8N - 12 Volt

[Jerry/MT]

Why do you think they call it a "one wire alternator"?

I knew I would get this.

I thought maybe I had a 1-wire after looking at some on line diagrams, however besides the 1 terminal marked Battery on the alternator there are of course 2 more wires inside a plastic clip plugged into the alternator. These wires have been cut off at about 3 inches.

Thanks everyone for this helpful information!

Here's what happened to start my questions about the alternator.
First of all the tractor had been starting good. I hooked up a 5' finish mower for the first time using the PTO since my purchase and after installing a new PTO shaft (change to 1-3/8) and Over Running Coupling.
When I started through some taller grass and put a load on the 8N it started acting like it was running out of gas and finally stopped. While trying to re-start the battery was drained. I seemed to me to be fuel related so I drained the gas out of the carb and tank. It had lots of trash, rust. I then pulled the carb, took it apart and cleaned it out. It had trash it it also. I then installed a new Fuel Valve and Sediment Bulb assembly. With the battery dead I had to jump start it. Started to try to use the finish mower again and the same thing happened again. Took the carb off again cleaned it out again and reinstalled. Jump started adjusted carb and it purred like a kitten and ran better than ever.

During all this fuel issue my battery ran down and just seemed to not receiving a charge. Got me wondering about the alternator and coil and the 6 volt to 12 volt conversion that a previous owner had done. There was a resistor mounted on the tractor but was not hooked up. I took the coil off and found it marked 12 volt but it had printed on it something like "To be used with an external resistor". That kinda threw me but I did not hook up the resistor.
I took off every connection in the charging system cleaned, filed and shined them up. Jump started again ran up and down the road for a few minutes, turned the tractor off and it re-started with out a jump and the battery sounded very strong. i feel somewhere in the line there was bad connections keeping the battery from charging. Anyway as of late yesterday my 8N is starting and running great!

This morning I am going to start on hooking up the lights. All bulbs
are still 6 volt and are not wired up. Anyone know what volt bulbs I need to get?

Long post but maybe my experience will help someone else.

Thanks again!
Alan

Sorry about the wise a** remark!

You never did say whether you had a front mount or a side mount distributor but you said the coil was marked "12 v with resistor required" so I'll bet you have a side mount. If you continue to run that coil without the resistor in series with the coil you'll overheat the coil because the primary current is too high.

 

[Soundguy]

Yes i said need the 300 rpm idle isn't the reason to change, you must like hard starting and changing points and condenser I don't. I can see you must be an expert as you have over 29,000 posts.

i don't like hard starting, though don't mind changing points or condensors. that said. I havn't changed a set of points in the last few years that I can remember.

i did have to clean and regap 2 sets within the last few years.. maybee 3 minutes of work.

none of my machines are hard starters. I fix them and maintain them well.

a machine that is a hard starter on points, but starts easy on EI, means the electrical part of the ignition system needed maintenance. A good set of bluestrak points is about 18$.. and a condensor about 4$. I've got machines with a decade on points and still going..

When i get a machine i clean and regap it's points.. if the rubbing block is worn or they are pitted I replace them.. otherwise I lube the cam and clean and gap and go. again, as stated.. last 2 sets I did.. one was in 06 on my 660, cheap set of tisco points it came with finally wore down the plastic rubbing block... i put in a set of blue streak or standard ignition.. can't remember which.. havn't had the dizy cap off since 06 on that machine. only other one I've been into was a 950 I bought down south last year. showed up to buy it and seller couldn't get it to start, I cleaned the points with a piece of paper from my pocket and gapped them by eye using the fingernail file fold out from my knife. tractor started right up... i havn't had that dizzy cap off since then.

Only other time I remmebr doing points one one of my regular tractors was in 04 when florida had the hurricanes and I left my 8n up by the house to run the pto generator.. sideways rain got the points wet.. i sprayed out the dizzy with wd40, wiped it down.. didn't even clean or regap them.. started right up.

moral of the story? if you are having to change points alot.. you aren't doing something right.

if it's hard starting.. you havn't corrected the problem.

ei is a 100+ $ 'chrome' or bandaid...

soundguy