Ford 3610 Not Charging

[firefighter9208]

My grandfather has a 1984 3610. He was having problems with it cranking and I checked the starter and battery. Turns out the alternator had quit charging and was not maintaining the battery.

I had the alternator rebuilt and the gentleman that did it added an external regulator to the alternator (making it a one wire). He showed me how to hook it up (one hot wire to battery, and a 12 volt hot (with switch on) to the regulator.

Here's the problem. There isn't a wire on this tractor (I know I checked them all) that's hot (besides the wire from the battery to the switch) with the tractor running.

I unhooked the alternator and checked all of the factory wiring and there isn't a hot wire going to the factory voltage regulator either.

We've decided to remove the aftermarket regulator and replace the factory regulator, but I'm pretty sure there is a wiring problem.

Is there anyone out there that can please help!!!

 

[RickB]

You should have switched power going to the original alternator's regulator from the key switch by way of the charge indicator lamp and the 5 amp inline fuse located behind the tach/ proofmeter. If you don't have that switched power, most likely the indicator lamp is burned out, or the fuse is blown. Which probably was the cause of the original no-charge condition.

 

[firefighter9208]

Rick,

We got it to charge. Basically we made the alternator (original) a 1 wire by adding a voltage regulator directly to the back of it. It's working great now.

The light on the dash does stay on, but that's not a big deal. Is there a way to by-pass or "fix" that so it will go off with the new alternator. (wiring diagram please )

We know that there is a wiring problem with the tractor. I did check all the fuses and they were fine. Several years ago the hot wire going to the switch corroded at the factory plug under the hood. Granddad just bypassed the plug with a new wire.

I will pull out the dash (tach) and look for a fuse there. Checked all the others.


Chris