1500D Modifications

[damammel]

Hi All,

New to the site although I've been reading the Yanmar posts for a while. I wanted to say hi and share a few modifications that I have done to my 1500D. I now have a 105 amp alternator on the tractor. This allows me to run the 55 watt off road bulbs that I have installed in the factory Yanmar headlights. I was able to do that with only a 5/8 washer in each light and a relay. I don't know if this has been done before but I had not seen it during all my other Yanmar searches.

I do have a VN recon tractor which I knew when I purchased it but there is not much else up in the New England area for Yanmars. I have hit some snags along the way with parts that don't match such as the fuel filter and the hub seals for the front wheels. I did find grease in the front end which was fun when I took it all apart.

Great site and always good info.

Derek

 

[284 International]

Those are interesting modifications to your machine. For those who may like to try this, is there any way you could post what make/model or part number you used for your alternator? What you did for a mounting bracket, what bulb number/source, the difficulty of mounting/aligning the alternator and so forth would be handy for those who may want to try it.

How do you compare the power of the lights? Is it an improvement? It's not exactly the same, but I've tried putting an aftermarket HID bulb into the headlight assembly of my KTM dirtbike. The reflector wasn't compatible with the luminous arc's shape, so my visibility was actually worse than with the stock bulb. I'm interested to hear how the headlights are after basically tripling their wattage.

Good job, and welcome to the forum. :thumbsup:

 

[Scotty Dive]

Cool....looks like you added an alternator and kept the Dynamo. I was thinking of doing that too. Did you run a one wire alternator? Part numbers would be helpful. I also have a vn and I am in CT. Where are you located?

 

[damammel]

Here's some of the info. I'll try to remember everything. I've put about 70 hours on the tractor since the modifications.

First the alternator. I used one from a 96 chevy suburban. The clocking of the alternator was correct and yes it is a single wire. The wire is from a chevy harness and runs to a LED with a resistor in it from Radio Shack. I probably could have uses a resistor only but now I have a charge lamp on the dash. Although the LED stays on dim while the alternator is charging. Can't see it during the day. My other wire is also from a Chevy harness. It is the OE wire the was used for the alternator and has the fusible link inline. I only shortened it and installed a new eyelet. The wire runs to the starter.

The install took some figuring. I used alternator brackets from a Saab and a VW because they were in the shop. Plus they have bushings built into the bracket. One was cut to length. The other was cut and welded to mount to the exhaust stud. I replaced the stud with a longer one. Don't remember the exact length. I also installed a idler pulley from tractor supply. It was the smallest flat pulley they had. I used round busing material from the local hardware store and longer 10.9 metric bolts. The bolts were not cheap but I did not want them to snap off inside the cover.

I hope this all makes sense. I had thought of making a kit to sell but I have not gotten around to it.

284: The lights have worked great. I was mistaken about the wattage. I think they are 55w. It is an improvement on the original and I can get them at any part store. I will take them apart today and show how the bulb is installed.

Scotty: I'm in sterling on the RI line.

I will post the lights next with some better pics.

 

[Neat 1500]

i have considered doing this type of mod, it looks like it fits there perfectly. i also have a 1500, i find my factory headlights work extremely well for small lamps. when i fit a rear light to mine then i will do the alternator but for now it just needs a new battery ( ahh winter, batteries just love the cold....not)

 

[Scotty Dive]

I have to admit I am a little confused.....So with your existing dynamo - is that still hooked up electrically and if so, do you have a dash light for that?

As for the alternator - I thought with a one wire, the charging wire went back to the battery. I was just wondering what is the correct way to do it. So you have a wire going to an LED...Does that glow bright when you have a charging issue?

 

[damammel]

i have considered doing this type of mod, it looks like it fits there perfectly. i also have a 1500, i find my factory headlights work extremely well for small lamps. when i fit a rear light to mine then i will do the alternator but for now it just needs a new battery ( ahh winter, batteries just love the cold....not)

Hi Neat 1500. I found my original lights worked ok but I had one low and one high beam out. At the time I decided that I wanted something that I could purchase locally. The front bulbs are actually 100w. I just recently installed a set of lights on the rear. They are great. I have them on a separate switch and use them when I'm loading the fire wood in the cart or scrapping the horse turnout late at night. Yea I know about keeping the batteries charged. I have a battery tender installed on the tractor and keep tenders on my motorcycle and mower.

 

[damammel]

I have to admit I am a little confused.....So with your existing dynamo - is that still hooked up electrically and if so, do you have a dash light for that?

As for the alternator - I thought with a one wire, the charging wire went back to the battery. I was just wondering what is the correct way to do it. So you have a wire going to an LED...Does that glow bright when you have a charging issue?

All the dynamo is now is a pulley for the fan. The wires are disconnected. I removed the original dash light long ago when the gauges were installed. The new light is now on the lower part of the dash (see pic).

Looking at the wiring schematics for the Suburban, the factory wire runs from the alternator to the starter. The light does glow bright when the alternator is not charging.

Key Off

Key on Engine off

 

[Car Doc]

Although the LED stays on dim while the alternator is charging.

