1954 TEA20 wiring

Lonnie Vt

New User
Hey there! I'm new to the old tractor world, but just bought a 1954 TEA 20. Looking to re-wire and put back to original as it has been cobbled together and shifter start bypassed. It has a 12v Lucas 2 wire generator so I'm assuming it's a 12v system since didn't come with a battery??? I'd like to find a original wire diagram seems to be a lot of conflict on Internet with it being pos. ground then next diagram neg. ground. Some show a solenoid some don't some say 6V system some 12V. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks Lonnie
 
first Welcome to the BEST Antique Tractor Form! Others will be more knowledgeable than me but from what I have seen 6V are pos ground and 12 are neg ground and if yours has a gen 12V Lucas gen then that is original. And the most knowledgeable for Fergies is John UK.
Ypop
 
You in Vermont? I heard of a TEA for sale near White River Junction- was that one yours?
Yeah welcome aboard the SS Fergie. Plenty of room, all the rats already deserted....
 
The TE A changed to 85mm engines at serial number 172501. The TVO and gas changed to 12 volt at serial number 200001. Hopefully you know what your tractors S/N is so you can figure this out. Welcome to the best Fergy Forum on the www
 
This may help , all TE20 tractors left the factory as positive earth . Changing the polarity is not difficult unless the tractor has had an alternator fitted .[ Acknowledgements to the author. ]
mvphoto9457.jpg



Later edit , a 1954 TEA will have certainly left the factory as a 12 volt positive to earth .
 
yes I am in northern Vt. I actually bought the tractor 3 miles down the road in Huntington. It had been sitting a few years and the lady wanted it gone. The s/n is 405305 so it's 85mm 12v positive ground?? Thanks for the wire diagram and if that's how it was originally put together I want to do the same. Where can I get the wire loom to match this diagram? Thanks for all the help advise and being welcomed into the ferguson world!
 
Most parts suppliers have them but the quality can be questionable . I have made my own from an old car wiring loom , $3 from a wrecking yard . Lots of the right gauge and right coloured wires and plenty of crimped ends . Slip some fabric electrical sleeve over the top and it is indistinguishable from the original . The only change I would make to the wiring as shown in the diagram is to reroute the earth lead from the starter switch to one of the starter motor mount bolts . Makes for really good current flow and easier starting .
 
There's a wiring diagram for a TEA 20 at the FENA website.

And, wiring harnesses dot com lists a harness for the TEA 20.
 
I don't know if that holds true to English made tractors Richard. I had Saint Elmo's fire all over the left side of the engine on my 12v TEA20. Including the sediment bowl... Even without a generator or alternator hooked up.
I started putting ground wires everywhere, which got rid of the static sparks, but it could be the Lucas 12volt stuff wants to be positive ground. Too busy to tear back into it right now, but I will try reversing it, see what happens...
 
Richard. All TEA20s were Positive (+) ground/earth ex factory.

Lonnie. I have an after market wiring loom in my TEA20 and it seems fine, but as Charles suggests it is easy enough to make one. The TEA20 wiring diagram is very basic and elementary.

Sparex produce a wiring loom for the TEA20, part number S.67037.

Wiring Harness

Sparex is a wholesaler only. Most agricultural parts dealers, including this site, are Sparex retail dealers.

Bob in Oz
'53 TEA20.
 
Think I will make my own I have a few wiring harnesses kicking around. Bob do you like the looks of the diagram that Charlie offered up? Right now its grounded to starter think ill give it a shot there with pos. ground. Hoping to dive into it deeper this weekend and appreciate all the help.
 
Lonnie. Charles diagram is good! I think it shows the earth/ground onto the oil filler, see following photo.

Fergy106_zpsea6e4845.jpg


I thought I connected the earth/ground on my TEA20 to one of the starter motor bolts but looking at the photo, it appears I connected the earth/ground to one of the studs holding the bell housing starter switch. I don't remember......... senile decay, old timers disease! :cry:

My TEA20 is negative to earth/ground, simply because I have Pertronix electronic ignition which requires a negative earth system.

It is very easy to "flash" the system over from negative to positive earth. You don't need to change anything.

Bob in Oz
'53 TEA20
 
Very nice machine Bob! Thanks for the info and the photo a visual shows so much more then words. I pawed thru some wiring I have kicking around just not sure on the gauge of the wire. What would you suggest? Forgetting happens! At 42 I find myself with a pile of scrape papers at the end of the day with notes of things not to forget :? Again thanks for all the help!
 
Nice TED20 tractor Charles. But my TEA20 has higher compression, uses unleaded, not kero, has a chrome gear lever and throttle, therefore does wheelies and goes much faster! :lol:

I'm hopeless at wire gauges. I usually look for the thickest practical wire, then go thicker! The only current of significance in the system is from the generator to regulator and battery, 11 amps maximum generator output and from the battery to starter and for that you need the thickest leads you can get.

If you plan on running lights keep in mind the generator output is only 11 amps maximum (11 amps x 12 volts = 132 watts), so anything bigger than 45 watt light globes and you could end up with a flat battery, especially if the engine is operating at low RPM. I'm actually looking at replacing my 50 watt light globes with LEDs.

Bob in Oz
'53 TEA20


P.S. Charles, what year is that TED20? Interestingly the bell housing behind the starter motor is different to my TEA20.
 
Chrome really does make them go faster Bob :D

My TED is a 1952 model , factory 12 volt positive to ground . Yes the bell housing does look a little beefier on your than mine . An interesting variation , never noticed that before . Maybe your grey cells are not so old and tired after all !

I run it on unleaded petrol exclusively , no kerosene at all , it may have a petrol carburettor fitted , I have never been able to find the mysterious 'VO' stamp that denotes a kerosene carburettor on it anywhere . It doesn't seem to lack power , TEDs of that era had some extra rings to help prevent oil
contamination , consequently the compression is very good .

I don't use the lights very much but Ohm's law does help to sort out the bulb size . I do the same with wire gauges , go for the biggest that will fit and look reasonable . I find welding cable to be very good for starter power supplies .
 
Chrome really does make them go faster Bob :D

My TED is a 1952 model , factory 12 volt positive to ground . Yes the bell housing does look a little beefier on your than mine . An interesting variation , never noticed that before . Maybe your grey cells are not so old and tired after all !

I run it on unleaded petrol exclusively , no kerosene at all , it may have a petrol carburettor fitted , I have never been able to find the mysterious 'VO' stamp that denotes a kerosene carburettor on it anywhere . It doesn't seem to lack power , TEDs of that era had some extra rings to help prevent oil
contamination , consequently the compression is very good .

I don't use the lights very much but Ohm's law does help to sort out the bulb size . I do the same with wire gauges , go for the biggest that will fit and look reasonable . I find welding cable to be very good for starter power supplies .
 
Well my gosh there is something else I have to remember and my remembering is not as good as it used to be. Thank you Bob and Tony for adding more stuff to be remembered!!!!!!!!
 
Well it's rewired everything electrical new but the generator and running well. Must be the ethenal in the fuel that raises hell with the fuel system?? Cleaned tank had to replace bowl assembly and gave carb a quick cleaning. It gallops a lot at idle so I think next is tear down carb and rebuild. Should I be putting ethanol free gas in it or additive? All in all the things been sitting for sometime and very impressed how little it took to get going. Thanks again to everyone for advised!
 

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