem and top them out at about 25a for short periods.. but 20a is pretty much max sustanable output. That means that under most circumstances, you can run 2 headlamps and ignition.. all day, and you could run a tail lamp in addition for long periods.. hours.. If the genny is in top condition.. you would probably get away running 3 lamps and ignition all the time.. etc. My slightly worn 660 will maintain 3 lamps and ignition no problem.
That's about the extent of the electrics on the 640.
I'm not sure what I&T fo manual covers the 640.. but I know a fo-19 covers the NAA.. and a FO-20 cover my 660.. so I'm guessing the fo-20 covers yours as well.
That should be a 4spd tranny, and no live pto.. 33 pto hp, 4 cyl 134ci ohv (red tiger) engine.
If ya need any help .. just email. I collect those old fords.. I've got a 2n, 8n, NAA, and 660.
Soundguy