A regular bulb wouldn't glow once the engine was running fwtw it wouldn't be as neat and clean though nice work btw! :thumbsup:

The one wire should be in the key on position from the ign switch and go thru the bulb and then to the alt. It is the sensing wire and does not require more than a volt to excite the alternator and once its "on" (you could pull the wire off it will still charge wont be regulated properly though) the alternator is self exciting until it quits rotating and there fore the bulb isn't in a path to ground thru the field coils and the voltage equals and thats why it goes out once the alt starts charging over battery voltage.

 

[damammel]

A regular bulb wouldn't glow once the engine was running fwtw it wouldn't be as neat and clean though nice work btw! :thumbsup:

Thanks Car Doc. Yep, that's why I used the LED. It made for a clean install and I have a charge light. It's so dim when the engine is running that I never notice it.

 

[damammel]

Here are the pics of the light assemblies with the 100w bulbs. I was right the first time when I said they were 100w :confused2:


The relay is from NAPA and has dual 87 poles. Made it easier to power each light. It is controlled by the factory headlight switch, using the original wiring. Power for the lights is supplied by the wire running from the battery with an inline blade fuse.

The washer sits snugly in the housing. The only downside is that the wire passes through the socket where it is spring loaded. If your are easy with it the wire is fine and once the socket is installed the socket is pushed back off the wire.

 

[kenmac]

Looks like a nice clean upgrade. :thumbsup:

 

[damammel]

Looks like a nice clean upgrade. :thumbsup:

Thank you.

 

[Neat 1500]

Here are the pics of the light assemblies with the 100w bulbs. I was right the first time when I said they were 100w :confused2:
View attachment 217774View attachment 217775 View attachment 217776

The relay is from NAPA and has dual 87 poles. Made it easier to power each light. It is controlled by the factory headlight switch, using the original wiring. Power for the lights is supplied by the wire running from the battery with an inline blade fuse.

The washer sits snugly in the housing. The only downside is that the wire passes through the socket where it is spring loaded. If your are easy with it the wire is fine and once the socket is installed the socket is pushed back off the wire.

just be careful they dont burn the reflectors in the OEM lights as they are small and dont have much airspace in them.

 

[Scotty Dive]

Might be a dumb question. But is it possible to keep the dynamo hooked up and charging and add a one wire alternator wired to the battery?

 

[damammel]

Hi Scotty. Not a dumb question. I don't think you'd be able to. I don't think you could even set it up like a truck with dual alternators since the output is not equal. I could be wrong though. Is there a reason why you were considering leaving it hooked up?

 

[Scotty Dive]

My thinking was .....if the dynamo was still in place, that it might sense a problem and kick on the idiot light on my dash. Am I right that the lights lit when voltage drops? Or is it a warning of when the dynamo or regulator is having problems? Otherwise, I would need to remove the dynamo and install either a one wire or a three wire. But I am electrically challenged and do not think I would be able to add a three wire and hook it up with a new regulator and still light the light. However I do plan on installing an after market voltage gauge which would tell me if there is a problem. The worst that could happen is I have jump the tractor if the alternator fails. I thought a one wire ran directly to the battery.....????

 

[Car Doc]

Delco High Amp Alternator


May have to cut and paste I see it didn't change into a link. (edit: well guess it did once I posted it)

 

[Scotty Dive]

Thanks Car Doc...I was hoping you would chime in.

If I removed the dynamo and regulator, do you think I could take a three wire alternator or one wire with sesning wire (see below) and connect from the alternator to the wire that lights the idiot light and have it work?

I found this at FAQ-Alternators


Question: How do I hookup a one wire alternator if my stock alternator was an externally regulated alternator? What do I do with the regulator and wiring harness?


Answer: The only thing required to electronically hookup a one wire alternator is to run a charge wire from the battery terminal on the alternator to the positive terminal on the battery (or any positive battery source). The external regulator can be either totally removed from the firewall or left in place. If left in place, be sure to disconnect the wiring harness from the regulator. The wiring harness has to be disconnected from the regulator or the indicator light on the dash will remain on. NOTE: If the vehicle is equipped with an indicator light, the light will no longer be operative. Please see the following question.


Question: My dash light does not work after I installed my one wire alternator. How do I get my dash light to work?


Answer: Some Powermaster alternators have an indicator light drive. The indicator light wire from the stock wiring harness has to be connected to this terminal of the one wire alternator. If the you had an OE externally regulated alternator, then use a conversion wiring harness (part # 150). If you had an internally regulated alternator with the two spade wiring harness connector, simply remove the black rubber cover on the side of the Powermaster alternator and plug the harness in. (PLEASE NOTE: This applies only to part #s 17294, 37294, etc. and not to part # 178021, etc.)

 

[Car Doc]

Scotty welcome and here is my simple solution.

We used to in the "old" days put 10or 12SI GM alternators on everything I mean everything from 6v conversion cars tractors boats old trucks with generator systems you name it.

They are cheap the 10 and 12SI are bigger than the 100 amp CS like the OP used but you just may need a CS from a junk yard to get the pigtail I dont know about that they may sell them to for all I know?

The SI you can get at the zone or oreileys and they sell the pigtail also.

Take the brown 14ga wire run it thru a bulb and then to the run term on ign switch and the 2 terminal 12 ga red wire goes back onto the output term of the alt with an eyelet they work nice and simple. hth

Your bulb circuit is simply a ground in the regulator (I think) but it would be easy to wire the existing bulb right into this add on GM alt pigtail etc and have it just like it is on the dash etc.