350D voltage regulator problem.

The 12v regulator will not close the cut out contact. I have battery voltage on battery terminal and voltage on the generator terminal when running. If I push the contact closed I indicate charge and can see the regulator run the amps down as the battery tops off. It will charge at about 13.8v to 14.2v. If I jumper across the cut out the charging system works good reacting to lighting loads and bringing the battery back up after start up. Any ideas? Thanks PK.

The pull in or latch in voltage is adjustable to some degree but I dont get into air gap distances or spring tension or tab bending on the internet, my friend Jim might?? When the gennys output voltage (between ARM post and ground) is at x volts higher then battery voltage, the cutout should toggle and latch in.

You might insure the VR has a good ground to the gennys frame and the tractors case/frame, maybe try a jumper wire to a clean shiny spot on VR and Gennys case and tractor steel n see if that helps??

Also remove n wire brush n clean n reattach allllllllllll the connections on VR and Genny

If she charges well and all connections are good and good grounds and condition persists, the VR may have a problem unless you can change air gaps or spring tension to adjust the latch in voltage but sorry I cant do that over the net. Insure the belt has good tension and all good VR and genny grounds n giver her a whirl

John T Departing Zion Natl Park tHIS am headed for Bryce Canyon and Canyonlands and Capitol Reef and Arches Natl Park in the RV GOTTA LOVE UTAH FOR SCENERY

Sounds like the pull in coil on the cut-out is bad (open).Like John says, make sure the regulator is grounded.

Have you had the gen. apart? Brush holders tend to wear grooves in the brushes, with age/ vibration. Brushes then hang up, & won't contact the commutator fully--causing lowered voltage--thus not enough pull-in voltage.
You appear to have good-enough voltage, however.

I will make the attemptto explain the process and caution. Short version. as the gen comes up to speed it makes voltage due to the residual magnetism in the field poles (iron, not copper). Because it is not connected to the loads and battery (cutout open) the voltage can get high enough to begin charging the battery. the pull in winding on the cutout relay is grounded on one end inside the VR. The other end is connected to the Gen armrture. if this coil is open, the pulin will not work. If the air gap of the cutout is too wide, or the spring tension is too strong, the cutout will not pull in. Once it is latched in, the current running through the cutout relay current winding holds it in. As the generator stops rotating fast enough to charge the battery, the current will begin to flow into the gen instead of out of it. This reversed current fights the pull in current's magnetism, and the relay breaks the connection at about 2 amps negative.
If you feel like playing with it, and if it stays latched when pushed in manually, try tightening the air gap of the cutout might be useful.
Running the tractor at 3/4 throttle, use a plastic fork handle or such non-magnetic item to carefully and incrementally push in on the cutout contact. If it pulls in on its own from just a little closer, adjust the little gap stop bracket to close the gap just that much. Try it again to see if it now pulls in on its own. If yes, cool. try it with the lid on the VR (it affects the magnetism). Make sure the cutout opens successfully when the tractor is shut off or it will possibly let the smoke out of the generator if it fails to open.
Do not get carried away. Jim