TO-30 Voltage Regulator?

Converted the TO-30 back to 6 volt. New battery, new wiring, rebuilt generator, new ammeter and new voltage regulator. Having problems after starting up. The ammeter will show about 8 amps charge for a about 2 or 3 minutes and then drop back to 0 or to 10 amps discharge. If I take a screwdriver handle and tap on the voltage regulator it will go back to 8 amp charge for a short time and then back to 0 or -10 amp. Will stay there until I tap it again. I assume the problem is in the VR. Is there anything I can do inside the cover of the VR? I have checked my ground wires and have polarized the system. Is there something else I should do before I replace the VR?
 
Is the battery discharging? Keeping a charge the whole time it is running? Then there may not be anything wrong. You wouldn't want 8 or 9 volts constantly going into a 6 if the battery is fully charged. If the VR invisibly keeps up with the discharge of coil and points, but you don't notice the needle bobbing now and then- the only time you will notice the needle go up is after you start it again, and the battery has a drain to recover from. That could take several seconds to a few minutes... but then the needle can sit at zero almost the rest of the day, wait till the tractor can't start anymore before you fix anything. The voltage 'regulator' might just be 'regulatin'...
 
Thanks Tony, my main concern was the sudden drop from +8 to -10. If it stopped at 0 I would feel more confident. When it does this it is not a gradual decline, it snaps back to -10.
 

Was the regulator marked for 6V positive ground? They usually are. What happens when you pull the negative cable off while it's running? If it keeps running, drive it. Although I can tell you from personal experience I had the amp gauge go bad on our TO-30 many years ago and it wouldn't charge until I jumpered around it.
 
Hi Del-
It's AMPS more than VOLTS you want to watch.
Did you polarize the generator after all the new parts were added? Proper method is to keep the battery disconnected until last and wire everything up as it is shown in the diagram, then double, triple check the routing to ensure ALL wires are connected properly. Then connect a fully charged battery. BEFORE turning the key ON, polarize the generator at the VR with the simple arc/spark jumper method. Turn key ON but don't crank. As you do watch your AMMETER and you should see a slight needle movement/bounce for a second. Crank engine and observe needle swinging to "+" area of gauge. Once engine fires up, watch needle for movement to zero or plus side, like around 5-10 AMP mark. Let engine warm up a few minutes then switch on your headlights while watching needle on AMP gauge. Did needle swing to left of zero or zero? A bad battery won't hold a charge and you will notice a negative swing on gauge if so. Then the battery will eventually drain with or without lights on. You can take VR of and try tightening teh contacts too.
 
Thanks Tim, I have been using the A terminal on the generator to the negative terminal on the battery to polarize. Which two terminals do I use to polarize the generator to the VR? I am going to do as you say and disconnect the battery and re-check everything. I do not have the lights on it yet so will not be able to do that test.
 

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