electrical question

[Gary Beason]

Hi,

I am a newbee here, I hope some one can tell me if my ford 2000 tractor is supposed to be positive ground. I inherrited it and I have been using it, and I just want to make sure before I do sometthing wrong.



Thank`s
Chief1

 

[Soundguy]

4 cyl 2000 gasser will be 6v, positive ground. your 72 2000 is post 65, thus negative ground and 12v.

ALL diesel will be 12v negative ground.
ALL pre 65 gassers are 6v, positive ground.
ALL 65+ are 12v, negative ground.

 

[Gary Beason]

Thanks for your reply. I don`t know why but my tractor has been running with the pos. grnd. Like a say, I inherited it and that is the way it was when i got it. I am having to put a new voltage regulator on, so may be that is what ruined it.

Chief1

 

[LD1]

12v or 6v?

are we sure its a 1972?

 

[Soundguy]

good point.

post a picture so we can really see what you have.

As to positive or negative ground... up till 1975, most ford tractors , ag units under the 7000 anyway, were factory supplied with a lucas generator and regulator.. the regulators were mechanical not solid state. Most generators and solid state voltage regulators can be polarized to run positive or negative ground.

One thing to check. a well meaning, but ignorant mechanic may have thought it was positive ground and hooekd it up that way.. or even had a deat battery at one time and let it discharge and recharge incorrectly.

IE. check the battery with a volt meter and see if the polarity of the posts match the molded plastic indicators. It would not be the first time i saw a reverse charged battery.

post back

 

[Gary Beason]

Hello LD1,

It is 12v. The generator is 12v. too. The voltage regulator cover has been busted for along time,exposed the inside to the elements. I had to do a clutch replacement, and I am putting a new regulator on because it needs it. I am a mechanic by trade, and this is new to me. I can`t figure out why it was hooked up pos. grnd. When I get the new reg. I am carefuly going to hook it up neg. grnd. Chief1

 

[Soundguy]

It was hooked up pgr by a person ignorant to the facts.

when you do hook it up neg grnd.

polarize the gen. jump bat hot to field.. the smaller of the 2 tabs on the genny. only takes a second.

 

[joecdeere]

Don't you also have to completely kill the battery and re-charge as a negative ground before hooking it back up? That's what we were always told, and sometimes the battery wouldn't come back to full charge after having been done wrong.

 

[Gary Beason]

Hi soundguy,
Thanks for the info. I am going to put another battery on it because the one that was on it was bad anyway. You said to polarize the gen. when I hook it up, do I do that while it is running or just with the key switched on? I have not received the new reg. yet, it might be monday when it arrives. Chief1

 

[Soundguy]

Don't you also have to completely kill the battery and re-charge as a negative ground before hooking it back up? That's what we were always told, and sometimes the battery wouldn't come back to full charge after having been done wrong.

not really correct to refer to a battery as negative ground.. or positive ground.

a battery has a positive and a negative post.

chassis ground potential is defined by what battery post is tied to chassis.

and yeah. makes it much nicer for the charge device to start with a discharged battery before recharging it..

 

[Soundguy]

Hi soundguy,
Thanks for the info. I am going to put another battery on it because the one that was on it was bad anyway. You said to polarize the gen. when I hook it up, do I do that while it is running or just with the key switched on? I have not received the new reg. yet, it might be monday when it arrives. Chief1

do exactly what i said. jump battery hot ( ungrounded terminal ) to field on gen..

do it with machine off.

key on or off makes absolutely zero difference.

key controls power to the starter solenoid and ignition on gasser tractors. has (-0-) to do with the generator.. except to show you a red bat lamp onthe dash when the genny is not charging but key is on.

 

[Gary Beason]

Hey soundguy,
Thank`s . I am using another battery,but I can`t do any thing else right now till I get my new regulator. I am out for the week end.I am going down to my land tomorrow to get away from this big city. Sure wish I could take my tractor so I could cut some grass, oh well, I`ll find something todo down there.
Have a good week end.



Chief1

 

[Soundguy]

don't need a regulator to cut grass.

your tractor will start many many times and run for hours on end with a charged 12v battery!

and if you thought you needed charge, you could hook armature straight to battery once started, then take a wire and run from battery thru a 12v brake/blinker / trailer lamp to the field of the genny and she will charge a bit.

 

[Soundguy]

i ran my cub the first 2 years i had it with no reg. i used a 25a DPDT center off switch as a cutout and hi/lo regulator. had a half ohm and a 1 ohm resistor on it. used one side of the switch with center to battery and each leg thru one of the resistors to the field. if switch was in the middle, no field current, if switch to one side.. high charge, other side, lower charge... ther side o fthe switch had middle to battery, and either side to armature. center was cutoun, no genny conenction to battery. but had bat connection when flipped to lo or hi charge.

cost was about 4 $ for the switch and 2 resistors. genny was anemic 100w job...