alternator and oil pressure gauge problems

[hugho]

My L4850 barely cranked over yesterday. Sure nuf, voltage was 11.8 and the alternator was not charging. This has occasionally happened before. Close examination revealed two field wires and someone had spliced them together and using a crude crimp, plugged them into the top T spade connector leaving the vertical leg empty. The wires were W with a green tracer and white with a black tracer. I separated them and plugged them separately into the alternator and the alternator worked fine charging like crazy. Only problem was 2 dash warning lights lit up, the transmission hydraulic warning and the fuel tank light. I figured I'd ruined a sensor and called 2 dealers who could not make sense of what had happened. After poring over my shop manual and wiring diagrams I stumbled upon the answer............the crazy goofy answer. It seems the engineering geniuses at Kubota decided not to add an amp meter or alternator idiot light and came upon the solution to link 2 existing warning lights together which together meant "alternator malfunction". The alternator now charges but I'm left with warning lights. The other problem is that crimping the 2 white field wires together sometimes charges and sometimes doesn't so I have to sometimes spark the field terminal with a jumper from 12V. Any ideas to get reliable charging and a way to kill the lights? The other problem is no oil pressure gauge. Dumb. So I pulled the sensor, checked the threads which appeared to be 1/8" pipe. I decided to make a T connection to a gauge but 1/8" pipe stubs wont fit into the block. The kubota gauge threads beautifully into the 1/8" female brass T but the brass pipe wont thread into the block. It looked like a chamfer problem so I filed a chamfer but still no luck. Curious, I pulled an oil sensor from my Toyota pickup. Same problem. I thought maybe this was a metric/SAE problem but there are no metric T fittings. The part stores at NAPA and Carquest had no idea and no solutions. I long ago put in a T for my old American Made John Deere and it worked fine. I could sure use some ideas. Hugh in WY.