Alternator is Fried on the 1850

[BobRip]

Try running a wire from the battery to the fuel solenoid through a 10 amp fuse. Disconnect the normal power feed to the fuel solenoid. If the 10 amp fuse blows then the fuel solenoid or the wire to it is bad. If the circuit breaker blows it is something down stream of the circuit breaker. The engine should keep running in this situation. Divide and conquer.

 

[Bob999]

Thanks all. I think its the alternator/generator because the amp gauge is showing discharge while running.

My PT 1845 tractor has a volt meter but no amp guage. It was my understanding that the 1850 was similarly equipped. Have you installed an amp guage or was your tractor delivered with an amp guage?

With a volt meter the voltage should be about 14 volts when the tractor is running and in most circumstances a reading of about 14 volts indicates that the alternator and regulator are working.

 

[AltavistaLawn]

Bob999, I mistyped.. I meant volt meter.

BobRip, thats what we did today. We rewired it so it would run without the generator...everything pulls straight off the battery, we ran it about an hour today, and it did fine....no voltage spykes and it never popped the circuit breaker; so now, I'm pretty confident about the regulator kit fixing it.

 

[BobRip]

Bob999, I mistyped.. I meant volt meter.

BobRip, thats what we did today. We rewired it so it would run without the generator...everything pulls straight off the battery, we ran it about an hour today, and it did fine....no voltage spykes and it never popped the circuit breaker; so now, I'm pretty confident about the regulator kit fixing it.

OK, it might be the regulator. At least you are narrowing it down. Sounds like it has to be somewhere in the generator or its wiring. What was your voltage reading when the generator was hooked up?

You could actually give the battery a good charge and run the unit a long time on just the battery if you are not using lights.

What was your indication of voltage spikes? If the voltage meter erratically went up high (above 14 volts) then the regulator could definately do that. I had that happen on my 86 Caprice. If ended up blowing the ignition module and the clock. It was erratic and very difficult ro find. No built in voltmeter on that car. The high voltage might damage something else and cause it to short, which would trip the breaker. For example the fuel solenoid might overheat with high voltage and short and then trip the breaker. Pure speculation on my part about the solenoid.

 

[AltavistaLawn]

BobRip,

The volt meter was erratic from about 8 and would peak out. Now it stays constant around 12v.

I've debated unplugging the hydraulic cooler fan, I'm not sure what will happen when it cuts on. I tested the lights, they don't pull it down much. We'll be using it Tuesday to move mulch, so I'll find out then.

By Wednesday, the new regulator will be here, we fused our jump wire, so if there was a problen somewhere else, it should pop the fuse before doing any serious damage.


I think this generator problem is related to all the debris coming in thru the cooling fan. I hope a clean air induction system will fix this as well as keeping chaff and dirt out of the oil cooler.

 

[BobRip]

Sounds like a possible short in the generator since the voltage is lower with the generator connected. Try the regulator and if that does not work, I guess you have to try the generator. I imagine that is right expensive.
Good luck.

 

[J_J]

You never have told us what the voltage off the alternator is. The volt meter is probably reading the battery. You need to check the voltage off the alternator before you install the regulator. Also , remove the charging wire going to the battery. Once you start the engine, check the output from the new regulator, to make sure it will charge the battery.

 

[AltavistaLawn]

Bob, yea, me too. A new Generator is around $500.00.

JJ, my major problem isn't the machine breaking down, but the time its soaking up, taking away from our production work. The landscaping work we're doing now is going to have to pull me and my guys thru winter to next year, usually January and February are negative cash flow months.

Lucky for me my main guy helped me Saturday (instead of spending time with his family, and 9 month pregnant wife), he wired it to bypass the charging to run off the battery...I'm not sure if he has a volt meter, I know I don't. BUT what I know is the generator looks like it got hot, and it smells burnt....the only replacable part is the regulator package.....so what choice do I have but to get the kit asap and replace it and hope for the best. Meanwhile, I was simutaneously replacing a brake box one the 1 ton truck...two bulbs on the 18' trailer. I didn't have time to replace the fenders on the second dump trailer and get it ready for inspection, fix the tail light on the first dump trailer, and fix the lights on the landscape trailer, or do the Ford which is due for oil change also! We have three trucks, the PT a JD 4720, two 60" mowers two walk behinds, many handhelds. So I always have lots of junk breaking down, ironically I think the PT has less hours on it than anything else, but breaks down more than anything else!

Meanwhile we have to try to use the PT as best we can to get these jobs done, who my customers want done as soon as possible.

 

[MossRoad]

Time to get that thing running and making money back for you. As J_J said, you may want to consider replacing the factory alternator with a one wire alternator. One wire to the positive battery connection is all that's needed.

This company sells many styles of one-wire alternators and they are very affordable.

Alternators

 

[J_J]

Bob, yea, me too. A new Generator is around $500.00.

JJ, my major problem isn't the machine breaking down, but the time its soaking up, taking away from our production work. The landscaping work we're doing now is going to have to pull me and my guys thru winter to next year, usually January and February are negative cash flow months.

Lucky for me my main guy helped me Saturday (instead of spending time with his family, and 9 month pregnant wife), he wired it to bypass the charging to run off the battery...I'm not sure if he has a volt meter, I know I don't. BUT what I know is the generator looks like it got hot, and it smells burnt....the only replacable part is the regulator package.....so what choice do I have but to get the kit asap and replace it and hope for the best. Meanwhile, I was simutaneously replacing a brake box one the 1 ton truck...two bulbs on the 18' trailer. I didn't have time to replace the fenders on the second dump trailer and get it ready for inspection, fix the tail light on the first dump trailer, and fix the lights on the landscape trailer, or do the Ford which is due for oil change also! We have three trucks, the PT a JD 4720, two 60" mowers two walk behinds, many handhelds. So I always have lots of junk breaking down, ironically I think the PT has less hours on it than anything else, but breaks down more than anything else!

Meanwhile we have to try to use the PT as best we can to get these jobs done, who my customers want done as soon as possible.

All that you said is a lot of work. How difficult is it to take the alternator to a place that can check the alternator . If the alternator is bad, it just might fry the new regulator, and compound your problems. Since your machine is a diesel, you probably only need the battery to start it. With no charging source, you might get 4 or 5 starts out of a fully charged battery.