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No wonder my starter was dragging!

P

Patrick HMD

Member
No longer a problem. What a difference. The M is a heavy duty tractor, and requires things that are heavy duty.
The cable is 2/0 welding lead material given to me by a welder buddy. The heavy duty lugs and battery connectors and shrink rap are from the Interstate battery store located here in the city. Real easy to do. All you need is some lead solder and a torch.
If you take it upon yourself to do something like this, do it right the first time, and you eliminate problems down the road. I maybe beating a dead horse here, but I'd like to share these pictures here just to show the difference.
IMG_0446.jpg

This is rinky-dink and half-a$$!!
IMG_0487.jpg

This works just fine for me.
IMG_0498.jpg

PATRICK
'49M
 
Too bad more people do not understand how important good quality wiring is to the overall performance of your equipment. Not too mention it can lead to costly repairs that could have easily been prevented, and in worse case even cause fire. Most people see dollar signs, and then do it just enough to get by. That getting by only last while everything is new and in top condition.
 
Looks awfully familiar!

I have 2/0 cables made at my local auto parts store for all my tractors. They look exactly like your new ones and it really is amazing how much of a difference the new, larger cables can make.
 
Only thing I might recommend is to run that battery ground cable right over to the starter maount bolt, instead of to a nearby bolt. That way it"ll be directly almost part of the starter. I did that on my H, and made a world of difference.
 
For years I lived with my Super H turning over real slow, but it always started. I always blamed it on the high compression overhaul it had. The other day I was looking at the cables and realized I had replaced the ground cable with a auto 12v cable from the local auto parts store. I found a place to purchase the heavy gauge cable and replaced it. I was amazed how the starter now spins the engine (on 6 volts). That was a real testimonial to me. Roger
 
My father had a rural repair business for quite a few years, I can hear him now....
" Go Take those P>O>S so-called battery cales off that tractor & make some real ones !!! " ..."Don't take all day doin it EITHER ! "
The "customer" would always complain about the cost, but as Dad used to say...
" The good news is you won't be coming back to see me very soon now will ya !!??" any quirky response & dad would say...
" AND YEAH !!! I won't have to be hearing you @#$^%* anymore either, I thought you told me to FIX IT !!! "
...then they both would just laugh out loud.

It's not cheap, but it's money well spent on any 6 volt system no matter what color or make.
 
I completely agree! Good heavy gauge cables make a big difference. Most tractors I buy have fabbed up homemade cables and that is where the starting problems begin or small gauge auto parts store cables are used. Many people want to do 12 volt alternator conversions because the tractor doesn't turn over the way it should. In many cases good cables will solve the problem.
 
I worked for an old timer when I was in high school.
He always said "When the auto manufacturers went to
12 volt they stole half the copper out of your car"
And he was right. Six volt systems require heavier
wire to carry the amps.
 
Yes, and people falsely still think the magnetic field comes from the current. 12 volts at half the current makes the starter turn the engine much faster.
 
(quoted from post at 07:43:16 09/07/12) I worked for an old timer when I was in high school.
He always said "When the auto manufacturers went to
12 volt they stole half the copper out of your car"
And he was right. Six volt systems require heavier
wire to carry the amps.
Click to expand...
Look at the wire bundles in today's cars and imagine what they would be like if the manufacturers were trying to do all that on 6 volts. That is also the reason there has been talk about going to 42 volt systems.
 
Much of todays cars run on 0 - 5 volts. The oxygen sensor system is only 0 - 1 volt. A lot of the computer system would get fried at 12 volts.
 
I wasn't refering to sensors. Think about A/C clutches, electric power steering, power windows, power door locks, trunk releases, wiper motors (front and rear), power antenna, power seats, assorted controls. The list goes on.
 
(quoted from post at 09:21:28 09/07/12) Yes, and people falsely still think the magnetic field comes from the current. 12 volts at half the current makes the starter turn the engine much faster.
Click to expand...

The magnetic force IS determined by the current (and the number of turns in the coil). When you put 12 volts to a starter that is designed for six volts you are not only doubling the voltage but since you are not changing the resistance the current also doubles.
 
Let's start with basic laws of electricity. Work performed by an electric motor is measured in Watts x Time (eg. Joules or watt hour). Watts = Volts x Amps. 1 HP = 746 Watts.

If you need 746 Watts for a 1 HP motor at 110V, that is 6.8 Amps. To run that same motor on 220V, that is 3.4 amps per 110V leg. The Ampacity (determined by AWG) of a wire indicates NOT how much Voltage it will carry, but how many Amps it will carry. Watts does not change for DC vs. AC current. The work performed by 100 Amps at 6 volts, will also be performed by 50 Amps at 12 volts. This also assumes a constant Resistance. Resistance also changes in a wire as tempurature changes, so heat is generated by the flow of Amps, not voltage.

So, the bottom line conclusion, using too small an AWG for a 6 volts system produces poor performance, and performance decreases as the wire/cable heats up. A 12Volt system will require less Amps to perform the same amount of work, so hence smaller cables work.
 
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