Generator Issue?

Pretty much ever since I've owned my TEA-20 I've had issues with the battery not charging. A while back I decided to re-wire it according to this diagram http://www.fofh.co.uk/tech/teawiring03.pdf . In addition to the wiring I had the generator rebuilt (a friend did this for free otherwise I would have just purchased an alternator). Unfortunately, this never solved the issue so I purchased a new regulator which still didn't resolve it either. At this point I wasn't entirely sure if the charge indicator light was working so I bypassed it. Now when turn on the ignition key the generator spins on the belt like a regular electrical motor would. Should this be happening?

A little bit more information:
- I am 90% sure I wired things back up correctly (confidence decreasing with each passing day)
-The tractor is 12V with positive ground
-I polarize the generator every time I hook the battery up
-I don't think there was anything wrong with the original regulator. Once I took it off I realized I had it hooked up incorrectly but opted to keep the new regulator.

Any information would be greatly appreciated!

I can not speculate what the problem is, I have repaired many generator systems and the one
consistent thing that I do on every one. Battery ground is directly to one starter mounting
bolt, from there I will route a #10 wire from that bolt to a mounting bolt on the generator
and also to the mounting bolt on the voltage regulator if it is mounted somewhere other
then on top of the generator, everything needs a perfect ground.

When you polarize it, do you disconnect the field wire FROM the regulator, and touch the non-grounded side
of the battery to the field terminal of the generator?

If the regulator was left connected, it may have damaged the contacts.

" I wasn't entirely sure if the charge indicator light was working so I bypassed it. "

Please explain what you actually mean by that statement.

To me, it means you removed the indicator light and connected the leads that formerly went to it together.

If that's what you actually did, the generator WILL attempt to "motor" as soon as the ignition switch is switched "ON" because the "cutout" function of the voltage regulator has been bypassed!

And, NO need to polarize the generator every tome the battery is disconnected and connected.

ONCE and polarizing should NOT be needed again unless the tractor sits unused for YEARS, or the generator is disassembled for some reason and the parts banged around a bit!

First thing is to stop buying new parts and replacing them until you determine for sure if they are good or bad. I'm not that familiar with Fergusons being a Ford man, but if the RELAY in the wiring diagram is a voltage regulator too, you do not need to polarize the generator every time it gets disconnected, it won't hurt anything, but not required to do so. 12-volt generators are a thing of the past really, and finding a shop that knows how to rebuild them correctly is almost as rare. I'd seriously consider getting an alternator and be done with it, connected negative ground. I'd test the RELAY as well. Third, if the generator 'spins' when the ignition key is turned, but the engine isn't fully cranked over, you have a definite wiring problem. I'd start by getting the battery tested -it must sustain a charge under load. A starter shop/auto parts store can bench test, usually for free. Use a good reliable brand of battery like DEKA, INTERSTATE, or EXIDE. Cheap bargain house units have a poor lifespan, 2 years on average, and some are just bad off the shelf. DO NOT DEVIATE from the wiring diagram, (...at this point I wasn't entirely sure if the charge indicator light was working so I bypassed it...). You can test the lamp simply by using a set of alligator clip jumper wires and connecting to the battery directly. A standard 6-volt dry cell will work too, just the 12V bulb won't illuminate quite as brightly, but it will light if good. While battery is being tested/charged, go thru ALL the wiring step by step verifying continuity and not just by trying to color-code the system. I always suggest to disconnect the entire lighting circuit so as to eliminate any faults there from the equation first. You can always reconnect the lights later, but first is to determine the true root cause of your problem. FENA technical guru Bob Sybrandy would be able to further help so try that site.

Tim Daley(MI)